Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm in a bit of a quizabuck. I have a 30 gallon vivarium with a thick, double layer substrate: an inch of pea gravel over 2.5 ins topsoil. I need to get the temp range to at least 78 F in the cool end, and at least 89 in the warm end of the tank. How should i do this without roasting plants? My room temp is 70 and heating the room up into the upper 70s is not an option.

You could try clamping a heat lamp outside the viv, off to one side, aimed at the viv on the side you want warm. Varying the distance should enable you to get the right temps. Don't underestimate the heat given off by flourescent lights, either. A lot depends on what you want to put in the viv, and its habits. I've kept green anoles in mine, in a warm house (75 to 80 F), with no other heat than the flourescents. High basking branches allowed them to get close enough to the light to get their preferred basking temp from it (not to mention uvb).

Thanks for the info. I was planning on keeping something small in the vivarium: green aoles and similar anole species had been a consideration. I've also been thinking of maintaining day geckos in the vivarium.

One thing I had considered: the amount of temperature variation might make it possible to mix a species of arboreal lizard with dart frogs?