I'm getting skink!! Quick tank question though~

[Raven_Vivi]

Hello! I'm a nuubcake of a member on here =)

I finally wore down my parents into letting me get a pet!!
(that and i reminded them i have gotten them good bragging rights on the colleges i got into ^_^)

It's my first skink EVER and i'm so excited!!!!
I think I'll be ordering one from Ray Gurguis? (sp?)
If he ever responds bak to my emails~ lol

But i have one question about my tank~
I have a 40 gallon tank (36 x 18 x 18 )

My question is about bulbs???

Do i need a UVA AND a UVB bulb? So i have 2 lights on my skink at the same time???

And what should the wattage be for each? Or are they both the same wattage??

I don't think i'll be getting a night light for it becuz it'll be staying in my room and the temp won't drop down more than 60 max....that's ok right??

Thanks in advance for the help ^_^

PS. All the skink stuff has burned a permanent hole in my already burnt pocket =O

[mewzic-7123]

it looks pretty good there, I think you need UVB, check the caresheet. Theres a section about the lights. 60 degrees is okay i guess, no lower though.

when you get the new skink post pictures!

[Raven_Vivi]

okie dokes~~ I'll check =)

and i'll post pics whenever i get into contact with ray and actually pick one XD~

[jasjmm27]

The Caresheet section should provide you with all the info you need.

http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm

for a 10" high cage, I would guess you could get away with a 75-100 watt heat bulb (any incandescent will work fine, just make sure you check the temps at the basking level/ basking rock, they should be about 95-100F) and then you would need, ideally, a UVB long tube bulb 18" to 24" should be fine, unless you can afford the 36" tube which would fit your entire tank and is likely the best choice.
UVB lighting is a highly debateable topic as you can see in the caresheet...it would be up to you, but generally UVB is highly recommended (if not required), I use the ExoTerra ReptiGlo 10.0 UVB bulbs (not the compact flourescents as they have had problems recently, I think).

Other than that, read the caresheet and make your own choices and ask the real pros here...they know what they are talking about, I just figured out my setup recently by reading the caresheet and asking them a few questions...

[Raven_Vivi]

ok~~
So i don't need UVA??
the caresheet says it helps for eating and stuff but everyone's saying UVB~

I dunno if i can get a tube b/c then i'd need to buy a hood for it to go in...and I'm one broke little girl =P
would 10.0 work for my tank?? Or should i go larger if I decide to get a bulb instead of a tube??

I think the store I go to only has 10.0, 25.0, and 65.0

[Bird_Brain]

Every light bulb will give out UVA. A regular incandescent light bulb will emit UVA. So just use a regular incandescent light bulb for the basking light. The UVB bulb is of course up to you. I provide it, but dont change them out as often as I should. My UV bulbs get changed out once a year. However, I do supplement their diets with Vit. D3 on a regular basis. I basically use the fluorescent bulbs to light the entire cage. The way I look at it, you can never go wrong by providing a UVB light.

[Raven_Vivi]

ok thx =)

I guess i'll go 100Watts for the basking light
and see how much the UVB is~ There's only so much little 'ol me can afford to buy =P I guess i could wait a few months to get a UVB though~

I'm hoping i can take him/her out when it gets warmer ^_^

[Bird_Brain]

100watts might be a little too much, IMO. But it also depends on the color of the basking rock, temperature of your room, etc. If I were you, I would buy a box of 75watts and 100watts (usually $1 for a box of 4 for each watt). Dont get anything fancy. Just the cheap regular bulbs. If you have extra money, about $25, I HIGHLY recommend getting a temp gun from www.tempgun.com. This way you know EXACTLY what the temps are. It was the best investment I ever made.

As far as waiting on the UV light, I dont see a problem with that. A large number of people dont have a light on their blueys, they just rely on taking them out side during the summer months and have had great results doing it this way. I would wait and put this money towards a temp gun, IMO.

One last thing, for a basking rock, go to a local home improvement store and you can get a real slate floor tile (12inch x 12inch) for less than $3. Better yet, if you find one that is broke, they will usually give you a good deal on it. The ones I have bought are dark in color and have reds and greens running through it. Very nice looking if you ask me.

[jasjmm27]

ok~~
So i don't need UVA??
the caresheet says it helps for eating and stuff but everyone's saying UVB~

I dunno if i can get a tube b/c then i'd need to buy a hood for it to go in...and I'm one broke little girl =P
would 10.0 work for my tank?? Or should i go larger if I decide to get a bulb instead of a tube??

I think the store I go to only has 10.0, 25.0, and 65.0

UVA is also important, but it is generally "included" in the UVB bulbs that are available. Therefore, when you buy a good UVB bulb, then the UVA will be pretty much taken care of...though you could find some basking lamps that may produce some UVA rays....I am not sure how effective they are, I actually DID fall for that and bought one until I read a bunch more about the lighting and figured a regular incandescent is good enough for basking...plus I plan on taking my bluey outside a few days a week to get some real rays.

As far as I know a 10.0 should be fine for your tank, especially if it is only 10-12" tall...might even be TOO much if you research a bit more...might want an 8.0 or something...I figure a 10.0 and good hiding spots should be ok, though...

Any objections from the forum on that?

I don't think that Exo Terra makes anything bigger than a 10.0, I am getting my info from here:

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/li ... _bulbs.php

I think Zoomed makes other similar bulbs...pretty sure the bigges they make is 10.0 as well?

http://www.amazon.com/Reptisun-10-0-Hig ... 79&sr=1-20


If you do get a compact flourescent bulb or Mercury Vapor (like Mega-Ray, http://www.reptileuv.com/) be sure to pay extra attention to warnings, distance requirements, etc. The Mercury Vapor looks cool because it can be a heat lamp AND a UVA/B bulb all in one...but it seems to require some additional setup...all my herps in the past have done fine with the tube bulbs so I have stuck with what I know...for NOW.

Hope that helps a bit. Keep asking and hopefully the long term owners will be able to provide a little more assistance...I am still only a month or two into my ownership...

[jasjmm27]

100watts might be a little too much, IMO. But it also depends on the color of the basking rock, temperature of your room, etc. If I were you, I would buy a box of 75watts and 100watts (usually $1 for a box of 4 for each watt). Dont get anything fancy. Just the cheap regular bulbs. If you have extra money, about $25, I HIGHLY recommend getting a temp gun from www.tempguns.com. This way you know EXACTLY what the temps are. It was the best investment I ever made.

As far as waiting on the UV light, I dont see a problem with that. A large number of people dont have a light on their blueys, they just rely on taking them out side during the summer months and have had great results doing it this way. I would wait and put this money towards a temp gun, IMO.

One last thing, for a basking rock, go to a local home improvement store and you can get a real slate floor tile (12inch x 12inch) for less than $3. Better yet, if you find one that is broke, they will usually give you a good deal on it. The ones I have bought are dark in color and have reds and greens running through it. Very nice looking if you ask me.

Yes, I think that with a 10" tall cage, 100Watts might be a bit high, especially considering a 1/2" to 1" basking rock and the "thickness" of the little guy/gal. I just have the 100 Watt since I have 18-25" tall vivariums (converted from aquariums), so that, along with a "drop" to accomadate a closer lamp position allows for the correct temperatures.


Reptileking,
What model of tempgun did you get/would you recommend? I was thinking the "regular" model should be the best, right? It still had 0.1F increments and a good range...

[Bird_Brain]

I have the $25 temp gun and it even has more features that I really need. They used to have even a smaller one for less money, but it appears that they dont sell it any more. I will try to find a site that does and post a link to it.

[jasjmm27]

I have the $25 temp gun and it even has more features that I really need. They used to have even a smaller one for less money, but it appears that they dont sell it any more. I will try to find a site that does and post a link to it.

Sounds good...I am into cars and engine work as well...so it could be very useful to get the $25 model anyway. I think I will look into that...did you get yours from the site or from a store (Radioshack)?

[Bird_Brain]

I got mine from Proexotics. Didnt have any problems with them and wouldnt hesitate to order from them again. I couldnt find any of the smaller ones they used to sell. However, I am not sure if the $25 includes shipping or not. If it doesnt, Ebay had some Buy it nows for 19.99 plus 4.99 shipping.

[jasjmm27]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/00 ... un&x=0&y=0

They have the mini-tempgun on Amazon.com, but it is $5 more, at $30 plus shipping.

[Kya Ajiira]

hum o.o is a long bulb better i have a uva uvb light with the hum metal thing to hold it thats open so ya dont cook the poor skink and it costs 35 $ oww oww oww and its 60 watts(i belive thats what it is) I know its not 100 and over and not under 60 is that good o.o

[Raven_Vivi]

omg thx for all the input everyone!! XD

I was so happy when I got home from school and found more replies >_<

I'll be calling the guy I'm trying to buy my skink from today because he's not responding to my emails =)

I found a humid/temp gun at petsmart for $26 So i'm thinking I should buy that =)

I found some old tiles that could be used as a basking spot but I dunno if it'll work right until I buy the bulbs~

if i get a UVB bulb, would Exo-Terra Repti Glo 10.0 Compact Desert Terrarium Lamp be alright??

100watts might be a little too much, IMO. But it also depends on the color of the basking rock, temperature of your room, etc. If I were you, I would buy a box of 75watts and 100watts (usually $1 for a box of 4 for each watt). Dont get anything fancy. Just the cheap regular bulbs.

Cheap regular bulbs??? Like ones at the Acme?? O_o
Because the bulbs I was looking at are all from petsmart and those are not cheap =P

Oh and stupid question: Does the UVB stay on or does it go off at night??

[jasjmm27]

That's good you found a tempgun, it will be easy to ensure you have the setup ready for the correct temps now!
If you get the Compact Flourescent, make sure you read up on them. It might be safer to go with the 5.0 or 8.0 versions as I have read some articles stating that the 10.0 might be causing some problems with animals...That is up to you and your own research, though...as well as any other input you get from the forum members.

Yes, he meant the regular cheap bulbs, anything you can get at walmart, home depot, or your local grocery store. I got a 4 pack of 100Watt bulbs for $1.07. So, they are CHEAP. You don't need the bulbs from the pet store...though you can get one if you feel better about it, I guess?

[NomadOfTheHills]

UVB off at night. The 10.0 is ok, but it might be overkill for a BTS. I would go for the 5.0, but not the 2.0.

Also, make sure you read the directions, the compacts require a breaking in period, depending on the model.

[jasjmm27]

Oh, I have my lights on a timer. They should have the lights on for ~12 hours. That includes the UVB bulbs. That can change in the winter/brumation season as they go into their "sleepy time". There are plenty of other threads about that here as well, just look up the "Brumation 101" topic, that is good info.

[jasjmm27]

UVB off at night. The 10.0 is ok, but it might be overkill for a BTS. I would go for the 5.0, but not the 2.0.

Also, make sure you read the directions, the compacts require a breaking in period, depending on the model.

Yes, be sure to read the directions carefully AND look up some more info online...do research. Seems like the 5.0 would be your best choice...be aware of the break-in period and the recommended distances from the animal...Reread the section on lighting and UVB in the caresheet as well...it will tell you about photoperiods and all that good stuff.