BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I can't find a big flat rock anywhere. Would it be okay to put smaller flat rocks together to make a basking rock?

yup.

you could just use bricks too.

You could also go to Home Depot or Lowes type place and get a flat paving stone. They also usually discount it if it isnt a whole piece....I got a 12 inch by 8 inch piece for $1

Okay, I think I will go to home depot soon! Is there any color rock I should not use? Like, would a black rock get to hot, or would a lighter rock not get hot enough?

I use rocks from my backyard (helps to live in the mountains!) and they are all pale because we're sandstone based, and they heat up fine.

I wouldn't get white but, it might be too reflective.

Also, with the rock from a home store, I scrubbed them with water and a brush and then bake it in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees...I have some Sedona red rocks from hiking and my hubby plopped them into our fish tank, needless to say, I no longer list fish as my pets since they all died within 48 hours of adding the rock.

Ouch. I try to stay away from sedimentary rock in my fish tanks. Igneous and metamorphic are the way to go!

Why do poeple suggest flat for , any shapes fine innit? Mines just a rock

Flat because then it's more even heating? because it's neater? Because it's generally thinner - therefore heats up quicker?

I have broken up concrete!

Leigh wrote:Why do poeple suggest flat for , any shapes fine innit? Mines just a rock

Yeah mine are just big rocks from out the back, but I try to find the flattest ones I can because I think it distributes the heat better or something. But then, the flatter side I put on the bottom so it doesn't move around too much. Some of mine weigh a tonne, I just know I'm going to drop one and shatter one of my tanks one day.

I have anywhere between 3 and 6 rocks in my tanks that vary in size and shape and roughness, but the biggest, flattest one is always the basking rock.

Do you absolutely need a basking rock? I have a 36/18/12 40 gal and i don't have one, but he seems to spend about half the time on both sides so i'm assuming the basking temp is fine. The side wall temp near the warm side is usually 85-90 so im guessing right under the lamps is 90+ also the cool side is room temp at 74. other than that he just sits on the warm side on the substrate to bask? What are your opinions/ suggestions?

Well no, you don't NEED one, but you definately need a centralised hot spot. Blue tongues are basking animals, and in the wild they bask on anything that retains the heat of the sun best, like rocks, roads, rails ties etc. While your substrate will get warm, it won't retain and radiate the heat the way something solid would. Unless it's compost!

The point of a basking rock, IMO is to retain heat after the light has been shut off.

My basking light is on for the same time as the UV ,12 hours, should it be on for just a few hours a day or what?

Leigh wrote:My basking light is on for the same time as the UV ,12 hours, should it be on for just a few hours a day or what?

No - you are fine.

Thank you, I was almost concerned there for a mo.

Lisa wrote:Well no, you don't NEED one, but you definately need a centralised hot spot. Blue tongues are basking animals, and in the wild they bask on anything that retains the heat of the sun best, like rocks, roads, rails ties etc. While your substrate will get warm, it won't retain and radiate the heat the way something solid would. Unless it's compost!

Right. Imagine if you were cold; would it be easier to warm up by spreading out on a flat road, or a craggy cliff. More of a convenince for the bluey more or less. Plus, flat surfaces more easily become hotter than rough surfaces.

Nomad: Basking rocks really don't retain any heat in a terrarium -- most BTS goto sleep as soon as the lights go out -- many times, blueys begin to forage once the lights go out; I wrote about this in another thread a few minutes ago how I believe the basking light doesn't need to be on ALL DAY long. I dim my lights up a few hours, hit my high peak lighting, them dim them back down during sunset. They're much more active this way I've noticed.

And yep, Felmarg, darker tiles will be hotter than light tiles -- I'd definitely go with a darker shade. Sometimes those light one's hardly hold heat at all...I tried!

You're advice is sound enough mate but I like the idea of him climbing a small way{for the nail issue}and he will lie flat on the ground at the base if he wants, he can regulate himself better on a sloped surface than a flat one, they're all or nothing, so to speak

Hi Felmarg,

Hey, you can go here and get a couple nice flat pieces of slate. It comes in black and red and only $1.00/lb. 2 lbs. will get you about 2-3 nice flat pieces. It holds heat very well. I use the red in my dragons enclosure, and black for my Northern. Just be sure to wash it well.

http://www.herpsupplies.com/search.cfm

On the same note, how do ceramic tiles work? They're easy to find, but I dunno what kind of basking rock they'd make? There's also some that are glossy that I don't think would work as well as those that are rougher?