Our temps are way off

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I got my infrared gun yesterday and tested the temps in the tank and was really disappointed to see 94/95 under the lamp and 85 in the "cool side". :(

We currently have a 20 gallon tank with the reptisun 10.0 tube inside the tank, a 50 watt outdoor flood light for basking, a water bowl inside (that's essentially under the basking light area, a log for shade and a hiding place and a branch for him to climb up to the basking light. The 20 gal is contributing to the temp problem I feel because the heat is essentially spreading.

We know we need a larger tank but have to budget for that and want to make sure we buy the right kind. His behavior is normal, we think, he's hunting and eating, he voided on Monday (since bringing him hom on Sunday), and seems alert. But these temps need to change. I am concerned about heating up the basking light 10 degrees because the shady spot will likely heat up as well...

Need big help please. And thank you.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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It's tougher on the 20g tanks but it's doable. When I used a 20g I had a 100w ZooMed Repti Basking Spot bulb in a dome fixture on an adjustable lamp stand. I just raised it up and was able to get the temps up to 105 or so in the basking area and around 80 on the cool end. I provided a habba hut for a hide and a piece of driftwood at an angle to sun on (that was the basking spot) and a fake plant and hammock on the cool side to create a shady area. If you want a decent halogen flood light equivalent you may want to try a higher wattage bulb and put it on a lamp dimmer or adjustable stand to fine tune it a bit. I have a 90w halogen flood with 1790 lumens but have a larger tank so I'd shoot for something in between the 50 and 90 and see how that goes.
 
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