Elijahsmom
Hatchling Member
Ok questions about temps etc. I just got Elijah a 40 gal breeder and found out that I was messing up his temps. bad. I had posted in the Health disscussion forum that he was slowing down and I found that I didn't have the right equipment for measuring temps. (I had sticky thermometers) So I bought the digital thermometers with probes. I have one set up in his basking area and one set up in the cool side. Now I have been reading that some people who have 100 watt or more basking lamps are a little too hot for a 40 gal. and that most people are able to use 60 watt or so in the basking area. I have a 100 watt bulb on my basking area (I live in the basement of the house, it's cold down here) and the temps are at about 107. I moved the probe farther down his log that he basks on and it read 110 and was still climbing!! I immediatly turned off the 100 watt and switched to a 75 watt and then I couldn't get his temp above 95. 
On the cool side of the tank I do have to keep a 60 watt bulb to keep the temp at about 77 to 78 and thats under the bulb (the probe rests on the ground on that side and he has nothing on that side to get closer to the bulb). So I had to put the 100 watt bulb back in, what should I do. I don't want to fry my guy but I can't seem to get his temps regular. He is active, no health concerns at all. Thanks for the input.
On the cool side of the tank I do have to keep a 60 watt bulb to keep the temp at about 77 to 78 and thats under the bulb (the probe rests on the ground on that side and he has nothing on that side to get closer to the bulb). So I had to put the 100 watt bulb back in, what should I do. I don't want to fry my guy but I can't seem to get his temps regular. He is active, no health concerns at all. Thanks for the input.
