i am going to be getting a 50g tank tommorow so i need to know what i will need to get the heat up. i know i need a basic basking bulb but what watts should it be? and will this basking bulb be enough to heat up the cage during the day? i don't want to overheat my cage but i also don't want it to not have enough heat in it. ill be using the basking bulb and a reptisun tube for lights, should i also buy a heat pad to get the tempeture up around the tank? all help is appreciated!
If I had to make a good starting point I would say a basking bulb of 75+ and on the other side a reg 100 watt bulb with a dimmer. I would have to say for sq foot the 50 and 40 breeder are pretty much the same. 50 is longer but the breeder is wider. I would do a search and see what others are doing for the 40 breeder or a 55.
I have a 40 gallon breeder tank and use a 100 watt household bulb for basking. If its really cold in the house and I need extra heat, I use a 40 watt on the cool side.