Lighting and heat

Having trouble getting the tank over 80 degrees. And gets around 70 at night. Have a heat lamp during the day and a ceramic heater for night. This is in a 20 gallon tank for a baby sulcata. Is eating well. Have had for a week.

Hello and welcome.

Please read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Most of the info out there for this species is wrong. You need to get those night tmps up right away, like tonight. Shut the tank in a bathroom with a space heater if need be. Long term a ceramic heating element, of the correct wattage, set on a thermostat will do the trick. Having an open topped enclosure makes it all much harder.

I used a incandescent bulb and a ceramic heat bulb today and have covered yhe top. Came home and the temp was 90,however basking area was way to hot. So by covering i have been able to retain the heat. Just need to get the baskibg area down.

Blakelystort said:

however basking area was way to hot. So by covering i have been able to retain the heat. Just need to get the baskibg area down.

Click to expand...

What was the temp at the basking spot? Are you able to provide it with UV light?

I have a tube uv light. The basking spot was a little high yesterday at 110 and the he was on the other end of the tank. But had a basking light and a ceramiv heater on and it got up to 90 degrees. Also covering the tank lid so its not losing heat at all.