basking rock / temps / humidity??

[Chris12]

I am a newbie w/ a baby sully...still learning and setting up my enclosure. I bought a temp gun per everyones advice and discovered a lot about my enclosure.
1) I noticed my basking rock directly under the light is only 88 degrees, but the orchid bark around the rock is 101. Not sure what type of rock i am using, should i seek out slate or flagstone to increase the the temp or am i doing something else wrong w/ the lighting?

2) near the basking rock, the warm side hide is over sphagnum moss and the inside temp is 83

3) i noticed my cool side was 74 during the day and 76 inside the cool side hide

4) being in south florida and w/ daily misting, my humidity seems to stay between 75-90%. I try to maintain 80% per everyones advice, but are the fluctuations ok?

Am i doing alright w/ the temps / humidity? ..appreciate any advice...thanks!!

 

[Tom]

I am a newbie w/ a baby sully...still learning and setting up my enclosure. I bought a temp gun per everyones advice and discovered a lot about my enclosure.
1) I noticed my basking rock directly under the light is only 88 degrees, but the orchid bark around the rock is 101. Not sure what type of rock i am using, should i seek out slate or flagstone to increase the the temp or am i doing something else wrong w/ the lighting?

2) near the basking rock, the warm side hide is over sphagnum moss and the inside temp is 83

3) i noticed my cool side was 74 during the day and 76 inside the cool side hide

4) being in south florida and w/ daily misting, my humidity seems to stay between 75-90%. I try to maintain 80% per everyones advice, but are the fluctuations ok?

Am i doing alright w/ the temps / humidity? ..appreciate any advice...thanks!!

1. This is odd. It could be that you've measured this temp in the morning before the rock has heated up. What is the rock temp in the afternoon after the heat lamp has been burning down on it all day. Is the rock wet? Evaporative cooling could also explain this.
2. This sounds fine.
3. Too cool. Add more heat in some way or other. Some enclosures need a second CHE. Personally, I prefer to use a closed chamber to avoid this problem all together.
4. Your numbers are good. Fluctuation between 75 and 90% is totally fine. Fluctuation between 30 and 90% would be bad.

I see you are a new member. Hello and welcome. Have you read all of 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/