You need to plan and set up your blue tongue skink habitat before you bring it home. While it’s a very exciting time, it can also be stressful. In this complete step by step guide, you will find out how to set up a blue tongue skink enclosure and supplies that you will need to set up an enclosure.
To set up a blue tongue skink enclosure, you will need to get an at least 50 gallon tank, add substrate. Then, you will have to set up lighting with UVB, heating bulbs connected to a thermostat, add thermometers, hides, accessories.
Step 1: Getting a terrarium
Your blue tongue skink will need to be housed in a large wide tank, that has more floor rather than vertical space. This is because blue tongues have short legs and don’t climb much, just clamber.
If getting a baby blue tongue skink under 3 months old, you can initially house it in a smaller tank. The minimum would be 30 gallons, that is 24 inches (46cm) long, 18 inches (46cm) wide, and 15 inches (38cm) high.
The bare minimum for an adult blue tongue skink is 40 gallons, that is at least 36 inches (91.5cm) long, 18 inches (46cm) wide and 15-18 inches (38-46cm) high. However, please try your best to get a larger tank, or your blue tongue skink might get stressed, bored, and unhappy. One large tank can be its home for the lifetime and it deserves a good space as a pet.
A minimum 50+ gallon tank that is at least 46 inches long (117 cm) is highly recommended, as it will provide an adult much more space for adding enrichment accessories and more space to roam.
The best types of terrariums you can get for your blue tongue skink are:
- Exo Terra medium wide tank with dimension of 24”x 18”x 18” – approximately 33 gallons like this – for babies under 3 months old. You can also get a tank that is only 12-15 inches high.
- For older blue tongue skinks, get a tank that it will always be in. A bare minimum is 36 inches long, like this Large Wide 36″x18″18″ tank.
- The best choice would be a tank that is 40+ inches long, to give more floor space. This Carolina Custom 48″x18″x18″cage (around 68 gallons) will be ideal for an adult blue tongue for life.
Another great option is a good quality PVC cage, that are long-lasting (permanent home thus a good investment), look good, hold heat & humidity well. An example would be this 4 ft long custom made PVC cage.
You might also consider a wooden terrarium if your blue tongue species does not require high humidity. It’s recommended to keep humidity in a wooden tank under 30-35%, so it can suit Shinglebacks or other Australian species.
However, other blue tongue species will need to soak and any water spilling on wood can cause rotting and other issues. It’s also hard to sanitize with higher humidity.
Step 2: Substrate
After you get the tank and clean it, you will need to add substrate (bedding). Substrate that you have to choose will greatly depend on your blue tongue skink species, because of their different humidity needs. You can mix various substrates together to reach ideal humidity levels for your species.
The best substrate for low humidity (20-30%) requiring blue tongues such as Shinglebacks:
- Aspen wood shavings like this – won’t increase humidity and will allow burrowing. Use on its own. Don’t choose shredded aspen as it can get stuck in the eyes.
- Cypress mulch
The best substrates for medium humidity (40-50%) requiring blue tongues such as Northern, Blotched, Eastern:
- Coco fiber like this, can also add some sphagnum moss, cypress mulch or topsoil
- Cypress mulch like this
- Aspen wood shavings mixed with some sphagnum moss
The best substrates for high humidity (50-60%, with spikes to 70-100%) requiring blue tongues such as Irian Jaya, Indonesian, Halmahera, Merauke, Kei island and even Tanimbar:
- Coco fiber, mixed with sphagnum moss and optionally topsoil
- Cypress mulch mixed with some topsoil and sphagnum moss
- Bioactive substrate made of coconut fiber, leaf litter, sphagnum moss
Please don’t get ReptiBark, sand, walnut shells, sawdust, reptile carpet, orchid bark, cat litter, alfalfa or coniferous wood shavings or chips.
You can find more information on the best substrates and humidity needs in this post.
Step 3: UVB lighting
Blue tongue skinks need high output UVB tube lights. Tube light will allow the light to be distributed evenly around the tank, so that your skink can actually benefit from it. Please don’t get coiled or small bulb UVB, unless the tank for a baby is smaller than 30 gallons.
The best UVB tube light for blue tongue skinks are:
- High output 10.0 RetiSun tube T5 UVB light like this
- This T5 10.0 ReptiSun tube
- Arcadia 10-12% UVB tube light (in the UK)
If you are getting a T8 ReptiSun tube, it will be weaker, so you must house it in a hood with a reflector (will discuss below). Remember that UVB bulbs need replacing every 5 months, while most tubes – 10-12 months, as they stop producing UVB.
You can read a full guide on lighting, heating and positioning lights in this post.
Step 4: Lighting and heating
For lights, you will need bright white light during the day and no lights at night. If you need to heat the tank slightly at night, the best choice is a ceramic heat emitter, that doesn’t produce any light. This will ensure that your blue tongue’s sleep cycle is not disturbed.
The best light bulbs for heat and light for blue tongue skinks are:
- Halogen flood light bulbs like this
- General bright household bulbs
- Basking or incandescent light bulb for reptiles (make sure they don’t burn out quickly, or get spares)
- A ceramic heat emitter bulb for night time heat – you will often need to raise temperatures slightly, so a low wattage (25watt) bulb like this might be enough.
You can read a full guide on lighting, heating and positioning lights in this post.
Step 5: UVB and light bulb hoods, fixtures
After you get all the lights, you will need to house them in fixtures and hoods.
- For a UVB tube, you will need to get a hood, preferably with a reflector like this. It will increase light’s efficiency and distribute it better. If for any reason you are getting a weaker T8 bulb, you must definitely house in a hood with a reflector. 36 inch hood is for a 34 inch tube, while 24 inch hood – 22 inch tube (ReptiSun).
- For light and heat bulbs, you will need a dome fixture like this. There are single and dual domes, if you need to house two bulbs at once.
If you don’t want to place light fixture on the top screen, you might get an adjustable lamp stand, or hang the fixture above the screen. UVB should go inside, but this will depend on the size of the tank and distance between your skink and lamp.
You can read a full guide on lighting, heating and positioning lights in this post.
Step 6: Heat and light control and automation devices
Thermometers. To measure temperature in your blue tongue skink’s terrarium – you will need 2-3 thermometers. One on a cool, hot and preferably middle sides. Please choose digital thermometers with probes like this, that you will put in spots to measure temps.
Humidity gauges. Humidity gauges are also important to measure humidity levels in the tank. Please also choose digital hygrometers with probes and place 2-3 in the tank.
Handheld infrared thermometer. A handheld infrared thermometer like this will allow you to measure temperatures 1.5-2 inches (3.8-5cm) away from any spot to make sure that they are accurate.
Thermostat. A thermostat like this is used to control temperatures and turn off or dim any heating devices or bulbs to avoid cooking your pet in the tank. You can connect your heat bulbs and any other heating devices to it and set the maximum temperature before it will shut off these devices. You might also get an option for cooling, if the tank gets too hot.
Power center/timer. To automate lights in the tank, you will need to get a power center like this or a simple timer (digital or mechanical). Connecting your devices and lights to a timer will make sure that they turn on and off at same chosen times, creating and maintaining a schedule.
You can read a full guide on lighting, heating and positioning lights in this post.
Step 7: Enrichment accessories and decorations
Enrichment accessories and decorations are also a must in your blue tongue skink’s terrarium. Some accessories will be essential, while others – optional.
Essential accessories include:
Food and water bowls. Choose large, but not very deep bowls, so that your blue tongue doesn’t have trouble getting out when it gets in. For a water bowl, you will need an extra large dish like this or even large casserole/cooking dish for an adult. That’s because blue tongues love soaking and need a large dish to get in fully.
Basking rock or platform. Your blue tongue will also need to bask on a rock or a platform like this. Make sure that your blue tongue can climb on top of the platform (shouldn’t be high).
Branches and plants. For enrichment and atmosphere, add some fake plants and small branches (such as Mopani/grapewood, but don’t use coniferous tree branches). Don’t use live plants, because your skink will dig under them and destroy the plants quickly.
Hides. Hides are very important for blue tongues. Please get a large enough hide that your blue tongue skink can fit in fully. Examples are cork hides, logs, caves like this and more. You can both buy or make your own hide out of heat-resistant and safe materials. Place 1 hide on a cool side, one on a hot side and preferably one in a middle.
Optional accessories include:
Hammock: Your blue tongue skink can enjoy laying or climbing on a hammock to bask. If you wish to include a hammock in the tank, make sure to attach it close to the ground, because blue tongues can’t climb much because of short legs.
Terrarium background: To add to the atmosphere and cover the back of the tank, you can get a terrarium background. It is a large sticker that goes on the back wall of the tank.
You can read more about choosing decorations and accessories for your blue tongue skink tank here.
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