jack&sally

Question
Hi Pam its me Jordan again the guy with the two skinks. I dont know if you remember me, even though I ask you a bazillion questions. But my family and I recently moved and my tank hasnt arrived. So for temporary use I bought a 10 gallon tank for the trip and until my tank arrives. Now they seem okay. All I have is a heat lamp with a 100 watt and I was afraid it was too hot but they bask in it constantly. I also have a water dish, and some "magnaturals" which, if you didnt know, are some magnet lips you put on your tank which serve as a basking area and what I would assume as a shady spot. I take them out from time to time to make sure there okay and i feed them crickets as I usually do. Anyway I just want to make sure that seems okay for temporary and I just bought sand at home depot the other day. It was called "play sand" and I read that you could boil sand or heat it up to get rid of the pesticides. Did you have any thoughts on that? Especially on HOW to do it. But thank you for your time and will be looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Jordan Noel

Answer
 A ten is really too small, and I would use that to hold crickets instead. Too small an area there can be no thermoregulation and the skinks will overheat. Better to get a large storage bin you could eventually use for other things after you can get a screen top to put over the bin and put the lighting on top on the basking side.  this will give them that temperature gradient so they can cool themselves off on the other side when they need to.  Playsand is a bit too dry for skinks.  You's be better mixing it with sphagnum moss and keep it slightly damp.  Bags that say "Children's Playsand"  Are usually already washed and pesticide-free.