problem with basking light

[nepoez]

Hi guys,

I've been using the recommended way to setup basking lights for a while now, and it was good. 3x50watt lights to get a 140f surface temp.

However, my sav is getting so big now that those little basking lights are heating just spots on his big body. So I witched to bigger 50watt halogen floods... and I had to lift them a little higher or else he hits his head on the lights a lot. Not he fits under the lights just fine, but I measured the temp of the surface, now it's only 120-125F on the wood he lays on.

So I'm wondering, since he is much thicker now, the surface that he lays on is actually a few inches farther than where hs body actually meets the light so whe he's basking it would actually be close to the light and thus higher temp. I'm not sure if this is the right way of thinking, but if I lower the lights he can't go under it properly as he likes to stick his head up while basking sometimes and it hits the lights.

thanks in advance!