[tmf]

Hello,

I'm soon going to be in possession of a young male Standing's gecko and at the moment the only housing I've got is a horizontal 30x12x12 glass tank with a metal lid, 1/5 ventilated, 3/5 sliding glass cover and 1/5 solid with a punched hole for a light - previously used for baby bearded dragons and leopard geckos. I'm thinking about modifying it to make it an upright for the standing's - however I have a few sticking points with lighting and ventilation.

- Will a young male be OK in this as is (horizontally) for a few months to a year until I can knock up a decent purpose-built upright?

- Can basking bulbs and UV lights be internal for day geckos? Or are they like Chameleons and need to be physically kept away from heat sources in case of contact burns? If so, will a bulb cage do? For both UV and basking lamps?

- If I convert it to an upright (part glass, part vented - probably at the bottom), the ceiling will be glass. This leaves me with a problem with ventilation and lighting. Can an external heat bulb be through glass? And I'd put a heat mat along the back from about 1/3 of the way down making a vertical heat gradient - any ideas?

I'm hoping I can get away with internal covered bulbs in a horizontal tank for a while to make it easier! Any advice welcome.

Thanks
Andy

[PhelsumaUK]

Personally, I'd just buy the glass and build a tank. Saves a lot of messing about and you can design it as you want.

In answer to your question though...It depends on how big the youngster is when you get it. By the time you add substrate, the 12" height is only going to be 8-9" and if you're fitting the lights internally, that will further reduce the height. Probably OK in the short term so long as its no more that 4-5" long. If you adapt the tank to vertical, you'll have the height but the width/depth are on the short side...If you're thinking of a pair eventually, you want a tank of about 15 x15 x 28 or bigger.

Lights can be internal but they need guarding. You also have to be more careful when misting the tank obviously.

UV won't go through normal glass to any real degree. An external heatlamp with any power will give you an area of hot glass (which may need guarding) and may also crack the glass. You'd be better off removing the end glass and replacing it with metal mesh. This would also give you top ventilation. If you have high and low ventilation you get a better airflow. It makes it harder to keep the humidity up (but P.standingi have a lower requirement-- 50-60% should be fine) but keeps everything fresher. The light at the top should be sufficient for your heat gradient...Hottest near the bulb, ideal at your basking perch, and gradual lowering of temp towards the substrate. The only time I'd use a heatmat would be to keep up the ambient night time temp if the house was very cold (and then the mat would be fixed to the outside of the tank with the sensor on the inside). Not req if your night time temp is 16-18degC though.