[freekygeeky]

Originally Posted by RFB2

I agree with Allen, a basement would solve the issue. An a/c would defiantly be a positive addition. It is what I use. I have one with a built in thermostat; it keeps the room at 75F (24 C). It helps put my mind at ease when I can not be at home to check on the geckos.

not many houses in england have basements, only the 'old' ones do... we only have a stand alone type aircon at the moe, when i have some money we will invest in a more expensive statted one.

[deaxone]

yeah well ive got an old 1 that i thought worked,lol
its been in the shed for a few years and despite a new fuse and a bit of fiddling its just not working,my reptile room hasnt gone over 78 ever that i know of but for whatever reason today my temp gage was reading 80.7at maximum,
ive got a fan on for the mean time but im gonna get a new ac,
i like the idea of one with a built in stat,

[miguel camacho!]

Alright...sorry for the great delay in my response to the thread. I've been working on my PhD, so time has been tight!

Anyway, it's been a little over 2 years now since I gave up my collection (April 2007), but my methods are still fresh in my memory.

The caresheet pretty clearly lays out how I kept my phantasticus. The ebenaui were kept in practically exact same conditions, although their terrariums were furnished in a way that they were given more crack/crevices to hide among. Heck, even my henkeli and sikorae were kept in the same temperature conditions, just adjusted the terraria to suit the size/habits of the species.

I kept temps pretty cool, as I knew from what I had read that they were better kept at cool temps, around 72F. In the colder time of the year (November through February), all terraria were kept cooler than the rest of the year. Average daytime temperature was around 70-72F, and night time temps dropped to 65-70F. It wasn't as much of a temperature fluctuation as some recommend, but my animals were healthy. Summer temps rose a little higher, between 72 and 78 degrees F. While I always got nervous about reaching the high 70s and sometimes touching into the low 80s, My animals never exhibited any obvious signs of poor health directly related to higher than desired temperatures. Light cycle always corresponded roughly with what you'd expect in respect to the time of year/season. Light cycle was shortest (10 hrs light, 14 dark) during the winter and longest (14 hrs light, 10 hours dark) in the summer. I feel circadian rythms associated with (obviously) light cues and (not so obviously) temperature are what yield the best results, and are easily achievable by using a timer. Also, I used fluorescent UVB bulbs (of various sorts) and had greater results the more I used them, but it also may have involved the better keeping practices that evolved the longer I kept them. Most breeding took place in the winter, oviposition in late winter to early spring, and hatchling started emerging sometime in the spring.

Now those are just the measures of my experience. I did not try to push the envelope when it came to fine-tuning the way I kept my animals, more than anything I did my best to keep them in the conditions I knew they could thrive. As hobbyists, and without any definite data on environmental conditions within the range of phantasticus and ebenaui, it's difficult to say with any certainty that these geckos can be kept at temperatures higher than those most practice. It's too much of a risk to ask anyone to try to keep the animals warmer than what is currently recommended. I've always been a huge advocate of cooler temperatures over anything else. While I do believe that both species can be kept at slightly higher temperatures than most people try to achieve, I do not believe that it is good for them in the long run.

If someone is so inclined and has a large tank to experiment with, you could try taking a very large tank (75+ gallons) and while keeping your room temperature on the cool end, try making a basking spot of 80-85F. By keeping a gradient, you could observe your animals day by day, throughout the day, and spot-check what temperatures they choose). As animals that tend to stay concealed during the day (either in foliage or in cracks and crevices in vegetation), they may be choosing micro-climates that don't exactly reflect the ambient temperature in their surrounding environment. Since it is more difficult to provide a wide variety of micro-climates in the smaller terraria (>30 gallons), and the smaller the terrarium the more difficult it is to provide a variety of micro-climates, it is best to keep the animals cool, in my opinion. I've had temps as low as mid-50's F (for no more than a few hours) with no problems. However, the higher temperatures are what worry me.

I'll be in Columbia, SC later in the week to take care of some school business. While there, if I have the time, I'll swing by the Riverbanks Zoo. I spoke with Scott Pfaff earlier this year, and he had some eye-opening suggestions on how to keep various Uroplatus species. Evidently, there was a time when they free-ranged some henkeli, fimbriatus and lineatus around their reptile area, and the animals did rather well (with exception of the fact that fecundity was markedly lower during the hotter portion of the year). It wasn't until they started noticing visitors walking away with their geckos that they rounded up what they could and put an end to their free-ranging. But according to Scott, one of the keepers at the zoo is pretty big into the Uroplatus and puts a lot of effort into their care and wellbeing. I'll see if I can get any pointers from them and I'll pass them along.

[luevelvet]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for chiming in. It's good to hear from some folks who have had long term success. I have to admit, I'm finding my phantasticus decently easy to care for. With exception to making sure they all get a share of the food every other night, all six (4.2) are doing very well in a planted 65gal tank. Unfortunately I don't think it provides enough surface area to create enough of a gradient, however, I've been designing a larger cage for them to see if it can be done. Currently the temps are ~77-79. It seems to have gone up a point or two since summer is kicking in pretty strong, but they actually seem more active and healthier. They're alert much earlier in the evening and seem to be much more agile and all around happier than when they were at 76 ish. It's unreasonable to assume anything at this point but as long as they do well, I'm not going to make an effort to lower temps.

I also have a 1.2 trio of Lineatus and they're very much like extra space and warmth. I have them in a 2x2x4' screen cage with a good deal of water throughout the day and their average cage was 75-76 but since adding a daytime heat and light source (40 watt desk lamp) they've also been happier. Their night time temps around 76ish but are much more active than before. Lot's to document and observe.

If only i could dedicate a room for a free range. I have become convinced that a appropriately constructed free range is unmatched, but it's not always practical.

Thanks again,

Luis Wiedemann

[RFB2]

I feel the same way as Luis.

Mike have you ever tried keeping them without a night drop? I am too nervous to try it with my bunch, because things are going to well. As far heat wise, I can't figure out why mine congregate to the same exact spot every time. Their enclosure is due for a replanting. I plan on replacing most of the plants in the tank. I wonder if there is just something special about that spot on the tree. What I find interesting, is that this past Saturday I lost power at my house, so the a/c was not on. They all moved to the bottom half of the plant once the temp in the room rose above the norm. This tells me that they know what they are doing to some extent.

[miguel camacho!]

No, there was always a drop, although it was not always significant. I don't think the nighttime temp drop is essential for successfully keeping these species, but it could play a role in their activity cycles and therefore result in less breeding success.

Just a thought.