Lighting and heating for a leopard gecko

[Marya]

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I have a 20 gallon long tank for the leopard gecko we are going to be getting. I was thinking of getting a 50 watt deep heat projector. I am also planning to get the Arcadia pro t5 uvb kit, which is 8 watts and 7% uvb. Can the uvb light be used as the light to establish the day/night cycle, or do I need to have another brighter, no-heat light to do that?

[acpart]

As long as there's enough light in the room to be able to tell night from day, there's no need for an additional special light for that purpose. I understand that the deep heat projector is a relatively new method for providing UVB for nocturnal reptiles who may be in their hides during daylight hours. In general, leopard geckos can be maintained just fine by providing them with calcium and vitamin D3 (my oldest leopard gecko is 1. It's important in my opinion not to overheat the enclosure by providing too much lighting, since the lights not only heat, but they dry out the air and the gecko can become dehydrated. You don't really need a light at all, but if you want to use one, I'd recommend choosing one or the other and, especially if you choose the t15 kit, planning to use the supplementation with the gecko.

Aliza

[Elizabeth Freer]

As long as there's enough light in the room to be able to tell night from day, there's no need for an additional special light for that purpose. I understand that the deep heat projector is a relatively new method for providing UVB for nocturnal reptiles who may be in their hides during daylight hours. In general, leopard geckos can be maintained just fine by providing them with calcium and vitamin D3 (my oldest leopard gecko is 18 ?). It's important in my opinion not to overheat the enclosure by providing too much lighting, since the lights not only heat, but they dry out the air and the gecko can become dehydrated. You don't really need a light at all, but if you want to use one, I'd recommend choosing one or the other and, especially if you choose the t15 kit, planning to use the supplementation with the gecko.

Aliza

Aliza ~

As far as I know DHPs only produce heat. A separate UVB fixture is also required. UVB tubes are significantly superior to compact fluorescent UVB bulbs.

An adequate-strength halogen bulb is the current "go to" for providing a leo's required heat -- "a patch of sunlight" if you will. Done correctly & given time, most leos WILL bask.

I created this link a while back.

For link 157 click: ***** Best Practices using UVB through mesh with a 20 gallon long enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall for a leopard gecko . . . . . . GU's Marillion, Fran Baines DVM, & Elizabeth Freer -- April 2022 (heat source update) *****

[Marya]

Do you think an 8 watt UVB tube light is enough light for the day/night cycle if you are using a DHP? It sounds like you prefer using a halogen bulb to using a DHP. In a 20 gallon long tank do you have a recommendation of what halogen bulb you would use, and what wattage? Is it a compact fluorescent light?

[Elizabeth Freer]

Do you think an 8 watt UVB tube light is enough light for the day/night cycle if you are using a DHP? It sounds like you prefer using a halogen bulb to using a DHP. In a 20 gallon long tank do you have a recommendation of what halogen bulb you would use, and what wattage? Is it a compact fluorescent light?

The halogen bulb I recommend isn't a compact fluorescent bulb.

I don't know. It depends upon how dark the room is during the day. It's really easy to supply minimal day lighting with a 15 watt incandescent bulb dimmed to half power by a rheostat and placed inside a Fluker's 5.5 inch diameter dome. I have my 5.5 inch dome on a timer. My 20 long is in a dark corner of the living room. Since I haven't upgraded to UVB yet, this 5.5 inch dome sits on the middle of the screen.

Right now I'm using a 150 watt CHE. That's definitely sub-optimal and dated. When this CHE burns out, I'll switch to halogen. Maybe a 75-100 watt halogen on a thermostat would work for you?

I recommend Arcadia Reptile's 12" long T5 7% ShadeDweller UVB linear tube light with a reflective fixture to ensure a 0.5 - 1.0 UVI (UV Index) rating at a 12" depth through the mesh.

Do you know what brand your 20 long is? I ask because Thrive brand screens may excessively block UVB rays.


PS:
Are you planning to get a thermostat? A thermostat is really a necessity.

[acpart]

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When I first replied to this thread I said this:
" I understand that the deep heat projector is a relatively new method for providing UVB for nocturnal reptiles who may be in their hides during daylight hours."

I had looked up info about the deep heat projector but in my haste I read the part about "infrared A and B" as "ultraviolet A and B". So, to clarify, the DHP will not provide UV. I continue to feel that since it's unclear to what extent the leopard gecko is going to bask, it's really hard to know whether a UV light will provide for its needs, so the most reliable method is to use supplementation.

Aliza