Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
No clue what Fii's circling might mean.
You'll need 39 feet of heat cables. The first 6 feet aren't heated. The 36 x 18 x 12 is about the same square footage as a 40 gallon breeder.
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New home, possible worries! Not eating/pooping
- Thread starter Sybilestial
- Start date
You'll need 39 feet of heat cables. The first 6 feet aren't heated. The 36 x 18 x 12 is about the same square footage as a 40 gallon breeder.
Sybilestial
New member
Oh, I see! She did it on the moss mat and gave some resistance when picking up, so it may have dried by the time I noticed it.
Sybilestial
New member
:yahoo: She ate! I'm glad I looked at youtube videos of them hunting. I took a waxworm and just put it where she could see it and she zero'd on it real fast. Should I perhaps have a clear bowl or let more of the bugs roam?
Also, I had ordered an "emergency blanket" (that comes with 2 40+ hour heating pads) in case the power went down, need to evacuate, etc. Here's a picture of her on the blanket! (It came with a surprise freebie hat, but it fits a bearded dragon, not a leopard gecko. XD)
Also, I had ordered an "emergency blanket" (that comes with 2 40+ hour heating pads) in case the power went down, need to evacuate, etc. Here's a picture of her on the blanket! (It came with a surprise freebie hat, but it fits a bearded dragon, not a leopard gecko. XD)
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
:cheer: I vote for a clear glass bowl.
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Sybilestial
New member
I will work on that! Last question: what wattage do I need for a CHE for my 5.5gal? I know she's not getting enough heat right now and I can at least afford that.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
When can you buy that Zoo Med digital thermometer so we know what your heat pad is producing? I'm waiting to hear that you have one now.
There is no wiggle room at all in a 5.5 gallon to accommodate a CHE on a rheostat. A 6 x 8 inch Zoo Med heat pad is the best you can probably do. That should provide enough belly heat.
Can you buy 40, 60, or 72 hour Uniheat packs to add underneath the 5.5? That's all I can think of.
Could you overnight her next enclosure?
You'd need:
- Zoo Med 25 watt nano CHE with a standard base
- a 5.5 inch Fluker's dome fixture
- a Lutron dimmer/rheostat to adjust the overhead temps costs ($10 at Home Depot)
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Sybilestial
New member
I just got two of them wirh her emergency blanket that I'd rather save for emergencies.
I have like... $27 to my name. I'll see what I can do.
I have like... $27 to my name. I'll see what I can do.
Sybilestial
New member
Well, it's either I buy the digital thermometer or I buy the ceramic heater stuff with my $27 budget. The current heating pad I have only covers 1/3 of the tank.When can you buy that Zoo Med digital thermometer so we know what your heat pad is producing? I'm waiting to hear that you have one now.
There is no wiggle room at all in a 5.5 gallon to accommodate a CHE on a rheostat. A 6 x 8 inch Zoo Med heat pad is the best you can probably do. That should provide enough belly heat.
Can you buy 40, 60, or 72 hour Uniheat packs to add underneath the 5.5? That's all I can think of.
Could you overnight her next enclosure?
You'd need:
View attachment 43022
- Zoo Med 25 watt nano CHE with a standard base
- a 5.5 inch Fluker's dome fixture
- a Lutron dimmer/rheostat to adjust the overhead temps costs ($10 at Home Depot)
What about this 5.5in Fluker's Clamp Lamp WITH dimmer? You can put up to 75w bulbs. Kind of a 2-in-1 and would cost me less overall. $12.49 vs $24.99 (dimmer and regular fluker's dome fixture)
The 25W nano CHE is so expensive Zoo Med brand. ($19.99) Is it possible for me to get a different brand? I've found them online for $8-$10, though I will ask aound my local shops for prices. I need to get this today, not receive within a few days...
Sybilestial
New member
No store has 25W. Would 40W be ok since I can get a dimmer?
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Don't buy any CHE!! You could cook Fii! Any CHE is totally wrong for a 5.5 gallon enclosure!
Buy the digital thermometer. Not knowing the temperature IS an emergency.
I know your funds are limited.
:scratchhead: You are focusing on everything else, when we don't even know what heat your Zoo Med Reptitherm UTH mini (4 x 5 inches) gives off. A digital thermometer with a probe is extremely important for ALL reptile care.
If your mini heat mat is not enough, upgrade to a 6-8 inch heat mat. You will have no need for some of these items when you upgrade.
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Sybilestial
New member
I bought a digital thermometer after work and it broke already.. It was a Zoo Med one, super cheap, I guess.
So buy the CHE after I get the proper enclosure?
The mat is some Petco or Petsmart offbrand mat.
So buy the CHE after I get the proper enclosure?
The mat is some Petco or Petsmart offbrand mat.
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Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Take the digital thermometer back and get another one. Zoo Med's digital thermometers with probes are decent. Many GU members use them all the time. This digital thermometer and a well functioning heat mat will allow your leo to digest her food.
Otherwise get one at Home Depot, Fred Meyer's, et cetera.
IF the heat mat was stuck to the side and then removed to stick it underneath, some wires could have been damaged. Zoo Med recommends not reusing heat mats with adhesive backings for this very reason.
Until I know what temps your heat mat is giving off, I can't really offer any other advice.
I'm sorry. It's just that "proper heat" has been mentioned on this thread ever since Hilde merged your threads (from the geck-go).
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Sybilestial
New member
Take the digital thermometer back and get another one. Zoo Med's digital thermometers with probes are decent. Many GU members use them all the time. This digital thermometer and a well functioning heat mat will allow your leo to digest her food.
Otherwise get one at Home Depot, Fred Meyer's, et cetera.
IF the heat mat was stuck to the side and then removed to stick it underneath, some wires could have been damaged. Zoo Med recommends not reusing heat mats with adhesive backings for this very reason.
Until I know what temps your heat mat is giving off, I can't really offer any other advice.
No, I placed it on the bottom like the instructions said. I looked it over before anything. I'll be taking the broken one back and getting a new one posthaste so I can tell you the temps.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
ok. . . . . .
Sybilestial
New member
Ok, back from work, got a digital thermometer that works. I just stick it under the pad and leave it there until it reads a steady temp. Then do I take the probe away, or have it constantly monitor it? It makes the tank all uneven, and it's raised enough for a heat pad...
Anyways the temp is reading 95.9F and rising very slowly. took a long time as it started at 83F
I also got a digital thermometer for inside (nonprobe) which is 73F on the warm side.
Sybilestial
New member
It temporarily went from 101.3-101.5 then fluctuate like that for 5 minutes and now it's going up higher. Currently 102.2F as I type. It is not that hot. I put my hand on bare glass, too.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Nope.
- Place your digital thermometer's probe right on top of the substrate underneath your leo's warm dry hide. The probe measures the temps your leo feels when she lies there.
- Your leo needs 88-92*F ground temp 24/7. If you wish you can turn off the heat mat at night, if the room temps do not fall below ~67 ish.
- Leave the probe in place 24/7.
The probe of your digital thermometer should take care of the inside warm end. Reposition the probe and please report back.
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Sybilestial
New member
Nope.
IF the temp levels off above 88-92, you definitely need a thermostat to monitor it. A thermostat automatically shuts off the heat mat when it gets too warm.
- Place your digital thermometer's probe right on top of the substrate underneath your leo's warm dry hide. The probe measures the temps your leo feels when she lies there.
- Your leo needs 88-92*F ground temp 24/7. If you wish you can turn off the heat mat at night, if the room temps do not fall below ~67 ish.
- Leave the probe in place 24/7.
The probe of your digital should take care of the inside warm end. Reposition the probe and please report back.
That's a relief, thank you. After repositioning it and waiting half an hour, the temp reads 94.1F. Can you link me to a thermostat that works well?
The air temp is still a steady 73F.
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Sybilestial
New member
Also, lucky me, I got the 39' heat cable at my work on a deep discount! I should working on that CHE setup you were talking about for the 36x18x12 tank, right? Seeing Chito all happy in his tank makes me definitely want to get that tank for Fii. (Which is why I got the cable.) Also thank you for putting up with my stupidity. I was so desperate to make sure she was warm enough that I misunderstood what you were saying.
Update: She is eating only one to two mealworms and/or 1 to 2 waxworms every day. How that is happening is I'll drop a few from the bowl near her. Then i think she gets too scared of my presence and hides after eating 1-4 worms. I've been hunting everywhere for some small clear "bowls." Especially the candle isles. The only problem with me shopping online is if I get the wrong size. Whatever I can do to make her as comfortable as possible while I save for all the items I need (aside from decorations/new hides) I'll try it. What's weird is she likes my little one and zeros in on his little fingers. Haha. XD
Update: She is eating only one to two mealworms and/or 1 to 2 waxworms every day. How that is happening is I'll drop a few from the bowl near her. Then i think she gets too scared of my presence and hides after eating 1-4 worms. I've been hunting everywhere for some small clear "bowls." Especially the candle isles. The only problem with me shopping online is if I get the wrong size. Whatever I can do to make her as comfortable as possible while I save for all the items I need (aside from decorations/new hides) I'll try it. What's weird is she likes my little one and zeros in on his little fingers. Haha. XD
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
If you're planning a CHE, you'll need 2 separate thermostats, because the CHE will be set lower than the heat mat.
Buy textured ceramic tiles or slate ~3/8 inch thick for the floor of your leo's enclosure.
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