#168--- ***** State-of-the-Art practices using UVB through mesh with Exo Terra's 36x18x18 inch tall enclosure for a leopard gecko . . . . . . Ben Van Nest, Fran Baines DVM, & Elizabeth Freer -- May 2023 (update) *****
Let's get started!
A leopard gecko needs:
*** Exo Terra's 36 x 18 x 18 inch enclosure with a fine mesh screen top. Exo Terra's fine mesh screen blocks UVB transmission about 35%
*** Arcadia Lighting's ShadeDweller UVB 12 inch tube (1/3 the enclosure's length)
resting on top of the mesh is ideal for a leopard gecko's
UVB source.
*** Connect the ShadeDweller UVB tube to a timer, so the UVB is
ON during the day and
OFF at night.
*** Pair Arcadia's ShadeDweller UVB 12 inch tube with either a halogen bulb or an
80 watt Deep Heat Projector (DHP).
Always center your heat source in the middle of the 12 inch long ShadeDweller & about 1 inch away!
*** Connect your heat source to a dimming thermostat. Herpstat in the USA or Habistat in the EU are excellent choices.
*** Add 4-6 inches substrate to raise the ground 14 to 12 inches below your screen top.
Create a
generous warm DRY basking
area (a
blanket of sorts &
not just a basking spot) about 12 inches (30 cm) wide directly underneath the UVB & the DHP (or halogen bulb). Slate pieces are excellent for your leopard gecko's basking area since they absorb heat so well.
(click to enlarge)
Much appreciation goes to the photographer!
- Create a humid area next to the warm DRY area.
- Create a cool area at the opposite end of this enclosure.
- Support subterranean tunnels with wide PVC tubes.
Plant several species of sanseveria (snake plants) of varying heights. Sanseveria are low-light plants that love to dry out. Consider planting plants in their own pots. Then you won't need to disturb the roots WHEN you deep clean.
***** For a naturalistic setup, don't add a clean up crew (CUC).
***** For a bioactive setup add a clean up crew (CUC).
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Details by Ben Van Nest -- May 2021
"-ExoTerra mesh blocks about 35% of light. Take the unobstructed UVi value at a given distance and multiply by 0.65 to get the reduced UVi at that distance.
"-Yes, the ShadeDweller is acceptable at that length even for that enclosure size.
The UVb only needs to be as long as the gecko is at a minimum and no more than 1/2 the enclosure length at a maximum. So the fact of it only covering 1/3 the enclosure length is fine because it will cover the whole animal while basking.
"This is because the ShadeDweller is being used to recreate the “sunbeam” method of lighting, where specie appropriate sun level intensities are restricted to the “patch of sunlight” with a gradient to 0 in the shade. The previous shade methodology was to provide low background levels to the majority of the enclosure to allow for adequate “dose” of UVb over the course of the day due to the larger exposure coverage. This can still be done but more keepers seem to be switching to the “sunbeam” method and their geckos are seeming to respond well.
"-With only 12” from screen to substrate I would keep it over the screen. Here is an ISO chart for the ShadeDweller overtop of mesh; I also have a photo somewhere where Fran gave readings with and without mesh; I’ll attach that next. For reference 12” is 30cm.
(click to enlarge)
Thanks so much, Dr. Fran Baines!
"
Leopard Geckos need a UVi between 0.5-1.4 at the basking area. At 12” below mesh Fran got a reading of 1.0 which is perfect! However this is the distance from the mesh to the animals back, so if the substrate is 12” below mesh then the animal may be more like 10” and receiving that level of exposure.
"If the gecko will be able to reach closer than a safe distance from the lamp, it may be advisable to use some wooden blocks to rest the ShadeDweller on to raise it off the screen, maybe 4-6” depending on the circumstances."
"-The DHP is a great product and is especially fantastic for nighttime use. Their downside is the carbon filament produces heat mostly in the IR-B spectrum, and very little IR-A. For some keepers this may be enough as the IR-B from the DHP will do a better job heating the animal than something like a CHE. However, if keepers can provide a tungsten filament lamp such a halogen or incandescent lamp for primary daytime heat that would be ideal. This is due to the tungsten filament lamp producing a fairly even ratio of IR-A and IR-B much closer to the ratio in sunlight. This will warm the animal's core much more efficiently!
"If nighttime heat is required, that’s where the DHP can really be helpful. Keep in mind, leo’s can handle a temperature drop down to 60°F (16C) at night and a temp drop may even be beneficial for their overall health.
"If nighttime heat is required but they want to use both an incandescent/halogen lamp and the DHP for daytime and nighttime respectively, it can get a little tricky with just one dimming thermostat. A good work around would be to use the dimming stat with the incandescent/halogen lamp, and use a manual plug-in dimmer switch to run the DHP at a very low power; just enough power to provide sufficient nighttime temps. The DHP could be on a timer if needed or depending on the setup it could be on 24/7 with the halogen/incandescent lamp dimming as needed to adjust.
"Wattage of halogen/incandescent really depends on the setup, but I would suggest starting with maybe a 40-50watt lamp and adjusting from there. It will take some experimenting to get it figured out, but hopefully this helps a bit."
(click to enlarge)
Credit goes to the
entire Reptile Lighting Facebook Group team!
- Distance specs chart above is totally for Arcadia's ShadeDweller UVB 12 inch tube with varying % block mesh (including NO mesh) & UVB fixture sitting ON the mesh
- UVB tube should = 1/3 - 1/2 the enclosure's length.
(Add both RL's (A. Sharma) mesh block type graphics)
Both tail wounds & the regenerating tail are healing! There has been NO additional biting behavior at this time.
