Leopard Gecko: Heat Mat

[XoVictoryXo]

Just realized the uth i bought last year went out :-x
It was a ZIlla heat mat! wont be buying that brand again, can someone recommend me another one?
Pet stores are closed right now so I have to wait till tomorrow to get one, I feel bad Rex has no UTH right now, its warm in here so hes not cold or anything, but Im hoping this doesnt mess with his digestion.

 

[cricketsnieceandrepsitter]

A lot of people use the Zoo Med UTH. If your looking for cheap.

 

[XoVictoryXo]

Thanks! I hope they have one at the pet stores around me!

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

You can't go wrong with flexxwat heat tape. You'll have to order it, but it's much better quality and more customization options

 

[cricketsnieceandrepsitter]

That would be better if you have a few geckos. How many do you have?

 

[XoVictoryXo]

2! But separate tanks of course. I did get the zoo med one, cost $25. Soon I am going to make an attempt at building amazing setups for them and I will order those heat tapes.
I just realized the directions say not to set the tank on top of the plug, thats what caused the shortage!

 

[Leo the Leopard Gecko]

I'm having a problem figuring if my hot side is hot enough.
I use repti carpet so it's hard to tell if my uth is hot enough (Zoo Med), and the thermometer i bought is AWFUL but i think it says 84. Is this a good temp? If not can someone please tell me how to make my uth hotter?

 

[Piranha72]

84 F is ok for them, the ideal is 84 - 88

As for your thermometer, is it digital or dial? Digital is much more accurate, and you can get one on the internet for a good price. I use an Exo Terra digital thermometer for mine. Just place the probe on top of the repti carpet and it should have no problem telling you what temperature it is.

Plus if you don't have a thermostat you should invest in one to help guarantee your geckos safety.

 

[SamanthaLovely]

2! But separate tanks of course. I did get the zoo med one, cost $25. Soon I am going to make an attempt at building amazing setups for them and I will order those heat tapes.
I just realized the directions say not to set the tank on top of the plug, thats what caused the shortage!

That happened to the ones I had before so now all my tanks hang slightly over the edge to allow for the cord to come out the bottom. Such a bad design flaw with the tank/heater combo

 

[manolo578]

Do you place the UTH directly against the tank floor or allow space between the bottom of the tank and the UTH? I am using repti carpet and I don't want to burn my leopard geckos(once I get them) with the UTH being too close. Any advice?

 

[Lorenb]

2! But separate tanks of course. I did get the zoo med one, cost $25. Soon I am going to make an attempt at building amazing setups for them and I will order those heat tapes.
I just realized the directions say not to set the tank on top of the plug, thats what caused the shortage!

Do you place the UTH directly against the tank floor or allow space between the bottom of the tank and the UTH? I am using repti carpet and I don't want to burn my leopard geckos(once I get them) with the UTH being too close. Any advice?

get zoomed and put the uth wherever you want on the tank and use the four risers that stick to each corner on the bottom of the tank to allow ventilation under the tank. also will prevent shortage by raising the tank so it wont rest on the cord

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

2! But separate tanks of course. I did get the zoo med one, cost $25. Soon I am going to make an attempt at building amazing setups for them and I will order those heat tapes.
I just realized the directions say not to set the tank on top of the plug, thats what caused the shortage!

For the best naturalistic leopard gecko vivarium I have ever seen click here:
http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...mate-naturalistic-vivarium-complete-leos.html

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

The warm end of a leo's tank should range from 90-93 F. The cool end should be in the low 70s F. One really needs a 20 gallon LONG (30 inches long) tank in which to establish the proper thermal gradient.

The heat mat goes on one side of the tank, not in the middle. The heat mat should be 1/3 the length of the tank and nearly as wide. This means that for a 20 gallon LONG tank you need to size up and buy the heat pad recommended for 30-40 gallon tanks.

If temperatures are too cool for your leo, he will have trouble digesting his food. Then many additional problems will surface .

Check out these care recommendations: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...are-recommendations-2-july-2012-update-2.html

 

[marty10f]

Personally, I use Zoo Med. But It gets kind of hot (about 86-88) so I turn it off at night.

 

[cricket4u]

Personally, I use Zoo Med. But It gets kind of hot (about 86-88) so I turn it off at night.

Don't turn it off. Your gecko needs some heat to keep digesting his food. It's okay as long as he has the cooler side as an option if he gets hot. That's actually kind of low. It should reach to at least 90 degrees.

 

[marty10f]

Don't turn it off. Your gecko needs some heat to keep digesting his food. It's okay as long as he has the cooler side as an option if he gets hot. That's actually kind of low. It should reach to at least 90 degrees.

really. Gosh, I thought that you know since at night it naturally gets cooler. Ok thanks for the information. I'll keep the heat mat on at night now : ) :yahoo:

 

[manolo578]

What do you use to place the heat mat against the tank floor other than using the sticky pad on the mat.

 

[marty10f]

What do you use to place the heat mat against the tank floor other than using the sticky pad on the mat.

you don't really need to use the sticky side unless you want to, you need to put it right on the bottom of the cage. If If its getting to hot, just put a towel under/on top of it.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

you don't really need to use the sticky side unless you want to, you need to put it right on the bottom of the cage. If If its getting to hot, just put a towel under/on top of it.

Generally the Under Tank Heat Mat is designed to go underneath your tank. The corners of the tank can be elevated with blocks of wood or the sticky feet that come with some of them to provide necessary ventilation space. A thermostat (temperature controller) which can be bought for $30 turns off the heat pad at a preset temperature.

 

[marty10f]

Generally the Under Tank Heat Mat is designed to go underneath your tank. The corners of the tank can be elevated with blocks of wood or the sticky feet that come with some of them to provide necessary ventilation space. A thermostat (temperature controller) which can be bought for $30 turns off the heat pad at a preset temperature.

hmmm, I have never really herd of that before. As I said, you can put a towel around the heat mat if it gets to hot so I just keep mine on and it stays the right tempature.