Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) squinting with seemingly no real cause

[Elizabeth Freer]

I know it's optimal... but is there a real, necessary benefit for this situation in the 6 additional inches of space?

The benefits of a 30" x 12.5" x 12.5" tank are multiple. You will save a bit on heat and you'll provide more wiggle room for Randall. Leos will only climb if you have a climbable background for them or customized ledges on which they can hang. With a taller tank, the heat rises and is lost when it comes to warming them, because leos are ground dwellers.

(Perhaps Santa could bring Randall an early Christmas gift? Bet he might give Santa a B-I-G appreciative lick :lol:.)

The size heating pad which you would buy for a 20 gallon LONG is larger in dimension than the size for a 20 gallon TALL.

More coming maybe Tuesday, December 4th, late in the evening.

 

[LindsayMayer]

Oh. Oh. I just realized.
My teacher has an empty 20 long he's not using and hasn't for years.
Freebie!

 

[thorrshamri]

My tank is a 20 gallon high, which size UTH would be best? I am going to a Foster & Smith outlet store, it's the only place with reptile supplies around here, and they sell ExoTerra heat mats. Is an 8 x 8" alright? Although the wattage might be too low... but That would be a third of the tank space. Or should I use a bigger one with more wattage? My only concern is temp gradient

4 Watt 4" x 5"
8 Watt 8" x 8"
12 Watt 10-1/2" x 11"
25 Watt 11" x 17"

I would purchase the 25W one heating cables might be less expensive and are good for heating a tank from below ...can't you order some stuff through the Internet with a credit card?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

My tank is a 20 gallon high, which size UTH would be best? I am going to a Foster & Smith outlet store, it's the only place with reptile supplies around here, and they sell ExoTerra heat mats. Is an 8 x 8" alright? Although the wattage might be too low... but That would be a third of the tank space. Or should I use a bigger one with more wattage? My only concern is temp gradient

4 Watt 4" x 5"
8 Watt 8" x 8"
12 Watt 10-1/2" x 11"
25 Watt 11" x 17"

Oh. Oh. I just realized.
My teacher has an empty 20 long he's not using and hasn't for years.
Freebie!

I would purchase the 25W one heating cables might be less expensive and are good for heating a tank from below ...can't you order some stuff through the Internet with a credit card?

Herve and I differ some in our recommendations for heat mats.

As long as you get to use that empty 20 gallon LONG from your teacher, I'd go with the 12 watt UTH which measures 10.5" x 11".

 

[XoVictoryXo]

Skimmed thru this thread and you have lots of great info in here! So I am just popping in to say Hello and that I am routing for Randall!
What makes a great gecko parent is asking those questions and being accepting of the advice, Your a great Gecko parent; Im so glad Randall is in safe hands now <3

 

[LindsayMayer]

Thank you, Victory!!! <3
Elizabeth -- turns out my teacher wants the tank, for whatever reason!

But I do have some great news!!! I got home from school and I saw my mom on the Foster & Smith website. She said she didn't want Randall to suffer any more than he has, so she drove me out to Rhinelander just before the store closed and we got Randall a new humid hide, a reptile carpet and a UTH! Oh my god my mom is (literally) a lifesaver!!!! Go mom! <3333

Someone got an early christmas present this year! I guess he was on the good list By now I'm sure he's thinking, "LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY." I am going to just leave him alone for a good week, besides feeding of course, now. He really needs some time to just de-stress.

Note, the cardboard is there because the sides of the caves are open for some reason. So I put the cardboard on the outside to shut out the light. Using the red lamp until his UTH heats up completely.

As an additional bonus, he's hunting for his crickets now! Lmao. It's kind of like watching a baby trying to walk... it's like it's his first time hunting. He's gotten two so far! I put an additional two in.

 

[thorrshamri]

Witness ceiling fans with adjustable blades to direct the heat downwards in the winter.

Sorry again but I would not recommend any fan near a reptile tank. This might cause respiratory infections

 

[LindsayMayer]

Bahhh I'm just so excited, he's so much more lively and he has an appetite, is eating well and is hunting for himself! I think he will be okay now

 

[LindsayMayer]

Thank you all for your help, and Randall thanks you too! I cannot put into words how appreciative I am of your support, all of you. I will keep this thread updated with his progress! Hopefully next time you see pictures of little Randall, he'll be fattened up

He ate 5 crickets, by the way

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

The benefits of a 30" x 12.5" x 12.5" tank are multiple. You will save a bit on heat and you'll provide more wiggle room for Randall. Leos will only climb if you have a climbable background/cage furniture for them or customized ledges on which they can hang. With a taller tank, the heat rises and is lost when it comes to warming them, because leos are ground dwellers.

Witness ceiling fans with adjustable blades to direct the heat downwards in the winter.

(Perhaps Santa could bring Randall an early Christmas gift? Bet he might give Santa a B-I-G appreciative lick :lol:.).
The size heating pad which you would buy for a 20 gallon LONG is larger than the size for a 20 gallon TALL.

More coming maybe Tuesday, December 4th, late in the evening.

Sorry again but I would not recommend any fan near a reptile tank. This might cause respiratory infections

Herve ~

I can see how my statement could be misinterpreted. My bad. In my living room I have a large ceiling fan with a dual purpose. When the blades are angled one way, the fan cools. When they are angled another way, the fan directs the warm air towards the floor. At least that it how I understand it. My only point was that heat rises.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Also, this is the description of the food I am using currently for my crickets, Flukers Orange Cube:

"Fluker's Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet is the best one-step feeding solution for your crickets and other feeder insects. This product is the single solution to provide the three things crickets need most: food, water, and vitamins. It is specially formulated to be easily digested by both crickets and the animals that will consume them. Made from nutritious items such as kelp, spiruluna, and brewer's yeast. Also packed with Vitamins E, B-12, A, D3 and calcium carbonate."

Even though the description of Fluker's Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet sounds good, it has a poor reputation.

Please ask cricket4u or Riverside Reptiles for further information.

 

[thorrshamri]

Ok, no worries

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hey Lindsay ~

Nice to hear that Randall's getting some habitat furniture.

You like to research. Check out this lighting thread: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...-night-light-can-someone-answer-please-4.html

 

[LindsayMayer]

I will check it out later tonight, after school, thanks for the link Also I got really excited because when I was feeding Randall last night, I took his corner hides out so that the crickets would be easier for him to hunt, more space, etc. And so when I put the hides back in, I set my hand next to one of them and he crawled on top of my hand Yayyy.

 

[LindsayMayer]

Hey Lindsay ~

Nice to hear that Randall's getting some habitat furniture.

You like to research. Check out this lighting thread: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...-night-light-can-someone-answer-please-4.html

This was fascinating! Turns out that my UTH is working perfectly, Randall's tank is at optimal temperatures on either side So no real need for the red lamp, anyways. I wonder where the assumption that they cannot see red light came from...? Maybe it was indeed, the assumption that most creatures cannot see infrared -- since infrared and red are two different things.

 

[LindsayMayer]

Question: without my red bulb, the air temp is about 76 on the warm end. But the temperature of the substrate and floor level, where the gecko lives, is about 92 on the warm side. With the red bulb, the air temp on the warm side is about 85. I just read the lighting thread, so for daytime, should I use the red bulb, and for nighttime, should I turn it off? Or would it be okay to leave it off altogether?

 

[thorrshamri]

Well in their native deserts, temps drop a lot at night so yes, you definitely have to turn any heating off at night. It can be very cold at night where they live but you don't need to lower temps to such extremes, room temps will be absolutely fine
Otherwise it seems the warm end temps are about ok

 

[LindsayMayer]

Sweet! That's all I needed; thanks, Hervé Randall is soooo happy. He's walking around doin' his gecko thing, not lethargic anymore

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Question: without my red bulb, the air temp is about 76 on the warm end. But the temperature of the substrate and floor level, where the gecko lives, is about 92 on the warm side. With the red bulb, the air temp on the warm side is about 85. I just read the lighting thread, so for daytime, should I use the red bulb, and for nighttime, should I turn it off? Or would it be okay to leave it off altogether?

A case of differing opinions, Lindsay . Hope this does not make your choices more difficult.

Sounds like the ground temperature of the warm end is right on! If the 76 F temperature on the warm end has been measured with a reliable thermometer where Randall hangs, 76 F is too cool for the air temperatures. (76 F is within range of the recommended air temperatures for the cool end.)

You also mention that with the red bulb, the air temps measure 85 F. Another success IF you use it.

I believe that it is best to use your UTH 24/7 in combination with the dome light which can be turned off at night. Then Randall will be more active exploring his tank and getting his exercise.

Throughout the posts in the night lighting thread, a question was raised regarding using red lights. Some people on GU strongly advise against using any type of red light overhead. Instead you can use a ceramic heat emitter or one of those Night Moon-Glo bulbs linked in the Leo Guidelines.

 

[LindsayMayer]

Another case of differing opinions, Lindsay . Hope this does not make your choices more difficult.

Sounds like the ground temperature of the warm end is right on! If the 76 F temperature on the warm end has been measured with a reliable thermometer where Randall hangs, 76 F is too cool for the air temperatures on the warm end. (76 F is within range of the recommended temperatures for the cool end.)

You also mention that with the red bulb, the air temps measure 85 F. Another success IF you use it.

I believe that it is best to use your UTH 24/7 in combination with the dome light which can be turned off at night. Then Randall will be more active exploring his tank and getting his exercise.

Throughout the posts in the night lighting thread, a question was raised regarding using red lights. Some people on GU strongly advise against using any type of red light overhead. Instead you can use a ceramic heat emitter or one of those Night Moon-Glo bulbs linked in the Leo Guidelines.

My bad, my bad -- it's about 80F on the warm end, for the air temp, and 72F for the air temp on the cool side. So I think my best bet is definitely using the red bulb (for now) during the daytime. Thanks for the tips!