Substrate*

[blazingecko11]

Hey guys, i have repti carpet for both of my geckos, and it so far the hot spot under the rock in which they lie under is not getting too hot, its almost perfect. But since sometimes these geckos tend to get their nails and teeth stuck on it, im willing to switch to paper towels. I dont have a thermostat for the under tank heaters, but if i put enough layers of paper towel, should that hot spot that i was talking about be ok for the geckos? wont be too hot? i know ill get a thermostat, i just wanna make sure, please respond asap, so i can make this change for them

 

[blazingecko11]

*** sorry my geckos hasnt got their teeth or nails stuck yet, it was just something i read and wanted to prevent for the future

 

[Piranha72]

Really you shouldn't be using a UTH without a thermostat. The thermostat prevents the UTH overheating, which can be fatal to your gecko and also cause house fires. You say the temps for your gecko are ok, but you are not protected from changes in outside temperatures or fires.

Firstly invest in a thermostat, then a single or double layer of paper towels will be fine

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hey guys, i have repti carpet for both of my geckos, and it so far the hot spot under the rock in which they lie under is not getting too hot, its almost perfect. But since sometimes these geckos tend to get their nails and teeth stuck on it, im willing to switch to paper towels. I dont have a thermostat for the under tank heaters, but if i put enough layers of paper towel, should that hot spot that i was talking about be ok for the geckos? wont be too hot? i know ill get a thermostat, i just wanna make sure, please respond asap, so i can make this change for them

How about getting porcelain or ceramic tiles instead of paper towels? They never need replacing, good heat conductors, and look great. For a 20 gallon LONG tank you can line the bottom with tiles for about $10. Then just use a small square of paper towels in the poop corner.

(Thermostat too: Hydrofarm MTPRTC - $35 from Amazon. )

 

[Thin Lizzy]

(Thermostat too: Hydrofarm MTPRTC - $25 from Amazon. )

These thermostats are up to $34.13 now. I just picked up my second one, one for the CHE and one for the UTH. Still well worth the money.

I was able to pick up a 12 x 24 piece of slate and cut a 12 x 6 in my tank so I only have one seam. A little bit of sand underneath helps ensure there are no air pockets. Looks very natural and clean up it a breeze.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

These thermostats are up to $34.13 now. I just picked up my second one, one for the CHE and one for the UTH. Still well worth the money.

I was able to pick up a 12 x 24 piece of slate and cut a 12 x 6 in my tank so I only have one seam. A little bit of sand underneath helps ensure there are no air pockets. Looks very natural and clean up it a breeze.

Re: Hydrofarm MTPRTC thermostat - increased demand = greater price in only 7 months?

Love the "one seam" idea! Did you end up sealing your slate, Lizzy?

 

[Thin Lizzy]

Busted... no haven't sealed that slate as of yet. I have read from various sources that slate has naturally antibacterial properties and the reason why people seal it is to prevent staining, which I'm not too concerned with in this application. I'm really on the fence since so many sealers have toxic ingredients. We have several natural stone and concrete surfaces throughout our house that I have sealed with a natural homemade mixture of bees wax, carnuba wax and an all odorless mineral spirit. I am considering using this, but again, I'm concerned with the effect it may have on my little guy.

I also have some leftover tile from a project that looks like slate but is actually porcelain, I may use this.

I'm just so happy with the natural stone, I'm hesitant to change.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Busted... no haven't sealed that slate as of yet. I have read from various sources that slate has naturally antibacterial properties and the reason why people seal it is to prevent staining, which I'm not too concerned with in this application. I'm really on the fence since so many sealers have toxic ingredients. We have several natural stone and concrete surfaces throughout our house that I have sealed with a natural homemade mixture of bees wax, carnuba wax and an all odorless mineral spirit. I am considering using this, but again, I'm concerned with the effect it may have on my little guy.

I also have some leftover tile from a project that looks like slate but is actually porcelain, I may use this.

I'm just so happy with the natural stone, I'm hesitant to change.

cricket4u ~

How do you manage your slate? Think you mentioned that you take out sections, replace with similarly sized "fresh" slate, then disinfect the other slate?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Busted... no haven't sealed that slate as of yet.

:biggrin:

 

[cricket4u]

I'm uneasy about using sealers as well. Since the tiles are cheap I keep an extra set. I spot clean with chlorhexidine diacetate diluted to 1% strength and once a month I clean the whole enclosure and replace the tiles with the extra set. The set I pull out soaks in water and bleach, rinsed thoroughly and airs out for a month until next cleaning. Obviously if the tiles fit too snugged, pulling them out will be a hassle. Mine do not fit perfectly, however I make sure the cracks are around the edges of the enclosure so that their feet does not get caught in between.

 

[Thin Lizzy]

I'm uneasy about using sealers as well. Since the tiles are cheap I keep an extra set. I spot clean with chlorhexidine diacetate diluted to 1% strength and once a month I clean the whole enclosure and replace the tiles with the extra set. The set I pull out soaks in water and bleach, rinsed thoroughly and airs out for a month until next cleaning. Obviously if the tiles fit too snugged, pulling them out will be a hassle. Mine do not fit perfectly, however I make sure the cracks are around the edges of the enclosure so that their feet does not get caught in between.

I've had the slate in for less than a month and so far have been spot cleaning with antibacterial dish soap, then rinsing. "chlorhexidine diacetate" & "Bleach" these seem like very hard core cleaning solutions.
Chlorhexidine diacetate - toxicity, ecological toxicity and regulatory information

Isn't there anything else a little more natural and less toxic I could use? I don't use cleaners like this in my household at all.

PS: My slate fits really tight together, but my hubby cut a circular fingerhole in one tile that I cover with a rock until needed.

 

[cricket4u]

I've had the slate in for less than a month and so far have been spot cleaning with antibacterial dish soap, then rinsing. "chlorhexidine diacetate" & "Bleach" these seem like very hard core cleaning solutions.
Chlorhexidine diacetate - toxicity, ecological toxicity and regulatory information

Isn't there anything else a little more natural and less toxic I could use? I don't use cleaners like this in my household at all.

PS: My slate fits really tight together, but my hubby cut a circular fingerhole in one tile that I cover with a rock until needed.

It's only toxic in high concentrations. Chlorhexidine is used in medical practices for several purposes including mouth rinsing by dentist. Here is more information and options.

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/pests-diseases/62822-cleaning-reptile-cages.html

When keeping reptiles you want to use a chemical that's a bit strong at least for occasional cleaning. They are carriers of many bacterias and most importantly you want to use something that at least kills salmonella.

 

[Thin Lizzy]

Thanks for the link. I have a steamer, so I'll use that.