Unused tank + best heating source?

Cuppencake

Cuppencake

New member
Heya guys it's meee, i've already been on and off of the forums about my tokay and i have that completely down pat but i've seriously been wanting a leopard gecko for the longest time.
now that ive gotten my tokay gecko a vertical tank, i have an unused 30 gallon tank. im not sure if that'd be too huge for a leo, but i have two unused 30 gallon tanks, as for heating i heard under the tank heating was best as they prefer belly warmth. any recommendations on which ones to use? also im probably going to stick to paper towelettes for the leo, but im probably going to be setting the tank on a wooden cabinet. any information would be great.
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
a 30 gallon should be fine. Use the 10-20 or the 30-40 gallon size heater. I use Zoo-Med, other people may prefer something different. Be sure to put something like a small tile or other shim under each corner of the tank to raise it 1/4" to 1/2" to vent the heat. You will likely need a thermostat or a lamp dimmer to control the heat. Read caresheets. Go for it.

Aliza
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I like to size up to a 30-40 gallon size UTH for a 30 inch x 12 x 12 inch tank. A rule of thumb is that the UTH should be 1/3rd the length of the tank and as close to the width as possible.

Some of us have discovered that if we also supply overhead heat via a ceramic heat emitter, our leo is more active. A good way to provide a photoperiod is to house a 15 watt incandescent bulb dimmed to half power and placed on a timer varied some seasonally. For instance, 11 hours ON during February is good.

The Bean Farm carries Ultratherm UTHs in 11 different sizes. The big advantage to those is that they can be reused.
 
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Cuppencake

Cuppencake

New member
http://puu.sh/6Tyw0.jpg placed the tiles but still need two more pieces for the inside and four to use as pegs. For now I'm probably just going to get one from the petstore and a thermostat, where would I get a thermostat and how much do they normally run for?
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Cuppencake said:
http://puu.sh/6Tyw0.jpg placed the tiles but still need two more pieces for the inside and four to use as pegs. For now I'm probably just going to get one from the petstore and a thermostat, where would I get a thermostat and how much do they normally run for?
Click to expand...

Amazon carries the Hydrofarm MTPRTC thermostat for about $35. They are the only thermostat in this price range with a digital readout and a small metal probe.
 
Cuppencake

Cuppencake

New member
I was kind of looking for something more locally and I found temporarys so they'll work until I get money to order some.
 
Muffins94

Muffins94

New member
Looking good. For one gecko correct? Have you looked into morphs yet to see what you'd like to get? :) That's the fun part. Also, do you think you'll be getting one from a pet store or breeder?
 
Muffins94

Muffins94

New member
Nice, just be careful about pet store geckos. I'd recommend getting one from a reptile show or breeder. I have got two from pet stores, one ended up fine and the other had so many issues. It's hit and miss with their health and personalities.
As for a dimmer, I don't use one, but I know you can just pick one up at any hardware store.
 
Cuppencake

Cuppencake

New member
Yeah I know. I not sure how much it would take to get the vet to check her out, but I'll probably most likely end up doing that
 
Cuppencake

Cuppencake

New member
My aunt had a mini heat mat from grreat choice so I borrowed it and I placed it under my tank, I also got a exo terra digital thermometer with a probe, and this too- http://puu.sh/6XPFj.jpg
I don't know how long the heat mat takes to get hot but it says 68f and doesn't seem like it's gettin any hotter. The dimmer doesn't even work. I presses the button and it doesn't even feel like you can press it. It's weird, I'm gonna return the dimmer tomorrow. It was such a waste of money.
 
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