Probe Placement and a few other questions

R

ruthless rah

New member
first off i would like to say hello, im new to the forum and have just been reading info for a week on here. im a first time leo owner (1 week as well)

so heres my first question: the probe connected to the thermostat, should that be placed on top of carpet in hot spot (taped down) or underneath the carpet (taped down) also i have my heat mat inside the cage but under the carpet (please let me know if thats fine or not)

next question: where should my thermometer probe be placed? inside the hide, outside the hide, taped down or not taped down to the carpet? i was going to run the probe under the carpet and place it right in the middle of the heat mat and then slit a tiny hole through the carpet and pull the thermometer probe through.

next question: is it okay that my thermostat, digital thermometer, and point and shoot thermometer all read something different?? thanx in advance

 
hmarie186

hmarie186

New member
UTH should be placed under the tank. Please remove it from inside of the cage, and lay the probe on top of the reptile carpet for accurate readings. Anything over 93F that the gecko comes into contact is too hot.
 
R

ruthless rah

New member
hmarie186 said:
UTH should be placed under the tank. Please remove it from inside of the cage, and lay the probe on top of the reptile carpet for accurate readings. Anything over 93F that the gecko comes into contact is too hot.
Click to expand...
do the heat mat get hot on the bottom because if i take it out tank and put it under, it'll be in contact with an wooden dresser which the cage is sitting on
 
kholtme

kholtme

New member
Move your uth under the tank, use tape to hold it against the bottom, i prefer aluminum tape for peace of mind so that masking tape or something similar doesnt catch fire, I dont know if that is necessary though. Then I use the pads meant to go under chair legs to prevent flooring from getting scratched to raise the tank off my dresser. This raises the tank about 1/4 inch off the ground to let air flow under the tank. And i would put both probes on top of the carpet inside the hot dry hide. I say both probes because then they should read the same, and if they dont then one may be wrong and need to be replaced.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Welcome to Geckos Unlimited, ruthless rah!

  • What type of UTH have you now? A sticky-backed one? IF you have a Zoo Med UTH, ZM customer service has told me that they should not be reused. The wires possibly become damaged in a transfer and could make the UTH a fire hazard.
  • If you need to buy a new UTH, it would be helpful to know the size of your enclosure. Depending, you may even wish to get the new UTH 1/2 the area of the base??? Ask first please.
  • Always use aluminum tape to stick the UTH underneath the tank. Heat resistant aluminum tape may be stronger. Masking tape will make a sticky mess and will not hold.
  • Tape both probes together. A small piece of painter's masking tape works just fine. Just lay both probes on top of the carpet under the warm DRY hide. No more tape necessary. Some leos use the probes as a "pillow". :)
  • How close do your thermostat, digital's probe, and your point & shoot/temp gun agree? Sometimes it takes a while for the thermostat to "settle down".
  • Digital thermometers with probes seem to have two separate settings: IN versus OUT. When you read the temperature at the probe, read the OUT setting.
 
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R

ruthless rah

New member
• i have a zoo med uth that only covers the hotspot. (the log is sitting on it as you see in the pics) i have a 20 gallon wide tank. now i thought about gettin a new heat mat to cover half the tank (hot side) or a quarter of the tank but i wasnt too sure because i keep getting a million different opinions. i heard just the hide is the only hot spot geckos need! well thats what i have and my gecko doesnt leave her hide! before i got my temperatures all set up, i was using a overhead light with an infrared 75w bulb which u can also see in pics but im not using it now! i would really like my gecko to feel nice and cozy out her hide as well which made me want to get another heat mat. i would love to have a light so i can see what she is doing instead of using my flashlight on my phone to check on her at night and in the morning when i wake up! im aware i can get a light with lower wattage that wont give off any extra heat so i might go that route and the bigger heat mat!

• thermostat just kicked in and turned mat off, so as of now 9:39 am, my stat reads 94.1, digital thermometer reads, 90.1 and the point and shoot reads 91.6 where the digital thermometer probe is if i go left or right of the probe it reads something different like 89 or 88

pictures of stat and thermometer shows diff temps so you can see how they change as time goes












 
R

ruthless rah

New member
this is the day i got her from the white plains expo in new york (any new jersey/new york leo owners here? :) )



and this is her climbing off her hide yesterday!





shes small and def still a baby! idont get to handle her much because shes always wiggling around when i pick her up and she even bit me once so idnt want to stress her out! i put my hand in the cage with my palm up flat and she just smells my hand or lick it but never crawls into it...i guess it'll come with time
 
kholtme

kholtme

New member
You should have a heat mat that covers from 1/3 to 1/2 of your tank, and also I didn't see a moist hide, that will need to be on the warm side of the tank too.
 
R

ruthless rah

New member
kholtme said:
You should have a heat mat that covers from 1/3 to 1/2 of your tank, and also I didn't see a moist hide, that will need to be on the warm side of the tank too.
Click to expand...

i have one i made out of a container i had...im using paper towels right now but im not satisfied with the humidity and i want to try moss out
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
You have a lovely leopard gecko! :D Looks like she is doing well.

0) Rather than either of the bulbs you picture, I suggest a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) + an UTH. For periodic night viewing consider a low wattage Hagen Exo Terra moonlight bulb.

1) Does your enclosure measure 30 x 12 x 12? Can't exactly tell from your pictures. The 12 inch high enclosures are MUCH easier to heat.

2) If so, I recommend getting an 11 x 17 UTH pad. UTHs without adhesive are made by Ultratherm and Flukers. Both can be bought off Amazon; Ultratherm also by the Bean Farm. Locate it from one end towards the middle. Get heat resistant aluminum tape from a hardware store to stick it on.

3) It is very important to tape both probes together. That way the digital's probe will verify your thermostat's readout.

4) Private hides with small entrances are best. They help make your gecko feel secure. :) I have hide suggestions linked under the Basic Guidelines section...first post on the care sheet "thread".

5) Lightly dust crickets, Blaptica dubia, and mealworms with Zoo Med's supplements like this:
Monday - lightly dust with Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamin withOUT D3
Wednesday - lightly dust with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3
Saturday - lightly dust with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3

Use the Reptivite multivitamin sparingly! The directions on both containers suggest dusting according to your gecko's weight.

Recommend feeding crickets, Blaptica dubia, and mealworms Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed, Purina Layena Sunfresh Crumbles, or Zoo Med's Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food all 24/7 with added collard greens and dandelion flowers/greens.

6) For explanations, please scroll through my Leo Care Sheet to the posts which will be helpful. Much of what I recommend has detailed explanations there.
 
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jinete

jinete

New member
My recommendation, from personal experience, is patience. It took my leopard gecko 6 weeks before he started eating regularly. My leopard gecko is just about the same exact size and age as yours. He just started venturing out of the moist hide but as soon as I walk in he scurries back to the hide. Give it time. Leave the flashlights and phone lights off. Trust me. It will all work out. Make sure the temps are good and I have a feeling that little by little your gecko will become acclimated. The key is patience.
 
R

ruthless rah

New member
thank you elizabeth and thanx for all the great info! im definitely going to order the bigger heat mat and yes my cage is a 30x12x12. i definitely will get a moon light as well! any good places to order supplements and any particular name brand i should get or stay away from? my uncle owns a pet store so he ordered me 3 dubai roaches and i am going to pick them up tomorrow! im not big on roaches at all lolol but i'll see how it goes tomorrow and also maybe some crickets!

thank you too jinete! patience is pretty much the key to most of life lolol i will keep you all informed and continue to ask questions within this thread if i have any thanks again
 
kholtme

kholtme

New member
Elizabeth recommends these and with this schedule. I ordered mine off ebay last week they were about $8 each


Lightly dust crickets, Blaptica dubia, and mealworms with Zoo Med's supplements like this:

Monday - lightly dust with Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamin withOUT D3
Wednesday - lightly dust with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3
Saturday - lightly dust with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3


Use the Reptivite multivitamin sparingly! The directions on both containers suggest dusting according to your gecko's weight.

Recommend feeding crickets, Blaptica dubia, and mealworms Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed, Purina Layena Sunfresh Crumbles, or Zoo Med's Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food all 24/7 with added collard greens and dandelion flowers/greens. Then

either

1. Lightly dust prey according to the above schedule

or

2. Follow the directions on a proven formal gutload such as T-Rex Calcium Plus Food for Crickets or Mazuri gutload. When using a formal gutload such as the T-Rex gutload only provide the crickets with water via a damp paper towel! If you add fruits or vegetables the insects will consume those preferentially over the calcium-enriched diet. At the very most add only a tiny pinch of Zoo Med's Reptivite once a week.

Feeding your geckos insects and worms whose entire body is healthy (and not only their guts) is very important! Lightly dusted = like a "sprinkling of powdered sugar on a cake"

Be sure to check the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of any food feed to the crickets or worms. Carrots, for instance, are not good because carrots contain about a 1:2.3 ratio (???) of calcium to phosphorus depending upon the charts.

More information can be found in her care sheet: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/gecko-care-sheets/55211-leopard-gecko-caresheet-eublepharis-macularius-demo-video-4-jan-2013-update.html
 
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