Heating

[kayhannan]

I have just resuced two leopard geckos who were from the same house and are approximately one and two years old. I changed th etank decor when I got them and bought a temperature gage with a probe. My issue is that the temperature during the day (from a heat light (red)) flucuates and will range from 85 to 95, and I believe it would keep climbing if I don't continue to unplug the lamp and let it cool down slightly. I was wondering if anyone had any tips as to how to get the temperature on the hot side to remain more constant so I don't have to worry about the tank while I am out of the house. Right now the probe is sitting almost on the top of the substrate on the hot side, any suggestions as to where I should put it other than here. They spend majority of their time in the warm hide right now. At night they have a heating pad so the tank air itself cools off but the substrate around the hide stays warm. Any help getting these two the ideal environment.

 

[GeckoLeen]

I don't have leopards, but do have tropical lizards, which still need heat. I bought a deep heat projector bulb and put it in a dome, and bought a Herpstat EZ1 thermostat, where I can set it to whatever temp I need and don't have to worry about overheating.

https://www.spyderrobotics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=75

It has worked really well for me.

 

[Marillion]

Those red light bulbs for heat are not very great. Your best bet is a Deep Heat Projector bulb from Arcadia on a thermostat positioned above a flat slate rock with a temperature probe on the rock. Or even a Ceramic bulb would be better than one of those red light bulbs. You will also want a temp probe inside the warm hide with an undertank heater attached to it warming the ground underneath your warm and humid hide. Getting a larger undertank heater that covers at least a third to a half of the tank is a good idea. At this point I would recommend that you do some reading. Check out the article below in my signature. Elizabeth Freer covers everything that you need to know in there and her info is very accurate.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Those red light bulbs for heat are not very great. Your best bet is a Deep Heat Projector bulb from Arcadia on a thermostat positioned above a flat slate rock with a temperature probe on the rock. Or even a Ceramic bulb would be better than one of those red light bulbs. You will also want a temp probe inside the warm hide with an undertank heater attached to it warming the ground underneath your warm and humid hide. Getting a larger undertank heater that covers at least a third to a half of the tank is a good idea. At this point I would recommend that you do some reading. Check out the article below in my signature. Elizabeth Freer covers everything that you need to know in there and her info is very accurate.

Thanks, Marillion, for your vote of confidence. :blushing:

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I have just resuced two leopard geckos who were from the same house and are approximately one and two years old. I changed th etank decor when I got them and bought a temperature gage with a probe. My issue is that the temperature during the day (from a heat light (red)) flucuates and will range from 85 to 95, and I believe it would keep climbing if I don't continue to unplug the lamp and let it cool down slightly. I was wondering if anyone had any tips as to how to get the temperature on the hot side to remain more constant so I don't have to worry about the tank while I am out of the house. Right now the probe is sitting almost on the top of the substrate on the hot side, any suggestions as to where I should put it other than here. They spend majority of their time in the warm hide right now. At night they have a heating pad so the tank air itself cools off but the substrate around the hide stays warm. Any help getting these two the ideal environment.

Hi Kay ~

What are the sexes of these 2 leos?

Please share photos of your leos' enclosure and a full length photo of each leo. What is the total length of each leo? Separating these leos is best for several reasons. One reason is that leos are solitary geckos.

If a heating pad is large enough (1/2 the footprint), you may only need to add a photoperiod from above. Consider Arcadia Reptiles' new Deep Heat Projector connected to a pulse proportional thermostat set on the "dimming" function.

Place the thermostat's probe and the digital thermometer's probe right on top of the substrate underneath the warm dry hide. A digital thermometer verifies the thermostat's settings.

An inexpensive on/off thermostat like Hydrofarm's Jump Start thermostat will turn off the heat source when it reaches a pre-set temp.

Temperatures - A temperature gradient from warm to cool maintains your leo's health. Here's a temperature guide for all leopard geckos as measured with the probe of a digital thermometer or a temp gun (and controlled by a thermostat set at 91*F/32.8*C):

• Warm end ground temperature: 88-92 F (31.1-33.3 C) inside a leo's warm dry hide and his moist hide too!
• Cool end ground temperature: 70ish-75 F (21.1-23.9 C) Usually the cool end ground temperature matches the room temperature where the enclosure sits.
• no greater than 82ish F (27.8ish C) air temperature - 4 inches (10 cm) above ground on the warm end
• no greater than 75 F (23.9 C) air temperature - 4 inches (10 cm) above ground on the cool end

Leave the heat mat/UTH on 24/7. If you wish, during the night turn off overhead lighting/heating (~12 hours on and ~12 hours off) unless ambient room temperatures drop lower than 67ish*F (19.4*C).