Humid hide temperature

[4stop]

Just got a brand new gecko today! I have a few questions with regard to temperatures. My warm side is right around 91 cool side is around 73. I know the warm side is good but is this too cold for the cool side? Also I have a Zilla rock lair (humid hide) filled with spagnum moss placed halfway on the heat mat but I'm only getting a 73 reading on the bed of spagnum moss and currently my gecko has been in that hide the whole day and hasn't come out since. Is that temperature fine? If it's not, how could I raise it? I am only running a uth. I'll enclose a picture of the hide. Thanks in advance!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Just got a brand new gecko today! I have a few questions with regard to temperatures. My warm side is right around 91 cool side is around 73. I know the warm side is good but is this too cold for the cool side? Also I have a Zilla rock lair (humid hide) filled with spagnum moss placed halfway on the heat mat but I'm only getting a 73 reading on the bed of spagnum moss and currently my gecko has been in that hide the whole day and hasn't come out since. Is that temperature fine? If it's not, how could I raise it? I am only running a uth. I'll enclose a picture of the hide. Thanks in advance!

Congratulations on your leo! Welcome to the club! :biggrin: Both your warm and cool hide temps are perfect! Can you relocate your humid hide so it's totally on top of the heat mat? That would be ideal.

I highly recommend a heat mat that's 1/2 the size of the ground. That way both the warm dry hide and the warm humid hide can sit right on top of it. Ultratherm heat mats are top notch!

1. What type thermometer are you using to measure temperatures?
2. What size enclosure have you?
3. What are the dimensions of your heat mat?

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).

Place the thermostat's probe and a digital thermometer's probe together right on top of the substrate underneath the warm dry hide. If you use a UTH + a CHE you'll need 2 separate thermostats, because ground and air temperatures are substantially different.

• Warm dry hide ground temperature: 88-92 F (31.1-33.3 C) inside a leo's warm dry hide.
• Warm humid/moist hide: Also place the humid hide 100% on top of the heat mat. Keep temperatures similar to the warm dry hide.
• Cool dry hide 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).

 

[4stop]

Thanks for your reply! I have a 24x18x12 Exo Terra and a ZooMed uth 8x12, so I am only able to get part of the humid hide over the heat mat. I am checking temps with a ZooMed Reptitemp infared pointer. Another question, I lifted up the cover to the humid hide this morning to check on him and I figured I'd check the temps in the hide again and when I pointed the temp sensor in there he jumped up and hissed at me. I quickly put the cover back and left him alone. What is your advice on this? I am sure I just spooked him as I came in over top to point the sensor. He has only been in his new enclosure for less than 24 hours so I'm sure that accounts for him acting like that as well. I just hope I don't have an agressive gecko on my hands! What would be your next approach to this? Back to the humid hide, I am not sure if you are familiar with the Zilla rock lair but it has a fairly thick bottom and with the spagnum moss in there as well I don't think the temperatures would get much higher even if it was placed directly over the hot side. Do you think other wise? Temps were around 75 in there this morning. Thank you for your advice!!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

You're welcome. You're correct. You startled him. Are you turning off the heat mat at night?

Try this experiment. For 24-48 hours set your leo's Zilla rock lair humid hide right on top of the heat mat. See how warm it gets inside that hide.

A 12 x 8 inch heat mat just covers a small area in a 24 x 18 inch enclosure. It's really too small. Are you able to order Ultratherm heat mats? One advantage is that all Ultratherms can be relocated if necessary.

I recommend an 11 x 17 inch Ultratherm. Place the 17 inch length along the Exo Terra's 18 inch width. That should allow adequate space (13 x 18 inches) for a cool end.

By the way to remove an image from the "Attached Thumbnails" box, first click Insert, then click Done as you post that image.