New owner

[Banerod]

Hi my name is Miguel and I recently bought a 6 month old gecko named Grogu. I’m very nervous and confused on how to maintain a proper heat source day and night. Currently I am using a 75 watt basking light and for night a 100 watt night heat light . Is there anything I should be doing differently?

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome Miguel!

 

[Onelifegecs]

what kind of gecko is it. Letting us know will make it easier to readily give you advice

 

[Banerod]

what kind of gecko is it. Letting us know will make it easier to readily give you advice

He is a leopard gecko

 

[Onelifegecs]

So leopard geckos need belly heat and if you have A way to provide a day night cycle other than the light then the light isn’t needed. once you get a heat mat to provide belly heat it would be best to get rid of the bulbs. They are disruptive to your gecko. Do you have a thermostat? What size is the tank?

 

[Banerod]

He is a leopard gecko

 

[Banerod]

I have a 15 gallon tank and no I do not have a thermostat. I have a heat pad and without the light the highest the temperature will go is 80

 

[Banerod]

I also was wondering if I should move this cave because it’s over the heat mat so would that be trapping the heat?

 

[Onelifegecs]

I would recommend a thermostat. Heat pads can have random heat spikes. WHich can burn your gecko or the are the tank is on. The 15 gallon is a reasonable size but you may find as the gecko grows that you will need a little bit of an upgrade. I had the issue with getting the temp high enough as well so I use a Ceramic Heat emitter that does not give off any light. However, it is a definite must to have A thermostat with these things as they can get over 200 degrees unregulated. The are also prone to drying out the tank so a decent size water bowl and a humid hide is a must.

 

[Onelifegecs]

I also was wondering if I should move this cave because it’s over the heat mat so would that be trapping the heat?

The cave over the heat mat is a good thing allows the gecko to get belly heat and feel secure. It can potentially get too hot without the thermostat

 

[Onelifegecs]

The overall setup looks good though. If you do want to get the thermostat I recommend the INK BIRD one they are like 20 bucks and I’ve been using mine for 2 years. There is also something called temperature gun I recommend looking into. It allows you to read temps from anywhere in the tank. Other then that I see you are dusting the bugs and the tank Looks good. You are on the right track to a very happy gecko

 

[Banerod]

Thank you so much you’ve been a great help !

 

[Banerod]

One more question how many watts should I get for the ceramic heater

 

[Onelifegecs]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url...ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCMCl08bPy-4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK

These are the ones I bought

 

[acpart]

As long as the temperature is in the low 90's on the floor and the ambient (air) temperature is something that humans would be comfortable with (no lower than the mid to high 60's) I feel that no changes need to be made. As mentioned above, ceramic heat emitters can really dry out an enclosure.

Aliza

 

[Onelifegecs]

As long as the temperature is in the low 90's on the floor and the ambient (air) temperature is something that humans would be comfortable with (no lower than the mid to high 60's) I feel that no changes need to be made. As mentioned above, ceramic heat emitters can really dry out an enclosure.

Aliza

My Leo kept gettting RI’s so the vet recommended them. I also found that my geckos are brighter when they have that higher air temp

 

[acpart]

If that's the best thing for your gecko, then go with it!

Aliza