General question about housing

[leonewbie]

So...i just got a female leo (her name is ta-ta, dont ask, my 2 year old named her!), and i'm wondering/checking to make sure she has everything she needs for the moment. I am planning on upgrading her habitat, but as of right now, she is in a 10 gal glass tank with wire screen top, a zoo-med 10-20 gal UTH that is under her hide cave, cage carpet for substrate (planning on using tile when i upgrade her tank to 20 gal) a hollow log thing with damp moss in the cool side, and a water dish and calcium bowl that i put a few mealworms in...however she isn't very fond of them, and prefers the dusted crickets. The cool side stays at about 74, and with the UTH and light on top, the "hot" side is at about 93. I have a digital thermometer on the "hot" side, and a stick on thermometer and hydrometer on the "cool" side. Since i'm new, i just wanted to make sure i'm informed and doing okay by her, so i have the following questions, and i attached a pic, so you can see for yourself what im trying to describe. Oh, and i use a heat lamp during the day with a 75 watt ALT bulb, and a moonlight 75 watt at night.

1) Ive heard that the temp should range from mid 80's to 90's, but any more of a specific range? Also, i've gotten mixed info about the lamps...do they need one, or do they not? I've also gotten mixed info on whether they need the heat lamp...if they take in the heat from the belly, does the heat from the light make any difference?

2) I put damp moss inside the log, and she seems to like that, does she need an additional shed box, or will that work? Again, a 10 gal fills up quickly, so im planning on doing much more, but i figured it would be okay for at least now?

3) Anything else i should know/anything else i need?

Thanks!!

 

[larry26]

Well your hot spot temp is good some people let it get higher but i keep mine ay the same range as you. As for the shed box alot of people you use a plastic tuppaware (spelling) dish with the lid fliped upside down and a hole cut in it with moss as a substrate.

 

[ariana]

looks good to me.
same as what larry said.
right now i have 2 10gals holding a gecko each and they do seem to prefer the tupperware dish.
i personally use a papertowel under the moss so it stays moist longer

 

[BGalloway]

The temperatures you have sound fine. As for the lamps, the lamp you do not need is a UVB lamp, leos do not need one. As for a Heat Lamp in combination with an under tank heater, my personal opinion is go ahead and use a Heat Lamp with the under tank heater as long as the temperatures are right. On campus I just use the UTH becasue it stays warm enough, but for winter break I need a heat lamp in addition to a UTH to keep the temperature up.

People argue about belly heat, some say its the best heat, some say its the temperature at substrate level regardless of whether the source is above or below that is important, some say whatever, I say all these people keep healthy geckos so do what works for you.

Just one humid hide is enough to help her shed.

By the way, cool setup. :main_cool3:

 

[leonewbie]

Thanks! Im planning on switching out to tiles and upgrading to a 20 gal long...im also getting some things for her to climb on....because i was told (stupidly) that they dont climb, so i didnt get any vines or anything, and last night she was trying to climb up the corner of the tank, lol, so...i guess i'll get something for her to climb up on
One more strange question about lighting....i noticed that she likes and is out more when the moonlight is on, if it's on during the day she will be more active and be out of her cave more, when the regular light it on she hides in her cave all day (the brightness, im guessing) both lights keep the tank at around 100 in the warm and 75 or so in the cool side...could i use the moonlight all the time, since she's out more when it's on, or would that confuse her cycles?`