Good way to time out my UTH?

[WHYISPY]

Can someone help me regulate the heat within my tank for my Zoo Med Under Tank Heater? I already have a timer for my dual blue day bulb and red night bulb, but I just don't know how to regulate the heat. For how many hours should it run per day? I'm using a mini one meant for 5 gallon tanks for my right side on my 10 gallon that I'm using. I just set up the tank maybe 2 hours ago and am getting my leopard gecko next week just so I can get everything settled first to minimize stress on the little guy. I'm using a Zoo Med Analog Thermometer, but maybe it's just that San Diego is always hot or my thermometer is busted. When I bought the thing from the shop is read around 80 - 85 F. And I think the needle only moved a couple notches. I'm also going to buy a point and click infrared thermometer both for my Leo and my other hobby, nitro stadium trucks to check the temp of the motor and transmission. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks

 

[Crewdog00]

I use a digital thermometer for accuracy and plate it on the floor inside the warm hide to see what the temp is inside the home. My Leopard Geck loves her warm hide. I use a thermostats with probe and also put the probe inside the hide.

5 gallon tank is a good start but you will need to upgrade in a few months. You can get a 20L for $40. And it would be good for the lifetime of on me Gecko.

You will want the UTH heat available 24/7 and the thermostats can help regulate that. Btw Leo's don't need lighting. It's more for the humans. Brigh lights can stress your new pet. If you run lights to simulate day and night it's safe to do 12 hours each. I use to do 7am-7pm and then I stopped because it was a waste of money and electricity.

leopard Geckos like it dim or dark.

 

[bubblez825]

I second this, Thermostats work GREAT for regulating temps.unlike rheostats that keep the heat mat on all the time, the thermostats use a probe to tell how warm the tank is, and shuts off when it gets over the temp you want, and turns back on when it gets too cool(such as a thermostat for your AC unit at home). This does NOT replace having a thermometer or temp gun, because one of those are needed to set the correct temp of the heat mat manually using the thermostat's low-medium-high dial.

5 gallon tank is a good start but you will need to upgrade in a few months. You can get a 20L for $40. And it would be good for the lifetime of on me Gecko.

You will want the UTH heat available 24/7 and the thermostats can help regulate that. Btw Leo's don't need lighting. It's more for the humans. Bright lights can stress your new pet. If you run lights to simulate day and night it's safe to do 12 hours each. I use to do 7am-7pm and then I stopped because it was a waste of money and electricity.

leopard Geckos like it dim or dark.

I do believe the OP meant they have a mini 5 gallon UTH on the right side of their ten gallon tank.

A ten gallon is perfectly fine for one adult leopard gecko although, I don't know any gecko who has complained when they have their own 20 gallon long tank

+1 on the lighting. It really is a waste of money and electricity. They can be used for viewing and as crewdog said, to simulate day and night, but the geckos stay inside hides and sleep all day, so whats the point of having them on all the time? If you really want a light, hook one up that you can turn on and off for viewing one that wont be stressful for the leo. I'm not sure on the colors/types of lights that would not stress a leo, so a little bit of research would help with that

 

[Crewdog00]

IMO 5 gallon is too small for an adult leopard gecko. Male or female. You would have a very hard time have temps range from 70-95 degrees in a 5 gallon along with having a cool hide, warm hide and moist hide. Plus water bowl and food dish. I had a 5.5 gallon and upgraded to a 10 gallon but even the 10 gallon was tight for all the hides and such.

10 gallon tank.

Now 20L:

I'm gonna add a few more hides and a litter box. Hehe.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I second that a 20 gallon would be nice but a 10 gallon is totally fine. My guy has three hides and a water bowl in his 10 gallon and has been happily climbing over things in there for six years now.

I keep my UTH on 24/7 to keep the temperature gradient in the tank. They can use the gradient to regulate their own temperature to what they need. I also keep a red heat lamp over the tank and turn it on when temperatures are extreme in the winter. Its my understanding that geckos can't see red so its the same as dark to them and won't cause stress.

 

[Crewdog00]

+1. ^

 

[WHYISPY]

I use a digital thermometer for accuracy and plate it on the floor inside the warm hide to see what the temp is inside the home. My Leopard Geck loves her warm hide. I use a thermostats with probe and also put the probe inside the hide.

5 gallon tank is a good start but you will need to upgrade in a few months. You can get a 20L for $40. And it would be good for the lifetime of on me Gecko.

You will want the UTH heat available 24/7 and the thermostats can help regulate that. Btw Leo's don't need lighting. It's more for the humans. Brigh lights can stress your new pet. If you run lights to simulate day and night it's safe to do 12 hours each. I use to do 7am-7pm and then I stopped because it was a waste of money and electricity.

leopard Geckos like it dim or dark.

I had bought the Zoo Med dual Mini light domes and have a timer that goes on from 7-7 aswell. Should I just go return it and by just 1 mini lamp and use a regular bulb? I read that it alright and was just used for simulating there environment. Also what type of thermostat are you using? I ran around about 3 different petstores (Petco-Petsmart-Pet Kingdom) looking for a regulator but all I saw was a thermometer with a heat probe. So should I just return my lamp and timer for just 1 mini dome lamp? What type of bulb is best for viewing? A regular house fluorescent bulb, a blue bulb that supposedly gives of UVA, or a red bulb for viewing?

 

[mudskipper]

I decided not to buy the thermostats at Petco or Petsmart after reading the reviews on Amazon. I bought Hydrofarms thermostats instead. They are actually for plants, but they work extremely well.

The Hydrofarms thermostat has a digital screen that tells you the current temperature. It only goes up to 108F at the maximum so you will want to put the probe in your gecko's warm hide. The great thing about Hydrofarms is that it's made for plants so the probe is water proof. I set mine at 95F in one tank and 90F in another (found out the other day she doesn't like it too warm)

Do NOT use dial thermometers or hygrometers. They are inaccurate. Add a couple of more dollars and get digital ones. I have a couple from Exo Terra that tell both the temperature and the humidity.

Good luck!!

 

[mudskipper]

Basically, I use the Hydrofarms thermostat for the warm hide and the Exo Terra digital thermometer/hygrometer at the other end of the tank.

Also, using ceramic tiles will help keep your tank's temperature more constant.

 

[Crewdog00]

I have the mini combo done as well. I use the day light only when I need to see.

You are fine with the dual one but you can trade it in for a single. Up to you.

Red bulb is the best overall for viewing. I barely use the daylight bulb I have.

 

[WHYISPY]

So should I just leave the heat pad on all the time? Or can I have it off during the day and off at night? Also can I use a Infrared thermometer where you point at a spot and it will check it? Because with that I can check every where around the tank and his hiding spots.

 

[Crewdog00]

Heat pad on at all times. 24/7 and get a thermostat.

 

[Crewdog00]

I use a digital thermometer for accuracy and plate it on the floor inside the warm hide to see what the temp is inside the home. My Leopard Geck loves her warm hide. I use a thermostats with probe and also put the probe inside the hide.

5 gallon tank is a good start but you will need to upgrade in a few months. You can get a 20L for $40. And it would be good for the lifetime of on me Gecko.

You will want the UTH heat available 24/7 and the thermostats can help regulate that. Btw Leo's don't need lighting. It's more for the humans. Brigh lights can stress your new pet. If you run lights to simulate day and night it's safe to do 12 hours each. I use to do 7am-7pm and then I stopped because it was a waste of money and electricity.

leopard Geckos like it dim or dark.

Re read and then ask away. Caresheets are awesome.

If you look at people tanks you can get ideas of how people setup their tanks and such.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

So should I just leave the heat pad on all the time? Or can I have it off during the day and off at night?

The gecko needs a gradient of heat - basically one side about 90 and one about 70 - all the time. This way the gecko can walk back and forth and be as cool or warm as it needs to digest its food properly. I don't know anyway of achieving this without the UTH on all the time.

 

[WHYISPY]

I have the mini combo done as well. I use the day light only when I need to see.

You are fine with the dual one but you can trade it in for a single. Up to you.

Red bulb is the best overall for viewing. I barely use the daylight bulb I have.

Thanks, I just bought my gecko and he's sleeping at the corner of his tank right now. Do you know the temps for the cool and warm side? I remember reading the warm side 90-95 and cool side 80-85 is this about right? He's about 2-3 inches and I will be feeding him a staple of mealworms every day with dusted every other day with a cricket here and there as a treat. Also how big should he be where I feed him every other day? Thanks

 

[GodzillaGecko]

You know I just seen you on the other post asking questions and saying you did research. But again you proved that you haven't. Its every day feeding and as much as they want to eat. So you just keep putting two or so crickets in at a time or mealies its your personal choice. Till he says no more! Any left over crickets you take out. Until he's about I believe 15 months. ONce he reaches the adult mode its every other day. Mealies you can leave in a bowl with a carrot piece since they don't go anywhere. The hot spot should be 90-93 the cool size about 80. A hide box for both heat and cool side with a moist hide box. And clean water everyday. Some say every other day. I would just place a very shallow bowl in every day. Use a gatorade cap. Its shallow and they don't need much. Some say leave a bowl of Calcium. When they need it they will eat it on their own. I agree wit this. So a shallow bowl of calcium also.

Seriously I been on the forums less then a week and all my real research came from reading the posts from these very intelligent, very awesome Leo owners. Just go through all the posts. Do that and your on your way to a healthy lizard.

 

[Crewdog00]

90-93 warm side. 70-75 cool and 80-85 in the middle of the tank. My warm side right now is at 75 and warm side at 90.

Feed as many as they will take in one sitting. My Annie just ate 15 mealies tonight. Last night she ate 12 and the other night she ate 8. So it changes with every feeding.

12-15 months is when you do the every other day or 3 days a week. Right now do everyday or 6 days a week. Hope this helps.

Careaheets are amazing.