Heat lamp

[hannah92]

I purchased a halogen mini dome to heat my 10 gallon tank. I had it on top of the tank but my little guy hates the bright light. I set up the light so it could go under the tank and it seems to be heating it pretty well. Any thoughts? It's my first leopard gecko and I just want him to be happy!

 

[Matt_pole]

Leopard geckos should not have a heat lamp. Get an under tank heater. Leo's don't bask like other reptiles, so the bright light will likely irritate his skin.

 

[JennyBeen]

If you really prefer the lamp route, I know some individuals that use a red-tinted night bulb that doesn't impact their eyes.

However, they do still need belly heat more than anything else to properly digest, so an UTH would be your best bet. I bought mine, size small, via amazon for $13. Bulbs just seem like too much bother/unnecessary complication.

 

[Dinosaur!]

Yes, a UTH (under tank heater) paired with a thermostat (doesnt have to be super fancy, but you definately need one) is a must with leopard geckos. Leopard geckos are nocturnal, and they get their heat from the ground, not the sun. The need a hot spot on the floor of 85-95 degrees fahrenheit at all times in order to be able to digest their food. A heat lamp can irritate eyes (especially if your gecko is albino), dry the air out (bad sheds), overheat a tank (especially if it is a 10-20 gal.), and it will cause our little guys to hide from us to escape the light! Over all, a heat lamp shouldnt be used unless your ambient (air) temps drop below 60 degrees, and even then it should be a red or purple night bulb so it disturbs them as little as possible.

I hope that this answers your questions! And welcome to the forum! I look forward to hearing about you little guy in the future

 

[hannah92]

I purchased an UTH and it is not hearing my tank enough. The air temp read 70 degrees this morning. Is there something im doing wrong? The rocks I have in the tank are cold because the heater isn't warming them. I woke up to a pile of undigested mealworms so I'm assuming he is not digesting properly without the heat.

 

[Dinosaur!]

What are the FLOOR temps on the warm side? The air temps sound fine, and don't really matter to your geckos health. If the floor temps are between 89-95 degrees Fahrenheit you're fine, but you should keep an eye on your gecko to make sure it isn't sick... If the floor temps are below that range, I would suggest getting a new, and possibly bigger UTH. Don't forget the thermostat either! That will keep the temps steady.