Heat question?

[DunderMifflinPaperCo]

Apologies in advance if this is not the right forum, it's my first day on the site!

I have an 11 month old leopard gecko named Fred. I've had him since he was four months old and it's been going pretty well. I recently switched my lighting to a ceramic heat emitter on a dimmer cord that keeps his 25gal tank at a great temperature variant. He also really adores his under-the-tank heat mat, which, while I know is not necessary since he has overhead, really helps his digestion (he's prone to stomach upset).

His temperatures and humidity are consistent with all the recommended temps. I also have a small UVB nano light, but, it's a small coil. I recently found out that coils are bad, but I was looking to hear from a vet. I have attached a picture of the light domes I use; one side is his CHE and one is the UVB. I've had the UVB since May/June and there have been no issues. I also dust his bugs (he eats every 5 days) with calcium with D3, and he has calcium without D3 in the tank.

My question is, do I have to change anything? I'm so confused by the lighting and heat for these guys. Any recommendations?

 

[acpart]

In my opinion, overhead lights are optional as long as the gecko is in a room where it's possible to distinguish between night and day. I feel that possibly use of an under tank heater plus an overhead light plus a ceramic heat emitter is overkill and may be drying out the air to the point where it starts to dehydrate the gecko (see the link to an article about this below). If you were to get rid of one thing, I'd say ditch the CHE. I feel that as long as the air temperatures are comfortable for humans, it's fine for the gecko and if they feel cold they can hang out in their warm side hide. I don't think that the temperatures are constantly in the 80's in mountainous Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan.
Enjoy your gecko!

Aliza

 

[DunderMifflinPaperCo]

Hey, thanks so much for the response! Fred's my first pet and I want everything to be as best as it can be for him. This is really helpful! What's your opinion on UVB? If I'm dusting with the supplements do I need UVB?

 

[acpart]

I don't feel that UVB is necessary for supplemented leopard geckos. Some people say their leos love the basking light. The problem is, depending on the UVB for supplementation with an animal that may spend the entire UVB time inside the hide, can be a problem, so I go for supplementation. I have a lot of cages. The non leo cages that have plants get the lights and the leos don't. Everyone seems happy enough.

I forgot the article link in my last post. Here it is: https://geckotime.com/eyelid-dysecdysis-in-leopard-geckos/

Aliza

 

[DunderMifflinPaperCo]

Thanks so much for the help! There's a ton of conflicting information out there. I appreciate it!