heating question

[Ehatcher]

Lets say that I use a heat lamp and I am able to heat the substrate and ambient air temps to 90-93*. As long as the gecko has air and ground temps that are reaching these temps, would it be enough to just stop there? The area the gecko "basks" and draws heat from is made of clay that absorbs heat and stays nice ane toasty throughout the day (according to my electronic temp guage probe , the substrate itself stays around 92* average), and one of the hides is DIRECTLY below in the cave that I carved out of the clay (the temp probe reads 89-90*). If I am able to successful achieve these temps, would I get away with not having to use a UTH? The gecko seems happy and eats and moves in normal patterns.

Cheers.

 

[acpart]

I think some people do it that way, letting the overhead light serve the same function as the sun. The real question, I think, is how warm will the hot side stay at night when the gecko is eating and digesting. Also, some geckos, especially albinos, can be bothered by the light. Otherwise, if the gecko is thriving, go for it.

Aliza

 

[larry26]

I have the lights for my gecko too but alot of people told me that a uth would be better so later this week i am getting one

 

[Ehatcher]

it is 3:40 in the morning and decently cold outside ( in the 30's ) and the temperature on the substrate is 92* in the hide that she so dearly loves, the substrate is staying around 88*. I am using an 100 watt infared bulb for the night and a 75 halogen during the day.

I am correct when I say that i have read that they cant see MOST red light sources?

 

[LeapinLizards]

Correct, they cannot see red light (or so I have been told).

However, the halogen light during the day could be very irritating to her, especially if she is albino. It really is much better to provide belly heat, they need it for proper digestion. That, and it cuts down on having two lights, having to turn on and off depending on time of day. Plus an UTH into a thermostat, then into the wall, and you're good to go.

 

[Ehatcher]

Well the only real problem with the UTH would be that most of my viv's substrate is made of hardened clay that is pretty thick and im sure that it will not penetrate it. The lights were only the real option. I have some Reptle Carpet for the tank that I am going to be putting down soon to get rid of any chance of impaction from the substrate.

She is eating like a horse (crapping like one too) and she is staying really active, so do you all feel that my set up is working?

 

[acpart]

If the gecko continues to be happy and healthy in the long run, I'd say it's working. The only thing to watch out for (and this is true of any reptile) is a slow, long term weakening in condition which can result from marginal living conditions. I'm not saying by any means that yours has marginal living conditions, just that it's good for all of us to periodically make sure we don't have any geckos that are slowly and subtly declining because their husbandry isn't optimal. A few months ago I started a thread about re-examining our assumptions about keeping leopard geckos rather than automatically dismissing practices that we don't subscribe to, and one example I gave was the UTH vs. overhead light situation. If you do a search, maybe you'll find it; I don't have the time to do it right now.

Aliza