heating?

[cjam]

Ok so ive decided to go with a 20 gal for my leo. I want to use the repti carpet in the bottom. I know im going to use a uth. With a 20 gal will i need to put a light on it? Also I know that I should have a warm end and a cool end. But what about the hotspot? How if I am using a uth do I establish one area in the tank that is hotter than the warm end? Also I will use a digital thermometer with a probe to check my temp. Should I have that under the carpet or laying on top of it? Thanks

 

[vctkiller]

If it is cold in your area get a heat bulb if you need to raise up the temperatures. If you are getting a bulb get an infrared because Leopard Gecko's cant see the red light that the bulb is emitting. I really don't think they need a hotspot they just need a warm side temperature around 88 F - 92 F. And a cool end of 75 degrees. Remember to buy a rheostat or what I prefer a thermostat to control the temperatures. Put the digital thermometer on top of the carpet. See if that helps.

 

[nats]

Ok so ive decided to go with a 20 gal for my leo. I want to use the repti carpet in the bottom. I know im going to use a uth. With a 20 gal will i need to put a light on it? Also I know that I should have a warm end and a cool end. But what about the hotspot? How if I am using a uth do I establish one area in the tank that is hotter than the warm end? Also I will use a digital thermometer with a probe to check my temp. Should I have that under the carpet or laying on top of it? Thanks

Just get a UTH that only covers about half of the floor area.
Put it all the way to one end of the tank, and leave the other (cool
end) alone.
Get a thermostat to conrol the UTH and put the prob on the floor on
top of the substrate directly above the UTH and set it for about 92F.
No need for any kind of lights, unless the room is really cold, then you
may need to heat the cool end a bit.
This way, you have created a temp gradient, and the temp on the cool
end can always be room temp.
If you want a light to see your leos at night, but dont want the added
heat, just get some red or blue LED aquarium accent lights.

 

[cjam]

Ok cool thanks for the help. Also at some petshops ive been to latley around here they didnt have any kind of a lid on top. Do I need one for any reason? I am going to feed crickets but I thought I could just remove their jumping legs.

 

[Spooki]

lids can help keep out unwanted visitors like spiders and cats as well as protect from things accidentally falling into the cage. my tank doesn't have a lid but i made sure to put it in a spot where nothing is likely to fall into it.

 

[cjam]

Ok cool thanks. I appreciate all the help

 

[sacrifice.theory]

In my opinion, lids are absolutely imperative to any type of animal in a tank, cage, etc.
I'm not trying to put anyone out that doesn't have one, like I said, that's just my opinion.
You shouldn't need a heat bulb at all unless the room temps drop so low that they affect the temps inside the viv.
If that happens, just cover about half the top with a towel or something to help trap some of the heat inside. Make sure you don't cover it so much that air can't circulate, though.
Remember, it's the belly heat that counts.

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

Heating

Usually a UTH is almost always used.

You want to hit a temp range of 88 to 92 (or 95) on the Warm Side of the tank on the bottom or nearest the substrate.

The cooler end can be 10 to 15 degrees lower than the warm temps.

The Air Temp in the tank should be in the 80s.

You may want to save up for a noncontact thermometer.

Hopes this helps.

 

[cjam]

ok thanks. well i have had a change of plans with the thermometer. I think this would be better but Idk. I want to get a rheostat with a probe and just forget the digital thermometer and just use the rheostat set it at 92-95 and let it go from there. The rheostat Im looking at has a lcd screen on it that will show me the current temp as well as what I want it to be set at. Would this be better?

 

[nats]

Yep, you need a cover for your tank.
It keeps stuff from falling in, keeps your gecko from escaping
(they can be clever little escape artists, and dont forget, they
can jump) and keeps unwanted bugs, etc, out.

Here's a little story (I always have little stories :main_rolleyes:
I had taken the cover off of Indie's tank for feeding and got
interupted. When I came back, there was a rather large spider
in his tank and Indie was just about to pounce on it before I caught
it.
Geckos have been know to get very sick, and even die from injesting
the wrong kind of spider.

 

[cjam]

Oh i didnt know that about spiders and geckos. Thanks. Ill def get a lid for it then.

 

[shawn119]

You don't need a light because they are nocturnal but i would have a night light so it looks like the sky or moon in there natural habitat.

But as long as the ground is heated they will do fine