HELP!!!

[Golden Gate Geckos]

You need to measure the temperature on the surface (belly) of the warm side. You may have the ambient air temperature too high with both heat sources. The need 89-94 degrees bellly heat, and normal air temperature everywhere else.

 

[Bounsall06]

My digital thermometer is litterally sitting on top of the carpet on the warm side....and in the middle of the day, with a window open and a fan running in the room the temp gets to between 90-100. I measured the cool side and it was at 86. I am ok to leave it like that or should I switch the heat lamp with a UTH???

 

[LadyGecko]

My digital thermometer is literally sitting on top of the carpet on the warm side....and in the middle of the day, with a window open and a fan running in the room the temp gets to between 90-100. I measured the cool side and it was at 86. I am ok to leave it like that or should I switch the heat lamp with a UTH???

Does your digital thermometer have a probe on the end of it?

You are still measuring the air temp if it is one that does not have a probe

With having the air temperatures of the cool side at 86 and the warm end at 90 to 100-
I would definitely say that your tank temps are way too high for your Leo

Temps that high for prolonged periods of time will cause permanent damage and even death

You do not need a UV light or a basking bulb for a Leo-your set-up is better suited for a diurnal sun basking reptile-which a Leopard gecko is not-they are nocturnal

Imagine yourself trying to sleep with a bright white light shining directly into your face all night long
That is what you are doing with keeping a light on directly shinning down into the tank all day long
If you have an albino(red eyed Leo) you will do permanent damage to it's eyes with prolonged exposure to bright white lighting

Sure they will hide all day and eventually come out to warm their belly on anything that has absorbed the heat from the light but as was already stated-these lizards do not normally bask in the sun and benefit from overhead heating

Bright lighting will bother them and stress them and you will see your Leo out and about much more with no direct overhead lighting on the tank

You can use a red light bulb(25 watts or less) at night for viewing but in an extremely warm room it will still add more heat too the tank even at that low wattage

Leos actually need more floor room than height which is why many people use a 20 gal long aquarium or reptile tank

The longer tank gives more of a heat gradient between the uth and the cool end of the tank

I respectfully suggest that you lower your temps in that tank immediately by shutting off both lights and using the uth for your heat source

Buy a digital thermometer with a probe on the end of it and place the probe wherever you want to get accurate temp reading throughout the tank

If this is a baby or a young juvenile Leo those high temps will dehydrate him/her very quickly


Sandy

 

[Bounsall06]

My thermometer is one witha prode and the probe sits directly on top of the carpet so it is measuring ground heat.....those are the temps I had mentioned. The one that measures air heat is typically ranging from 80-85 (so close to room temperature) so should I still be shutting off the heat lamp and the UVB bulb and switch to a UTH?

 

[downthebeatenpath]

Regardless of the temp they need an UTH because they need belly heat not back or air heat.

 

[Bounsall06]

I set up a UTH.....is it ok to put a shelter over top of the UTH? I was going to put a coconut shell shelter over it, and the humid shelter is away from it

 

[LadyGecko]

I am so sorry

I missed the part where you said that you already had a digital thermometer with a probe
me bad


Is there another cooler room that you can move the tank to until the weather cools off?
Do you have a basement at your house?
The temps that your tank is at right now are way too hot

Extreme overall heat in the tank with no place for the gecko to go to cool off can dehydrate and kill them
It will also cause neurological /brain damage in your gecko

Yes-I would keep the light off and use the uth and move the tank to a cooler location if the temps have not come down with the light left off

You can put the humid hide right over the uth but there isn't going to be much difference in the temp of the uth and your room temperature so at this point I don't think that it matters

Keep the humid hide moist and check daily to give the gecko some place to go to cool off

Good Luck with your Gecko
Sandy

 

[Bounsall06]

Unfortunately there is no better room to put them in as I am in an apartment but I do have a fan running 24/7 in the room so the air should be cooler. I think the reason the temps were so hot before was because of the heat lamp,.