Hot Spot Question

[Aunt J]

How do you determine how big the hot area needs to be? Should it simply be big enough for the lizards to get on it, or should it be a certain percentage of the overall floorspace? Does there need to be a large part of the hot area that isn't covered by hides, or does it just need to be large enough to put the hides on them? Should the main part of the tank be hot, or cool, or an even distribution of both?

I'm using an 8x8 UTH pad in an 18x24 tank, and when I get a second hide on there, it will almost be covered by the hides -- is that big enough for 2 leos?

 

[GoGo]

The hot spot should be about 1/3 of your cage, thats the way i do it, or in a smaller cage 1/2. Two hides are normally in or near the hot spot, a hot hide which the gecko can sleep in and the humid/lay hide. The main part of the tank? There is no such thing usually. A cage should be divided into thirds, 1/3 cool, 1/3 med/room temp, 1/3 hot. If you cant manage thirds due to a small tank 1 half should be cool 1 half hot, or somewhere around that. If your cool and med side mush in temp, dont worry, its okay, a med/room temp side ISNT nessicary anyway.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

8x8 UTH in a 18x24 tank sounds small to me. I would say it should cover a competewhole side about 1/3 of the way out. I would think the hot spot should be an area close to 18x8 in your case.

 

[Aunt J]

does anyone know if there is any real difference between the "desert" and "rainforest" versions of the exo-terra uth? i've been using the "desert" version, but i have a "rainforest" version hanging around unused that the pet store told me was the same as the desert version. i've been using the desert version but want to add another small uth to increase my hot spot to 8x16 (see discussion above), and am wondering if i'm safe using the "rainforest" version to do it, since i already have it. nothing in the packaging or the instructions or anything i can find on their website shows any real difference -- the volts and the Hz are the same. but they advertize that the rainforest version is better for humid environments -- clearly not what i have with my leos.

i can just keep checking the temperatures, but since i want to hook both uth up to the same thermostat with only one sensor, if their temperatures vary wildly from each other then i'm in trouble.

easier to just buy a bigger uth or can i use the rainforest version?

sorry to be anal retentive, i just don't want to hurt the leos.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

My opinion would be it is perfectly fine to use. Just make sure to check the temps as you said. I am thinking one is "rainforest" because it is safer in a moist environment and one is "desert" because moisture is not recommended with it.