How's our set up and temps

[BeeBopper]

I will post a pic as soon as i can get one up but right now I'm a little bit concerned about our temps. We have slate tile substrate with medium sized UTH for a 20 gallon tank (24 inches). I have an Exo Terra digital thermometer with the probe on the slate on the hot side. The temperature was only getting to mid 80's on the hot side so yesterday I got a heat bulb (name and kind escapes me but i kept the box so I will update with this info later). With the light on in the day the temp gets mid 90's. I have a dial thermometer (will get another digi soon - or hopefully an infrared) for the cool side that stays in the low 70's. My concern is that in the night the temp drops to mid to low 80's on the hot side. I went to the pet store today to buy one of the blue lights for the night and they told me not to get it that the drop in temperature as described is fine...my gut is telling me it's not and that i should have gotten the night light...thoughts?

 

[lisa127]

A small, five degree drop at night is fine. Have you ever thought of investing in a temperature gun? It gives you accurate floor temps and I couldn't imagine keeping reptiles without one. What is the wattage of the bulbs you are using? I'm just concerned with a heat pad and a bulb a smaller cage like that will get very hot. Unless the wattage of the bulb is very low.

 

[BeeBopper]

The light is a 75w exoterra daylight basking light (the guy at the pet store recommended it). I have it in a dome and the tank is 16 inches high. I am going to invest in an infrared temp gun for sure...my daughter got Lizzie for her birthday and has bought all her own supplies so I was trying to keep her costs to a minimum. I found one at home depot for $40, our pet store doesnt sell them We did so much research before getting her a gecko and now I am stressed about the temps...I dont want her to be uncomfortable.

 

[SC Geckos]

A few degree drop at night is not a big deal. I can't comment on adding the bulbs and lights because I don't use any. As long as you don't notice a change in how the gecko is feeding, acting and the stool looks normal I would not worry to much.

Have you ever thought of investing in a temperature gun?

Thats what the OP was refering to when he said: "or hopefully an infrared" (Infrared temp gun)

 

[BeeBopper]

We just got her monday afternoon and she has only eaten one rather large cricket each evening and then tonight she ate 5 mealworms. Only one poop too but it looked good...as good as poop can look. She doesnt mind being handled and is spending time in all 3 hides but mostly her warm hide with the moist hide a close second.

 

[athdaraxen]

You can try eBay for a infrared temp gun. I managed to grab a Repti temp one for about $12,still in the package.

I'll try and find the listing for you!

Check out this item I found on eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=110967059969

And there was a Buy It Now listing for $20.

I hope that helps you out a bit!

Sent from my Samsung Captivate using Tapatalk 2.

 

[BeeBopper]

Thanks, I never thought of ebay!

 

[athdaraxen]

Thanks, I never thought of ebay!

It's become my best friend while setting up my gecko tank. You can find some great deals on some expensive stuff! Just make sure if you get used stuff, if the gecko will me coming in contact with whatever it is make sure you sterilize it!

Sent from my Samsung Captivate using Tapatalk 2.

 

[Ozy]

Personally I wouldn't use a basking light. Perhaps the heat mat isn't big enough? I have a 20 gallon long and I had to get a 30-40 gallon size heat mat. I use the ZooMed one. I also use slate tiles with sand underneath so there are no air pockets. I just got the hermit crab sand because it said it's an excellent heat conductor. So that is under my tiles. Might want to try that also. I like to keep my house pretty cold, so I use a red bulb attached to a dimmer, but that is on the cool side. Without it the cool side will get down to like 70 and I noticed my gecko likes her cool side to be about 83. Try putting the sand under the tiles first, then see where the temps are at. My next step would be to go up a size on the heat mat.

 

[BeeBopper]

Thanks Ozy...I picked up a bag of hermit crab sand today and we put it under the tiles...hopefully that will work Here is a pic of Lizzie's set up...the temp is low because we literally just put the tank back together after putting the sand in, temps are perfect right now!

 

[Ozy]

Let me know how that works out, and I think that light is too bright. If you need overhead heating I would go with a red night bulb or a ceramic heat emitter. Attach that to a lamp dimmer. I use this one http://www.lowes.com/pd_70717-539-TT-300NLH-WH_0__?productId=3189447&Ntt=lutron+dimmer . For my heat mat I use a HydroFarm thermostat. You buy them on Amazon or Ebay. I got mine on Amazon for about $30 and I have it set to 94 degrees

 

[lisa127]

A few degree drop at night is not a big deal. I can't comment on adding the bulbs and lights because I don't use any. As long as you don't notice a change in how the gecko is feeding, acting and the stool looks normal I would not worry to much.


Thats what the OP was refering to when he said: "or hopefully an infrared" (Infrared temp gun)

I see that now. I was reading too fast...lol.

Personally, if you are going to use a basking lamp with your UTH I would go with a night glo bulb, and I would go with something much lower wattage than 75. I'm thinking more like 25. Just enough to take the chill out of the air. My blue tongued skink lizard is in a cage that is 3 feet long and 1.5 feet wide and his lamp is only a 100 watt. Of course, it matters what the temps in your house are. But no matter what 75 watt bulb and UTH is going to overheat a tank that small.

 

[BeeBopper]

Ok, so I put the hermit crab sand in this afternoon and the temp on the hot side is consistently about 94.6 (without any light on the tank)....amazing!! The dial thermometer on the cool side is still reading low 70's so i think i will return the basking light and get a 25 watt red light to raise the temp on the cool side a little bit.

 

[Ozy]

Glad it worked for you