I got my gecko, where do I put the UTH?

[drillsar]

I have the aquarium on a piece of furniture, It says on UTH to put it on the side of aquarium and dont use paper towels, so Im confused, Also do you keep uth on 24/7? Also water bowls? How much do you feed it, Calcium in bowl?

 

[mrcsk8ter44445]

You should put the UTH under the tank, I run mine 24/7 but make sure you have a thermostat, above the hot side i just put a hide and on the cool end is where i put the food and water bowl. I use reptile carpet and paper towels for substrate it should be fine with a thermostat, but you should use a thermometer to check the ground temp just in case. as for feeding i just always have mealworms in their bowl so the eat when they want and when its all gone just refill it.

Marc

 

[drillsar]

I guess I will get a thermostat, right now I will run UTH when Im home, is that ok?

 

[lytlesnake]

I guess I will get a thermostat, right now I will run UTH when Im home, is that ok?

Okay, I want to help you out here so we make sure your gecko doesn't get thermal burn, so let's get specific.

1) What size aquarium?

2) Which make and model of UTH? How many watts?

Having the UTH on when you're home and off when you're away is not the right approach. What you want is a constant heat source that maintains a consistent temperature, anywhere from 86-92 degrees fahrenheit. I generally like 88-90 myself. Without a thermostat the UTH can get too hot, which can be bad for the gecko.

 

[drillsar]

29gal long, zoo med, repti therm, 24 watts

 

[lytlesnake]

29gal long, zoo med, repti therm, 24 watts

So is that the RH-5? Definitely get a thermostat before plugging that baby in and putting the gecko in there. That UTH will get way too hot without one. Get a nice Cage Carpet for a substrate. They're washable, geckos like them, and they're way thicker than paper towels.

Someone posted a link to a great deal on the Alife thermostat. Here it is again. These go for $45 in my local reptile store, but it's under $17 here.

http://blvdreptiles.com/product_info.php/cPath/40/products_id/80

If you need something tonight and your local petco or petsmart is still open, they usually have the zoo med rheostat in stock for under $25. Petsmart probably has it in stock more often. If you get one of those, also get a small thermometer that you can place on the hot spot. Start with the rheostat all the way down and check it in 1/2 hour. You may end up leaving it all the way down or very close to the bottom of it's range.

 

[drillsar]

Yeah but if I have to ship it. it wont be here for a couple of days. Will it be ok?

 

[mrcsk8ter44445]

http://blvdreptiles.com/product_info.php/cPath/40/products_id/80[/URL]
QUOTE]
Wow wish i would have found this before spening 35 on the esu one(wich is exactly the same)

 

[lytlesnake]

Yeah but if I have to ship it. it wont be here for a couple of days. Will it be ok?

Yeah, I just edited the previous post to reflect that fact a moment ago. It's Sunday, and I don't know where you're located, but here on the west coast of the usa those stores are open for another few hours. Another option is a light dimmer that you can get from a hardware store, but you might have to wire it up yourself. I haven't done this, but I don't think it's too difficult. You can probably find several posts here that explain it pretty well.

 

[lytlesnake]

To answer your previous question whether or not it will be okay for a few days, with a 24 watt UTH, I would say don't risk it. You could put about 3" of sand down and that will shield the gecko from being right on the UTH for a few days until you get your thermostat.

 

[acpart]

go to Home Depot or Loews and get a "lamp dimmer" which is about $10-11 at Home Depot. No need to wire, just follow the directions and plug it in. I explained on another thread why and how the rheostat works; you'll find it if you do a search.

Aliza

 

[rhino43grr]

i was the one that found the thermostat on that site, i ordered it on sunday or monday and it got here on thursday i think. at the very least i hope you have a good thermometer to put on the hot side of the tank so you can regulate it yourself by plugging and unplugging the uth.
if you're using the uth on a piece of furniture you don't want to risk anything happening to you should make sure to use the clear rubber "feet" that came in the package to lift the bottom of the tank up off the furniture or use something else to get it up even higher from the furniture surface.

overall it probably would have been a better idea to ask these questions before you got a gecko rather than trying to scramble to get the stuff figured out after it was already at your house. (i made those mistakes when i was a kid and things didn't end happily)

 

[drillsar]

Im just going to buy the rheostat at petsmart, Online its $19.99, I think petsmart price matches what it says online.

 

[drillsar]

Right now I have a digital thermometer on it, It shows right now at 75 degrees, How long does it usually take to get hot?

 

[lytlesnake]

Right now I have a digital thermometer on it, It shows right now at 75 degrees, How long does it usually take to get hot?

It takes at least 1/2 hour for that UTH to heat up. Those zoo med rheostats work fine. Most of mine are turned all the way down, but the weather did just get colder, so I may bump them up a hair, depending on what the thermometer says. The gecko will be fine as long as you get the rheostat by tomorrow.

For tonight you could unplug the UTH once it reaches 92 or so, then plug it in again when it cools down. I would do one final cycle like that before you go to bed and then leave it off for the night so it doesn't get too hot. Better for the gecko to spend one night a little chilly then getting thermal burn. Just don't leave the windows open if it's cold tonight. Put a hide over the hot spot so the heat holds a little better.

 

[drillsar]

Yes I put a hide over the hot spot, Its not in the hide its in back of it, Right now it reads 80 degrees

 

[drillsar]

I think I need to put some moss in there right? Humidity levels are kind of high 60 at the moment, do they sell some sort of dehumidifier for reptiles?

 

[lytlesnake]

I think I need to put some moss in there right? Humidity levels are kind of high 60 at the moment, do they sell some sort of dehumidifier for reptiles?

If the humidity is already at 60% then you shouldn't need to put any moss in at the moment. What you want to do soon though is get a tupperware container, but a hole in the top or side large enough for the gecko to get in and out, and put some moist sphagnum moss or vermiculite in there. Wring the moss out so it's not soaking wet before you put it in the "moist hide". These geckos need some humidity to have healthy sheds.