leo ALWAYS in humid hide...

[jrcb07]

So i have noticed that my leo is always in his humid hide. i have a zoo med 3 in 1 cave with paper towel in there and on the hot side (I wet the paper towel about twice a day). Why is he always in there? He does come out when its feeding time but goes right back after..Also my thermometer has been acting up a bit i believe. I saw the temp at 101*F last night and this morning it was at 93 ? anyone know of a good thermometer? where can i get one? thanks

 

[Jordan]

a lot of people have this problem... some leo's just love their humid hide. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Nothing to worry about IF you're certain your temps are consistant and appropriately between 88-95 degrees F. Places like hardware stores like home depot or lowes carry probe thermometers, so does some wal marts. You should be able to find them under $10. I'd get 2 to make sure they're correct. Make sure you have the probe directly on the floor of the aquarium directly over the uth.

 

[Bosoxx]

My gecko Jack is the same way.. 99% of his day is sunbathing in his hot house. He comes out to hunt & grab a drink and that's about it.

As long as he's happy, i'm happy.

 

[im faster]

remember also leos are most active when your sleeping

 

[jrcb07]

thanks everyone, i knew i wasnt the only one with this observation but i think i might be having a problem :/ i believe my tank is too hot..the thermometer reads 108*F in his hot hide, but outside the hide (still on hot side) it reads 98...whats better in this situation a rheostat or a thermostat? Im planning on buying one ASAP because summer is coming and my room is always HOT!

 

[Dog Shrink]

I use a rheostat but thermostats are more accurate. With some cheaper plug in model rheostats you can have as muchas a 5 degree temperature swing before teh rheostat reacts by turning on or off heating elements. 108 is def. too hot esp. if that is the floor temperature. Ambient temps don't really matter too much but the higher the ambient temp in your tank the lower the humidity will be which may be why he's spending a lot of time in the humid hide. His air quality is too dry and he craves moisture. Maybe mist your tank lightly every couple of days to see if that helps until you get your temps under control, but for that hot side you might want to put some cardboard or a dish towel over the uth and in the hot hide area until it's lower so he doesn't get hurt/upset/etc.

 

[jrcb07]

Great, thanks Kel I just ordered a reptitemp 500r and another thermometer and we'll see how it goes

 

[Dog Shrink]

The reptitemp will have a variable of about 4 degrees If I remember correctly. If it is set for like 92 it won't actually come on until about 88-ish so be aware of that lag.