lighting day and night?

[danibug23]

sorry i am new at this and i just want to make sure everything is correct before bring a leopard gecko home i want to make sure he has the best care. for day and night time lighting. what lighting should be on during the day and what lighting should be on during the night??? also what about the under the tank heater should that be on all the time???

ok first i don't know if this is right someone please correct me.

Day
blue 50 watt light, also like a regular house hold bulb just for light, also have the under the tank heater on

Night
also have the 50 watt blue light on with under the tank heater?

 

[euan]

leopard geckos don't really need much in the way of artificial day lighting, sunlight is plenty enough and artificial lighting can stress them out. i know my gecko is active between 5pm and sometime during the night (i fall asleep before him) i would recommend a 15w or lower red pygmy bulb for night time viewing.

my gecko hates any type of light being a blizzard and hides whenever a room light is turned on, although my room lamp doesn't bother him as its a low wattage/brightness.

 

[LeopardShade]

Agreed. Leopard geckos are nocturnal/crepuscular reptiles, meaning they are primarily active during the night or dusk/dawn hours. They are rarely, if ever, active during the day, and are not basking lizards. The majority of heat is absorbed through their bellies, not through overhead light sources. That's why leopard geckos are so easy to care for, a UTH & thermostat is truly all you need for the heat source. They don't need day/night cycles, they can find their own circadian rhythm from the natural light and darkness outside. Bright light can put a great deal of stress on their light-sensitive eyes. Albinos are especially sensitive to bright light due to their light-colored eyes.

I would stick with the UTH running 24/7 and connect it to a good thermostat to regulate the temperatures, ensuring they don't get too cool or too hot. Leopard geckos don't necessarily need night temp drops either, even though you can provide them with it.

If you feel that an additional heat source is required along with a UTH to keep the temperatures in the 90-95 F gradient, your best bet would be to purchase a ceramic heat emitter, which provides no visible light.

 

[danibug23]

where can i buy a thermostat and a temp probe at??? also can they see in pitch black?? the room i would keep him in would be basically black at night i don't mind adding a little night light for him.

 

[30secondstobob]

My UTH is always on on the warm side of the tank. I also have a 50 watt infrared bulb above the hot hide. That is on from 8am to 10pm during the summer, a couple of hours less during the winter. Even though, they're not supposed to need to bask, mine seem to enjoy it from time to time under the infrared light. You can get temp probes and thermostats at most upscale pet shops or any mom and pop pet shop that specialized in reptiles. They are also all over ebay and other online auction sites. Bob

 

[Dimidiata]

where can i buy a thermostat and a temp probe at??? also can they see in pitch black?? the room i would keep him in would be basically black at night i don't mind adding a little night light for him.

Whats black to you may not be to them. Remember, their eyes reflect trace amounts of light(night vision). So even a little windo light, some star light will help them see. nightlights can help too.

 

[LeopardShade]

can they see in pitch black??

Of course they can. Look at their eyes. See those vertical-slit pupils? Those eyes are specially adapted for nocturnal behavior. The dark slit closes when exposed to increased lighting, protecting the retina from bright light, and expands in the dark to maximize seeing ability. We, on the other hand, aren't nocturnal (at least I'm not) creatures, and therefore our eyes function differently.

 

[abrahamavelar]

where can i buy a thermostat and a temp probe at??? also can they see in pitch black?? the room i would keep him in would be basically black at night i don't mind adding a little night light for him.

go to ebay/amazon/buy.com and look for hydrofarm termostat it works great its digital n its cheap i paid 31.68 with free shipping for mine

 

[danibug23]

Ok thank you guys!!! Also do any of you keep a light on during the night for night time viewing ??

 

[Dimidiata]

I have my com out til 12am so normaly ill see her creeping around.

 

[LeopardShade]

do any of you keep a light on during the night for night time viewing ??

I have a low-wattage red bulb that I frequently use if I want to view them during the nighttime. I don't leave it on during the night, though, just when I want a glimpse of them when they're at their most active.

 

[30secondstobob]

My adult geckos live in my bedroom - the babies, five feet to the right of my computer. The infrareds go out at about 9:30pm. The house lights - usually around 11:30. I find that I observe them most between 7 and 9 when the infrareds are still on and they are usually just waking up. This is also when I feed them. When I'm asleep, I could care less what the gecks are up to. Bob