Lighting Question! LED's???

[DmanXcell]

So I have been looking into DIYing a new tank for my first big project with my leo, but I need the tank to be relatively compact. Upon bringing this up with my father, an African Cichlid Fish Enthusiast, he had mentioned he was looking into LEDs for his fish tank. Knowing that leos aren't basking reptiles, is it ok to have LEDs for the light source? They look great because the angle of light is much larger, filling the tank with more light, are super thin, and come in a variety of sizes. For heating the tank I can use the under tank heater. Just wondering if it is a possibility. Thanks for the help!

Example LED Tank Light - http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Do...qid=1399484695&sr=8-1&keywords=led+tank+light

 

[indyana]

Some light is fine, but really bright light can cause stress for a leopard gecko. I can't say I'd recommend any super bright lighting, and large LED fixtures like the one you linked are definitely a bit much.

Now, if you did some smaller and fainter LED lighting, it could work. I know some people have used LED rope light or similar in projects. Also, you can use low-watt fluorescent/incandescent lighting.

Most people on here say that leos don't need any more light other than what is ambient in the room, but as someone with a house with tiny windows and a dim interior, I provide daylight fluorescent light cycles for my reptiles.

 

[DmanXcell]

Thanks! I'll keep all of this in mind as I plan for the cage. Another idea is to add a dimmer to the LED's after the day/night cycle timer. I'll look into the LED rope lights though!

Although I would like to stray from the UVA/UVB lighting setups to conserve space, would it be a good idea to have if the ambient air temperature is circa 70F degrees? I have an Exo Terra fixture right now that brings the air temperature to about 80 while I have it on, but I do not know how neccessary that is.

Thanks for the help!

 

[indyana]

From what I've heard from others, it doesn't seem to be really necessary to bring the air temp up as long as the gecko has a warm hide with the floor temp ~90 F. If the air temp never goes below 65-70 F, you're okay without the fixture.

 

[DmanXcell]

Sounds great! That will save me some vertical space for sure! Lucky my leo's room is the worst when it comes to the air conditioning, so it doesn't tend to go below 75F degrees. I appreciate all of the help!