New Enclosure

[muskiemagic]

I am going to be moving my Leo from an Exo Terra 36x18x12 to a 36x24x18 PVC enclosure. I currently use a heat mat under her warm hide as well as a 50 watt halogen to keep my ambient temps in check. In the new enclosure I will be ditching the heat mat and going with over head heat using an Arcadia Deep Heat Projector as well as uvb using Arcadia 7% Shade Dweller. I currently have a heat mat on thermostat set at 90F under her hot hide which is on 24 hours a day in the Exo Terra. Once I have new enclosure setup I will be using slate under deep heat projector set with thermostat at basking site. My question is am I still supposed to keep basking area hot ( 90F ) 24 hours a day or should I be turning heat off at night and just use the heated slate for heat in basking area ?

 

[acpart]

For a long time people were saying that leopard geckos need heat on the warm side 24/7. It seems as if more people are using the deep heat projectors during the day. In the wild, once the sun goes down there isn't heat on the rocks and they do fine, so I think it's worth trying the system you're proposing and see how it does.

Aliza

 

[muskiemagic]

For a long time people were saying that leopard geckos need heat on the warm side 24/7. It seems as if more people are using the deep heat projectors during the day. In the wild, once the sun goes down there isn't heat on the rocks and they do fine, so I think it's worth trying the system you're proposing and see how it does.

Aliza

I will do that. If anything my thermostat has day and night settings so I can set my thermostat to run a lower night time temp if need be. Im expecting some confusion after the change but Im just hoping she will eventually look for the basking spot during the day after taking away her heat mat. I just worry she isnt going to get the basking heat she needs if she does nothing but hide in the new surroundings.

 

[muskiemagic]

Also as for ambient air temps. Ive always been a little confused of what those should actually be. With my current set up Ive been running for 3 years now and dont seem to have issues I get air temps in low 80's on hot side with 90 surface temp in her hot hide via heat mat and thermostat and low 70's on cool side. Are these temps adequate ? Or should they actually be running higher ? Or don't ambient temps really matter as long as she has a basking area surface temp of 90 and air temps dont get below 65 at night. I have heard that pvc enclosures will hold heat better than glass enclosures so if these temps seem low I'm hoping they will be running a little higher in the new set up.

 

[acpart]

I don't really worry about ambient temps as long as it's comfortable for humans. I feel that high ambient temps (like in the 80's or above all the time) can dry out the gecko. In the summer I have no AC so the geckos and I can be in the 90's some days, but not every day and not all day and night. I don't use heat lamps or other heat. If the gecko is cold in the winter, there is warm air trapped in the hide on the warm side and it can be in there and be warm enough.

Aliza