New owner...help!

[amygotgrace]

I'm really stressing over my new gecko. I have a heating pad underneath the tank and his warm hide right over that. I have a cool hide on the other side. I also have a 50 watt red lamp on top. I used a human thermometer and on the floor of the ward side and it said 106.8! The other side isn't registering at all but the thermometer on the side of the tank says 70, but I'm not sure if that one is working. Even though the warm side registered so hot the gecko continues to stay in there! Help please!

 

[Some87]

Pick up one of these thermostats.
Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats:Amazonatio, Lawn & Garden

also pick up one if these
HDE® Temperature Gun Infrared Thermometer w/ Laser Sight:Amazon:Home Improvement

dont worry about him being on the warm side all the time. Mine has been doing that for the past 16 days because he is still a baby. They take time to get used to the cage. You should put a dry hide on the warm side also.

 

[amygotgrace]

Ok I will do that. For tonight do I assume the heat is ok since he is staying on the warm side? 106 seems awfully hot.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

If it's too hot shut the heat lamp off and just use the UTH. I recommend not using lamps anyhow. They tend to overheat small enclosures (15 gallons and less) and dry them out. Unless your house is under 65 degrees most of the time you don't need one.

105 isn't hot enough to burn your gecko but a few degrees hotter is. I would get a probe thermometer like Some87 suggested and a dimmer switch if the side of your tank over the pad is over 92. Cold blooded animals don't feel heat the same way we do and usually by the time they know they are burning its too late.

 

[amygotgrace]

Well I a going to try the night without the overhead lamp. Hopefully it doesn't get too cold in there.

 

[Some87]

When I first setup my tank the glass was hitting 106° but my way around that is I put little rubber pads on the bottom of the tile and when I temp his moist hide it's at 94° I'm only doing this till I can get that thermostat.

 

[tb144050]

When I first setup my tank the glass was hitting 106° but my way around that is I put little rubber pads on the bottom of the tile and when I temp his moist hide it's at 94° I'm only doing this till I can get that thermostat.

My wife uses a setup like this (UTH for floor heat, low-wattage red viewing bulb to bump up ambient air temps). She had the same kind of results as mentioned above and by the original poster. Just as quoted above, she elevated her tank to allow excess heat to escape from under the tank.

I have a similar setup on my 20Gal long, and of course I had similar results: The hotspot between the overhead lamp and the undertank heater was over 100+. I went to H__eDepo_ and bought a lamp-dimmer cord, and now I have lowered the floor temp to: 89F without overhead light; 92F with 50watt overhead light.

Also, as suggested to you above: I now own ambient air temp thermometers for both sides, a digital thermometer with probe to monitor floor temp on the hot spot, and an IR digital instant-thermometer to spot check any surface. I would highly suggest digital over analog meters. Analog meters are way off, no matter how good the brand is. My Z-M analog hygro was off by 25% and I had 2 analog thermometers that were off by more than 10degrees.

 

[tb144050]

and like DrCarrotTail suggests, the overhead light isn't an actual necessity....just the UTH. The overhead light/heater is for our viewing and is just a convenience of them not enduring a "cool" night, which they might enjoy every now and then...who knows..lol The UTH will keep them digesting and keep their body warm if they need it.

 

[Some87]

I have heard from some people that they even turn down the heat on the warm side to better simulate the wild because there is no heat source at night. Really just as long as they get the right amount of calcium they won't need any light at all.

 

[tb144050]

Also, I forgot to ask: What hides do you have in there? You mentioned that you measured the temp of the moist hide. The moist hide shouldn't be the "warm-hide". They need to get the 92+/- belly heat daily (usually more than once), and a warm hide won't provide a belly-heat spot...also repeated unnecessary use of a moist hide might cause respiratory infections (?).

I have heard from some people that they even turn down the heat on the warm side to better simulate the wild because there is no heat source at night. Really just as long as they get the right amount of calcium they won't need any light at all.

^^ I also lower the ambient air temp at night....but I make SURE to monitor the warm-side floor temp. It has to stay at about 92F.