Old VS. New Tank - Critique Please!

[GeeEssFore]

Ive been told alot of stuff from every store I goto but i lean toward what is said by the higher members here. Remember they are the ones that deal with these Geckos day in and out.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I'm so glad to see you eliminated the Calci-Sand! The 'new' enclosure is a great improvement. I agree that an UTH is the BEST way to provide belly warmth for you gecko. Overheat heat sources heat up the ambient air temperatures, which is not as important for the gecko's digestive system and metabolism as with warmth on the tummy. Eliminate the overhead heat and use an UTH, and I'll bet your gecko will really grow!

A humid hide is great, but IMO is not a 'must have' unless your gecko has shed issues. They really do like them, though... a nice, cool, damp pace and a separate warm, dry place is ideal!

 

[lucky7]

hey all thanks for the great tips! Diego is soooo much more active with the Red Bulb, and to avoid the possible "being to hot aspect" its about 86-88 on hot side I will add a moist hide for sure tonight. Can the gecko still digest without the UTH??????

(In other words, is the ambient heat OK?! right now he is rubbing up against the edges of the cage on his head.. maybe its shedding time!! will see when I add the moist hide..

PS I am picking up meal worms tommorow, and so you think he will eat more with a UTH????????

a light is fine?????????

...........


thanks..

 

[lucky7]

UPDATE: He is shedding as I write this,!!!!!!

No wonder he didn't have to much of an appetite for the last couple days,..

He is using the rocks and the wall, as I JUST introduced his moist hide and he most likely doesn't know what it is yet.

It really cool to watch, he occasionally eats at it just to help (too bad I didn't put the mosit hide in sooner. )



...

!!!

 

[Ccrashca069]

It is very common for leopards to eat the shed. I would get the UTH as soon as you can. I use the UTH and then for extra heat I use a Nocturnal Infrared heat lamp so I can keep the light on at night and watch them interact with each other and stuff.

 

[lucky7]

HI , he seems to be shedding fine and I think the ambient heat works well as it not only heats him but the substrate. He is just about done shedding,

one quick question.

How long until he starts eating again? (After shedding)

And when , would you say, is it safe to handle him again (is shedding stressful?)

 

[Ccrashca069]

He might eat tonight or tomarrow. I have held some of my geckos and helped them shed a little. So I don't think it is stressful for them.

 

[lucky7]

Thanks! Ccrashca069.. You have a nice gecko in your pro pic...
How old is he?

 

[Ccrashca069]

Your very much welcome. Thats an 61/2-7 month male Albino Bell. He weighed 30 grams on Friday.

 

[lucky7]

all very cool. thanks. diego is in his hid now, resting. probably a little relieved that his shedding is done with!! I am picking up mealies, and no UTH. This should be fine, as he is having no visible digestion issues.. and the heat in there keeps everything plenty warm


When people say at night. drop the temperature to 70-75 To they mean on the HOT side? or the whole tank....

 

[Ccrashca069]

hot side

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

to avoid the possible "being to hot aspect" its about 86-88 on hot side

86-88 on the hot side is too low, but then again you are using ambient temperature to heat your enclosure, which is un-natural for leopard geckos. They are nocturnal. This means they come out at night when the ambient air temps are cool, but the rocks and hard-pack clay substrate they live on are still radiating warmth from absorbing the heat from the sun in the daytime. Their skin and eyes are not adapted for UV light, and they need belly temperatures of 90-94 degrees.

When people say at night. drop the temperature to 70-75 To they mean on the HOT side? or the whole tank....

I don't think you will have anyone here on this forum say it is advisable to drop the temps anywhere in you tank. They need 90-94 degrees (BELLY heat) on the warms side, and normal room temperatures (68-76 degrees) on the cool side... 24/7/365. They are cold blooded. They will find the temperatures they NEED to be at as long as the correct thermal gradient is provided for them.

You've only had your gecko for 10 days, so I would really like to see him get his proper environmental needs met.

 

[lucky7]

Okay so it is very wise to get a UTH for all the heat instead of 100 W Red??? While that would mean yet another trip back.. another exchange, he seems fine with this but I understand really well what you mean by belly heat and the rocks ...

For now is it all right that I keep the over head red light on? ?

In the end when I do get a UTH (hopefully pretty soon..) can I use that for 100 % of his heating? IE- no light?
and leave it on 24.7 on the hot side?? reaching temps of 90-93 on the hotside throughout the day, and at night he can visit the other side as needed???

ok thanks again.

I suppose the exchange should be made fairly soon?? then??

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

You got it!

 

[mmsi1002]

Please get a uth.

 

[Ccrashca069]

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!! It sunk in

 

[lucky7]

Okay looks like I don't have lots of time directly infront of me.. but would a human heater work better? or should I pick up an exo-terra (could be a longer wait)

And How I know if the gecko is over-heated? He shed last night and it was really cool to watch. Now he is on the cold side in his hide (1030 at night..) just turned off the light to lower things a little.. he is usually active by now..

So, during the day, would I leave the uth on? but not as hot as at night? or same temp.. (always on hot side?)

Can I see pictures, of what brand UTH you have, where you place it? your gradients etc...

@ The store, they kept my leo in a tank much smaller and with a light similar to mine. (no uth)

so. geckos CAN live w/o a uth, but very uncomfortably??

 

[Ccrashca069]

Mel uses a human heat pad. I use ZooMed UTHs. The hot side needs too stay pretty warm like 88-90 at night same as day temps.

Pet stores most of the time don't have reptiles housed the way they are supose to be. Places that specialize in Reptiles are alot better.

 

[rhino43grr]

i leave mine on at the same temp all the time, i have a red lightbulb for nighttime viewing that i turn off when i go to bed and that drops the temp a bit on its own.

i can't really take a picture of my uth, but it's a zoo-med (10-20g size) for my 20 gallon long, with my thermostat my hot side ground temp is usually around 89-92 (drops to 85-86 overnight before warming back up during the day) and the air temp near ground level in the cool end is about 72.

my advice, by the way, don't base any of your leopard gecko care practices off what you see at pet stores, they're trying to sell animals with as little cost to themselves for upkeep as possible.

 

[lucky7]

Hi i didn't go to petco or Petsmart. which is good, I went to a reptile store :-] its just I am not 100% convinced about this UTH deal,

I understand they need belly heat, but my light heats up the floor just fine....

Are there any other light users like me out there??