Plastic housing

[sushikam]

I posted under General Discussion about how I'm trying to afford another gecko , or at least make it cheaper, I can afford one, I just want to save some money...who doesn't!

I just wanted to ask if those plastic critter carrier things, such as this one http://www.petco.com/product/12264/Lee-s-Herp-Havens.aspx (the rectangular one), are okay to use for a juvenile gecko at least until I can afford to go out and buy either a 10 gal or 20 gal tank. And if this is ok, then what would be my best bet for heating. Currently my other gecko is in a 10 gal tank with a 50 watt light over one side of his cage, and it works perfectly. I'm just concerned with what to use on a plastic carrier that is much lower and will probably hold a good bit of heat. Would I be best of using a UTH, or would that melt the plastic? Are there any other heat sources I could use?

Thanks!

 

[lytlesnake]

You don't want to use a UTH on those plastic carriers. I've used a small UTH on the side of a breeder box, but if you put one on the bottom the plastic will get hot enough to change shape. You can however get a sterilite box from Target and put a UTH on the bottom of that. It might not stick very well though, but as long as it's under there it should be fine.

If you use an Exo Terra Heat Wave Rainforest Small or Medium UTH you shouldn't need a thermostat. Just check the surface temp once it heats the plastic up and make sure it's working properly. Also you'll want to put a good number of air holes in the side of the sterilite box. I use a cordless drill but many people prefer a soldering iron. My hypo het raptor female lives in a 32 qt (1756) sterilite with a Desert Heat UTH. She seems happy and hatched out some really nice babies this year.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

I ahve used those with no problems, your hot side should be 90-92 and that will not melt the plastic but I did notice a fwe cracks after running them threw the diswasher a few dozen times. I used the Xl 15x9x12 and they are fine for 1 juvie leo but at about $14 you can get a 10 gallon tank at wally world for $9 so its not cost effective.

You always need a thermostat or temp controller no matter what!

 

[sushikam]

Of course! Wal-Mart! Duh! LoL...I'm the smart one and forgot about buying stuff like that at wal-mart. I bought the tank I currently have at petsmart for $25 and then had to spend either $5 or so on the screen cover, which I really think is ridiculous for a 10 gal tank. I'll have to look at Wal-Mart, but actually I may wait anyway, I think I may have found someone who has some used stuff he can give me at a good price, so I'll have to see.

Thanks for reminding me about Wal-Mart though !

 

[lytlesnake]

You always need a thermostat or temp controller no matter what!

You're right. With a low powered UTH that's not right on the plastic you can get away without one, but it is good advice to always use a thermostat.

 

[Cheaton]

With a little browsing of my local Craig's List I was able to buy a 20 long aquarium for $15. The guy worked for a 1-800-got-junk and used to grab the aquariums they'd take away. I also saw people selling complete reptile setups for $20-25. There is always alternatives to buying everything brand new, especially things like this.

 

[lytlesnake]

If you're only gonna have a few leos, the big sterilite tubs are great. The 56 and 66 qt ones are nice and tall so you don't need a lid to keep the gecko from escaping. You might want to use a lid to keep heat in when it's cold though. I just got a new adult Mack Ghost female today (she's awesome!). I didn't feel like washing the 20 L aquarium that I got her, so I just put her in a 66 qt tub w/ some paper towels and a hide (and a water dish). She just ate 2 superworms, so I guess she's happy in there.

The only thing I don't like about these tubs is that UTH's don't stick to them very well. I've got a piece of glass with a UTH on the underside that I place under the tub. You can get a thin sheet of glass from the hardware store, tape the sides so you don't cut yourself when handling it, and then stick a UTH on the bottom. Get some rubber feet to stick on the bottom. Put that under the tub and your gecko is good to go.