Questions About UTH & lighting !!!

[SarahxNichole921]

Hi I just got two leopard geckos about a week maybe week and a half ago and I've been using over tank lights but I just got a UTH today. But I'm gonna be switching tanks sometime over the weekend so I don't want to use the adhesive to put the mat under the tank as trying to remove it to put it on a different tank can damage the heating elements inside if it. Is it safe to put zoo meds reptitherm UTH inside of the tank, UNDER my repticarpet? Or should I just wait to use the UTH until I get the new tank?

Also, do leopard geckos need a day/night schedule? I bought a low wattage zilla night black heat bulb and was wondering if I could leave it on 24/7.

 

[Phantom240]

I personally would wait for the new tank to use the UTH. As for a light schedule. General consensus says yes, they need a day/night cycle. However, I've heard that typical ambient light coming from windows is sufficient.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

A day/night cycle is a good thing to have, but ambient light is more than good enough, even if it's light coming through closed blinds as it most definitely gets brighter during the day. The only time I would say you need some sort of light on a timer is if the gecko tank is placed inside a totally dark room with no windows. In such case a simple light bulb next to the tank on a timer is good enough, it doesn't have to be a basking light shining into the tank.

If you want supplemental heating to be left on 24/7 as it's getting chilly in some States now, use ceramic heat emitter. They emit heat without light, which will be ideal for your leopard geckos. You can place it on a thermostat so you don't have to worry about turning it on/off manually. a CHE is a good idea to have if you live somewhere where ambient temperature drops below 70 on a consistent basis.

Agreed with the above that if you are switching tanks this weekend, you should probably wait to use the UTH. But do get a CHE in the meantime to provide warmth to your geckos.