Quick lighting question

[Orlando Depena]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie when it comes to caring for any type of Reptile. I bought a Leopard Gecko at +++++ yesterday. I also picked up a Zilla 10 gallon basic kit, and other important supplies. I have gone though the forum and have come to the conclusion that I need a heat mat and a thermostat. So I picked them both up at Amazon. My question is about the lights that are included in the kit. I know that the black light is fine to use at night, but should I continue using the White light during days? I love how it makes the tank nice and bright but what matters is the safety of my leo.

Thanks in advance!, By the way this is my Gecko - Loki of Asgard

 

[Lavodnas]

Those "kits" are actually pretty useless in my opinion, just a way for them to make more money. In regards to the light, I leave a nice bit of sunshine coming in through my window during the day but if it's a little cloudy out, I'll leave a low wattage bulb on just so he knows it's daytime. Also, you're going to get a lot of comments about that sand. I would advise you to use something else as a substrate. Some people use paper towels to keep things simple, but I love the way slate tile looks as well as how nicely it retains the heat it absorbs from the heat mat. If you can post a pic of the entire tank, hides and all, the members here will be glad to point you in the right direction as well. Nice looking gecko you have there, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Orlando Depena]

Those "kits" are actually pretty useless in my opinion, just a way for them to make more money. In regards to the light, I leave a nice bit of sunshine coming in through my window during the day but if it's a little cloudy out, I'll leave a low wattage bulb on just so he knows it's daytime. Also, you're going to get a lot of comments about that sand. I would advise you to use something else as a substrate. Some people use paper towels to keep things simple, but I love the way slate tile looks as well as how nicely it retains the heat it absorbs from the heat mat. If you can post a pic of the entire tank, hides and all, the members here will be glad to point you in the right direction as well. Nice looking gecko you have there, and welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the advice! Its not sand its reptile carpet that came with the kit. I do like how the slate looks and I am going to look into in. I included a couple of pictures of the tank, so please let me know if i have to change anything.

Thanks

 

[Lavodnas]

Ahhhh...looked like sand from that little "roll" it had to it. Not too bad of a start so far except for a couple of things. You may want to get a smaller water bowl and you may have to take out those extra decorations in order to add a hide on the other side of the tank. Again, this is why I hate those kits. If you haven't attached the heat mat to it yet, you may want to see if you can get a refund on the setup and just get a 10 gallon with a mesh lid and walk out with some money in your pocket. Also, speaking of the heat mat, you may want to find something else to set the tank on since that heat mat can get pretty hot and melt through that plastic.

I started off with a kit but got pretty frustrated trying to get the proper heat gradient as well as trying to make it look nice while still giving my gecko room to move around so I went to a 20 gallon long.