Regulate Temps

[toph427]

In one of my 10gal tanks I have a zoo-med 10-20 gallon UTH. I am using ceramic tile as the substrate and the temps on the hot side get upwards of 97 degrees. What ways can I lower the temp without a thermostat or rheostat? Would adding a layer of sand b/w the glass and tile work?? Any suggestions would be helpful.


Another question about heating: In another one of my 10gals I have a hypo tang male also on ceramic tile. I bought a cheap UTH that needs to be replaced b/c it seems that it is slowly but surely dying, temps are getting lower and lower(its still at about 89-90 degrees). It seems that my leos' colors are getting darker, is that from lower temps...if i replaced the UTH and brought temps up would he brighten up? Thanks

 

[Dog Shrink]

Warmer temps brighter colors and yes it will change if you change the temps in the tank. I'm not sure why you want to lower the temps tho. A good range imo is between 93-98 degrees. I don't back mind off now until they get around 100 degrees. A good way to reduce your temps would be thicker substrait whether it's thru another layer of tiles or adding sand under the tiles, either should work.

 

[Designer Geckos]

Just thought I'd give my 2 cents on the temp issue.....I know there is a general opinion that higher temps are much better for leos colors etc. We at DG have done some pretty extensive tests on temps.

Some large breeders house their colonies at 85-88. Large breeders need to watch electrical costs and that could be a consideration for sure. Higher temps could cost hundreds per month more in electric bills.

We have found that temps in the high range above 94 actually were somewhat detrimental to the geckos. Geckos housed at temps above 94 often laid outside their warm hides, their way of saying, "it's too hot in there". We also noticed some general lethargy in geckos kept at these higher temps.

We found that warmer temps do boost colors for sure though, so this is accurate IMO. The ideal temps in our tests seemed to be 91-93. Geckos in this range exhibited better coloration and overall health, eating habits, etc. The key to locking into this range is to use high end thermostats that will keep the temp range tight....and of course to use a good digital thermometer to validate your stat temp. We have had great success with Herpstats, but there are others out there that are also very good.

Our opinion is that investing in high quality stats is the #1 priority and well worth the initial investment for our valuable leos. I think the high temps above 94 might be detrimental and we do not recommend it. More heat is not better in our opinion.

Thanks for allowing us to give our input. Good luck.

 

[roger]

In one of my 10gal tanks I have a zoo-med 10-20 gallon UTH. I am using ceramic tile as the substrate and the temps on the hot side get upwards of 97 degrees. What ways can I lower the temp without a thermostat or rheostat? Would adding a layer of sand b/w the glass and tile work?? Any suggestions would be helpful.


Another question about heating: In another one of my 10gals I have a hypo tang male also on ceramic tile. I bought a cheap UTH that needs to be replaced b/c it seems that it is slowly but surely dying, temps are getting lower and lower(its still at about 89-90 degrees). It seems that my leos' colors are getting darker, is that from lower temps...if i replaced the UTH and brought temps up would he brighten up? Thanks

My leos lay in their cool hide so the warmer trmps are not an issue.IMO the 97 deg is good for a leo.95 is preferable but 97 is tolerable.I would just leave the temp as is.They will find whats suitable for them.When your leos get dark yes one of the reasons is they are too cold.If u replace the UTH they would probably darken up.

 

[gothra]

We have found that temps in the high range above 94 actually were somewhat detrimental to the geckos. Geckos housed at temps above 94 often laid outside their warm hides, their way of saying, "it's too hot in there". We also noticed some general lethargy in geckos kept at these higher temps.

I agree; maybe not detrimental but tolerable. Throughout the years, I've tried setting the heat to 90-98F; I've also notice that at warmer temps (above 95), my geckos will come out and lay in the open cooler areas, near their water dish, instead of sleeping in their ususal hides. I don't see lethargy but they were clearly moving their sleeping place further away from the "overly" warmed floor (I use Helix thermostat). I think ambient temps play a role here too. I keep mine around 75-80 at all times, where some people have cooler room temps that are in the 60s.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

I suggest just buying a 20 dollar rheostat. But also put a layer or two of reptile carpet under the tiles, that should bring it down a few degrees. I keep mine at 93.

 

[toph427]

Thanks for the help everyone!