ReptiTemp 500R

[Chevalrose]

This is the thermostat I'm using for my tank. It seems everyday when I check the floor is a different temperature. The probe is simply laying on the tile, is this the correct way to have the probe or should I do something special. I'm adjusting the thermostat almost everyday. I try to keep the hot side around 95...yesterday when I checked it was 89. Is this normal with thermostats?

 

[CallDr]

We buy tanks and to be honest there are no real instruction manuals on how to set one up. You read all the time that a 10 gal is OK for a single Leo. I think it "can" be OK but it's very hard to regulate the temps because the Hot side and Cool side are so close. ( small floor space surface) IMHO a 15 gal that is 12x24 or a 20 Long 12x30 will help reach a better environment.

This gets confusing because some of the Tubs or Rack System set ups have pretty much the same square inches as a 10 gal. The big difference in a Tub and Tank is the not just the heat but in the way they control the the hot and cool side AND the "ambient air temp", including humidity.

One "issue" with a Tank is the Open Screen Top. This causes the the cool side temp to be the same as your Room temp. The best investment, or really a necessity is a Temp Gun...... like the PE-1 ( 25 dollars on Amazon) . This allows you to check...... and or Scan...... the hot side for Hot Spot.

The first thing you have to do in order to get a handle on the Temps that matter the most is Where is your Hot Side Hide located? Most UTH heaters will create Hot Point any where from 95 to over a 100 degrees.

This is even more confusing if you are trying to keep the Hot HIDE at 88-90 depending on who's care sheet you read. If this is your target temp then you will have to use some type of UTH controller to cool/lower the UTH down.

The rule of thumb is to have the UTH cover one third of the bottom of your tank. Anymore than that will put you right back with the problem of a 10 gal tank causing you to chase temps all the time.

The way I ended up addressing the temps was to block off the open Screen Top. I had already bought a 5 1/2" heat lamp that sits on the screen. So I bought a sheet of plastic and cut a 6 1/2" circle located off center on the cool side and glued it to the under side of the screen. Then I went to Lowes and bought some felt bumpers to raise the screen top off the edge of the tank. ( creating an Air Gap )

Note: Some rack systems use the tubs ( with no Lid ) but leave an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch Gap between the top of the tub and the Bottom of the shelf it sits under for "air". The big plus to this is the "air temp" inside the tub does not fluctuate with the Room Temp like an open screen top. This system allows for a more controlled environment to try and reach a "core temp" of the Gecko at 85 degrees where they will be most active.

When it comes to tank and tub temps the on the hot and cool side there are many opinions based on what has worked for "them". This is kinda confusing also because if you read enough for example the hot side ranges from 88 to 98 degrees.

In almost every thing I read I found ONE temp was so called "agreed on". That is the best Core Temp of the Gecko ( not the tub or tank) is 85 degrees. Then too, that the tubs or rack systems had a more stable "air temp".

In a tank with an open screen top the hot side might be right and the cool side might be right....... but the temps change as your Room Temp changes. Or...... you Air temp is the same as your Room temp.

I know this is long........ but hopefully you can work on controlling the "air temp" on the Cool side so it is Not the same as your room temp.

The Leo will move from hot to cool to regulate. If the temp swing from hot to cool is for example, 96 on the hot and 70 ( both floor and air ) it may cause the Leo to stay longer in one hide vs the other. This can be confusing too because it could be either side.

So after 4 months of watching temps here is what I found keeping a Leo in a tank. I blocked off the screen top with an open spot for a heat lamp or over head viewing lamp. I then put those felt bumpers to create an "air gap" between the tank top and bottom of the lid.

Now I use either the heat lamp or the over head lamp to raise the Air Temp in the tank so it's at least 3 degrees higher than my room temp. I have found the so called "magic" low air and floor temps to be between 75 and 80 degrees during the day. I don't worry about the Hot side unless it would spike over 100. If I shoot with the temp gun outside the Hot Hide door and it's at 95...... no problem. i have found that the Leo sometimes finds a "warm spot" outside the hide to rest, regulate or kinda bask.

Tanks do require some DYI to modify them the regulate the Air Temp in order help the Leo regulate it's needed 85 degree core temp.

Now all this is just one persons opinion but I basically just look for 2 numbers........ 95 outside the Hot Hide door and 75 degrees cool and air/floor temp on the cool side.

Note: Fluctuating temps in the tank are good in my opinion. Mine swings ( on the cool ) from 70 to 80. I have a mercury thermometer inside the tank ( at floor level) that I look at. I use the temp gun just to "check" the Hot Hide / Side. Once I blocked off the open screen top and created an air gap under it......... I was able to raise the "ambient air' in the tank from my room temp. After about a week I found my geckos more active and eating better.

 

[ElapidSVT]

if your thermostat can't hold a proper temperature i'd suspect the heating element isn't up to the job, might look into getting a heat pad with a higher power rating or consider adding insulation to the cage.

i tape my temp probe to the spot i want to monitor since even a little gap between the probe and substrate will cause a faulty reading since air is an insulator.

good luck!
rob

 

[Chevalrose]

I have an UltraTherm UTH (the 11 x 11) in a 20G long tank. There is a slight hot spot right on the outside of the warm hide. The ambient air temp in our apartment is fluctuating a lot which is probably causing such a fluctuation in the floor temps. How would I lower the cool side temp if I wanted to?

I am using a temp gun to check my temps...it's the only thermometer I have. Maybe I'll try taping the probe down in hopes to get a more steady temperature.

 

[CallDr]

If your Leo is eating and pooping and seems to be acting normal then maybe just give it some time to adjust.

I need to post what I did ( with pics) to show how I was able to raise the ambient air temp by blocking off my screen top and using felt bumpers under my screen top, to create an Air Gap, then using light bulbs to raise the ambient air temp higher than my room temp.

I use tile also but use a sheet of Rep Carpet between the tile and glass bottom.

I probably have not explained it right but what I have tried to do is take the principle of a rack or tub that does a better job at controlling the ambient air temp......... which in turn...... keeps the Leo near it's 85 degree "core temp" it needs.

Maybe someone can explain it better than me....... but belly heat without some type of ambient air temp will or can make a difference. I have been able to target my cool side between 75 and 80 during the day and then let it go down at night. This has made difference in the activity, eating and pooping issues I had before.

 

[robin]

the "thermostat" you are using is actually a glorified rheostat. you can not set a set point. if your house fluctuates a lot then so will your temps. you going to have to set the dial somewhat low so it does not heat up too much. a good tool to use is a temp gun. you can go to http://www.tempguns.com and purchase one for $25. it will HELP dial in your temps BUT if your temps are fluctuating that much there is nothing that you can do unless you buy a real thermostat

 

[CallDr]

This is the care sheet I found that makes sense to me. Read it and maybe what I have tried to do with my tank will connect the dots. Which is basically using a glass tank is not as simple as a UTH and Screen top.
http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=54138