It seems like if you use slate as a substrate as I have made the switch today. You can either lose the UTH or the Heat Lamp, as the slate holds temp so well that both are overkill. Can someone who uses slate as their substrate tell me how they control their temperature? Even if someone has something similar, I'd like to know different methods because I killed my bulbs for the night as the warm side of their vivs were getting upwards of 95 and I don't want to cook my geckos.
Slate and Temperature
- Thread starter ebuch
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OnlineGeckos
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Slate/ceramic tiles both conduct heat very well, so you won't need additional heating from your heat lamp. UTH is good enough. You'll still want to hook up a thermostat to the UTH to monitor and control the floor temperature. Hydrofarm thermostat is a good one to get, high positive reviews, digital readings, cost around $31.
You won't need supplemental heating via ceramic heat emitter unless your air temperature starts dropping below 70 on a consistent basis.
You won't need supplemental heating via ceramic heat emitter unless your air temperature starts dropping below 70 on a consistent basis.
Don't they need exposure to Non-Incandescent lighting though? I thought that the photo period was important for them to know which season it is, so they don't think it's winter and stop eating.
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OnlineGeckos
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Is your tank in a totally dark room with no windows? If you have indirect sunlight near the tank, like through the blinds, that's good enough, they don't need a dedicated light.
Mclaughlin
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I'd like to see how people set up their thermostats
They have indirect sunlight. I put a small heat pad (10-20 gallon) under each tank and a 50 w red night bulb on top and the temperature has evened out at 90 degrees on the hot side. For some reason I had a 30-40 gallon heat pad in a 20 Long.
I have a lot of questions I want to ask but I have a really specific reason for not wanting to ask on this message board and it's really bothering me.
Mclaughlin
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....I wouldn't hold back.
I have regular light bulbs i keep in there for daytime. I don't always keep them off because I have a window in the room and just use that sometimes. I also have a red bulb I use at night for when I am in the room putzing around for my viewing.
I have 1 tank set up with a hydrofarm thermostat. The bulb is burried in sand that is used under the slate to help conduct heat. I have the thermostat set at 94-95 degrees and it keeps the surface temp of the floor at around 91 degrees. I do the same for my other 2 tanks which are both controlled by a zilla thermostat but the bulb just sits on top of one of the tanks slate. and that keeps well also.
I have 1 tank set up with a hydrofarm thermostat. The bulb is burried in sand that is used under the slate to help conduct heat. I have the thermostat set at 94-95 degrees and it keeps the surface temp of the floor at around 91 degrees. I do the same for my other 2 tanks which are both controlled by a zilla thermostat but the bulb just sits on top of one of the tanks slate. and that keeps well also.
I use slates/tiles but not the whole floor in the terrarium is covered. Where the humid hide is there are no tiles - just floor cover paper. The humidity hide is placed on that and then there are some large rocks in front of it an one on top to hide the plastic hide. The rocks absorb heat and heat goes unhindered to the humid hide without having to pass a slate/tile. My leo really likes this warm and cozy place. ...and I think that leos benefit from havíng daylight. I´ve got lighting on a timer for her.
I use slate tiles on the warm side only, the rest of the floor is paper towel. At the moment I do not have a under tank heat pad but will be changing that at some point. I am right now using a black moonglo bulb of 50 watts that is set on low with a dimmer. It keeps the surface of the tiles at a perfect 90 to 92 degrees. In the winter I had the bulb set on high and achieved the same floor temp.
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