UTH Question

[Neville]

With a heating pad under a level of glass then that reptile carpet, do you think it could burn the gecko? His hiding cave is on top of it.
Should I double the carpet? Or do I need to turn the mat on and off with a timer?
Instructions didnt tell me much and I dont wanna stress or burn my little guy!

 

[gothra]

The best way to make sure is to get a thermometer and place the probe right on top of the hottest spot - probably inside the hiding cave.

 

[Neville]

I found a digital thermometer I bought a long time ago with a probe and put it in his cave and its reading 36C which converted is about 96.8F. Too hot for a house?

 

[jemjdragon]

If I remember correctly that temperature is fine. A gecko doesn't melt in your hands and your body temperature is about 98*F. If you are really worried, get a thermostat, which is something that every reptile own should have. Hope that helps.

 

[Neville]

I used a dimmer today and it brought the temp down a lot, didnt work as well as I had hoped. The cave is considerably hotter than the outside of the cave, is that to be expected and if so, what should I regulated the heat for? The inside or outside temp?

 

[Neville]

In this photo I have the probe testing the temp outside of his cave and it reads 30C which is about 86F. And it seems inside its about 3-4 degrees higher. As you can see the sticky reads a bit different too... hes been sleeping on the cool side all day so far which according to the sticky is 84 but I think thats because hes sleeping right against the sticker. LoL I need to get a proper digi thermo.

 

[gothra]

Yes it'll be hotter inside the cave since heat is trapped. I think it is fine for the temp to be around 35C on the warm side. If you are worried the cave is too hot and the gecko not using it, you can always move the cave to somewhere over the edge of the UTH.

 

[joshua]

what is a dimmer.

 

[fuzzylogix]

dimmer switch or rheostat can be used in line to control the amount of voltage being sent from the outlet to the heating element itself. they are only a few bucks at lowes or home depot. you splice it in line using only ONE of the cables though. there are instructions in the package on how to do this. this will let you better control the temp, but ultimately a thermostat is the best way to go. you plug the UTH directly into the thermostat, place the probe directly on the UTH, and set the dial to the correct temp.

 

[pawsible]

Cage Temps

Geckos are cold blooded, This means that they're hot in a hot environment and cold in a cold environment, and can't regulate their temperatures internally like a bird or a mammal. When they feel like they need to be a different temperature, they regulate it by moving to a different spot in the cage. Leopard geckos are more active when warm, and can be very sluggish when cold. Even their digestion slows down!
The warm end should ideally be around ninety degrees Fahrenheit, with the cooler end around eighty. An under tank heater is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Heat tape is another popular choice for keeping the cage at the correct temperature.
Don't be tempted to choose a heat rock - an artificial stone with a heater built in - as these often get hotter than appropriate, and some lizards can actually bask themselves to death on one. You can also choose to provide a basking light instead of an under tank heater. Once again, a temperature of about ninety degrees is best, and temperatures over ninety-two can be quite dangerous.
At night, allow the tank to cool to the low seventies, with an under tank pad providing a hot spot. Don't allow the night temperature to sink below sixty-eight degrees, since this can also be bad for your reptiles.
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[Neville]

Over 92 is quite dangerous. This heating thing is so confusing. So many people with different opinions. lol
K. Well 92 seems to be the average so Ill aim for that. Just picked up the Zoo Med Thermostat. I think I might try different ways of heating. The winters get really cold out here so inside my apt it gets chilly. I have the small heating pad which along heats up the hots side at about 85 avg. I also have a red lamp and a moon glow which Ill play around with for day and night depending on the room temp... just a lot of playing around and seeing what works best I guess.
Problem is my Exo Terra sticker thermometers are on the outside and I think it gives a very different reading than my one probe I have which is a few degrees higher than the sticker. Probe is on floor and reading the UTH. But its read 96F before so from what you mentioned above, that would be bad. Probably why he hangs out on the cool side (82F atm).