uth question

[flynnallthetime]

i currently do not have an uth because i have been told by various people that i do not need it. Everybody on here has been saying that people do need it. i have my tank set up where a light sits ontop of a hide, and the top of the hide usually hits about 90-95, but i never see him on it at all. He eats like a champ( hes about 3-4 months btw) and i juist find it odd that hes never basking. my old gecko always sat under the light. (he passed away. had a disease) but please help me out idk if i need it or not thank you

 

[Knibitz]

Geckos are generally nocturnal an do not do well with light at all. This is why we use UTHs
Ditch the light, get a UTH.

 

[monkeytechahoo]

Everywhere I've read, the number one answer has said use a heat source for belly heat. Both our geckos' breeders said belly heat, so we use a UTH. What did your leo's breeder tell you?

 

[flynnallthetime]

well he does come out alot under the dark blue light, but now im nervous that he wont be getting his belly warm enough. he is very active under the night bulb lol. i dont see him at all during the day... so should i handle him at night or during the day?

 

[roger]

well he does come out alot under the dark blue light, but now im nervous that he wont be getting his belly warm enough. he is very active under the night bulb lol. i dont see him at all during the day... so should i handle him at night or during the day?

Do not handle them during the day.that is when they sleep.Best to handle them at night.They are nocturnal.Do yourself a favor and get an UTH

 

[flynnallthetime]

thank you for the information.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Absolutely get the UTH, but make sure you put your temp probe in the right place. I set mine up and put the temp probe on the corner of the area the UTH should have covered and couldn't get above 74, I took the top off the hide and found the warmest spot I could feel moved the probe there and now I'm reading 93. Just a matter of inches where you place the probe can mean all the difference of an accurate reading on temp. Depending ont eh type of matt and wattage (mine is a 6x11 7 watt cobra mat in a 20 long tank (recommended size for 10-20 gal) you may also want to consider getting a thermostat or a rheostat to help keep your temps proper.

 

[slayer]

Geckos are generally nocturnal an do not do well with light at all. This is why we use UTHs
Ditch the light, get a UTH.

..................... I find my leos are active at all hours and do not mind light at all. They even bask like a heliotherm.

 

[flynnallthetime]

well i just introduces two new people to the family, a patterless leopard gecko and a african fat tail gecko. the reptile person we baught them from says all they need to do is stay at room temp. i have no idea i hear so much from everyone , im just gonna get an uth .i suppose

 

[roger]

well i just introduces two new people to the family, a patterless leopard gecko and a african fat tail gecko. the reptile person we baught them from says all they need to do is stay at room temp. i have no idea i hear so much from everyone , im just gonna get an uth .i suppose

leos need 90-95 deg belly heat.Do not keep the two together as they need differnt requirements

 

[Knibitz]

..................... I find my leos are active at all hours and do not mind light at all. They even bask like a heliotherm.

there are exceptions to every rule.
Just because your gecko likes it, doesn't mean that every gecko does.

However, it is fact that leos are nocturnal, and because of that, have eyes better adjusted for low or no light situations.

 

[acpart]

It would be a good idea to read some of the caresheets that you can find if you hit the "articles/caresheets" button. You will see that though there are differences in the specifics, there are areas of general agreement that should be helpful.

Aliza

 

[aburningflame]

in the herpetoulture of leopard geckos ron tremper talked about cohabitation of animals. i believe a leopard gecko can be kept with a fat tail - but you have to make sure conditions are ideal for both. - i think the fat tail just requires more humidity - i suppose with a big enough tank you could recreate all the requirements - personally, i wouldnt try it though.