what lights do i need ?

[megan111]

Can Anyone advise on lights I need for my gecko? The temperature is great as he has a heat pad and it is a good temperature. I just need light to help convert vitamin d and for any other health reasons ? Thanks

 

[acpart]

Without knowing what kind of gecko you have, I can't answer.

Aliza

 

[megan111]

LeOpard gecko... from what I can see its flurscent bulbs in the day time? where do you get Those from and what do you look for On the bulb? The pet store has basking, red, blue ...none seem for vitamin d conversion...

 

[acpart]

Leopard geckos are nocturnal, so most people don't bother with lights. Since they're nocturnal, they need a minimum of vitamin D3 to help metabolize the calcium. Your best bet is to forget about lights and use a supplement like Repashy Calcium Plus (which has calcium, D3 and other vitamins and minerals). Dust the feeders every other feeding or so and it should be fine.

Aliza

 

[megan111]

Thanks so much aliza... could be my imagination but he already seems better

 

[Phillthebass]

I thought that Leo's were crepuscular (meaning most active during the periods of dusk and dawn).

After doing a fair bit of research the opinions seem to be split between nocturnal and crepuscular?

Again the use of lights is a bit of a debate (read many different threads on many different forums and websites) so I have decided with my setup to have 30 mins of UVB in the morning and 30 mins in the evening (continuing to provide calcium & D3 vitamins dusted on every other feed.)

What I took from all these comments was that small amounts of UVB (5% or lower UVB bulbs) for short periods of time would not harm and providing they have access to shade then it's fine. Plus I've also heard that it does wanders for the skin colouration's of the geckos.

I think that the wider audience (hobbyists/experts and co) are still very much learning fully about Leo's and their needs so providing you're doing something and treating them with teh care and respect deserved then it's all good.

 

[acpart]

Sounds fine to me. After observing my (many) leopard geckos, I do find that, while they tend to be more asleep during the day and more awake at night, they can be awake or asleep at any time, though if you charted it, it wouldn't surprise me if there was more activity between dusk and dawn than during the other half of the day. I think your UV plan is a good one. Since I'm not crepuscular myself (I'm almost never home and/or awake at dawn or dusk) I have no idea what my geckos are doing then!

Aliza

 

[Phillthebass]

Haha I'm with you on that, I'm not one for dawn especially

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

What is dawn, exactly ?
I thought the sun suddenly appeared about 10am.

 

[acpart]

No, I can tell you from some of my really awful nights that dawn comes around 5am in the US east coast in the summer. Some people get up with the birds but I sometimes go to bed with the birds.

Aliza