What wattage ceramic heat emitter should i buy?

[jakehinds]

I have two questions. What should the day/night air temps be? I have the 60 watt zoomed CHE along with the zoomed heat pad plugged into the zoomed thermostat that's set at 90* F but it's not getting close to that. But my probe temp. which has read about 84* F. yesterday evening and right now it's saying 80.5 but so far it's fluctuating from 78* to 84* and the probe is right under the CHE! I'm working on getting a heat pad reading now but i feel like those are fine temperatures since it's not 90* at night where they're from. Should it be hotter in the day? If so, I'd like to know who has their leo's in a 20 gallon long and what CHE they are using.

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

you only need the heat pad cause they need belly heat not back heat, so ditch that other stuff. and you want it about 92 on the hot side and you can leave it that way 24/7. and also the heat pad might be bad or it could be the thermometer (unlikly) so you could try returning it for a new one, and also try unplugging the thermostat and plug in just the mat and see what the temp gets. hope this helps

 

[jakehinds]

you only need the heat pad cause they need belly heat not back heat, so ditch that other stuff. and you want it about 92 on the hot side and you can leave it that way 24/7. and also the heat pad might be bad or it could be the thermometer (unlikly) so you could try returning it for a new one, and also try unplugging the thermostat and plug in just the mat and see what the temp gets. hope this helps

I actually have measured the heat pad just plugged into the wall and it gets around 105* but i unplugged it after that. It has an auto shut off at 110*. I will be putting him in a 67 gallon when he gets big enough and the substrate(styrofoam covered with grout/rocks) will be thick enough to most likely run the heat pad without the thermostat. Right now i have the 5 gallon UTH but i will be getting the 50-60 gallon in a few days. I cant wait to get him and make that naturalistic vivarium

 

[jakehinds]

But i just measured my cool side temp and it said 69* so I'm going to wait a little longer but how could i raise that side??

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I actually have measured the heat pad just plugged into the wall and it gets around 105* but i unplugged it after that. It has an auto shut off at 110*. I will be putting him in a 67 gallon when he gets big enough and the substrate(styrofoam covered with grout/rocks) will be thick enough to most likely run the heat pad without the thermostat. Right now i have the 5 gallon UTH but i will be getting the 50-60 gallon in a few days. I cant wait to get him and make that naturalistic vivarium

You should always have the UTH on a thermostat. While it's not exceptionally likely, it is possible for it to overheat and crack the glass. I've not heard good things about the Zoo Med thermostats, though.

I have two questions. What should the day/night air temps be? I have the 60 watt zoomed CHE along with the zoomed heat pad plugged into the zoomed thermostat that's set at 90* F but it's not getting close to that. But my probe temp. which has read about 84* F. yesterday evening and right now it's saying 80.5 but so far it's fluctuating from 78* to 84* and the probe is right under the CHE! I'm working on getting a heat pad reading now but i feel like those are fine temperatures since it's not 90* at night where they're from. Should it be hotter in the day? If so, I'd like to know who has their leo's in a 20 gallon long and what CHE they are using.

Night temps shouldn't drop below 80. Some people don't provide any kind of temp drop at all, which would work fine. My night hot side temps usually stay around 85. I have a 20 long and use a 60W CHE (at night), though once I can buy another thermostat, I'll be adding a UTH so I might have to get a 50W instead.

But i just measured my cool side temp and it said 69* so I'm going to wait a little longer but how could i raise that side??

I wouldn't worry about the cool side. As long as your warm side and middle temps are good, you should be fine. If it's too cold, your gecko simply won't go there. Having the option available won't cause any harm.

~Maggot

 

[jakehinds]

You should always have the UTH on a thermostat. While it's not exceptionally likely, it is possible for it to overheat and crack the glass. I've not heard good things about the Zoo Med thermostats, though.Night temps shouldn't drop below 80. Some people don't provide any kind of temp drop at all, which would work fine. My night hot side temps usually stay around 85. I have a 20 long and use a 60W CHE (at night), though once I can buy another thermostat, I'll be adding a UTH so I might have to get a 50W instead.
I wouldn't worry about the cool side. As long as your warm side and middle temps are good, you should be fine. If it's too cold, your gecko simply won't go there. Having the option available won't cause any harm.

~Maggot

Since you said you used the CHE(at night) what do you use for air temps. in teh day? Mine is aout 84* warm side in the day with a heat mat and a 60 watt CHE. My tank is right underneath my window on the ground and i usually keep my blinds closed but since heat rises should i put my tank on my dresser which is like 5' tall? I have a little space heater that plugs into the wall and that has a thermostat plugged into it so i might set that to like 73* for a couple days and see how it goes.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Since you said you used the CHE(at night) what do you use for air temps. in teh day? Mine is aout 84* warm side in the day with a heat mat and a 60 watt CHE. My tank is right underneath my window on the ground and i usually keep my blinds closed but since heat rises should i put my tank on my dresser which is like 5' tall? I have a little space heater that plugs into the wall and that has a thermostat plugged into it so i might set that to like 73* for a couple days and see how it goes.

I use a regular basking bulb during the day. 75W, I believe, but once I add the UTH (hopefully this or next week), I'll probably have to go down to 50W.

What wattage is your UTH? And do you have another thermometer or thermostat you can check against your Zoo Med thermostat to make sure they're accurate? I guess raising the enclosure off the floor could bump up temps a few degrees (doubt it would be enough), but not in front of a window, even with the blinds closed. That still doesn't sound like a good idea. If you move the enclosure away from the window and keep the blinds open, however, that could help keep the room itself warmer.

~Maggot

 

[jakehinds]

It's the 4 watt but i will be getting a bigger one in a couple days. I always thought that day bulbs were too stressful for leo's but i can give it a try tomorrow with one laying around here. Hopefully it works though. Oh and i am working on a second level and it's a couple inches closer to the CHE and now that spot is reading 87* so that might work.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I know a few people who think that, but the general consensus is it's not an issue unless the gecko is an albino, as that makes their eyes more light-sensitive. If you're concerned about it, though, you could just use the CHE 24/7 and open the blinds in the room for just the ambient light.

~Maggot

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

in my and many others opinion they dont really need basking light cause its not natural for them anyways, it really just makes for a shy gecko that always stays in his hide where you cant see him, you should just run the heat pad 24/7. and how many leos will be in this 69gal tank cause thats really big for one and he could have trouble finding his food and could cause him a lot of stress. a 20gal long would do just fine for one and i wouldnt get such a big tank unless your housing a colony.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

in my and many others opinion they dont really need basking light cause its not natural for them anyways, it really just makes for a shy gecko that always stays in his hide where you cant see him,

That's not always true. My gecko comes out plenty. As long as the gecko feels secure, light shouldn't cause it to hide. It's not like they aren't exposed to plenty of light in their natural habitats.

and how many leos will be in this 69gal tank cause thats really big for one and he could have trouble finding his food and could cause him a lot of stress. a 20gal long would do just fine for one and i wouldnt get such a big tank unless your housing a colony.

This is generally considered to be a myth. If they can manage to find their food in the wild, why wouldn't they be able to in a comparably tiny 67 gallon tank?

~Maggot

 

[Duster]

This is generally considered to be a myth. If they can manage to find their food in the wild, why wouldn't they be able to in a comparably tiny 67 gallon tank?

~Maggot

And you would know this is a myth how? As you've stated, you have a 20g long. Read things on the internet all you want, but calling it a myth without actually testing it yourself is just hearsay. I agree the OP should try out the tank and see how it goes, but he will be more qualified to talk about it when he actually does it than you will ever be. You need to keep in mind these geckos aren't wild. Many of them I'm sure haven't been in a tank even as big as a 20g long. A 67g tank could be absolutely massive to them.

Believe it or not, people have a different opinion than you, all with the same intent of giving sound advice. Most of the time it is good advice, other times it isn't and does need to be addressed. I think Cesar brought up a good point about keeping an eye on the leo to see how he fairs in a larger environment.

You know, I initially wondered why there was very little advice giving on these forums and then it dawned on me. When someone gives advice you disagree with, the approach you take is completely disrespectful and I'm sure you've done your fair share of running good people off of the forums because of this.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

And you would know this is a myth how?

I'm sorry, I didn't realise this was unclear: "This is generally considered to be a myth." I'm not sure how that is the same as "That's a myth." Do I need to define "generally" and "considered" for you?

As you've stated, you have a 20g long. Read things on the internet all you want, but calling it a myth without actually testing it yourself is just hearsay.

And has Cesar ever tried it? I'm willing to bet not. So why are you whining to me and not him? I don't have to test the effects of providing no calcium to my gecko to know that it's not a good idea. You can't tell me for a second that you have personally tested every single thing you know about leopard geckos and that you never provide, as you say, "hearsay." And, if you don't, then you're being a petty hypocrite.

I agree the OP should try out the tank and see how it goes, but he will be more qualified to talk about it when he actually does it than you will ever be. You need to keep in mind these geckos aren't wild. Many of them I'm sure haven't been in a tank even as big as a 20g long. A 67g tank could be absolutely massive to them.

They aren't wild, but they aren't so domesticated that they wild behaviours have been completely erased. Even dogs don't have completely wild behaviours erased. If you can find an example of any animal that couldn't find food in a large area provided, I would sure be interested to read about it.

Believe it or not, people have a different opinion than you, all with the same intent of giving sound advice. Most of the time it is good advice, other times it isn't and does need to be addressed. I think Cesar brought up a good point about keeping an eye on the leo to see how he fairs in a larger environment.

Again, I never said he was wrong. I said it is generally considered a myth. Did I say it is absolutely, undeniably, unequivocally wrong? No.

You know, I initially wondered why there was very little advice giving on these forums and then it dawned on me. When someone gives advice you disagree with, the approach you take is completely disrespectful and I'm sure you've done your fair share of running good people off of the forums because of this.

I'm not sure how "That's generally considered a myth" is disrespectful or something that would run people off. If you were to take a poll of knowledgeable gecko people on the subject, I can almost guarantee that most of them would agree it's a myth. I don't see why you're throwing a tantrum just because I simply and politely said that the general consensus is one contrary to what Cesar said. Please grow up and find something better to do with your life.

~Maggot

 

[Kylerbassman]

For an adult a 67 gallon would be fine. You shouldn't leave feeders in anyway. Use tongs or a dish for worms, and crickets should be dropped close to Leo an monitored (removed after 15 min). I could see a baby or small Leo getting stressed with a big tank, but that would be a dream home for my Leos.

 

[jakehinds]

For an adult a 67 gallon would be fine. You shouldn't leave feeders in anyway. Use tongs or a dish for worms, and crickets should be dropped close to Leo an monitored (removed after 15 min). I could see a baby or small Leo getting stressed with a big tank, but that would be a dream home for my Leos.

Yeah, i am currently working on a 20 gallon long for when i get a baby whenever i get enough money because I'll be buying from a breeder. I was thinking i should only get one since it's my first gecko, but i'll probably be able to get two for a decent price. What do you guys think?

 

[Kylerbassman]

I personally don't house Leo's together. There is a big risk to it and it can be very stressful for the Leo's. Even if you want to try, you need to have the ability to separate ASAP. Just keep that in mind. Maybe get one and see how it goes first, but that's entirely up to you.

 

[Kylerbassman]

Or just get 2 setups. I have 2 leo setups and its easy because your already doing the work for 1, doing it for the other isn't much more. Both my Leo's are in a 20 gallon long and it's a great setup, still may upgrade a little if I finally do my "build" but that will be a while yet lol. Good luck

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Well, no matter what you decide to do, you're still going to need 2 setups. Any new leo would need to be quarantined 60-90 days (depending on who you ask) before being put in with the other. So once you already have two leos with their own setups, it seems kind of pointless to combine them.

~Maggot

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

And has Cesar ever tried it? I'm willing to bet not. So why are you whining to me and not him? I don't have to test the effects of providing no calcium to my gecko to know that it's not a good idea. You can't tell me for a second that you have personally tested every single thing you know about leopard geckos and that you never provide, as you say, "hearsay." And, if you don't, then you're being a petty hypocrite.

Now i wasnt tryin to start a fight and say anyone was wrong, i was just stating from experiences i have had, and theyre my OPINIONS. calamity, i was not saying all geckos get really scared and hide all day with no exceptions, im just saying that from what ive seen in the wild (from some field herp trips my uncle and a few friends have taken) is, with the exception of the morinig and afternoon when theyre laying on rocks for some belly heat, they tend to be sleeping in their burrows and caves. i have ran a few tests of my own to test the theory and taken some of my geckos and put a few in non lit, heat pad cages and then some in in cages with heat lamps, and i observed that the ones in dark cages were out more and sleeping outside their hides like right in the middle of the tank and all over the place ( being adorable i even caught one sleeping upside down on a branch ), but the ones in lit cages seemed to fall on natural instinct and would come out for a short period after the heat lamps had heated up their rocks and they would lay on them for about an hour or so and then they would hide and i wouldnt see them again till that afternoon for about another hour. so in short all im saying is from what ive seen and tested, for someone who wants a leo they will see all the time, I would recomend a heat pad, not saying all heat lamp leos are recluses, its just what ive seen and is my OPINION

And now on the subject of not testing the large tank theory, I have (sorta) i have a friend in arizona who is a fellow leo breeder and he has tried putting a leo in a large natural viv like the op wants to do and he said he noted that the leo seemed very stressed and was having trouble finding his crickets and water and he removed the leo after a few weeks when he started losing weight. He and i are both aspiring scientist so we like to test and journal things so i suggested he try the same thing but with a group of five leos (1 male, 4 females) and record his results. he put them in the same tank and that is where they reside today, perfectly happy and healthy, and my theory is that this happens because they feel more secure because they think whats not their little area of territory is not some unknown full predators, but simply one of the other leos well protected territories, kinda like a gated community ( which i have also decided to call it, The Gated Community Theory, such a nice ring to it). And i have noted the same thing seems to be true with my scorpion colonies which i find fascinating but what you were saying about them having a much larger area in the wild, they really don't from my uncles findings when he was in Afgan. He put up a few cameras for a few days near where he found a leos cave ( which took him 3 weeks to find, lol) and he noted that the leo never went farther than about three feet in any direction, even when hunting, it would simply prowl in that area for food at night but never seemed to show any interest in going farther. That is what i usually get my opinions from, but like i said, as i am an aspiring scientist, i always try to back them up with facts and observations

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Now i wasnt tryin to start a fight and say anyone was wrong, i was just stating from experiences i have had, and theyre my OPINIONS.

I never said they weren't your opinions. You shared yours, and I shared mine. We can do that. It was someone else who took issue with it, not me or you.

calamity, i was not saying all geckos get really scared and hide all day with no exceptions, im just saying that from what ive seen in the wild (from some field herp trips my uncle and a few friends have taken) is, with the exception of the morinig and afternoon when theyre laying on rocks for some belly heat, they tend to be sleeping in their burrows and caves.

Yes, because they're crepuscular. That's what they're supposed to do. That doesn't mean we shouldn't provide them with light. If anything, that's evidence to suggest we should, since it keeps their natural day/night cycle. Altering their natural behaviours just to amuse ourselves doesn't sound like a good idea.

i have ran a few tests of my own to test the theory and taken some of my geckos and put a few in non lit, heat pad cages and then some in in cages with heat lamps, and i observed that the ones in dark cages were out more and sleeping outside their hides like right in the middle of the tank and all over the place ( being adorable i even caught one sleeping upside down on a branch ), but the ones in lit cages seemed to fall on natural instinct and would come out for a short period after the heat lamps had heated up their rocks and they would lay on them for about an hour or so and then they would hide and i wouldnt see them again till that afternoon for about another hour. so in short all im saying is from what ive seen and tested, for someone who wants a leo they will see all the time, I would recomend a heat pad, not saying all heat lamp leos are recluses, its just what ive seen and is my OPINION

We aren't all after a leo we see all the time. I'd rather my leo act naturally than act in such a way that I get to see her more often because it would amuse me. Not that I don't see her plenty though with her light. You said that it would make the gecko "always" stay in its hide, but you're now saying, even when you tested it, they did come out - less often, of course, as would be expected because it is their natural behaviour.

And now on the subject of not testing the large tank theory, I have (sorta) i have a friend in arizona who is a fellow leo breeder and he has tried putting a leo in a large natural viv like the op wants to do and he said he noted that the leo seemed very stressed and was having trouble finding his crickets and water and he removed the leo after a few weeks when he started losing weight. He and i are both aspiring scientist

I'm sorry, but in the words of some random person, that's "hearsay" and inadmissible in this court.

so we like to test and journal things so i suggested he try the same thing but with a group of five leos (1 male, 4 females) and record his results. he put them in the same tank and that is where they reside today, perfectly happy and healthy, and my theory is that this happens because they feel more secure because they think whats not their little area of territory is not some unknown full predators, but simply one of the other leos well protected territories, kinda like a gated community ( which i have also decided to call it, The Gated Community Theory, such a nice ring to it). And i have noted the same thing seems to be true with my scorpion colonies which i find fascinating

So, in the wild, they live in these "gated communities"?

but what you were saying about them having a much larger area in the wild, they really don't from my uncles findings when he was in Afgan. He put up a few cameras for a few days near where he found a leos cave ( which took him 3 weeks to find, lol) and he noted that the leo never went farther than about three feet in any direction, even when hunting, it would simply prowl in that area for food at night but never seemed to show any interest in going farther. That is what i usually get my opinions from, but like i said, as i am an aspiring scientist, i always try to back them up with facts and observations

I didn't say they roam massive areas, but they have much larger areas available. If they manage to stay in small areas and still find their food, even with such huge areas available, how would it be an issue in captivity? Going by that observation, you could provide them with an entire room and they would only stay in that same size area and would survive. You're kind of defeating your own argument by bringing in your uncle's observations.

~Maggot