Will my lights harm my leopard gecko?

[Reptileperson]

I just got my leopard gecko today and I wonder if it would be okay if I use a old aquarium hood that has two 15 watt incandescent bulbs and put it on top of the enclosure screen. It is for a 10 gallon tank and my leopards cage is a 20 gallon. Will it harm my leopard gecko in any way if I do this? thanks

 

[thegeckoguy23]

It well stress them out.




Sent from my ipod.

 

[Jordan]

only if theyre too hot.
but IMO i dont think lights should be used for leo's, especially not two, and i know a hell of a lot of breeders persist against lights, cuz its stressful and unnecessary.

 

[Reptileperson]

Okay I wont thankyou.

 

[roger]

Okay I wont thankyou.

yeah .it doesnt make any sense to have light because leos are nocturnal.They don't need the light.My leos all are in their hides during the day especially the Raptors

 

[gothra]

Won't hurt them as long as the light isn't overly bright and doesn't overheat their enclosure, and you have enough hides and shading areas for the geckos.

 

[greg0ire]

Sorry, I'm brand new. As you can see, this is my first post since my intro...I shouldn't use a light for the gecko? I thought they need it for vitamin K or whatever have you. I have one of those Fluker lights w/ a 15W eco-bulb. It's already pretty warm in the tank. I'd love to return the light and jsut keep the blinds open. Thanks.

 

[pawsible]

lights

There are two types of lighting in the world of herpetology. There is uv lighting which comes in the form of a fluorescent tube. This kind gives off UV-A and some UV-B (which synthesizes D3 and speeds the uptake of calcium in all animals) but not much heat to speak of. Many lizards and tortoises need this kind of light because it somewhat duplicates the sun's effects. Leopard Geckos DO NOT need this type of lighting. Leopard Geckos are nocturnal (awake at night) and never bask in the sun in their native homeland. They get their D3 from the gut-loaded insects that you feed them with the occasional dusting of calcium with D3 added.
Depending on the size of the cage you are heating and the temperature of your home you might need anywhere from a 40 watt to a 100 watt bulb. If you need more than that you should probably invest in a Ceramic Heat Element (CHE).
**Lighting is as important for viewing the reptiles as it is for heat, of course. For this reason, many people decide to use a red light bulb that admits little heat and is not visible to the lizards for night viewing
http://www.theultimateleopardgeckomanual.com/

 

[fl_orchidslave]

As far as heating, UTH (under tank heaters) is what's recommended and has been for decades.