Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a 10gallon tank with a 40watt bulb over the tank...the pet store said to leave it on 12 hours, off 12 hours, i have a thermometer on the back side of the tank, when the light is on the temp is usually around 80-85, but drops extreamply low when the light is off, is there anything that i can do, should i buy another type of lamp? please advise...im worried

You need to get an under tank heater, the light is not really needed, but OK to use. (they are nocturnal) They need to get their bellies warm to digest their food. Do you have a care sheet on the vitamins they need and the three hihdes, one on the warm side, one on the cool side and a humid hide for shedding? Did they tell you no loose substrate (flooring)
If you need more info, please email me -
SueBeatrice at aol.com (replace at with @ and remove spaces)

Hello and welcome to the leo forum! Here is what i recommend! First off pet-store workers dont know a whole lot! lol
Go out and buy you a under tank heat pad (UTH). Lay it under one side of your tank (dont stick it to the tank just lay it under it). That will be your warm side. You should provide your leo with a warm side 24/7. Recomended temp is 88 degrees is what we keep ours at. After you get the UTH, run to home depot or lowes and get a lamp dimmer switch. All you have to do is plug it into a outlet and plug your UTH into the dimmer! They cost somewheres around 10 dollars! That way you have a way to control your temps. Keep in mind that if there is a drastic change in temps in your house this will affect the heat in your cage. Not a drastic change but it will vary it. Other basic thing is buy a thermometer with a probe in it so that you measure the temps constantly. You will be measureing the temps on the ground of the tank. Thats where your leo is going ot get hsi heat from with the UTH. Just make sure your puting the probe on the substrate and measuring it that way!
Leos are nocturnal creatures. Bright light without proper ways to hide and rest during the day is stressful to them! You raelly dotn need the light unless its a night viewing light. Infrared bulb or something like that. Take the 15 dollar bulb back and tell them no thanks and use the money to buy your UTH! One other suggestion is find some caresheets on the web and read as many as you can. They will vary a lil bit but pick out the ways that your are most comfortable with!

Good luck and any questions you have just ask away!! Most of us are here to help!!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

What do you mean by just place the UTH under the tank? Inside the tank? Im a little confused about this but may try it so i can reuse my UTH's. If you can clarify that it would be great!
Thanks in advance

Mike

Your UTH should have come with rubber feet to stick on the bottom of your tank. Stick those rubber feet to the corners of your tank. Take your UTH and lay it down on the shelf or whatever your tank is on and then just set your tank on top of your uth.

I would not suggest laying the UTH inside the tank.
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

ohhhhh. There is no fire hazard in putting the uth directly onto wood, or risk of ruining wood due to the heat? Thanks.

Mike

Yes it can cause discoloration of the wood over time! You can but a piece of tile to put under the UTH or whatever idea you might come up with!
Fire hazard, whats that mean?? Lol As far as a fire hazard, i dont think there is a reptile product such as a UTH or heat lamp that does not pose some sort of fire hazard!! The UTH going at full throttle i think only gets to around 120F, I dont know what the flash point on wood or treated wood is but its probablly a lil higher then any heat the UTH is going to produce. That is how we have all ours set up and so far no problems! Hopefully you will hear back from some more people on how they have there set ups done!

Good luck
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

i think it's considerably higher than that; the temperature at which books ignite is farenheit 451, hence the name of the book.

lol... ok cool. Like i said a UTH going at full bore is not going to reach the point of catching wood on fire! IMO

THanks for the post!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's