Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Leopard Geckos NEED belly heat to properly digest their food and be at their healthies, you need an under-tank heater. Forget the lamp, you don't need it, you can have a small basking/UV lamp in addition if you like but it is not neccessary- just get the undertank heater and a thermostat

a little harsh considering leos did not have a uth follow them around in the wild.... i know that for a fact.. imo though i would believe that if you did not want to get a uth you could opt for a 7 dollar red spot light and a 5 dollar reflector dome and get a ground reading of 87-90 on the hot end and 75 on the cool end.. nice belly heat for a leo and not bad on the eyes..of course most leos tend to hide most of the day so if you do go this route you might want to take temp readings inside the hides... but i have done this before and have had no probs creating a nice heat gradient.. and on a plus my leos used to sleep out in the open.. jmo...i don't believe there is absolutes when it comes to how each person keeps their pets.. all personal preferences..but overall a uth and a dimmer switch or thermostat is the commonly used preference for heating leo cages.

alissa
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2.2 chinese water dragons
1.2 bearded dragons
0.2.1 leopard geckos
1 african clawed frog, 1 african dwarf frog, 1 california newt
1.4 english setters
2.2 breeder mice
tons of fish

However I would like to stress that your example would be most effective only when using a substrate that retains heat. As nocturnal animals (which is debateable) they do not bask in the sun, but rather the heat radiating back out from the earth.
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Steven Beckerman
E2MacPets

i forgot about that.. yes you would have to use a substrate that will hold the heat.. not just paper towels or repticarpet.. tiles work good or slate.. but with slate you might have to play with the wattages on your bulb since slate and other dark stones tend to heat quickly and retain heat extremely well.. i found that flat pieces of limestone worked well or other lightly colored stone.. or sand..that holds heat well too.. i just find sand to be a little to messy for me..

alissa
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2.2 chinese water dragons
1.2 bearded dragons
0.2.1 leopard geckos
1 african clawed frog, 1 african dwarf frog, 1 california newt
1.4 english setters
2.2 breeder mice
tons of fish

I didn't mean to cause any battles . I'll only be using the light for about a week in my 10 gallon tank, after which I will be getting a 20 gallon, and using a thermostat/uth... thanks alot for the advice with the light... I was having trouble keeping the temp up (was using paper towels) and u guys really helped out. thanks again,

MS

Leos are pretty hardy creatures and can manage in some pretty poor conditions...I had a gecko lost in my house in winter for five month that was okay, hadn't even lost that much weight.

Yes, perhaps to say "absolurtely not" may be a little harsh, but a lamp really is NOT the way to go. A UTH IS best, unquestionably IMO. Leos don't have the sun following them around in the wild, they are nocturnal, and at night the desert is one big UTH, radiating heat that has built up in the rocks.

Your geckos slept outside because they needed the heat, geckos are most comfortable hiding when they sleep, they feel safe and are less stressed, but they will do what they need to to get the heat they need. YOU may like it, but your geckos would prefer it otherwise. Of course, they don't have a choice in the matter, they are at your mercy. I believe in setting leos up with the most optimal conditions one can, for fat healthy and happy leos. One can set a tank up either way, why not use the heat source that is best for your animals?

Is it natural for a leopard gecko to have 2 temperatures in their restrictive enclosures and that's it?

If you're using a UTH and paper towel for substrate you are giving a hot spot and a cold spot, and very minimal gradient.

If you have a hide only on one side then for the entire sleep cycle you are exposing your animal to one specific stable temperature.

There are many factors to consider before making a decision as to what is best in any given scenario.

A UTH may give a more appropriate basking spot in a tank with paper towels, but it doesn't provide a gradual temp gradient.

A lightbulb may simulate a more natural heat cycle when using substrate, but even here you have to realize that you can not possibly have the sheer volume of substrate in a tank that exists in the wild to retain heat. Even here a UTH is probably superior.
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Steven Beckerman
E2MacPets

no - my leos sleep out in the open with a uth or with a red light.. that is just their thing.. i also took temperature readings inside the hides with a digital thermometer.. to say that a red light is a poor condition and is not the way to go is again only your opionion. i do not use a red light anymore becuase i keep my leo cages on shelves and can't afford the air space a lamp needs..i also argee that a uth is the most common way to heat leo cages.. just a red light is another option and i have and others have kept leos for long periods of time with red lights and haven't had any problems..i have never had a leo not digest food, get sick, die on me yet..you do not know what my animals feel or like.. i am just saying that absolutely not is too harsh... i didn't mean to offend you in any way but you obvouisly wanted to offend me by saying that my leos are affected negatively by how i keep them.. i am in no way trying to create an enviroment in which my leos are uncomfortable..or stressed.

alissa
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2.2 chinese water dragons
1.2 bearded dragons
0.2.1 leopard geckos
1 african clawed frog, 1 african dwarf frog, 1 california newt
1.4 english setters
2.2 breeder mice
tons of fish

I did not wish to offend you Lisa, but in my experience normally leopard geckos will sleep in their hides if they are comfortable in the hides, but will sleep out of them if they are looking for a better temperature. If I saw my geckos were sleeping outside the hides the first thing I would do would be to check to make sure the hides and temps in them are comfortable. You did not mention in your post that they also did so with a UTH...what were the temps in the hides with the UTH?

no hard feelings.. i have one out of three that sleeps outside her hide on a regular basis.. the temp in the hide are the same as out.. i have had others sleep outside their hides on occasion before too..and the temp inside and out of the hides are the same.. i think my female is just a wierd duck...she just start doing this about 6 months ago when i moved her from a ten gallon to a twenty... albiet does sleep behind things.. like hiding out in the open.. like she will try to sleep behind her hide.. but just her head will be hiding..

alissa
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2.2 chinese water dragons
1.2 bearded dragons
0.2.1 leopard geckos
1 african clawed frog, 1 african dwarf frog, 1 california newt
1.4 english setters
2.2 breeder mice
tons of fish

she has quite a selection of hides two.. for her being by herself she has 6 different places to hide.. two on the hot end..two on the cold end.. and one of those grotto caves with mutliple levels... and a branch to hide under in the middle of her cage and a humid hide.. and she always chooses to sleep in the spot closest to glass on the front of the cage..i tried putting a hide at that spot and she just chooses to sleep right in front of it.. if you have any ideas on this that would be great.. thanks

alissa
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2.2 chinese water dragons
1.2 bearded dragons
0.2.1 leopard geckos
1 african clawed frog, 1 african dwarf frog, 1 california newt
1.4 english setters
2.2 breeder mice
tons of fish

A 50 watt seems to work fine for me. I have a 10 gal. with two geckos, on paper towels and they have no problem digesting.

-Zach
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AIM sn: z10silver

Some surfaces like rock or pavement can retain heat if they've had a lamp (or sunlight) shine on them all day.

But I still do like using a UTH more than a lamp.

I know my leos were more comfortable getting the warmth while they hid than having to come out and lay on a rock out in the open.
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Lovin' would be easy if your colors were like my dreams...

I have a small heating pad (for like sore necks and things), could this work temporaraliy to provide some heat through the bottom of the aquarium? I'm just going to put a thermometer on the substrate (as I kind of wanted to keep using paper towels)... If anyone has a reason why I shouldnt try this plz tell me.
Thanks,
Ms

PS-- I wanted to heat the cage at night, without disturbing my own sleep , (a 50 w light is quite bright) I figured I could try this out

get a temp reading. Plugging it in to a thermometer would work. also, you could use a red or black light. They put off minimal light and can provide heat all night long.
I too use a UTH, but it can be done.
Take care,
Laura
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Photos

I have used both UTH's and lights before and I think that either is workable as long as you keep an eye on surface temperature. I also know of many people using human heat pads and using the setting switch on it as a rheostat I have never tried it but you can get them for like seven bucks compared to a fifteen dollar heat mat and a twenty dollar rheostat from a pet store. I believe ther is an article on them at boaphileplastics.com. Also for better sleep I have used both zoo med and exo terra red lights and found the exo terras to be just barely darker than a normal light but the zoo meds are not bright at all for a light I would suggest a larger tank (at least a 20 long) as they spread the heat enough to prevent a thermal gradient in a ten

I use them on most of my enclosures, they have settings for temps and the ones I buy stay at a pretty stable temp. Just make sure to but on a towel or grate to prodide a theat buffer/air flow, or heat can build up and scorch whatever surface you have it on.