Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a question for those that use this device or one similiar.
Do yu guys plug your overhead light and uth both into the thermostat?
Will the on/off of the bulb shorten its life?
Any info on the best setup would be appreciated.
Also whats the best wat to regulate the temps for day and night using this device?

Lazor1
2.2 leos

Hmmm...I wouldn't plug them both in. Unless the bulb you're using is a heat bulb, and not a light emitting bulb. If it's a light emitting bulb, the purpose of it would probably be to establish a day/night schedule, while the UTH is used to heat the tank. So the bulb should be plugged into a timer, or just turned on and off every 12 hours or so (however long you want your daylight for your gecko).

And yes, turning it on and off will shorten the life of the bulb a bit. But you don't need a UV bulb, and last time I checked, a normal light bulb was around 30 cents at the hardware store. So I wouldn't be concerned about that.
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

The bulbs i use are red heat bulbs.
ive read about the timer idea, i think i will do that with the light.
Also the directions dont tell you where to put the sensor probe at. I have it set under the tank at the heating pad itself. My biggest concern when i bought it was to keep heatng pad from getting too hot. I'm not sure if the way i set it up is giving me an exact temp of the pad.
Will that work or does it need to be on the top side of the heat pad on the inside?

>>Hmmm...I wouldn't plug them both in. Unless the bulb you're using is a heat bulb, and not a light emitting bulb. If it's a light emitting bulb, the purpose of it would probably be to establish a day/night schedule, while the UTH is used to heat the tank. So the bulb should be plugged into a timer, or just turned on and off every 12 hours or so (however long you want your daylight for your gecko).
>>
>>And yes, turning it on and off will shorten the life of the bulb a bit. But you don't need a UV bulb, and last time I checked, a normal light bulb was around 30 cents at the hardware store. So I wouldn't be concerned about that.
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>>Blaine
>>
>>0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

I had the same puzzlement about the probe, which is strangely absent from the instructions' illustrations. But I'm pretty certain it belongs IN the tank. That's where I put mine.
geckoGirlsMom

I'd put it in the tank, at ground level. I have a digital thermometer with a probe that I leave in the tank. It sits on the paper towels and my leo doesn't care about it. She's never even gone over to sniff it. Even if she did decide it was dinner, I doubt it could do any damage to her...

I'd lay the probe on the substrate. I think some people put it 1/2 inch off the floor, but I'd go right to the substrate so you can accurately control the belly heat.
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)