Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1.why isnt my gecko sleeping during the day?

2.the instructions for the under tank heater says not to take it off once u put it on the tank.is it okay to put it back on anyway cus i need to wash and clean the enclosure?

n/p

1. Nocturnal reptiles don't sleep the whole day away. Instead they rest and are at a lower activity level than they are at night. Leos will doze during the day and just relax in their hides, or perhaps take a peaceful stroll around their tank. They won't fall into a deep sleep.

2. I clean my tank with a paper towel dampened with hot water (just wipe the inside down). If your animals are healthy (and there isn't droppings on the glass or whatever) this should be sufficient. If your animals were sick, then I would disinfect the entire tank and hides thoroughly and just buy a new heat mat.

Cleo
1:1 leos...soon to be 1:5!!!

Wait a minute! This may seem like a dumb question but you did put it on the outside, right?? It goes on the outside of the tank...You should have clean glass surface to clean on the inside and having the heater there wont be an issue.

When you peel the UTH off the tank, there's a good chance you will break some of the heating elements inside therefore when you put it back on some part of the mat might not heat up anymore. A friend of mine recommended this to me and I think it's a great idea. Instead of sticking the UTH directly onto the bottom of the tank, she attaches it to a piece of plate glass this way she could move the UTH from tank to tank and not have to worry about having to remove it breaking the elements.

Great idea about the extra pane of glass!! I don't stick mine for that very reason. I know that once it's stuck, it's permanent because if you try to remove it, you ruin the heating elements. I buy the "Cobra" mats that don't have the adhesive but a few of the first ones I bought do...It's funny, the ones without adhesive are more expensive. You'd think it was the other way around!