Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been trying out different combinations of heaters to get ready for the Leopard geckos I'll be bring home on Saturday. My problem is that I already have a UTH, a 60 W ceramic heater on top, and a 70 W red bulb, and the temperature STILL isn't hot enough. I'm almost afraid to go onto anything at a higher wattage, as I've read most people use a 25 W and I'm over twice that.

My digital thermometer on the side reads 80.4 degrees and the dial I have about 1/2 inches above the bottom on the hot side reads about 78 degrees. Granted, I still don't have dark substrate (using papertowels until I get some on indoor/outdoor carpet on Saturday), but I'm about to rip my hair out over this. Any help would be very much appreciated!

Oh - tank size. It's a fairly tall 15 (I think) Gal, with a screen top.

You may want to invest in a temperature gun. Anything that will tell you the actual surface temperature. I was able to get one for about $30. With a UTH, and ceramic heater, AND incandecent bulb on a 15 gallon, I would think you'd be about to cook your gecko. The UTH and the ceramic heater won't heat up the air very much, but both will heat the substrate a lot. This is why you need to know what you actual surface temperate is, and not just the air. You air (ambient) temperature may only be at 80...but the surface could easily be 100 with both a UTH and ceramic. The one thing that will heat your air and substrate is the incandecent bulb.

My surface temps range from 74 - 98...with a large portion staying between 88 - 91. My geckos spend almost all their time in the 88 - 91 area. The only time they venture to the 98 area is right after a meal. Much hotter, and I would worry about them being burned.

So kender.. i have a stick on thermometer.. should i get a different type of thermometer? Where do you find a therm gun?
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1 leopard gecko- corona
1 japanese chin pup- layla
1 kitty- libby
1 fishie- hoodlum

So if I set my dial thermometer (long stick kind) on the substrate and it reads about 88, I'll be okay if the ambiant air is only around 75-80? That might be my problem and you might've saved me from ripping my hair out

If that's the case, I'll reduce the incandecent bulb to about a 40 red, as that had the temp a bit lower with the dial around 88.

And I haven't cooked my gecko - I'm messing with the temp for now and getting him on Saturday. Phew!

Thank you so much!

I picked mine up at a reptile store...but you can get the same thing online direct from the manufacturer. Mine is the PE1...all you have to do is point and click where you want to measure the temperature. I find a few inches away gives the most accurate readings. Here’s the site : http://www.tempgun.com/main.html

For $20 more, you can get the one with a laser sight…which I hear is GREAT. Then you don’t have to guess if you are measuring the correct spot.

Sticking the tape thermometer on the rock will give you an OK reading….but not 100% accurate. It will give you a good idea of where you’re at for the moment. I would still get a gun because you don’t want to leave the tape thermometer stuck to the rock…and peeling it off and on will reduce it’s effectiveness each time you do it.

Also, another way you can help raise your air temp is to block a part of the top with plexi, stone, wood, etc. You don’t want to block the whole thing because you need airflow, and it can raise your humidity too much. Also, don’t place it under the ceramic heater or incandescent light because it’ll block the heat and/or melt if it’s plexi (DUH!! LOL). As long as your air temp is at least 80 (warm side), and your substrate temp is 90 (also warm side)...then you'll be fine.

I would be very weary about trusting the temp readings on any thermometer thats not digital.

Just for example i recently switched from a stick on dial thermometer to an indoor/outdoor thermometer with a sensor. It turns out my stick on thermometer was about 15degrees off! That is dangerous!
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0.1 Bearded dragon
0.1 mexican kingsnake
1.0.2 Leopard Gecko's
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
1.0 BTS
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
0.1 Bullmastiff
4.1 Cats

mine was about the same.. i guess it depends where u stick it.. maybe i should try blocking off a part of the top of the cage... but i dont have any wood or anything.. im trying to think what else i could use...........
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1 leopard gecko- corona
1 japanese chin pup- layla
1 kitty- libby
1 fishie- hoodlum

Cardboard works good. I cut a hole around the light and have it covering the warm side of the tank.

Thanks for all of the replies! Thankfully, I think I've got everything set. I've got a UTH, 25 W red blub, 60 W ceramic heater, and I covered up 1/2 of the screen, which was the key!! It shot my air temp up 4.5 degrees and my stick thermometer on the bottom (not stick on - like a meat thermometer) read 91! I'm so happy that it I've been dancing all afternoon

I think the main source of confusion was I was under the impression that the ambient air temp had to up around 88-92, when it was only the surface temp that had to be, right?

Thanks again for all the help - I get my leo tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll be back with questions and of course pictures!