Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, my name is Anna and i'm usually on the leo forum,

so i'm getting a crestie for my up coming birthday and it will be kept downstairs in the basement where my room is located and it gets pretty cold down here (i'm wearing a hoodie right now in fact) so do i need a substrate heater and/or a top low watt bulb heater? i know cresteds have strangely low temp requirements but i think its to cold for them down here and upstairs is not an option (cuz mom and dad) and since i'm already down here its just easier,

thank you in advance for helping!
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

I would get a thermometer and check what the actual temps range from. I think it is good that you are preparing for it, I do the same when getting a new animal. I will usually get the terrarium all set and ready to go, and check how the temp/humidity range fluctuates over a couple of days. Zoo Med makes a great little thermometer/hygrometer that will record what the min/max has been for the last 24 hours, around 20 bucks. If it feels chilly to you however, it might need some heating source. Just remember to leave a temperature gradient in the tank in case it gets too warm or cold on one side the gecko will still be able to remain comfortable. Good luck, have fun.

thank you for your advice,
i had a crested as my first gecko and was always worried about temps,

and i now think their were things i could have done better but at that time i was being told to feed just baby food and i now think the crestie had some sort of sickness i was to unexperienced to think anything of,

but i,ve learned much Much more about them now and have had leos for a while,

my mom bought me the tank today because she was in petsmart buying crickets for my leo and saw the exo-terra tanks like i asked for were on sale! so i'm gonna wash it and get it ready,

thanks again!
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

What is the temperature down there? It has gotten pretty chilly around here and my I had no heating system for my crestie and he was eating as usual. They don't require any heating unless if it gets really cold if you happened to live up north.

ok well as of right now its 71 and to me it feels pretty warm for down here but ill keep an eye on the temps for the next couple of days and see how cold it gets, my dad has a digital thermometer so ill keep it down here for now, if all else fells i have a heat lamp i can get a stand for and turn on when it gets to cold, so its not right on it but giving some heat to the cage and crestie, but idk i may not need it,
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

what would you say is to cold for them? because right now outside it changes so much from hot to cool that the inside temps are changing all the time, were the cage is now it says its 68 but it gos from that to 70/71 every now and again.....
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

click on the link below for the weather in their natural habitat, just shift the chart by 6 months for the northern hemisphere. i use the average temperatures as a guideline to follow when setting the cage temps. they can withstand low 60's as an overnight low in winter, but shouldn't be kept in low temperatures year round. if i were you, i would aim for a daytime average of 80-82 right now.
Link

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4.1 snakes, 5.6.1 crested geckos, 0.2 gargoyle geckos, 0.0.2 red-eyed tree frogs, 2.0 devon rex cats, 1.0 betta, 0.1 sun conure, 1.0 peachfaced lovebird, 2.0 lineolated parakeets

thanks for the link! do you think a low watt basking bulb would do the trick? because its never really 80-ish down here and my dad likes to try and freeze me and as of right now its been staying around 65-ish and thats all day, and i live in NC so one day it could be really cool outside and the next you could be at the pool! so the AC kicks in if its hot in the lest ,

tell me what you think!
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

80 is really too warm for cresties especially young one. They like the temperatur to be in the 70's. The young one can get heat stress really easily. From my research they can be kept at room temperature all year round without problem. Cresties are so easy when it comes to housing them because they don't require supplemental heating unless you happened to live where it snow like crazy outside and the water start freezing like up north. If you are worried, try adding a 25 watt heat bulb. This way it won't get too warm.

okay thank you!
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

that is not true. allen repashy keeps his babies at 82F 24/7:

http://forums.repashy.com/showthread.php?t=986
http://forums.repashy.com/showthread.php?t=8610

it's the temps above 85 you need to worry about. cresteds are very hardy and they THRIVE in warmer weather - eat more, grow faster, adults breed more, etc. doesn't mean you need to keep them warm all the time, but it's not a bad thing. i think keeping them cool all the time could be detrimental, which is why the weather chart should be used as a guideline.

yes, a low wattage bulb is the best way to go when your room temps are low. walmart sells 25 watt red bulbs for a few bucks. they're called "party" bulbs and are made out of red glass, so are good for low heating. in winter, you can use 40-50W bulbs. just monitor the temps at different times to make sure they're in the proper range.
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4.1 snakes, 5.6.1 crested geckos, 0.2 gargoyle geckos, 0.0.2 red-eyed tree frogs, 2.0 devon rex cats, 1.0 betta, 0.1 sun conure, 1.0 peachfaced lovebird, 2.0 lineolated parakeets

thank you for the links i think ill get one just in case because the best place (i.e. only place in my room it would fit) is right under the vent, ugh i so need my own room! but like i said i feel cold a lot when down there and the rightist temp i've seen is 71....and it didn't stay that for long, but what do i need to put it in? because the only bulb lamp i have is on the leo cage and is only for hight watt bulbs, is there a cheap way to get one that would work for what i'm talking about? and i'm guessing it need to be on top and not in the tank right? or is there a way the put a fixture in the tank?

i very much appreciate you playing 20-Questions with me! lol thank you for tolerating me!
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

spell check (highest temp) & (high watt) i'm a bad speller hehe
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

i use the fluker's 5.5" clamp lamps, they're around $10.

you would never want to put a light bulb inside the tank.
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4.1 snakes, 5.6.1 crested geckos, 0.2 gargoyle geckos, 0.0.2 red-eyed tree frogs, 2.0 devon rex cats, 1.0 betta, 0.1 sun conure, 1.0 peachfaced lovebird, 2.0 lineolated parakeets

ok thats what i thought about putting it in there (it being a bad idea) and the one i bought for my leo is a fluker's 5.5" clamp lamp to so ill get my mom to buy one for this setup,

thank you for the help!
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1. Leopard Gecko: No Name Yet
3. Cats: Midnight, Tiger & Fluffy
rip. Leo: Larry, Crestie: Tuki

Peace, love & Goodness To All Creatures

I'm sorry I thought you said 90 degree.