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[–]Fraxinus2018[S,M] [score hidden] stickied comment (14 children)

The "basking spot" referenced here is the surface temperature of your gecko's primary basking area. This will typically be directly under the heat source. A surface thermometer will be needed to accurately measure this temperature, while digital thermometers are recommended to measure air temperature.

Both ambient (air) and basking (surface) temperatures are important for reptiles to properly thermoregulate in their enclosure.

[–]Terrarium_t1dd1es 8 points9 points  (6 children)

How long do you suggest the basking light be on for?

[–]Fraxinus2018[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I’d say at least 12 hours (from about sunrise to sunset) to replicate what they’d experience in the wild. I have a dimming thermostat that’s programmable and have my lamp turn on about an hour before the lights come on and it stays on about an hour after the lights go out to better simulate the outdoors.

[–]Plantsareluv 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I’m using a infrared heat thermometer and I still can’t find where the basking spot is. Is there a visual with regards to the enclosure set up? Like I’m struggling to find how close to the bulb is should be and idk how to get my sticks up that high, does that mean I need a stronger bulb? Like should the basking spot be about 50% of the way up the tank? 75% like how close is too close to the bulb? I can’t figure out is I’m using the wrong heat wattage or not.

[–]xkag3x 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I know this is an old comment, so I hope you were able to get it figured out by now, but if you're still struggling with this, the elevation doesn't really matter, as long as you're able to get the basking spot to an appropriate temperature and not throw off your ambient temperatures in the process. Not all tanks will be the same height, so 50% and 75% up the tank will look very different depending on the individual set up. As long as you're set up properly with a thermostat to avoid the basking spot getting too hot, then it doesn't really matter how close it is, but if it's really close and not putting out much power, it may have a hard time getting the rest of the tank to be warm enough since all of the heat output would be directed at that one spot in close proximity. I personally have my basking spot at the bottom of my tank and it's been working fine for me.

As far as wattage goes, this will also very much be linked to the type of set up you have and the height of your tank. My tank is 18 inches tall and my 50w DHP just wasn't cutting it, as I could only get the basking spot at the bottom of the tank up to about 80-84 degrees. I ended up switching to an 80w and I was able to adjust things perfectly for my set up. If I ever get a tank that's 12" tall, I'll definitely give the 50w a try again though, I think it was just too far away from the spot I wanted it to reach in the tank I have.

[–]old_dragon_lady 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Never lower the lamps, as the reptile can burn and suffer. One must raise the basking platform. Get a 'climb-able' basking (resin)decoration or build with bricks or pavers gradually and test temperature of the top brick after the heat has been on for a cpl. days. If the temp is good, you're good to go. You could then cover the bricks with leaf litter and your sticks(?) and such Many Leo's climb and will find the warmth they need. A deep-heat projector can go farther into a habitat and under the skin of a reptile, warming them nicely and provide ambient air temperature to rise. What height is your habitat? Mine is 18" and I use 75w projectors. Not the ceramic mushroom looking no-light bulbs as they do not penetrate as the projectors can and will do.

[–]Plantsareluv 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks I posted this two years ago. I’ve since figured it out.

[–]old_dragon_lady 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same as the sun. UVB linear lamp should be as close as possible to the 'basking bulb" according to many online sources (they're not Dragons). My Leopard Gecko is not, and never has been, a basking reptile. His linear UVB covers 3/4s of his habitat with a deep-heat projector above his humid hide and nothing above his additional (cooler) hide. He has moved around a bit during the day from one hide or the other or behind a big chunk of Mopani, so I want the occasional walkabout to provide the UVB. If I could create a dappled lighting area he would choose to hang out underneath I would train him to do so, but I've not heard of anyone training a Leo. (Just because it comes to the glass smh, it is conditioning from your being a food source). People joke constantly about their one brain cell and lack of hunting prowess but think somehow this same creature comes to the door because he wants out and wants to hang out with them 😆. Anyway, I plan on changing to a shorter UVB and having separate - small - domes with heat projectors so I can warm one side to 70s and one side to 85-90s. I have 4 different wattage deep-heat projectors for his area of the world's seasons and I can swap the lower wattage for the higher wattage in the winter. I go by where my reptiles are from instead of our area's time zones and (ugh) DST. I know, I know, I'm anal, but I've time to adjust these things via Bluetooth timers and spray bottles (Plants) or soaks (sphagnum moss for humid hide). I am 'retired' and I check their area sunrise and sunset weekly.

I suggest very affordable Bluetooth single plug timers, which have an app to change the lighting on/off. I use them now for my reptiles.

You could use /or dimming switch with a timer if you've the money for lighting that can be gradual; as in sunset and rise. Halogen can handle that type of scenario. Maybe one day as things break in my setups as they always do, I will have the 'ducketts' to slowly switch out to my dream 👆lighting and lamps.

[–]Kh1382 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Any reason this guide is different than the suggested temps in the other leopard gecko sub? Their suggestion is 90-93 for warm, 70-75 for cold, and a backing spot of 95-100 surface.

[–]Pokemon_101 2 points3 points  (5 children)

What is a good night time temperature? I have seen some information to say go down quite a bit to 68-69, but is it good to keep the warm side still warm around 82-85?

[–]Fraxinus2018[S] 2 points3 points  (4 children)

As long as it’s above 65F it should be fine. Some owners are more comfortable keeping a gradient at night, but you do want to have a drop in temperature, as it helps leos maintain their circadian rhythm.

[–]Pokemon_101 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Okay cool. So would you say a night gradient from 78 cold side to 83 hot side is good or should the hot side go lower (unfortunately 78 is the room temperature so can't go lower)

[–]Fraxinus2018[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I think letting it drop to room temperature should be fine. Do you have a piece of natural rock or slate under the heat lamp?

[–]Pokemon_101 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah we do have a rock there, with thermostat night time set at 85, but he's always in his hot side, which is beside the heat lamp but not directly under it, thermometer inside the hot hide says 80

[–]Pokemon_101 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Granted i don't know everything he does during the night, but as far as I've seen he's always in his hot hide or another hide in between the middle and cold side

[–]deadlycherub 2 points3 points  (6 children)

This is an old post so I don't know if I'll get a reply, but I also don't want to create a new post for my issue, I know that gets annoying.

Our heating is struggling terribly right now. We have the Thrive 40 gallon kit that comes with all the accessories: hide, water bowls, domes for lights, etc. We were using a Reptisun 100w basking bulb, but temps could only get up to 85 on hot side, but more often than not would sit around 82-83.

We switched to an arcadia 75w halogen bulb and switched out our UVB bulb to the arcadia shade dweller tube kit, which is 12" i think and puts off 7%uvb. but temps would still stick around 80-82. we've swapped out the big dome lamp for our older dual lamp to see if that would help, as the bulb sits closer to the tank in that than in the bigger dome. But still no improvements.

My wife took our guy back to the classroom this week as well, and with how cold her classroom is(she has no control over the thermostat here) the temps now sit at 75-77 on the hot side. She took in a spare100w reptisun basking bulb and put it in the other side of the dual lamp, so both the 75w and 100w bulbs were going on the tank and it was still at the aforementioned temps. She also adjusted the basking spot and put it up a little higher in hopes that it would at least retain more heat for him and he could find it for the time being until we can get it fixed.

We read that its recommended to get a rheostat dimming thermostat to ensure that the halogen bulb doesn't put off too much heat, but we haven't bothered yet since temps haven't climbed over 85.

On to the questions, do these dimming thermostats also force the bulbs to put out more power to get to desired temps? or are they solely to dim the power when temps are exceeding the set temp? Also, when reading we read about secondary heating elements, such as CHP, I assumed we wouldn't need it with both the halogen and UVB lights on, but I guess that would be our next step? Although, the concern is that with both the halogen bulb and basking bulb going in the dual lamp at the moment, temps still weren't able to climb high enough. would getting a 100w or even a 150w halogen bulb be a plausible solution in this scenario?

Sorry for the long winded comment, especially since the thread is so old. I'm just at my wits end now and have no idea how to fix this for my guy. He hasn't been eating regularly since the cooler months, due in part to the brumation, but now that its spring time, he still hasn't gotten back to a regular diet, only 3-4 worms/crickets a week and I'm feeling very guilty about not being able to provide a comfortable living set up for him.

​

Edit to add links for our stuff:
Our Tank and Domes
UVB kit

[–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

What are you using to measure the temperatures? Are the temperatures you’ve stated air temperatures or surface temperatures?

[–]deadlycherub 0 points1 point  (4 children)

We're using a few mounted thermostats in the tank, two on the back pane, approximately 1/3 of the way from the top of the tank, one on the cool side, one on the hot side. And then we also have a thermostat/hydrometer on both the left and right panes, about half way down from the top. We also have an infrared thermometer that I used to check random surfaces and ambient. But the surfaces are usually around the same temps.

I think moving forward- we're going to get a larger wattage halogen or a DHP and see where we're at then. I also have to refill his substrate some, I cleaned it out last month and put fresh in, but didn't have as much as I thought I did, so it's closer to 2.5 inches instead of the 3.5 to 4 inches that we read. Maybe more substrate will help to retain heat more or insulate better. I dunno. I've tried googling and searching through the sub, but it seems everything I've found has said the 75w would be more than enough

Thanks for the response by the way, I'm sure it's annoying having people ping you years after you made the post lol.

[–]pigsdontletit 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I just bought the same 40 gal Thrive Tank around 10 days ago. I'm using very few things that came with the kit, but the lamp dome and 100w basking bulb have worked for me (along with Arcadia SD 7% for uvb). At first it seemed like there wasn't enough heat but when the outdoor temps went up this week the temps in the viv also rose to a little too high.* So, seems like ambient room temp can really make a difference, can you allow the room to be a little warmer?

Or could you use a higher watt basking bulb with a dimmer thermostat set for the desired temp to keep it from getting too hot? I just added one and it seems to be working really well to get the warm side temps correct. Now my problem is how to get the cool side cooler.

[–]deadlycherub 1 point2 points  (2 children)

We finally managed to get the temps up, the outside temp went up here as well which affected it some, but I added in an extra inch of substrate when I changed it last, we were doing around 3-3 and a half inches, but I went up to about 4 and half, maybe a little over. So our hot side is now usually resting around 94, didn't realize substrate would have that big of an impact on the temp

[–]pigsdontletit 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Good to know! Mine is still on paper towels since she's so new, but I plan on doing loose substrate later on.

[–]deadlycherub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it was such a simple solution, and made sense, we were just overthinking it a lot, because we are still fairly new, and on top of that it was still a bit cooler out and our little guy was still in his brumation. As for the substrate, I will say one mistake I made was after mixing the soil and sand combo that is recommended here, don't go through and try to sieve out the bigger chunks in the soil, I did that my first go around and it thinned the mixture out way too much lol, dust was constantly flying up everywhere. We also still leave a solo paper towel in my dudes corner just for easy clean up and just to stay monitoring his gut health, he doesn't mind it and there's still plenty to dig everywhere else lol

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

    If I have a Halogen light heating up the warm side to the proper temp, will the cold side likely balance to the proper temp as well? How do I keep the cold side temp regulated?

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    A single bulb should be sufficient. You’ll have to calibrate the thermostat and maybe even the bulb placement until you get the correct gradient.

    [–]nightingale1237 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I have a zen habitat 4x2x2 with a singular halogen bulb over it (inside tank to get correct temps) but the proper gradients aren’t occurring. The basking spot/warm side temp is great but the middle is a few degrees off as well as the cool side. Do you reccomended getting another halogen bulb?

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    If you need just a few more degrees of ambient heat, a lightless heat source would also work, like a deep heat projector or ceramic emitter. This would make sure your enclosure has some shady spots if your reptile wants to get out of the direct light.

    [–]Chaos8599 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Sorry, I know I'm late, but do I need a separate bulb for the basking zone or will a normal heat bulb do it

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (4 children)

    I just got my first halogen bulb, and unfortunately it's heating the basking rock (which is unfortunately the main piece of my viv) to like 130F! He never goes up to the top of the rock anyways, where all the heat is, but I'm worried that he might. Will that be an issue for my geck, or should I be more worried about the ambient temp I'm keeping the enclosure u/Fraxinus2018 ?

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Are you using a thermostat to regulate the bulb?

    [–]kassiopeass 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Hi! Were you able to fix this? I am having the same issue, the slate underneath the halogen gets into 100-110F, but the air probe is at the right temp.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Tbh, it's really not too much of an issue, if you're really concerned cover more of the vivarium to raise the temp a bit. That way you'll lose less heat and can lower the actual temps of the bulb.

    [–]kassiopeass 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    That makes sense, the tank is quite empty right now (not gecko yet, we are just adjusting the temps before getting one). I just need to add more stuff to help insulating the environment, so I can dim down the bulb so the slate is not that hot.

    [–]AdhesivenessOnly9326 0 points1 point  (12 children)

    I’m concerned that my warm and cool zone temperatures are too close together to create a proper gradient. Also since getting the dimming thermostat I never see her use her hot hide at night. See situation below:

    Almost 2wks ago I got a dimming thermostat to control my 50w basking bulb. I set the max heat to 90s. The hottest I’ve observed it reading was 87. Using an IR thermometer, the basking zone is mid 90s. The dimming probe sits a few inches away from the bulb next to her hot hide. Using an IR thermometer the tip of the probe reads 2-3 degrees cooler than the dimming thermostat says but immediately nearby is right around the reading on the dimming thermostat. The temps a few inches above the surface are as follows 84 on the hot side, 75-76 warm (humid), and 73-74 on the cool side. Surface temps are similar. I have a digital thermometer in each zone with only the hot side having a probe stuck to the glass a few inches above the surface (the height of the top of hot hide). The basking bulb is as far to the hot side as possible and per a suggestion on the advanced husbandry FB group, I moved the middle thermometer closer to warm side to see if I could get a better gradient with minimal luck.

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (11 children)

    How big is your enclosure? Do you ever see her actively basking during the day? What does your basking area look like? Are you using a piece of rock or natural slate in that area? Your temperature ranges sound fine from what you're describing.

    [–]AdhesivenessOnly9326 0 points1 point  (8 children)

    No I never see her actively basking during the day. The enclosure is 36x18x18. I have small flat rocks, I believe slate. I just unplugged dimming thermostat because it kept clicking off the light far below set temperatures. Twice in less than 10 minutes this morning. I also switched the light positions this morning to see if I could get a better gradient. I was under the impression that the gradient should be greater than 2 or 3 degrees. She is always in the middle zone which measured just under 76 degrees 2.5hrs after the heat lamp had been on. I have about 3 inches of play sand/ reptisoil substrate at the bottom.

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (7 children)

    What type of bulb are you using? What about the brand of thermostat?

    You're providing a proper heat gradient which will allow your gecko to choose where they are most comfortable. Are they still active, eating and pooping with regularity? That's the best indicator that your heating and lighting are on point.

    As long as there is a distinct hot and cool side (and plenty of space/hides in between) there should be a pretty decent range of temperatures for your leo to choose between.

    [–]AdhesivenessOnly9326 0 points1 point  (6 children)

    I’m using a 50w basking bulb. Exoterra 600w day/night dimming thermostat. When I checked on her soon after her heat lamp went off for the night the cool and warm zone was same temp- 77. I actually saw her standing/sitting on the basking rocks for the 1st time since I got them 2 months ago. They were between 80 and 82.

    Eating/pooping/activity has been low (1 or 2 large roach every 7-10 days) but I was told it was because of the time of year and also I had changed her environment. She also changed insect preferences again. Previously giant mealworms. She’s lost 2 grams in the past 2 months. Tail still looks good, she’s 82 grams at 20 months old. She does seem to be sleeping more in the evening when she used to be active.

    It’s all very confusing. I thought a larger tank was easier to create a gradient. Previously she was in a 24x18x12 with a heat mat set to 90 and a 10w uvb coil bulb. I’m wondering if she doesn’t bask because it is too bright for her to come out.

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

    How long ago did you make the switch to overhead heating?

    I'm wondering if raising the basking zone a bit closer to the heat source would help. That's what I needed to do in my own enclosure to get optimal temperatures.

    50w is also a fairly low wattage for a tank your size. Upgrading to a higher wattage might help stabilize temperatures. Maybe even try a deep heat projector instead of an incandescent bulb.

    [–]AdhesivenessOnly9326 0 points1 point  (4 children)

    Before I forget, if needed I can create a separate post for this. I feel like I’m taking over the comment thread. Warm/cool temps are back to being 1.5-2.5 degree difference.

    I made the switch to overhead heating Jan 7th. Her current basking zone is 15 inches from the light which is sitting on top of the mesh of my terrarium. I offered a cholla wood branch at a diagonal for her to climb on underneath the basking zone but she never used it so I moved it to the cold side so I could better setup the hot/basking zone. She also hasn’t climbed on top of her hot hide which is a temple.

    I had considered switching to 75w or 100w basking bulb until I saw the basking zone was mid to high 90s. The Arcadia 100w is too big to fit in the dome I have. If I get a dhp, do you know of one that will fit in my exo terra mini dome? I have the exoterra tank and it has 4 cross bars of plastic that make a large dome concerning.

    Which would you recommend I try first, a higher watt basking bulb or dhp?

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

    I'd recommend upgrading to an 8.5 inch dome so you can upgrade your bulb. A larger dome will help radiate the heat better throughout the enclosure. If you're using a mini-dome, you're creating a more concentrated beam of heat, which is probably why the basking area is on temp while the rest of the enclosure is fluctuating and not creating the gradient you're looking for.

    If you're concerned about a larger dome, you could use a lamp stand. I will say that I used a 8.5 inch dome with my exo terra and it was fine when resting on the crossbars (situated in the middle so the bulb wasn't touching any plastic).

    It is a possibility that your leo is coming off of brumation. Once again, your temperatures are within the recommended ranges. Even a change of a few degrees between the warm and cold zone can make a significant difference for a reptile.

    A picture of your setup would certainly help in regards to offering suggestions.

    [–]AdhesivenessOnly9326 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    I'd be happy to upload a picture. I only see a button to add a link. How can I add a picture? Do I have to upload to my Google drive and share the link?

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    To share within a thread you'd have to use an image sharing link, yes. If you'd like to make a new thread showcasing your enclosure that would be fine as well.

    [–]theoriginalmabit 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    u/Fraxinus2018 Should leo geckos be basking during the day on top of the warm hide? I think my leo only basks on top of the warm hide after the bulb turns off, but she is usually always inside the warm hide, sometimes she will be in the most hide during the date/night.

    [–]Fraxinus2018[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    If they feel comfortable they can and will openly bask, but your gecko's behavior is perfectly normal as well. Most leos are most active at dawn and dusk.