New Leopard Gecko Owner

Hi All,

I'm a new Leopard Gecko Owner, his name is Xavier. I've been doing lots of reading and it seems the more I read and question the more confused I'm getting. Xavier is a juvenile purchased from Petco. I have him in a 10 gallon tank with an under the tank heating pad on the "hot" side. I have a sixty watt infra red heat bulb for the night and a 50 watt basking bulb for the daytime. One of my problems is I can't maintain a 88-90 degree temperature on the hot side unless I have the heating mat on, the infra red bulb on and the daytime basking bulb on all at the same time(and on the same side of the tank.) If I turn the infrared bulb off the temp drops to 82-85. I've tried three different thermometers and the all read the same temp give or take a degree or two.( A probe thermometer which I actually have touching the repti carpet, a flat stick on side of tank thermometer and a round disc type that reads temp and humidity, which by the way is usually around 40%) Is it okay to leave both lights on during the day? should I simply switch to a higher watt bulb for the day?

Also what about UVB lighting? Do I need it? The guys in petsmart say absolutely must have for 12 hours a day. The guy in Petco says you don't really need it but he would personally recommend using one twice a week during the day. I've read oline if you dust the Leopard gecko's food with calcium and vitamin d you don't need UVB light at all. What do you guys with healthy Leopard Geckos recommend?

Thanks for any and all help, I really want a nice healthy family pet and I'm trying to do the right things to provide a comfortable safe home for Xavier.

First off, welcome to the forum and the world of leoaprd geckos!

I would switch to paper towel or tiling as a substrate. Repticarpet is a breeding ground for bacteria, and leos get their teeth and nails caught in it. I also find it doesn't hold heat very well. Tiling holds the heat really well, so it could help your heating problem.

Are you using a thermostat to control the heat? A thermostat lets you control the heat, so if you don't have one I suggest getting one. It will let you set the temp of the heat mat.

If that doesn't work, for added warmth you can use a light or a ceramic heat emitter. I prefer ceramic heat emitters as they do not produce light, only heat. Leos don't need heat as they are crepuscluar and come out at dawn and dusk (when its dark). I would also consider trying a different under tank heater if the one you currently have is under-preforming. What brand are you using?

Leos don't need UVB lighting. Leos are crepuscular, so they come out at dawn and dusk in the wild. Which means they don't bask so have no need for UVB lighting. UVB provides vitamin D3 which you must supplement through multivitamins though. So I recommend a good multivitamin brand like repashy or reptivite.

I hope I've helped you a little.

Thanks for responding with such great info. I did some exploring i the forums and found very helpful info. I went out last night and bought some high end vinyl tiles at Lowes and placed my probe thermometer properly. Surprise , surprise the hot side is 95. So now this morning it's off to get a thermostat. So this leads to another question, does it matter what the temp is inside the tank itself or is the floor temp all that really matters?

Awesome! I'm glad the forum has helped you!

From my understanding, the floor temp is what is important, not the air temp. Leos get their heat from their bellies, not from above, so the floor temp is what needs to be measured and controlled.