Best Lighting...

For a twelve hours on/twelve hours off cycle?

I do 12h/12h for summer and 10h/14h (day/night) for the winter.

Kaley, Leopard geckos do not require light. The best heat for them is from a heat mat so they can get belly heat to help them digest

I do believe she means day/night cycle, Jolene.

Fair enough Kodie, I just wanted to make sure she was not mislead into thinking lights are a replacement for heat mats. If you already know this Kaley, please disregard....lol

As long as your leo is in a room with a decent window there shouldn't be a need to suppliment an artificial light schedule. If your room is dark with little natural light you can use a regular 15 or 25 watt incandescent bulb in a timer that is set according to the time of season, obviously more daylight in summer, less in winter. Keeping a year round schedule of 12/12 would be unnatural.

Kaley wrote:For a twelve hours on/twelve hours off cycle?

my geckos doctor said it's not healthy to have them in the dark during the dayime. they should have uva for there mental well being. the open window is not enough. I use Sun Glo Daylight Reptile Bulb and it's not to bright. they seem to like it.

You'd be surprised how often vets are wrong about proper husbandry for leos. Even certified herp specialists often get it wrong. A crepuscular animal really gains no mental well being by adding a suppliment they wouldn't expose themselves to in the wild. It may not seem to bother your leo but he could just be conditioned at this point to accept less than optimum conditions.

As I have rather a lot of natural light entering my room I find this enough to create a day/night cycle. the only lighting I use is a dull blue set of night viewing leds which i turn off when I go to bed.

nah, I only been using the bulbs for 3 months. They still stick there heads out being nosy when they hear me,lol the vet know his stuff. he only works with reptile and for 25 years. If you google it you will find reads on how it benefits, besides that's what allows them to see colors. Everybody thinks they never come out during the day, but who sits there out in the wild watching them all day to know,lol don't knock it till you try it

Indirect sunlight through the window is definitely enough. All of my geckos know to sleep during the day, and they come out in the evenings. Even for raining days like today where it's fairly dark outside, they are all still sleeping right now. If for some reason the indirect sunlight isn't good enough, they'd be up during the day and sleeping at night.

The thing with vets and pet store employees is that they are mostly familiar with lizard species like iguanas and bearded dragons, so they just assume leopard geckos are the same. Some doctors are good at perhaps diagnosing problems and fixing leopard geckos, but just because they know how to cure them, it doesn't mean they know proper husbandry.

Being recommended UVB is a perfect example. There are leopard gecko morphs, such as albinos and enigmas, that can actually be harmed by using UVB. You don't ever hear these types of warnings from vets or pet store employees. That's why it's important to do your own research online

I believe the people that did the studies on leo habits in the wild sat out all day watching them for quite some time to find out their natural movements, otherwise their papers wouldn't have been published. If they wern't out watching them, they were certainly video taping them. This is what brought the change in consensus of leos being noctournal to them being crepuscular since they did and do make appearances during mild daylight hours. It is however quite rare to see a leo out during the mid day heat when the sun is at is highest and hottest. If possible would yo mind posting a couple of the links to the reads you were referring to? I'd love to look at them. I'm always open to expanding my knowledge

I know vets that have worked with dogs for longer than I've been alive, and they always provide a TON of misinformation... reason being is that once a person has been in a career for so long that they don't bother to further their education by studying the most recent scientific studies. I take what most vets say with a grain of salt and do the research myself afterwards and usually find a bunch of info to the contrairy of what a vet just told me.

Mardy wrote:Indirect sunlight through the window is definitely enough. All of my geckos know to sleep during the day, and they come out in the evenings. Even for raining days like today where it's fairly dark outside, they are all still sleeping right now. If for some reason the indirect sunlight isn't good enough, they'd be up during the day and sleeping at night.

The thing with vets and pet store employees is that they are mostly familiar with lizard species like iguanas and bearded dragons, so they just assume leopard geckos are the same. Some doctors are good at perhaps diagnosing problems and fixing leopard geckos, but just because they know how to cure them, it doesn't mean they know proper husbandry.

Being recommended UVB is a perfect example. There are leopard gecko morphs, such as albinos and enigmas, that can actually be harmed by using UVB. You don't ever hear these types of warnings from vets or pet store employees. That's why it's important to do your own research online

Hey mardy, I know what you saying. The vet keeps reptiles too though, he got pictures of his wife with there geckos in the office. trust me I do my research, I have kept all kinds of reps. He wanted me to use UVb for an hour a day because he says he sees too many geckos with MBD, but I got to save up for those bulbs,lol
Your house must be bright. My house is dark with small windows.

Kermit wrote:I believe the people that did the studies on leo habits in the wild sat out all day watching them for quite some time to find out their natural movements, otherwise their papers wouldn't have been published. If they wern't out watching them, they were certainly video taping them. This is what brought the change in consensus of leos being noctournal to them being crepuscular since they did and do make appearances during mild daylight hours. It is however quite rare to see a leo out during the mid day heat when the sun is at is highest and hottest. If possible would yo mind posting a couple of the links to the reads you were referring to? I'd love to look at them. I'm always open to expanding my knowledge

I know vets that have worked with dogs for longer than I've been alive, and they always provide a TON of misinformation... reason being is that once a person has been in a career for so long that they don't bother to further their education by studying the most recent scientific studies. I take what most vets say with a grain of salt and do the research myself afterwards and usually find a bunch of info to the contrairy of what a vet just told me.

you gotta give at least a few a benefit of the doubt you gotta hit that google on overdrive and you will find alot. I got to head to work, but this is the only thing I found right quick. He also said that the geckos kept with lighting have lived longer lives than the ones without.

UVA light may have a role in regulating the behavior of both diurnal and nocturnal species.

http://www.arcadia-uk.info/file/download/en/Leopard%20Gecko%20A5%20flyer.pdf
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=22815

peach75 wrote:
Hey mardy, I know what you saying. The vet keeps reptiles too though, he got pictures of his wife with there geckos in the office. trust me I do my research, I have kept all kinds of reps. He wanted me to use UVb for an hour a day because he says he sees too many geckos with MBD, but I got to save up for those bulbs,lol
Your house must be bright. My house is dark with small windows.

Oh I'm not saying they don't keep reptiles, but that's what I mean, what kind of reptiles? Leopard geckos are vastly different than iguanas for an example. If they have a leopard gecko, what morph is it? Is it a normal where it can tolerate UVB better? Does he know the newer morphs such as albinos and enigmas can greatly be harmed by UVB? While I have no doubt some vets have had experience with leopard geckos in particular, it still doesn't mean they keep up with the latest about them given how busy they are and how many species they have to treat and learn.

Issues with MBD arise mostly from owners that really don't know anything about leopard geckos, or breeders that breed malnourished females. If you dust your feeders at least a few times a week, and provide proper calcium with vitamin D3, your gecko won't run into MBD issues. It's much easier to explain to a new owner how to dust feeders and what supplement to use, rather than trust a new owner how to adjust UVB to not harm their leopard geckos. Again when talking about UVB, you have to account for the different morphs on the market today. You do not ever want to recommend UVB for those that own an albino or enigma. There's just too much room for error for a new leopard gecko owner to provide UVB correctly.

So in a way your vet is right, there are too many cases of MBD. But you don't solve MBD issues by simply telling someone to give UVB to their geckos. You have to teach them how to properly supplement their geckos, how to gut-load their feeders, and to get to the root of the problem, how to stop people from breeding malnourished females just to make a quick buck.

Very well said Mardy

Mardy wrote:

peach75 wrote:
Hey mardy, I know what you saying. The vet keeps reptiles too though, he got pictures of his wife with there geckos in the office. trust me I do my research, I have kept all kinds of reps. He wanted me to use UVb for an hour a day because he says he sees too many geckos with MBD, but I got to save up for those bulbs,lol
Your house must be bright. My house is dark with small windows.

Oh I'm not saying they don't keep reptiles, but that's what I mean, what kind of reptiles? Leopard geckos are vastly different than iguanas for an example. If they have a leopard gecko, what morph is it? Is it a normal where it can tolerate UVB better? Does he know the newer morphs such as albinos and enigmas can greatly be harmed by UVB? While I have no doubt some vets have had experience with leopard geckos in particular, it still doesn't mean they keep up with the latest about them given how busy they are and how many species they have to treat and learn.

Issues with MBD arise mostly from owners that really don't know anything about leopard geckos, or breeders that breed malnourished females. If you dust your feeders at least a few times a week, and provide proper calcium with vitamin D3, your gecko won't run into MBD issues. It's much easier to explain to a new owner how to dust feeders and what supplement to use, rather than trust a new owner how to adjust UVB to not harm their leopard geckos. Again when talking about UVB, you have to account for the different morphs on the market today. You do not ever want to recommend UVB for those that own an albino or enigma. There's just too much room for error for a new leopard gecko owner to provide UVB correctly.

So in a way your vet is right, there are too many cases of MBD. But you don't solve MBD issues by simply telling someone to give UVB to their geckos. You have to teach them how to properly supplement their geckos, how to gut-load their feeders, and to get to the root of the problem, how to stop people from breeding malnourished females just to make a quick buck.

hey, I'm not the vet, lol you gotta ask your vet depending on your geckos. All i did waas trying to help sombody out with a daybulb which was not to bright. but even the albinos are good after the first few months. they won't go blind,lol its not lik the gonna stand there staring at the bulb, they be sleeping in their hides. but it's only a problems for the first few months. Look even Ron says it. http://www.leopardgecko.com/albinos-faq
btw geckos are seen as much as iguanas, there easy and common. the vets see hundreds of them a month. anyway look at the link.

"Question 1 : Why do albinos seem to shy away from light or act like they are blind?
Albinos are sensitive to light and need to be 3-4 months old to get used to lightt. They are very able to catch crickets in low light conditions and mostly feed in dim light when young. Turn off room lights when feeding."

Honestly if something NEEDS to get use to it, then it goes agasint their natural programming. Also if the leo will be spending it's time sleeping in it's hide, where's the benefit of adding artificial lighting?

Not trying to argue, but just trying to make people think... our job is to simulate their natural environment as closely as possible so that they can thrive. If an animal is crepuscular or noctournal, they avoid light, esp. bright light for a reason. Just because they're captive bred animals does not mean they don't come with genetic programming and instinctual behaviors that tell them what they need. If they avoid bright lights it's for a good reason.

Ugh, Ron Tremper's talking about their light sensitivity, such as when you have your room lit and albinos being sensitive to light, having their eyes closed. Having ambient light is a lot different from having UVB, which is what you and I were talking about.

Shining UVB on albino leopard geckos can greatly harm them, causing damages to both their eyes and their skin. Albinos lack melanin in their skin, and melanin is one of skin's main defenses against UV light.

My problem with vets and store employees, or for that matter many hobbyists, is that when they recommend UVB light, they never ask what type of leopard gecko someone has. Did anybody find out from the OP whether they have an albino or enigma? If the OP has an albino, it's not a good idea to recommend UVB light, not even if a vet recommends it.

This is not a one size fits all solution, there are many different genetic morphs in leopard geckos. A vet who recommends UVB may be doing so because they are only familiar with the normal, wild caught morphs which do have darker skin and black pigments. In this situation, UVB when used correctly, in a very limited way, *can* be beneficial to the leopard gecko. However, it's very hard to get it right, the chance for error is too great. You can make sure a gecko doesn't get MBD by gut-loading your feeders, supplementing your geckos with proper multi-vitamin with vitamin D3 twice a week. That's really all you need to do, and you can see how easy it would be to explain to a new leopard gecko owner how to do that. As opposed to trying to get someone to adjust UVB exposure properly, and making sure they do not have an albino or enigma.

Mardy wrote:Ugh, Ron Tremper's talking about their light sensitivity, such as when you have your room lit and albinos being sensitive to light, having their eyes closed. Having ambient light is a lot different from having UVB, which is what you and I were talking about.

Shining UVB on albino leopard geckos can greatly harm them, causing damages to both their eyes and their skin. Albinos lack melanin in their skin, and melanin is one of skin's main defenses against UV light.

My problem with vets and store employees, or for that matter many hobbyists, is that when they recommend UVB light, they never ask what type of leopard gecko someone has. Did anybody find out from the OP whether they have an albino or enigma? If the OP has an albino, it's not a good idea to recommend UVB light, not even if a vet recommends it.

This is not a one size fits all solution, there are many different genetic morphs in leopard geckos. A vet who recommends UVB may be doing so because they are only familiar with the normal, wild caught morphs which do have darker skin and black pigments. In this situation, UVB when used correctly, in a very limited way, *can* be beneficial to the leopard gecko. However, it's very hard to get it right, the chance for error is too great. You can make sure a gecko doesn't get MBD by gut-loading your feeders, supplementing your geckos with proper multi-vitamin with vitamin D3 twice a week. That's really all you need to do, and you can see how easy it would be to explain to a new leopard gecko owner how to do that. As opposed to trying to get someone to adjust UVB exposure properly, and making sure they do not have an albino or enigma.

nah, the bulb i showed the op is only a UVA not UVb the vet wanted me i said to use uvb an hour a day. I don't have albinos but my friends do and they use light with no problems. they look healthier than mine,lol

Kermit wrote:"Question 1 : Why do albinos seem to shy away from light or act like they are blind?
Albinos are sensitive to light and need to be 3-4 months old to get used to lightt. They are very able to catch crickets in low light conditions and mostly feed in dim light when young. Turn off room lights when feeding."

Honestly if something NEEDS to get use to it, then it goes agasint their natural programming. Also if the leo will be spending it's time sleeping in it's hide, where's the benefit of adding artificial lighting?

Not trying to argue, but just trying to make people think... our job is to simulate their natural environment as closely as possible so that they can thrive. If an animal is crepuscular or noctournal, they avoid light, esp. bright light for a reason. Just because they're captive bred animals does not mean they don't come with genetic programming and instinctual behaviors that tell them what they need. If they avoid bright lights it's for a good reason.

he meant there eyes are sensitive for the first few months, then they good. i read somwhere else too. the natural environment has sun. they go under to hide, so they have hides too hide,lol
my gecko move out when they want with the light on. its is natual they sleep anyway,. I am not arguing either (I am a goof) i just tell you what i see that's all

Their natural environment does have sunlight, and hides... and the leos choose to hide during the solar apex so that in itself should be a good indicator that the light they receive thru ambient lighting in the room is more than enough for a crepuscular creature that prefers mild lighting like what is seen at twilight and dawn.