Gecko Enclosure Heating Question

[Sam14]

My Leopard Gecko doesn’t go out until the lights are off in the enclosure and I want to make sure that he’s getting enough heat. By the time he goes out, the rock that he sits on and the air around him are both around 80°F. Should I invest in a heating pad or something that would maintain heat at night without light emission? I know that leopard geckos don’t bask, but I don’t want him to be freezing at night and have no source of heat.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[acpart]

Most leopard gecko keepers use an under tank heater with a thermostat to keep it at 90F. They keep the heater on 24/7. This is what I recommend as well.

Aliza

 

[Sam14]

Most leopard gecko keepers use an under tank heater with a thermostat to keep it at 90F. They keep the heater on 24/7. This is what I recommend as well.

Aliza

Thanks for your response. I attached a picture of the rock that I want to heat. Do you think the heater would penetrate through all that or should I reduce the space between the bottom of the tank and the surface that my gecko sits on? I’ve never used one so I’m not sure how efficient the heaters are in passing heat through substrate.

 

[acpart]

If the idea is for the gecko to sit on the rock, it seems to me it would be best to sink the rock into the substrate. I have some leopard geckos that like to spend the day outside their hides and others who never come out. If your gecko prefers to be in the hide, you'll have to come up with a hide that's on top of the hot side and that the gecko can enter. If you want both, you could always put the rock next to the hide and use a small spot lamp to heat the rock during the day.

Aliza

 

[Sam14]

If the idea is for the gecko to sit on the rock, it seems to me it would be best to sink the rock into the substrate. I have some leopard geckos that like to spend the day outside their hides and others who never come out. If your gecko prefers to be in the hide, you'll have to come up with a hide that's on top of the hot side and that the gecko can enter. If you want both, you could always put the rock next to the hide and use a small spot lamp to heat the rock during the day.

Aliza

I have a hide on the warmer side of the temp gradient but my gecko never goes in it. He just stays in the moist hide. It’s only before and after he eats that he lays on the rock.

I’m thinking about sinking the rock and putting in a heating pad that will heat both the warm hide and the rock so that there are sufficient options for heat at night.

Is there any risk with running a heat pad without a temperature regulator as long as I provide ventilation on the bottom and measure the temperatures to see when it actually gets up to? I’ve heard bad things about them getting too hot and I want to take precautions.
Thanks.

 

[acpart]

If you consistently measure the temperatures then you'll find out whether or not you need a thermostat. Sometimes the right combination of substrate and heat mat means that you won't need a thermostat. One way to find out . . .

Aliza