# heat lamp or heat mat for lizards



## trevor123 (Jun 13, 2008)

hi, im currently building my first viv, its 2ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft, it will house a smallish lizard when ive done a bit more research. should i use a heat mat or ceramic heat bulb or does this depend on type of lizard being kept? viv will be made from 18mm mdf with glass front and vents for air circulation.


----------



## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

all depends on the lizard mate

each type require different needs, plus that Viv is only small so either a juvenile or 1 small adult species, so you need to decide what your keeping then go from there

what would you like to keep?


----------



## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

if you are making your own viv, i would say go bigger all over, and this will give you a load more lizard options to keep


----------



## markandwend (Jan 28, 2007)

If you are making it out of MDF, it will need sealing in properly as MDF has *Formaldehyde in it, also if not sealed properly it will swell and split if water gets on/in it.*


----------



## trevor123 (Jun 13, 2008)

i'm limited with space, i could possibly get it 2.5ft long and higher but depth is at the max it can be. which species of lizard aren't that large when fully grown? id like a bearded dragon but cannot house an adult so that is out of the question. how big do adult geckos get? i quite like pygmy chameleons but im new to reptiles so i would like something a little easier to keep, any suggestions?


----------



## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

leopard gecko is perfect for you mate, good starter lizard and it will go in that size Viv : victory:

they don't "bask" as they are nocturnal so all you need is a heat mat covering 1/3 of the Viv to give you a hot end and cool end, plus a mat stat to control it


----------



## trevor123 (Jun 13, 2008)

how big do they get? are they pretty or fierce looking? how often do there tails come off cos i'd hate to be holding it and the tail comes off in my hand, i think i'd wet myself lol?


----------



## markandwend (Jan 28, 2007)

trevor123 said:


> how big do they get? are they pretty or fierce looking? how often do there tails come off cos i'd hate to be holding it and the tail comes off in my hand, i think i'd wet myself lol?


:lol2: you are joking?


----------



## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

they are lovely to look at, and come in a range of colours and morphs, ranging from £15 for a normal morph and £500+ for the extreme enigma morphs

there are hundreds to choose from, just look in the picture section at leopard geckos (or Leos)

here are mine, (cheap versions IE: normal morphs) http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizard-pictures/146075-super-morphs-geckos.html

and the tail is only dropped in stressed conditions or if it feels threatened in anyway, and its doesn't happen very often


----------



## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

markandwend said:


> :lol2: you are joking?


well said :notworthy:


----------



## trevor123 (Jun 13, 2008)

when i said wet myself i didn't mean laugh i wanted to write shit myself but didn't know if it would allow it. so with a leopard gecko i dont need a basking lamp? would the heat mat maintain a sufficient temp for it/them? how about lighting the viv do they require uv of will for instance a fish tank tube suffice? any suggestions for ventilation of the viv, will the vent grills you can get be ok or should i use aluminium mesh on the top? sorry for all the questions but i would not like the animal to be subjected to poor conditions due to my negligence if that makes sense


----------



## Harrison (Feb 29, 2008)

Being nocturnal, Leos don't need a UV light. Temp is more important than light for them but it is better for them to have light during the day so they can tell the two apart. A heat mat will be enough to create a hot end. Some people like to add a little red or blue bulb which comes on at night so the Leo can be easily watched at it's most active.

You need:

Heating device (heat mat, basking panel or ceramic heater)


You may optionally want: 

Bulb for night-time viewing


You do not need:

UV bulb


----------



## trevor123 (Jun 13, 2008)

ok cheers, what about ventilation of the viv is this as important for gecko's as it is chameleons? or will some of the plastic vents suffice? do you happen to know a brand of bulb for night time viewing? what do they do all day then, sleep or just hide? how about a day light, what sort of light for the day? small fish tank tube ok?


----------

