# Leopard Gecko DHP or heatmat/ceramic



## yelkcarb (May 6, 2018)

Im not sure on the best way to heat my leopard gecko vivarium I am setting up.
My current idea is to use a heat mat covering a 1/3 of the tank and a ceramic heat emitter in the warm end to raise air temp and surfaces.
However, I have heard of the new Deep Heat Projectors which are said to be better but I have a few questions about it.
Will a deep heat projector warm the gecko when its in his hide or must he come out to bask? I dont want the gecko to be stressed if he must expose hinself during the day. This is why i thought i could use a heatmat aswell. Is this something I could do?
Must I put rocks around to store the warmth. I know this seems silly but it can be quite hard to find suitable rocks. Will fake decor work just as well?
How much of an area does it heat alone?
What other reccomendations do you have on using it in setups for leos on how to place it and what to use under and around the tank?
Thankyou 🙂


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## Tortoise Man (Nov 29, 2010)

yelkcarb said:


> Im not sure on the best way to heat my leopard gecko vivarium I am setting up.
> My current idea is to use a heat mat covering a 1/3 of the tank and a ceramic heat emitter in the warm end to raise air temp and surfaces.
> However, I have heard of the new Deep Heat Projectors which are said to be better but I have a few questions about it.
> Will a deep heat projector warm the gecko when its in his hide or must he come out to bask? I dont want the gecko to be stressed if he must expose hinself during the day. This is why i thought i could use a heatmat aswell. Is this something I could do?
> ...


Depending on your tank heat mats can be useless to heat the enclosure. Generally speaking the current trend for keeping leopards is moving away from heat mats and into basking bulbs in order to get the basking surface temperatures of 45C. We need to know more information to answer fully the question of how to heat as different methods of heating work for different enclosures. We need to know the dimensions and the material it is made of.

A lot of nocturnal reptiles will be active during the day for short periods for the sole reason to bask to store enough energy for the night. So seeing your gecko out during the day isn't always a bad sign. If it happens for longer periods of times you might have issues.

Having natural rocks will help to raise the surface temperature of the basking spot but also to act as heat sinks. Fake rocks won't work for this as plastic or resin doesn't have the same conductive properties. If you are struggling to find any stones go to a local beach or you can find some in garden centers and landscaping supplies shops. You can find some in aquatic shops but they are generally more expensive. Just ensure you always wash the rocks going in.


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## yelkcarb (May 6, 2018)

Tortoise Man said:


> yelkcarb said:
> 
> 
> > Im not sure on the best way to heat my leopard gecko vivarium I am setting up.
> ...


What do you think about the deep heat projector compared to a basking bulb. I want to give it a go and try to find some good rocks to make a basking area and a rock hide.
Mabye I should use something like cork or other rocks near the area so he feels less exposed?


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## Tortoise Man (Nov 29, 2010)

yelkcarb said:


> What do you think about the deep heat projector compared to a basking bulb. I want to give it a go and try to find some good rocks to make a basking area and a rock hide.
> Mabye I should use something like cork or other rocks near the area so he feels less exposed?


To make the best choice for you we need to know the dimensions of the the tank, as that will make an impact on which one you choose.

You should provide enough cover across all the enclosure so the animal has the choice on where it wants to take cover.

TM


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## yelkcarb (May 6, 2018)

Tortoise Man said:


> yelkcarb said:
> 
> 
> > What do you think about the deep heat projector compared to a basking bulb. I want to give it a go and try to find some good rocks to make a basking area and a rock hide.
> ...


The tank is a vivexotic vivarium 89×49×50cm. I have some large cork pieces and some fake hides but will look for some rocks. I Like the natural look.
Thankyou so much for your help. 🙂


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## Tortoise Man (Nov 29, 2010)

yelkcarb said:


> The tank is a vivexotic vivarium 89×49×50cm. I have some large cork pieces and some fake hides but will look for some rocks. I Like the natural look.
> Thankyou so much for your help. 🙂


Sorry for the delay, with a wooden vivarium heat mats are going to be pretty useless. So your choice would be either between the DHP or a white spot lamp. The only issue I would have for the DHP in the enclosure you have is if you take into account the substrate depth + distance to bulb + size of bulb means it could be a tight squeeze. White spot lamps are significantly cheaper and often come in a smaller size so it will be more flexible for you. In the end both will work in your tank, it is a matter of preference. But ensure you have a natural stone underneath to aid in basking.

TM


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