# How hot should this heat mat be?



## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

Well we are getting two leopard geckos but i am not sure how hot the heat mat should be!
My mum is saying this heat is OK, But leaving it on for TWO days it has gone between warm and cold, Closer to the cold side, My mum is saying it is hot, As i think it is WAY to cold!
So what heat should we have this heat mat for two Leo's?


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Hi there, welcome to RFUK. Leos are fab pets and easy to look after when you get them set up but the settings have to be right so lets see if we can help you out here. 


You say you have two leos so you need to do this for each of their individual houses (if they aren't living separately yet you should do this asap).

Each heat mat should be connected to a thermostat be it a mat stat (less accurate) or pulse stat (more accurate). Do not go by the temperature written on the dial these are just a guide. Your heat mat should cover half to 1/3 of the floor area of your house (be it viv or rub). If it is a rub the heat mat should be underneath. If it is a viv then it should be inside under a thin substrate (kitchen roll is great - what I use). Then you need to get a digital thermometer with a probe (some have two which is even better) for each setup. Place both the stat probe and the thermometer probe on the surface of the thin substrate layer and calibrate the stat accordingly. You are looking for a hot temp of around 31/32 degrees centrigrade. 

If you have a mat stat the temps will vary quite a lot as it has to hit a threshold either side of the optimum temp before it switches on/off. Pulse stats maintain a constant temp +/- 0.1 degrees C (at least my habistat ones do).

Hope this helps.


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## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

*Great advice from Nix thought i would add a link to my guide may help you to visualise basic setup easier especially thermometer and thermostat probe placement.*

*How to setup your basic leopard gecko vivarium*


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Good call


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

Thanks for the help! 
And they will be living together unless they fight or one is a bully, And i will let my mum look at this to decide the rest, Thanks again for the help!


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

You've had good advice from Nix. And the set-up guide by Yellrat is excellent. Be careful if you are buying 2 Leos. They HAVE to be 2 girls, of a similar size. You will have to be very vigilant that they are both eating well and there are no signs of fighting / dominance. Leos will only sometimes tolerate sharing a viv.


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## grannykins (Oct 9, 2006)

If they are babies you may not be able to tell if they are male or female. Much better to get two small set ups to start with, and take it from there. If they are old enough to tell, make doubly sure they are both female. Weigh them both when you first get them, and if you weigh them each week for the first few weeks you will be able to tell if they are both eating. If one is a bit of a bully you may not actually see any signs of this, and one of them not eating can be the only clue you get.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

All this was ignored :whistling2:


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

You say you are a premium member, When your just a Troll! How comes no one has seen that yet? I am not speaking to you no more as i do not speak to Trolls.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

kieransr said:


> You say you are a premium member, When your just a Troll! How comes no one has seen that yet? I am not speaking to you no more as i do not speak to Trolls.


I'm a premium member because I PAY, silly boy. You are the troll, you keep banging on that you've listened, yet you haven't. They are back together now on calcium sand, correct? We are concerned about your animals, THAT'S what this site is for! NOT to tell you everything is fine when it is not!


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

I have been doing what people have said, And you clearly are not paying much attention, They are seperated, We got a new glass and everything is ok now, And yes they are back on Calcium Sand as they were on the Lino for an hour or so, But they did not like it one bit, You could tell it was stressing them out! From what you guys are ssaying, You want what is best for them, But as they were showing that much stress on the Lino, I took it out now they seem happy again being on the Calcium Sand, So lets do what is best for them and leave them on that.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

kieransr said:


> I have been doing what people have said, And you clearly are not paying much attention, They are seperated, We got a new glass and everything is ok now, And yes they are back on Calcium Sand as they were on the Lino for an hour or so, But they did not like it one bit, You could tell it was stressing them out! From what you guys are ssaying, You want what is best for them, But as they were showing that much stress on the Lino, I took it out now they seem happy again being on the Calcium Sand, So lets do what is best for them and leave them on that.


Lino is best for them. Sand will kill them. Simple enough for you?


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

Yeah it really was when they did not go on it and was nipping on it and rolling on it, See look, You're just on a hunt to try pissing me off! You don't care about them at all! I am donig better of on my own, now tell me how to shut everything down and stop getting emails about it! You guys are not helping at all, Not one bit.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

kieransr said:


> Yeah it really was when they did not go on it and was nipping on it and rolling on it, See look, You're just on a hunt to try pissing me off! You don't care about them at all! I am donig better of on my own, now tell me how to shut everything down and stop getting emails about it! You guys are not helping at all, Not one bit.


Why should I tell you? Ask a mod.


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## Jimmyjayz (Mar 20, 2011)

mstypical said:


> Lino is best for them. Sand will kill them. Simple enough for you?


look you simply cant say that for starters sand will not kill them it might if used incorrectly, 

prehaps look into desert bedding by lucky reptile and use a light dusting of it and no real depth if you must keep them on a substrate.

you could also try astro turf as another option


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Having read over your thread it appears you've been given a lot of good advice and yet chosen to ignore it, granted the people commenting cannot see your animals however, they do have the experience of keeping them other wise they would not comment, would it not be simpler to take on board all the advice you've been given and then put it into practice in order to achieve the correct conditions for your animals, or am I missing something? : victory:


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

Just ask for this thread to be shut, I don't want nothing to do with it no more, Someone has private messaged me and we are going to try something new, Seriously though, I don't see why most of you guys bother talking, You just seem to breath hate, So ask this thread, And my other ones to be closed will ya? I am trying somethnig new and different.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

kieransr said:


> Just ask for this thread to be shut, I don't want nothing to do with it no more, Someone has private messaged me and we are going to try something new, Seriously though, I don't see why most of you guys bother talking, You just seem to breath hate, So ask this thread, And my other ones to be closed will ya? I am trying somethnig new and different.


You can ask a mod to close this thread and others yourself simply by clicking on the triangle in the top right corner.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Jimmyjayz said:


> look you simply cant say that for starters sand will not kill them it might if used incorrectly,
> 
> prehaps look into desert bedding by lucky reptile and use a light dusting of it and no real depth if you must keep them on a substrate.
> 
> you could also try astro turf as another option


Please check out this guy's thread history before commenting about me, thanks


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

Yeah i have said sorry for my behaviour, I have not insulted people so much, And i have tried my best and done my best for the Leo's when everyone else has done the exact opposite, I am really in the wrong aren't i? I am closing this thread, Do not speak to me again unless you can be a responsible adult and nice to me, Thank you.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

kieransr said:


> Yeah i have said sorry for my behaviour, I have not insulted people so much, And i have tried my best and done my best for the Leo's when everyone else has done the exact opposite, I am really in the wrong aren't i? I am closing this thread, Do not speak to me again unless you can be a responsible adult and nice to me, Thank you.


Then you should act like a responsible adult!


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## Jimmyjayz (Mar 20, 2011)

mstypical said:


> Please check out this guy's thread history before commenting about me, thanks


his history doesnt matter, i understand he is a usual troll style leo poster but your comment that they will die on sand is unfounded imo, they may but there are so many out there kept on it fine that you cant say they will die on it. :blush:


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Jimmyjayz said:


> his history doesnt matter, i understand he is a usual troll style leo poster but your comment that they will die on sand is unfounded imo, they may but there are so many out there kept on it fine that you cant say they will die on it. :blush:


This guy will not listen to reason, I am putting it as plainly as can be, with worst-case scenario. I have the Leos interests in mind. And it's calci sand, not play sand.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

kieransr said:


> Yeah i have said sorry for my behaviour, I have not insulted people so much, And i have tried my best and done my best for the Leo's when everyone else has done the exact opposite, I am really in the wrong aren't i? I am closing this thread, Do not speak to me again unless you can be a responsible adult and nice to me, Thank you.


I don't recall insulting you, I just stated the obvious from reading your thread.


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

I am honestly not a Troll! If you saw my history and read all my messages, You would see i am normally a happy go lucky person and trying my best, It is people on here being horrible and two faced to me! Learn before you Speak.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Thread reported.


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## kieransr (Oct 29, 2011)

Thank you, This is all i have wanted! I will be starting a fresh after this and taking a brake from this all, All i have done is try to be nice and be friendly, but no one seems to care about me,So thanks for helping close this thread!


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