# is it ok to use a heat rock for a leopard gecko....



## mickie_quinn89 (Nov 1, 2007)

is it ok to use a heat rock for a leopard gecko or do i need a heat mat? and can gecko get it calcuim and vitamins from the calci-sand substrate


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Do NOT use a heat rock and do NOT use calci-sand. Heat rocks burn, and calci-sand kills if ingested, and they will eat it.
Definitly use a heatmat, and use lino or tiles as a substrate.

Get a pure calcium powder like Calypso and leave a small pot of that in the viv for the leo, also get a vitamin supplement like Nutrabol and use 1-2 times a week on the crickets. Also dust with the calcium.


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## nicky (Jul 13, 2005)

no no no......that the answer basically never use heat rocks they burn.....


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## tokay (Mar 13, 2007)

Heat Rocks are great.....as door stops! 
DONT USE THEM!


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## mickie_quinn89 (Nov 1, 2007)

lol good job iwas told today about saying they are fine but obviously they are wrong


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## Barry.M (May 19, 2006)

Heat rocks are probably more responsible for reptile burns than any other heat source.Dreadful things,I'd steer well clear


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Lol yeah! Who told you they were OK?
They heat up and cause hot patches that will burn the leo, the sand just goes all sticky and thick and if its ingested which there is a chance it will be especially by a leo who self-regulates calcium intake it can cause impactation.
Best to not use and loose substrate.


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## Mez (Feb 19, 2007)

> Definitly use a heatmat, and use lino or tiles as a substrate.


You dont need to use lino or tiles as a substrate, unless your gecko is native to your bathroom. there are perfectly good nautral substrates around, even sand, and eco-earth etc.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

BUT.. if you are completely clueless and likely to have enough trouble telling if your gecko is awake or asleep let alone eating substrate by accident with his meal... it might be best to go the tiles route 

self assesment at its finest.

Same with hot rocks..although i believe the dangers with them are way gone since vast improvements over the years... but as nobody in the "know" uses them... then this is not erm..known...just "dont use them"
but still..best you dont unless you could spot a problem a mile off..they can afterall be statted externally as we would a heatmat.


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Mez said:


> You dont need to use lino or tiles as a substrate, unless your gecko is native to your bathroom. there are perfectly good nautral substrates around, even sand, and eco-earth etc.


Except leos dont live on sand, or eco-earth so thats not natural. They live on hard compacted mud/clay type stuff, which to me I would find tiles/lino more natural than sand. There are other options like slate, newspaper and kitchen roll.
I dont agree with the use of sand for animals that dont naturally live on it. I always advise people to use something like tiles or lino as its what is 100% safe.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Heat rocks are known not just to burn leos but also a lot of snakes 
Who ever has told you the information you have are incorrect 
Also with the substrate it will all depend on if the leo is a hatchling or a adult 
We use a sand soil mix which is very dry, for some of our adults and kitchen roll for anything below adult size its cheap easy to clean and look ok too. 
If you do want to use a different substrate for a hatchling i wouldnt recomend using sand or anything like that as when they are catching their food they will no doubt miss a few times and get a mouthfull of substrate


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Also as your not replying to your other threads i really recomend reading CARE SHEETS 
heres the link to one written by a RFUK user 
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizard-care/31055-my-leopardgecko-caresheet.html


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

theres no logical reason what so ever how soemthing liek a heat rock could burn a leo and not a snake so i hope you dont think i said that.

However, I do still believe that ppl are going on very old information in regards to the dangers of the heat rock.
I dont use them though so i cant say they are safe.
Its just this "hot rocks ar edangerous" goes back 15-20 years and i do know they are now much better quality...
a piece of plastic in the shape of a rock housing electrics that heats up evenly and doesnt catch a fire doesnt seem out of the realm of possibility to me.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

No Dean it was for the OP me saying who ever gave the information to the OP was incorrect lol


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## Diablo (May 25, 2007)

NO NO NO NO NO 

DANGERS OF USING A HEAT ROCKS.

The concentrated area of heat they give off is not natural and is completely uneccessary. it seems like every couple months i hear about a snake or iguana or other herp that has been seriously burned by one. even the new ones they make now with adjustable temperatures are rediculous, dangerous, and useless. 

the heat that herps need comes from the *sun* not from inanimate objects in the habitat (like rocks and twigs). the heat they need to properly digest food and such should not come from anything other than under-tank heaters and/or heat lamps (both of which must be *outside* the cage). 

not only do heat rockas cause burns, they also electrocute animals on a regular basis. they are not very cheap, either, thus being even a bigger waste of money. 

also, the fact that one small corner of the cage (where the heat rock is) is warm but the rest of the cage is cold is terrible for their metabolisms and causes them to want to stay on the rock even MORE which makes it even more likely that they will get burned. 

in conclusion, heat rocks can burn and/or electrocute animals. the type and amount of heat they give off are neither natural OR usable. the entire cage needs to be heated not just one corner (which is all heat rocks are good for). heat lamps and under-tank heaters heat the whole tank AND pose absolutely no risk of injury to herps (unless of course you have them inside the tank). 

there is not a herp in the world which needs (or should have) a heat rock.


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

Was stated in another thread that British ones have a higher standard so normally are ok. Most now have thermostats on them to stop them from overheating and burning the reptile. Though its up to you if you want to risk it or not.


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## Diablo (May 25, 2007)

Lucifus said:


> Was stated in another thread that British ones have a higher standard so normally are ok. Most now have thermostats on them to stop them from overheating and burning the reptile. Though its up to you if you want to risk it or not.


I wouldn't risk it point blank.


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## K.J.Geckos (Sep 7, 2006)

heat rocks are horrable things.god knows why they were invented.i hate the things.many people say ooo they are ok if they are on a stat but personally i think why bother.the burns and risks out way the benifits in my opinion.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Lucifus said:


> Was stated in another thread that British ones have a higher standard so normally are ok. Most now have thermostats on them to stop them from overheating and burning the reptile. Though its up to you if you want to risk it or not.


The thermostats are not user-adjustable. It doesn't matter if a hot rock has a thermostat if the 'stat lets the rock get to 110f before cutting out, and the rock's "guaranteed to shut down if it gets to 130f".

My geckos'd be burned on that.

I asked a couple of manufacturers about the hot rocks and the 'thermostatic control' you see - back when I was setting up my geckos' stack vivariums - because I'd have considered hot rocks as basking points if and only if *I* could set what temperature I wanted them at.


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## Diablo (May 25, 2007)

Ssthisto said:


> The thermostats are not user-adjustable. It doesn't matter if a hot rock has a thermostat if the 'stat lets the rock get to 110f before cutting out, and the rock's "guaranteed to shut down if it gets to 130f".
> 
> My geckos'd be burned on that.
> 
> I asked a couple of manufacturers about the hot rocks and the 'thermostatic control' you see - back when I was setting up my geckos' stack vivariums - because I'd have considered hot rocks as basking points if and only if *I* could set what temperature I wanted them at.


So what your saying in normal terms is that the manufactures have screwed up by setting the temps to high and not having it so it can be self adjustable which will cause serious burns on any reptile.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Diablo said:


> So what your saying in normal terms is that the manufactures have screwed up by setting the temps to high and not having it so it can be self adjustable which will cause serious burns on any reptile.


Something like that, yes.

I asked if they had any plans for user-adjustable hot rocks, and they said no. 

Guess they thought that 110f is fine for reptiles in general (beardies and monitors, maybe.... ) or the thermostat elements they're using just aren't calibrated to cut out at lower temperatures!


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## Diablo (May 25, 2007)

Ssthisto said:


> Something like that, yes.
> 
> I asked if they had any plans for user-adjustable hot rocks, and they said no.
> 
> Guess they thought that 110f is fine for reptiles in general (beardies and monitors, maybe.... ) or the thermostat elements they're using just aren't calibrated to cut out at lower temperatures!


Which is bad manufacturing problem Dumb people who dont know about reps lol  But still its a NO go until they have sorted the problem out and made them self adjustable to the keepers needs.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Heat rocks are absolutely fine and pose no danger to your animals.... just as long as you don't plug it in,


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## catflea (Sep 1, 2007)

What if one falls on your animal from a height? That'd be dangerous! (joke - not to be taken seriously)




Seriously though, I wouldn't bother. As well as the burning risk - the primary reason I wouldn't consider using one. The hot spot nature of them makes it bloody hard to regulate the viv temp


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

Ssthisto said:


> The thermostats are not user-adjustable. It doesn't matter if a hot rock has a thermostat if the 'stat lets the rock get to 110f before cutting out, and the rock's "guaranteed to shut down if it gets to 130f".



Most heat up to 50f before cutting off.
However i do understand why people don't want to use them they are risky, hence why its peoples decisions to use them or not.


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

I dont like them from days of old, and they are not much better now, even with the so called stats built in !

A nice rock or stone of lump of slate under a bulb or on a mat or cable will soon take up the heat, and looks better. !


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## Diablo (May 25, 2007)

purejurrasic said:


> I dont like them from days of old, and they are not much better now, even with the so called stats built in !
> 
> A nice rock or stone of lump of slate under a bulb or on a mat or cable will soon take up the heat, and looks better. !


PJ you have a PM


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