# which size heatmat?



## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

can anyone help me with advice re:correct size heatmat for a leopard gecko viv?

i`m going to use a thermostat, but as my house is quite cold, would i need to cover 2/3 of the floor space?


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

Yeah the usual rule for any reptile is 2/3rds of the floor space, this will keep a nice warm ambient temperature and also provide a cooler space which is vital for a healthy animal.
: victory:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

I would say MAXIMUM of 1/2 the floor space. A third "unheated" might not be enough on warmer days for your gecko to properly thermoregulate, but half heated and half not will keep the heated side warm enough for your gecko.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

cheers, does it matter that my house is freeeeeeeezing cold?


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

When you say "freezing cold" what actual surface temperatures are we talking about? You still don't want your gecko any warmer than 85-90 degrees floor heat on the hot side....


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

If your house is freezing cold i would recommend 2/3rd of the tank covered with heat mat on a thermostat to regulate temperature.
How cold is your house?
:2thumb:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i have no heating in the bedrooms at all

:help:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

TBH, if it's that cold, I would still only recommend a heat mat that takes up a third to half of the tank (on a thermostat) PLUS a low-wattage blue or red bulb on a dimming thermostat to raise the air temperature.

Heat mats are not designed to heat the air - they heat things that are on top of them. A heat mat won't significantly increase the air temperature in the cage, and if it's really that cold, you'll need a warmer air temperature. A properly regulated bulb will do that; you'd put that on the warm side, over the heat mat, and put your dimmer stat probe in the cool end to maintain an air temperature of 70 degrees.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

and the shoppin` list gets longer...............

:lol2:

how do people in cold houses with racks get on then?


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## robglobe (Feb 11, 2007)

Ssthisto said:


> TBH, if it's that cold, I would still only recommend a heat mat that takes up a third to half of the tank (on a thermostat) PLUS a low-wattage blue or red bulb on a dimming thermostat to raise the air temperature.
> 
> Heat mats are not designed to heat the air - they heat things that are on top of them. A heat mat won't significantly increase the air temperature in the cage, and if it's really that cold, you'll need a warmer air temperature. A properly regulated bulb will do that; you'd put that on the warm side, over the heat mat, and put your dimmer stat probe in the cool end to maintain an air temperature of 70 degrees.


Good Advice.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i`m more confused.............


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

Ssthisto said:


> TBH, if it's that cold, I would still only recommend a heat mat that takes up a third to half of the tank (on a thermostat) PLUS a low-wattage blue or red bulb on a dimming thermostat to raise the air temperature.
> 
> Heat mats are not designed to heat the air - they heat things that are on top of them. A heat mat won't significantly increase the air temperature in the cage, and if it's really that cold, you'll need a warmer air temperature. A properly regulated bulb will do that; you'd put that on the warm side, over the heat mat, and put your dimmer stat probe in the cool end to maintain an air temperature of 70 degrees.


If it is that cold i defo agree with this info. The heat mat does not raise air temp so a bulb would defo be a good idea.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

pigglywiggly said:


> and the shoppin` list gets longer...............
> 
> :lol2:
> 
> how do people in cold houses with racks get on then?


*chuckle* We turn up the heating and keep the house warmer.

Actually, having a lot of reptiles does keep the rooms we keep them in warmer anyway - when British Gas shut off our gas for three days last year to do some work in mid-November, the only rooms that were tolerably warm were the front room (one tegu viv, one Nile monitor viv), Reptile Room 1 (another tegu viv, a vivarium stack and assorted racking) and Reptile Room 2 (Assorted racking, plus pythons in ceramic-heated enclosures). 

My choice, if a room was so cold that I was concerned one heat mat wouldn't cut it for a leopard gecko (and remember deserts do get very cold at night) I would be installing a small space heater or turning up the radiator in that room to keep it overall warmer... and if that's not possible, then yes, the cage needs more equipment to keep the enclosure the right temperatures.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

cheers for the advice, so i get a small electric room heater for background heat, viv with mat/light and thermostats, and a useful tub for quarantine

:mf_dribble:


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