# Crested Gecko Heating



## CG Tommy (Mar 10, 2012)

Hi all,

Picking up my first crestie in the next few days. Need a bit of advice on heating.
I have a wooden with plastic coating viv of approx 100L with a bit of decor and some substrate etc in it.
I've taken readings from various areas of my viv and they seem to range between 65F and 70F without any heating.
There is a bulb at the top (40w tight beam spot light) and when it is turned on and the temperate allowed to stabalize it is about 85ish a couple inches under the spot lamp and about 75ish on the floor.My old man is a bit of a whizz kid with electronics so he reckons he could make up a thermostat that could be set to turn the light on at 65 F and off again at 80 F. Does this sound about right? If so in which part of the viv should the probe go?

I also have a small 13W light i could hang in there. It won't raise the temperature as quickly but could provide a decent hot spot.
Any advice on these 2 options?

However the problems with these arrangements is that surely it would disrupt the geckos day/night cycle? Any advice for this?

I have also considered hanging a heat mat on the wall with a piece of 1mm plywood over it with a small air gap and some plastic vines hanging over it for the gecko to bask on. The theory being that the plywood would stop the little fella burning his feet but still allow him to bask. If this sounds viable what sort of wattage heat mat should i use?

Cheers guys.


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## awh (Aug 20, 2008)

hi
crested gecko's are fine with room temps mine sits between 65f and 72f most of the time so dont require any extra heat

the only time i have had to use extra heat is when we had some hard frosts over the winter 

please check out some care sheets as these will confirm what i say
i use low energy lights in the vivs for light and blue leds for a hour or so fr viewing at night


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## emmilllyyy (Oct 9, 2010)

Heating is a well debated subject. Many people state that 'room temperature' is the correct temperature for a gecko, but this is not entirely true. With people living in different areas and therefore have different climates, not everyones standard temperatures are adequate for a gecko to thrive in. 

Personally I believe that every animal needs a temperature gradient to thermoregulate correctly, and so being in a room with no heating equipment will make it harder for them to do so, and with no sustainable source of heat the temperature might also fluctuate with no mat/bulb. 

There are many ways of providing heat for you gecko, in terms of statted mats, day bulbs, ceramics etc. Personally I use statted mats stuck to the left or right side of the cage (not underneath or behind the background) to create a gradient for the gecko. I also have been using a ceramic in an Exo Terra wire lamp on a pulse stat on one of my geckos terrariums. As soon as I get the extra money I will be splashing out on getting ceramics for all of my geckos, as my female has been making more use of her terrarium self-regulating than my other geckos that either sit directly on their mat or not. Mats are a good source of heat but only create a hot spot on the glass, and heat can only be absorbed when the gecko is directly on top of the mat, whereas with a ceramic, the ambient temperature is raised and therefore creates a better environment for the gecko in my opinion.

As for lighting, it is also debated about.
People use desk bulbs as a source of light and heat, some use UV compact bulbs, some use none. Personally I use none as I don't see the point, being that these geckos are nocturnal, but it is totally up to you. There is no right or wrong way! As for the desk bulbs though I wouldn't use those as they have to be turned off at night not providing heat for your gecko when it is most active.


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## Oxide (Dec 31, 2011)

I have a new Viv,its a big ass wooden one i got second hand.

Housed a snake and has a 100 watt ceramic in it already.

I have wired up another fixture for light,just a 5 watt energy saving bulb for day and blue led's for night.

I been talking to chris18 a lot and im awaiting a pulse stat as after a lot of reading i agree with your gecko being able to thermoregulate.

In my exo i had a compact top and a heat matt for night,on cold night i found him under the substrate keeping warm,when i move him in he can go to any part of the viv and settle in any temp he wants.


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## debiorme (Aug 28, 2011)

Hi, i wouldnt use any heat/light bulbs inside the viv unless u`ve got a guard on them as crestie will jump on anything and could get burnt, ive got my cresties in exo terra tanks & a heat mat attached to the side of the tank, only use them during winter months when the temps drop low, cresties dont like hot temps,mine are all at around 68-73.:2thumb:


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## CG Tommy (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks guys, got my crestie now. A beautiful pinstripe and harlequin from usa bloodlines not sure if it is blonde or creamsickle but will do a 'identify my crestie' style thread once i've got some pictures. Private seller and the guy really knew his stuff (having over 120 cresties in a custom built 'shed' in his garden) and they looked very healthy - a few of the adults weighing over 70 grams.

Anyway it is in the viv without any heating. The temperatures range between about 65 - 72. The little un seems happy. I've ordered a ceramic bulb, have a guard for it. I will be putting it on an on/off thermostat i will wire up myself.
making it come on at 60 and off at 75ish.

Sound ok?


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