# need help on positioning of lights in vivarium for leopard geckos (first viv)



## silverdagger71 (Jun 14, 2011)

please please help me im setting up a viv for the first time . need help on what bulbs needed as have been reading in various places about what bulbs to use and the advice is pretty contradictory on lights ( ie dont need heat bulbs if using heat mats) . but what i really need to know is the positioning of bulbs. i went ahead and bought the bulbs think i got all bulbs needed, uv , ceramic heat, night bulb opted for lowlight emitting blue l.e.d ,day light strip (only got that because room not that light).but not sure of positioning of them all is it on ceiling or walls not really sure. 
vivexotic vx36 the dimensions are

36" LONG X 318.5" WIDE X 20.5" HIGH

i dont want to set the viv up and then get me little baby only for it to get ill and not be happy with conditions :notworthy:
so please could some person help this noob out with a diagram or good clear advice
many thanks
john
ps 
read care sheets on this site and there is some good care sheets on here, but they dont explain where lights should be positioned :mrgreen:


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## esp121281 (Oct 26, 2009)

Hi I would use a heat mat instead of a ceramic heater covering about 1/3 of the floor space. Get a thermometer to regulate the temp hot end should be about 90f. The night bulbs will be good for veiwing your gecko at night. There is some debate about UV at the mo your Leo will do fine without it. If you want to use it position it a third of the way down the back wall of the viv it wont harm your Leo but he will prob hide more. Just a little info will add more when im not at work sure someone will have answered in more detail then though 

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## esp121281 (Oct 26, 2009)

Thermometer should have typed thermostat:-/ 

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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Hi,

The correct way to fit a lamp is as follows,

Please don't fit hanging in the viv, this is the single most dangerous thing to do. Reptiles are supposed to be illuminated from above which is why they have a bony ridge above the eye, it's a kind of sunshade, 

Fit the lamp and reflector in the corner between the roof and the front plate above the door. Angle the reflector so that the light travels from top front to rear back. Start the fitting in the hot end so that the cool end is shady. We now know that cool and shade are just as important to completing the D3 cycle as heat and u.v. Use decoration to create a basking platform in the basking area. Depending on what lamp you have a graduated basking area to withing 10-12" of a lamp is ideal. The animal will then choose when and where to bask.

Always willing to advise further.

John.





silverdagger71 said:


> please please help me im setting up a viv for the first time . need help on what bulbs needed as have been reading in various places about what bulbs to use and the advice is pretty contradictory on lights ( ie dont need heat bulbs if using heat mats) . but what i really need to know is the positioning of bulbs. i went ahead and bought the bulbs think i got all bulbs needed, uv , ceramic heat, night bulb opted for lowlight emitting blue l.e.d ,day light strip (only got that because room not that light).but not sure of positioning of them all is it on ceiling or walls not really sure.
> vivexotic vx36 the dimensions are
> 
> 36" LONG X 318.5" WIDE X 20.5" HIGH
> ...


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