# Leo heat mat not hot enough!



## ScaleyPillow (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi, I recently purchased a juvenile leopard gecko, and I am using my brother's old set up from his. The tank is 23" long, 18.5" wide and, 21" tall, and the heat mat is 6 by 11", however, I have a thermometer placed where the heat mat sits under the slate substrate I am using, but the temperature only seems to be reaching around 25 degrees celcius unless I use a 60w red heat lamp as well, then it reaches the desired 31 degrees (in the hot end). Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to help heat the tank up without having to use a heat lamp? Should I just get a bigger heat mat? Help please!


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I think you could do with a bigger heatmat - probably 11x11". But if we can know a bit more about your set-up we can probably help a bit more:
Is it a wooden or glass viv?
How thick is the slate?
What sort of thermometer do you have?
How long has the heatmat been on?
Do you have a thermostat? If so what is the dial set to?


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## ScaleyPillow (Mar 11, 2010)

Ok, well it is a wooden viv with glass sliding doors.
The slate is about 0.5cm thick.
I guess its an analog thermometer I have on both the hot and cool side.
The heat mat had been on for a good couple of hours before I got him in there, after about another 30mins, I realised the heat mat just wasn't doing it so went and got a red heat bulb as well, which brought the temperature up nicely.
I ordered a thermostat yesterday. 

I also switched the red heat bulb off when I went to bed as I wanted it to be cooler for evening and when i checked the temperature again in the morning it was at 25 degrees. So I have put the lamp back on now.


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## suez (Jul 8, 2007)

jools said:


> I think you could do with a bigger heatmat - probably 11x11". But if we can know a bit more about your set-up we can probably help a bit more:
> Is it a wooden or glass viv?
> How thick is the slate?
> What sort of thermometer do you have?
> ...


answering jools questions will be help to us.i would suggest a larger h/mat also a thermostat to control temps


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## ScaleyPillow (Mar 11, 2010)

suez said:


> answering jools questions will be help to us.i would suggest a larger h/mat also a thermostat to control temps


Answered these questions above 

So a 11"x11" mat should do it?


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## haunted-havoc (Aug 6, 2009)

also i would get a new thermometer. you say analogue so i am assuming (could be wrong) that it is one of them dial exo-terra ones. in which case they are wildly inaccurate


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## hillzi (Mar 14, 2009)

haunted-havoc said:


> also i would get a new thermometer. you say analogue so i am assuming (could be wrong) that it is one of them dial exo-terra ones. in which case they are wildly inaccurate


Yeah that's true in fact true with any analoug device. 
Aquarium Fish Tank Water LCD Digital Thermometer New on eBay (end time 02-Apr-10 04:52:42 BST)
thats wha you need, cheap. and more accurate.

: victory:


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I think that with a bigger heatmat and a thermostat you should have no trouble getting the temps you need. You do have the mat INSIDE the viv don't you? Should be, but some ppl don't realize.


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## ScaleyPillow (Mar 11, 2010)

jools said:


> I think that with a bigger heatmat and a thermostat you should have no trouble getting the temps you need. You do have the mat INSIDE the viv don't you? Should be, but some ppl don't realize.


Yeah lol, I do, its sat under the slate where his hide is, which he seems to love. I have just ordered a 11"x11" 14w heat mat, ordered a thermostat yesterday and I think I'm going to order a digital thermometer now too!


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