# Leopard Gecko temperature questions!



## katkenny1 (Sep 29, 2014)

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me? I set everything up for my gecko vivarium on Wednesday and was hoping to go and buy one this weekend! I've read that you should leave it 48 hours for the temperatures to sort themselves out, BUT after two days the temperatures in my vivarium aren't correct (no gecko for me until I can sort it out!).

I've read that the hot side should be 31 and the cooler side in the mid twenties or so. I've bought an 11x11 heat mat which is covering 1/3-1/2 of my 3ft viv, and the thermostat is set to 31. But the digital thermometer is only reading 25-27 at the hot end and the thermostat hasn't turned the mat off once. At the cold end its only 18 degrees which seems too cold to me!?

Does anyone have any ideas or advice? I do have a spare smaller heat mat because I initially got the wrong size - can I stick this to the side above the height where the lizard could touch it to try and raise the temp and avoid burns? 

Thanks in advance!
Kat


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

Where are the probes for both the thermostat and thermometer?



Gavin.


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## katkenny1 (Sep 29, 2014)

The probe for the thermostat is on the tile above the heat mat, and the probes for the thermometre are just above the tiles at either end


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

Both probes need to be on the tiles, as even a few millimeters off will result in a huge difference. Also you are best not relying on the temperature dial on thermostats as in my experience they can be well off the temperature displayed on thermometers. 

Get the thermometers on the floor of the vivarium and see if they then read any different. Set the dial on the thermostat by the thermometer. It may be a case that the tiles are not allowing enough heat through and the mat is at optimum output. So a thinner substrate or higher powered mat may be needed.



Gavin.


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## katkenny1 (Sep 29, 2014)

Thanks for your advice. I replaced the substrate with thin tiles and ensured the probes are touching the tiles. However, it still only reaches 29 in the hot and 19-20 in the cold.

I have since bought a more high powered heat mat, but it has arrived and the instructions say that it shouldn't be used under substrate and is only suitable for wall/ceiling mounting. Is this true or do people use them in this way anyway?

I'm now completely confused as to what I can do next to get warm enough temperatures?


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

wall ceiling mounting heat mat? sounds like a Radiator not a heat mat?


did you put the thermometer probe on the tiles, directly above the heat mat, with the thermomstat probe?

the reading you got before, was air temp i think, and I'm sure the heat mat was reaching the required temp...you need to put the thermometer probe on the tiles above the heat mat to know


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## katkenny1 (Sep 29, 2014)

Its definitely a heat mat - this one:

Habistat High Power Adhesive Heat Mat | Swell Reptiles

And the probes were also definitely touching the tiles as I stuck them in place after the initial poster advised me to


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

katkenny1 said:


> Its definitely a heat mat - this one:
> 
> Habistat High Power Adhesive Heat Mat | Swell Reptiles
> 
> And the probes were also definitely touching the tiles as I stuck them in place after the initial poster advised me to


you should ignore the numbers on the thermostat dial, they are not always accurate, so if the thermometer says 29C, then just turn the thermostat probe up until you reach 31C 

tiles can take a few hours to reach the right temp on top, so do it slowly, check every 1hr, and turn up the thermostat a little bit at a time until you get the right temp


(the link you posted above is not for ceiling or wall mount, so not sure where that came from...its just a heat mat  ....the heat mat you want, should be 1/2 to 1/3 the floor size of the enclosure - but the sticky part means it is supposed to be mounted outside the enclosure, not inside, which can be very dangerous, as the reptile can stick to it and it will cause horrible injuries)


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

katkenny1 said:


> Thanks for your advice. I replaced the substrate with thin tiles and ensured the probes are touching the tiles. However, it still only reaches 29 in the hot and 19-20 in the cold.
> 
> I have since bought a more high powered heat mat, but it has arrived and the instructions say that it shouldn't be used under substrate and is only suitable for wall/ceiling mounting. Is this true or do people use them in this way anyway?
> 
> I'm now completely confused as to what I can do next to get warm enough temperatures?





katkenny1 said:


> Its definitely a heat mat - this one:
> 
> Habistat High Power Adhesive Heat Mat | Swell Reptiles
> 
> And the probes were also definitely touching the tiles as I stuck them in place after the initial poster advised me to



I have a few of these lying around and as you say they come with a warning - 

"DO NOT COVER. High Power Heat Mat, Vivarium Roof or Wall Mounting Only."

- and because of this it's obviously advised not to use them in the conventional way. Saying that I have tested them out under substrate on the floor of the vivarium and have had no problems with them. Just keep it on a thermostat and you should be fine. Maybe even prop the tiles up a few millimeters using some thin off cuts of tile or lino. This will give the mat room to 'breath' but will still allow it to get hot enough for the gecko. They heat up quicker and because they are a higher wattage they don't need to be working at their maximum ability to get the desired temperatures. I would advise you to try it out when the gecko is not in the vivarium and get your temps correct before you introduce the gecko again. Also don't remove the paper backing as you don't want the gecko getting in contact with the adhesive back, my friend had a gecko get stuck on it and the outcome was awful.

Lastly when you say you "stuck" the probes in place, what did you use? If it was anything sticky remove it and use something heavy to weight them down. Use a hide, rock, bowl, anything apart from anything remotely sticky.



Gavin.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

the fact that they make these so that they have a high temp output, and warn people not to use them in the only way which is of any use...is concerning, to say the least!

its bad enough the number of people who say that heat mats don't need stats, but when manufacturers themselves produce products they KNOW are dangerous...pfffft.




Yes as above, if you are using sticky tape to hold those probes, get it it out of there now!!! use a rock, or a heavy hide...never stick tape


google image search "sticky tape reptile", if you want to see why...if you have a sensitive stomach, i suggest you don't, however.


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

CloudForest said:


> the fact that they make these so that they have a high temp output, and warn people not to use them in the only way which is of any use...is concerning, to say the least!
> 
> its bad enough the number of people who say that heat mats don't need stats, but when manufacturers themselves produce products they KNOW are dangerous...pfffft.


The fact is they aren't dangerous if used in the way they want, and advise, them to be used. As with every piece of heating equipment, it can be dangerous if used in the wrong way. Your statement is just the same as saying Habistat know they make dangerous products when they say ceramics should be guarded and out of the reach of any animal. Yes it would be dangerous if you use the ceramic as a contact heater on the floor of the vivarium but, as with this new mat, they are designed to be used as over head heaters. 

Using these as under-substrate heaters is not the only way in which they can be of any use. They give off a lot of heat and would be great for arboreal lizards which can't actually make contact with the heater, although a ceramic would be better. Something like Cyrtodactylus or Tree Skinks would benefit from the use of these as overhead heaters but for Gekko and other 'sticky' geckos I would completely avoid them. Also if using for anything other than a floor heater, I would avoid using the adhesive backing unless there is measures in place to stop the mat falling as the adhesive isn't strong enough.


I know this has very little, if anything at all, to do with the original topic of the thread and I apologise, but you can't go around spewing aboutsolute rubbish.



Gavin.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

gavgav04 said:


> The fact is they aren't dangerous if used in the way they want, and advise, them to be used. As with every piece of heating equipment, it can be dangerous if used in the wrong way. Your statement is just the same as saying Habistat know they make dangerous products when they say ceramics should be guarded and out of the reach of any animal. Yes it would be dangerous if you use the ceramic as a contact heater on the floor of the vivarium but, as with this new mat, they are designed to be used as over head heaters.
> 
> Using these as under-substrate heaters is not the only way in which they can be of any use. They give off a lot of heat and would be great for arboreal lizards which can't actually make contact with the heater, although a ceramic would be better. Something like Cyrtodactylus or Tree Skinks would benefit from the use of these as overhead heaters but for Gekko and other 'sticky' geckos I would completely avoid them. Also if using for anything other than a floor heater, I would avoid using the adhesive backing unless there is measures in place to stop the mat falling as the adhesive isn't strong enough.
> 
> ...


so they are not heat mats, they are radiant heat sources, and need to be sold as such...which currently, they are not...they are being sold as "mats", and a mat is something which sits on the floor, for the animal to lie on top of...thefore its dangerous, whether they put a sticker on it or not

If they are supposed to be stuck to the side of ceiling of the enclosure with the provided adhesive, then the adhesive MUST be strong enough to hold it in place, even when heated to the temp the "mat" reaches, otherwise, again, it is dangerous

that said, i'm intrigued by the new concept, even if I am disturbed by the fact they are being sold as something they are not!


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