Smooth knob tail gecko heating help

[Mathewh210]

Hey guys and girls
I am soon going to be getting a breeding trio of N. Levis Levis and i will be housing them in a 60 x 30 x 35 glass tank with a mesh lid. They will have 5-8 cm of sand on the warm end and i have been told that they need to be kept at around 27oC. Id really like to hear peoples opinions on how i should go about heating this enclosure. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[azzmilan]

I would only heat one end up. I have a false bottom on my converted aquarium so I don't believe heating from the bottom would suit my enclosure so I use a heat lamp 100w that I leave on ranging from 2-4hours every night (depending on my own busy schedule) and switch it soon after. One of the temp gauges sits at the bottom of the enclosure and says it's 30 degrees which is a little on the hot side but it's over on the side of the enclosure leaving the rest of it alone. I normally switch it off once the knobbies appear and I do see them scurrying around on the previously warm side.

If you don't have a false bottom, many people use heat mats which are perfectly fine but do attempt to touch the substrate yourself once in a while to ensure it actually is warming up, if you have a temp gun even better. Many people don't factor in the thickness of your aquarium and the sheer depth of the substrate .

P.S ensure the mesh is suitable for the light, I have a clamp for my light which rests it against the side of the enclosure .

 

[Mathewh210]

I would only heat one end up. I have a false bottom on my converted aquarium so I don't believe heating from the bottom would suit my enclosure so I use a heat lamp 100w that I leave on ranging from 2-4hours every night (depending on my own busy schedule) and switch it soon after. One of the temp gauges sits at the bottom of the enclosure and says it's 30 degrees which is a little on the hot side but it's over on the side of the enclosure leaving the rest of it alone. I normally switch it off once the knobbies appear and I do see them scurrying around on the previously warm side.

If you don't have a false bottom, many people use heat mats which are perfectly fine but do attempt to touch the substrate yourself once in a while to ensure it actually is warming up, if you have a temp gun even better. Many people don't factor in the thickness of your aquarium and the sheer depth of the substrate .

P.S ensure the mesh is suitable for the light, I have a clamp for my light which rests it against the side of the enclosure .

Thank you for that, say its 4mm thick glass ans still have the sand what wattage heat mat would be best?