Trying to Keep Gargoyle Geckos, Advice on temp needed.
So I understand that they like room temperature, but is there a temperature control apparatus I can use to make sure the tank stays at 70-80 degrees? Because the people I live with would (completely understandably) not be Ok with heat/Ac running all the time to keep the house at room temperature. Any advice appreciated.
Get a dimming thermostat with a Deep heat projector (50watts Arcadia brand is good)
Make sure the thermostat is not an on/off one.
It’s got to be a dimming thermostat with day and night settings 👍 exoterra does a good one and so does habistat I believe.
Put the probe in the basking area and your set 👍
Also saves money on electric as it dims the output rather than it being flat out all the time. And the DHP can be left on 24/7 when used with this thermostat 👍
I have never kept a reptile before, so pardon my naivety, but should I set the day and night settings separately, and if so, what temps should they be, and is there a good place in particular for a basking spot? (Like, should it be a rock or something else?)
I set mine 26-27C during the day and 21-22C during the night… I’m from UK so I use metric system.
Double check what Celsius is to Fahrenheit for those temps.
And yeah for the basking spot it depends on the size of your tank, particularly the height. But put the probe near the spot you’ve designed to be its basking location, like a branch, or a rock if you have one up there.
Cork bark is good because it’s heat resistant, doesn’t easily mould and lasts a long time.
You plug the thermostat into the wall, plug the heating element (lamp, mat, etc) into the thermostat, place the attached thermometer from the thermostat into the warm zone of your enclosure and set the temp range it will cycle on/off for.
Also, just because the ambient room temperature isn't 70-80 degrees doesn't mean your enclosure won't reach that. The enclosure will hold humidity (another element you will have to monitor and control) and temperature better than a large room. I highly recommend purchasing and setting up a proper enclosure and measure temp ranges, humidity and adjust lighting as needed before purchasing and adding your gecko. You'll want them to have a well established and controlled environment to move into.
Is there one you recommend (like a mat versus a heat lamp?) because I heard they don't like heat lamps. I don't know if that is true, though. Also do you have any advice for humidity monitoring?
Honestly get the Arcadia DHP (deep heat projector) 50watts for the thermostat, and get a good quality UVB again Arcadia is a good brand get 2% UVB shadedweller. And an LED for viewing, and to help your reptile see, also better if you have plants.
Trust me, I know what I’m on about lol
Here’s a pic of my tank for inspiration 👍
I wouldn’t get zoomed one. The probe is not accurate at all 😫 pay slightly more and get either a exoterra or a habistat. There are better ones, but they are expensive, these two are good for your first reptile, safe and accurate 👍
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u/Particular_Tea_1625 14h ago
Yes it's called a thermostat and it's an important piece of equipment in care