#temperature gradient

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

split talon
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hey! so i got my leopard gecko 3 days ago. it's 2 months old and doesn't show up from it's hides often. it ate 4 mealworms on the first night. but alright, to the point — how can i achieve a nice temperature gradient? my enclosure is 85x40x40 cm. i'll upgrade it to a bigger one after a while, but for now i have to stay with that one. i'm using an arcadia 35W halogen bulb. the difference between the warm side and cool side is 1°C, which kinda worries me.
what i know is i have to get a new thermostat — a dimming one with preferably a timer that could turn the bulb on & off too. because my current one has only two options, such as starting temperature and out temperature... once it reaches the out one, it turns immediately off

sorry if i explained something wrong, my english is not the best as it's not my first language. it's my first time having a reptile so i'm also looking for any advice :3

atomic pewter
split talon
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the breeder told me to keep it around 26 C. so warm is 26 C and cool 25 C right now

echo marsh
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You need to switch that bulb out for a higher wattage if you can

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Or buy a new one

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Actually, have you tried to insulate the enclosure?

split talon
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my enclosure looks something like that. can't really show a normal pic rn cuz i don't have it on my laptop. but i was thinking of insulating the grid on the warm side, but i don't know if the air flow wouldn't be too small then

image.png
echo marsh
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Does the enclosure have a mesh top?

split talon
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unfortunately no :(

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managed to get a pic, it looks something like this

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echo marsh
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Oh so you mounted internally

atomic pewter
split talon
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so sorry for the ms paint drawings but im not at home rn! and i wanna explain stuff to not take up so much time :( im aware of the amount of shelves being not enough, but thats not the final enclosure, as i mentioned before
the bulb is on the middle of the enclosure, leaning left. its close to the glass doors. the distance between the platform and the bulb is around 22 cm. if theres something wrong with it, please tell, ill change it once im able to! i want to be sure my gecko feels good in its enclosure, i dont want to harm it by my unawareness on accident ☹️

image.png Screenshot_20250528_152317_Gallery.png
atomic pewter
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so a big problem is definitely going to be the fact that the bulb is misplaced and angled, they need to be straight up and down for proper diffusion, and off to one side to have a proper gradient

split talon
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ohhhh alright

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which place would be the best?

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the reason i put it in the middle is because theres very little space in the corners

atomic pewter
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here's an example of mine, they should be off to one side

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split talon
atomic pewter
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it should also be about 45 centimeters up

split talon
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yeah figured my terrarium might be too small sadly

atomic pewter
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i think unfortunately with that current enclosure you're going to continue having issues because of its design, what kind is it?

split talon
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yeah, unfortunately. ill ask someone whos at home to take a picture of it so i could show how it looks like

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left corner, right corner, left side (warm). the bulb itself fits, but only without the holder, so basically it wouldnt be able to be turned on.. and it would be too close to the platform

20250528_154541.jpg 20250528_154557.jpg 20250528_154705.jpg
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the guy who made the enclosure kinda messed up and its my fault i havent told him cryingcat

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maybe ill find a solution to that

atomic pewter
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also to mention your thermostat needs to be under the basking spot!

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to check, have you read the care !guide?

silk sluiceBOT
split talon
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i did but i lost it somewhere ^^ and thank you! ill put it under it once im home