I currently am using a 10 gal heat pad in my 20 Gal Long Gecko aquarium. I was just at a petco and the local herp vet was there and said no heat pad for geckos. use only light? is this true. Most say belly heat is the best for a leopard gecko. Anybody else with a 20 gal long and has had there gecko for a long time please let me know how your setup is?

You can use an above the tank light, but they also need the Under Tank Heater for the belly heat to aide in digestion.

__________________
MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Both of my geckos have Under Tank Heater's, I also have a light over top of one of the cages to give a little extra light and warmth, but the heat pad is definitely primary.

__________________

"What is now proven was once only imagined." - William Blake

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

thats what I thought. i will keep the Under Tank Heater

I Beleive the Herp Vet Meant No heat pads on the side of the tank. Granted, it is a Petco vet, Im pretty sure they go wih the lowest price vet.

__________________
"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

I have a couple 20 gallon longs I use for my Leopard Geckos and they both have under tank heaters. I have always used an under tank heater with Leopard Geckos. (I have been keeping Leopard Geckos for over 10 years.)

__________________

thanks rich that is what I thougt. do you leave it on 24/7 and do you ever have any light? White, red or blue light? when do you have the lights on and off? what watt are they?

thanks for the help

Well, The Under the Tank Heater should be left on 24/7, the lights should be on 12 hours off 12 hours (buy a $6 home depot lamp timer), as for daylight bulbs, Leopard Geckos don't need UVB bulbs, i'd use regular home depot bulbs, though I do like to use the GE Reveal daylight white bulbs, its like $3.50 for a six pack, and they come in 40 watt, 60 watt, 75 watt, and 100 watt. I just like them because it looks more like real sunlight, white not yellow. wattage all depends on the animals temperature needs, ambient room temp, tank size, so on.
if your using a under the tank heater you should'nt need a red or black nocturnal bulb, but I have one on my White spotted wall gecko tank so I can watch him move around at night.

__________________
"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

All of my tanks are on timers for the lighting because I would likely forget to turn someone on if they weren't. (Check eBay for timers. I bought an entire lot of them for dirt cheap money. I got like 12 of them and some other supplies for like $25.00 which included shipping.) I use normal household bulbs on the leo tanks.

In my bedroom, where I have several more Leopard Geckos, they get ambient light since the snake tanks are all lit up.

I leave my under tank heaters on 24/7.

One of the leo tanks in my living room has a red bulb on it, but I don't leave it on. If I plan to be up for awhile, I turn it on and watch the 2 girls in it moving about. When I am ready for bed, it goes off again. lol

__________________

thanks for all the replys. My new male I got yesterday still isnt eating yet. but then again it is the 2nd night, i am leaving a small bowl of mealies in and a few crickets overnight, lets see whats left in the morning.