Many leopard gecko owners face the problem of keeping the tank warm enough. In this post, we will discuss how to know if leopard gecko tank is too cold, how to raise the temperature in a leopard gecko tank, optimal temperatures in the tank, leopard gecko cold tolerance and insulating the UTH under the tank.
What are ideal temperatures in a leopard gecko tank?
- Temperature on the floor in the warm side near a basking spot should be 88-92 degrees Fahrenheit (31.3-33.3 Celsius).
- Same temperatures (88-92) should be right under a leopard gecko’s warm dry hide.
- The air temperature 4-6 inches above the ground in the warm side should be 80-83 degrees F (26.6-28.3 Celsius).
- Temperature inside a leopard gecko’s moist hide needs to be between 83-90 degrees F (28-32.2 Celsius).
- Air temperature 4-6 inches above the ground in the cool side should be 73-76 degrees Fahrenheit (22.7-24.4 Celsius).
- The night time temperature in the tank should be between 67-74 degrees F (19.4-23 Celsius).
- Keep the winter temperature the same unless you are an experienced keeper who wants to induce brumation (breeding purposes).
How to monitor temperatures inside a leopard gecko’s tank?
To monitor temperatures inside a leopard gecko’s tank, place at least 2 thermometers inside the tank. One should go slightly above the floor in the warm side, and one – 4-6 inches above the ground in the cool side. You also need to measure temperature in the air temperature in the warm side.
So, placing another thermometer 4-6 inches above the ground in the warm spot is very beneficial. If you can’t place 3 thermometers, place two and get another infrared gun thermometer to monitor temperatures in the hides and other spots of the tank.
Make sure to choose a digital thermometer with a probe like this. They are more accurate than analog thermometers. Also, infrared gun thermometers like this are very accurate and easy to use (just point to the spot to get the temperature).
How to heat a leopard gecko’s tank?
Leopard geckos are crepuscular, which means that they don’t need bright or UVB lights in the tank (even though you might install a 2-5% UVB light).
To heat a leopard gecko’s tank, you will need to place an under tank heater below the tank in the warm spot, and optionally a ceramic heat emitting bulb on the top if the tank doesn’t get hot enough.
For light, you can place a low wattage incandescent bulb, such as white incandescent bulb to mimic day and night. In summer, set the light to 14 hours of light vs. 10 hours off.
In winter, reduce to 10-12 hours on vs. 12-14 hours off. But this is not necessary and the light from the windows might be enough for your leopard gecko to know when it’s a day and night. This is more beneficial for dark rooms or for more inactive leopard geckos.
If your house is warm enough or if you have a small tank, you might only need an under tank heater (UTH). Ceramic heat emitting bulb is only necessary in tanks larger than 20-30 gallons.
Leave UTH on for 24 hours and turn off the bulb for the night unless the mat doesn’t heat the tank properly and it gets colder than 67 degrees F (19.4 Celsius).
You can find a ceramic heat emitting bulb here. Make sure that your leopard gecko can’t touch it – place it in a dome lamp fixture like this.
Leopard gecko heating mat
Heating mat is often the best way to keep a leopard gecko’s tank warm. A heating mat goes directly under the terrarium, below the warm spot of the tank.
This is where your leopard gecko will lay in the warm hideout to digest food, by touching the ground with its belly. A heat mat is the best heating device for a leopard gecko’s tank with most substrates such as paper towels and carpet.
With ceramic tiles substrate, you can have an overhead ceramic bulb that will heat the ceramic tiles. By the end of the day, your leopard gecko will come out and will absorb the heat from the tiles.
But this doesn’t mean that you can turn it off for the night – only if the temperatures stay warm. Other substrates don’t really hold in the heat so the under tank heating is more suitable.
Be careful with ceramic heat emitting bulbs if you have a very small tank (10 gallons for example), as it can get too hot. In general, 10 gallon tank is way too small for an adult leopard gecko, and it’s hard to impossible to create a temperature gradient in a tank this small.
Summary: with a 20-30 gallon tank, you will probably only need a UTH to heat the tank. If the temperatures are still low and with bigger tanks, get a ceramic heat emitting bulb on top of the warm spot. Check the temperatures with thermometers and infrared temp gun and add another heat source if temperatures are still low.
What watt heat mat for leopard gecko?
When choosing what wattage heat mat for a leopard gecko’s tank, everything will depend on the size of the tank. A heat heat mat that will be suitable for a 10-20 gallon leopard gecko’s tank is for example, a 8 watt 8×6 inches mat.
With a 25-30 gallon tank, it’s better to get a larger heat mat, such as 8″x12″. The size of the heat mat is often more important number than the wattage, and bigger the wattage = bigger the mat.
An under tank heat mat should cover 1/3-1/2 surface of a leopard gecko’s tank and should be attached under the warm side of the terrarium to create a temperature gradient.
Work out 1/3 to half of the tank’s length and get the heat mat that is suitable. It is better to place it in one corner (center, top or bottom of a corner- all are fine), to create a temperature gradient in a whole tank.
You can find a 8″x 6″under tank heating mat here. Please remember, that heating mat must be connected to a thermostat like this to control temperatures as it can get too hot!
A thermostat will have a probe which you need to put on the floor where the mat lays underneath. The probe will sense the temperatures and if the temp goes above the maximum, it will turn off the heater.
Leopard gecko heat mat setup
Step number 1: Attachment. After buying a heat mat for your leopard gecko’s tank, you need to attach it. Please note that most heat mats that you buy will be adhesive.
This means that it will stick to the tank permanently and you shouldn’t move it around after setup, or you will damage the heating element inside. A heat mat should go under the tank, below the warm spot of the tank and it should cover 1/3-1/2 of the tank.
If you are fine with attaching the heat mat to the tank permanently, then stick it to one corner, which will be later a warm side of the tank. A heat mat will also have rubber feet which will lift the bottom of the heat mat above the ground to ensure an air flow. Without an air flow, the bottom of the tank will crack.
If you want to attach the heat mat without using a sticker, attach it with a heat resistant tape, for example Gaffer or aluminum tape.
Step number 2: Connecting the heat mat to a thermostat. After attaching the heating mat, make sure to connect it to a thermostat. Then, place a thermostat’s probe directly on the tank’s floor, where heat mat is underneath.
You can get an under tank heater that comes with a thermostat here.
Leopard gecko tank is not hot enough
Have you tried everything and the tank is still cold? There might be few reasons for that. Let’s discuss some tips and tricks that you can do to make leopard gecko tank hotter.
- Is your house very cold? In this case, move a tank to a warmer spot or use a heat mat and a ceramic heat emitting bulb, but only for tanks that are at least 20-25 gallons.
- If an under tank heater doesn’t get warm enough, it might be faulty. Most under tank heaters can heat up to 130 degrees F, so check if the mat is working properly.
- Most owners have a glass tank for their leopard geckos. Glass terraria don’t hold the heat well, so you might consider covering or placing the heat mat on top of a heat resistant and fireproof material, such as polystyrene. Don’t forget to lift the tank at 2 inches above the ground for air flow.
- You can also insulate UTH under a leopard gecko’s tank. Place some aluminum foil (with shiny side on top) between the table/stand and the UTH. The foil with the shiny side up should be on the bottom of the UTH, and will help hold and move the heat up.
- Are you sure that you are checking the temperature of the tank’s ground? This is where the tank will be hottest and will differ from the air temperature.
- Do you have a large leopard gecko tank that is 40 gallons or bigger? In this case, you will need to use a larger heat mat and a ceramic heat emitting bulb. With extra large tanks, you will probably need to use a heating cables instead of a pad and attach them with aluminum tape.
Leopard gecko cold to the touch?
Some owners get anxious because their leopard gecko is cold to the touch. The thing is, leopard geckos are cold blooded lizards and are ecotherms. This means that they depend on outside heat to stay warm. Unless your leopard gecko was laying in the hot spot, it might feel cold to you when you pick it up.
This is because human body temperature is around 97-98 degrees (36.6 Celsius), so leopard gecko will feel cool-cold. Their body temperature will depend on where they have been laying and might feel different to you at different times. If the temperature in he tank is optimal, you shouldn’t worry too much about this.
Leopard gecko cold tolerance
Leopard geckos are cold blooded lizards and need heat from outside to survive, or they will die. Their preferred body temperature is around 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).
Depending on a situation – such as shipping or power outage, your leopard gecko might survive for few days with no heat if the room temperature is at least 60 degrees (15.5 Celsius).
With shipping in extreme cold, long shipping might kill your leopard gecko, but insulation and heat packs should help keep the box warm.
Thank you for reading this post and make sure to check out the full guide on setting up lighting, heating and humidity in a leopard gecko’s tank here.