Hi Magnus, Magnus Myklatun wrote:
> Hi! > > >The Leopard Gecko Manual by Vosjoli et al recommends that when using > >incandescent bulbs for heat "measure the temperature of the heated >ground > >area closest to the bulb. The thermometer should read 84-88 F <(29-31C)." > > Yes, I am aware that Vosjoli says that.... I've been looking through > different sources of literature though, and there are many conflicting > answers. Just stick to De Vosjoli et al., it is the most respected leopard gecko book. The people who wrote this book have been playing with herps and publishing herp research probably longer than you have been alive! I know there is a lot of stuff there available to newbies, however, this book, and Lyle Puente's Leopard book, are enough for you to learn good leopard husbandry set-up. > Right now I got a 25W bulb in and it's still creating a surface > temp. right under the bulb of low 90's.... I guess my question is, what sort > of wattage do you use (I know that varies A LOT), but 25W is very low. > You are going to have to play with it until you get it adjusted. There are too many factors to consider to make a concrete recommendation on which wattage you should use. For example, your home's ambient temp is ?F to ?F during the different times of the day. I suggest folks get a variety of household bulbs, 25w, 30w, 40w and keep testing until you get it right, 86-88F surface temp max during at least a few hours a day. When you figure that out with cheap household bulbs, you can then move up to a nice herp-type bulb if you like. When you do, you will need a lower temp bulb as the herp bulbs concentrate their temps more than a household incandescent. With your set-up, a temp of low 90s with a 25w bulb, either your house is hotter than most humans like ;-), or your terrarium top is very low compared to most set-ups using lighting as a heat source. Maybe you bought one of those very powerful whiz-bang herp bulbs?What size terrarium are you using? Julie Bergman http://www.geckoranch.com GGA lifetime member ########################################################################### THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV WebSite: www.gekkota.com Archive: [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings. ###########################################################################
