How much wattage for a leopard gecko?
I just got a leopard gecko 2 days from the store. The guy at the store gave me a UTH which I know Is good but he also gave me a 75 watt WHITE light bulb, not red for the gecko. He is in a 10 gallon tank and he only seems to come out either at night (which I know is normal because they are nocturnal) but he also comes out during the day only if the light is off. I'm thinking that this is way to much wattage so can anyone tell me what the correct wattage is and what color light I need? Thanks!
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Verified answer
Yeah.. that's actually pretty bad. I have my Leopard Gecko in a 10 gallon tank as well as you do. I have a UTH and that is all. I DO NOT have a heat light. Those are so unnecessary and potentially dangerous to your gecko. The heat lights/lamps are really strong for any Leopard Gecko, regardless of the wattage. Especially if it isn't a red light one. I have no idea why he gave you a white light heat lamp. That's weird. They make red lights for a reason: Leopard Geckos and other reptiles can't see the color red, so they use red lights so it doesn't burn their eyes. Take the heat lamp out immediately, it is way too much for your gecko. All I have is an under the tank heater and that is all you need, too. I have a screen lid on top of the cage and on top of that I have another lid. Okay so this tank I have used to be a fish tank so the lid I use that goes over the screen lid has one normal light in it, which is fine.
So you should take out the heat light/lamp and just have your Leopard Gecko use a UTH. They don't absorb heat from above anyway, so the lamp is completely pointless. Leopard Geckos absorb heat from their bellies. They need to have a UTH in order to digest food properly. Good luck, I hope I helped.
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