In this post, you will find everything that you need to know about temperature, heating, lighting and humidity in a leopard gecko tank, and hopefully you set it up before your leopard gecko arrives. You will also find information on best temperatures for leopard geckos, how to control lights and which bulbs to use.
Leopard gecko terrarium lighting and heating
Leopard geckos are crepuscular lizards, which means that they will be sleeping and hiding from the sun during the day. In the wild, they hide from bright light and sun during the daytime hours, and come out when it becomes cooler. This is what you need to replicate in your leopard gecko’s vivarium.
Because leopard geckos are hiding from the bright light, you don’t need any special UVB lighting in the vivarium.
While leopard geckos might benefit from a very low UVB lamp (2-5%), many owners keep their leopard geckos without UVB lighting. Instead, they supplement their diet with vitamin D3 because they don’t have a full-spectrum light bulb.
Your lighting should differ during the day and night. In general, leave a UTH connected to a thermostat (under tank heater) for 24/7, and turn off any lights that you have during the night. At night, you can also use a ceramic heat emitting bulb, that produces no light and only heat. 25-50 watts is often enough for smaller tanks to raise temperatures slightly.
If your room is bright enough during the day, your leopard gecko will know when it’s a day or night, and you don’t really need a daylight.
If it’s quite dark in a room or if your leopard gecko is a bit less active, you can place a low wattage incandescent bulb on top of the tank.
What are ideal temperatures in leopard gecko tank?
- Daytime temperatures in the warm side on the floor of the terrarium should be 88-92 degrees Fahrenheit (31.3-33.3 Celsius).
- Daytime temperature under a warm & dry hide in a basking spot should be similar – 88-92 degrees Fahrenheit (31.3-33.3 Celsius).
- 4-6 inches above the ground, the air temperature in a warm spot during the day should be 80-83 degrees F (26.6-28.3 Celsius).
- Daytime temperatures in the cooler side 4-6 inches above the ground should be between 73-76 degrees Fahrenheit (22.7-24.4 Celsius).
- Inside a humid hideout, which should be on a warm side or the middle, temperature should be 67-74 degrees F (19.4-23 Celsius).
- At night, temperatures should be lowered to about 67-74 degrees F (19.4-23 Celsius). This will help mimic the natural environment.
Don’t forget to use an under tank heater in one spot of the vivarium, as your leopard gecko will need to stay warm during the night. Attach the heating mat to one side, to create a temperature gradient. You can also use a ceramic heat emitter like this.
To make sure of temperatures in a leopard gecko’s vivarium, you will need to place two, or better 3 thermometers inside it. One thermometer in the warm spot near the floor, one 4-6 inches above the ground, and one 4-6 inches above the ground in the cool spot will ensure that temperatures are optimal.
Use a digital thermometer over an analog for more accurate readings. You can also quickly measure temperatures with an infrared thermometer like this, while holding it from a distance.
What is a photoperiod and is it important for a leopard gecko?
You need to provide your leopard gecko with hours of daytime and night time. This will mimic the natural environment. There should be around 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness in summer (don’t worry if you use colored night time heat bulbs). In winter, reduce it to 10-12 hours of light and 12-14 hours of darkness.
Make sure to make the transition from summer to winter smooth. Start reducing the light by 10 minutes each day over the period of approximately two weeks. But this is not needed if you don’t use any daylight bulbs and don’t want your leopard geckos to brumate.
Only induce brumation if you are an experienced keeper and want to breed your leopard geckos after the winter.
Creating a temperature gradient in leopard gecko’s vivarium
Whenever you are using an under tank heating pad and/or heat bulbs, make sure to create a temperature gradient in your leopard gecko’s vivarium.
This means that you need to hang a bulb or place the heating pad on one side of the vivarium. When your leopard gecko gets too hot, it will move to a cooler side, where the ‘cool’ hideout will be.
Placing another ‘warm’ hideout near basking lights will give your gecko a chance to hide from heat.
An under tank heater for leopard geckos
Often just an under tank heater or a bulb is enough to reach ideal temperatures in a leopard gecko’s tank. It’s a better idea to use a bulb with low UVB exposure, so that the tank becomes well-lit.
Only use just an under tank heater if the room is well lit, otherwise use a low wattage bulb for heat and light. While an under tank heater can heat leopard gecko’s vivarium, heat bulbs are almost necessary to maintain correct temperatures with bigger tanks, such as 30-50 gallon tanks.
Choose a small under tank heater like this that is about 8″ long and 6″ wide. This size under tank heating pad will be perfect for a 10-20 gallon vivarium. Place a heating pad on one side of the terrarium to create a temperature gradient.
Never choose a heating pad that covers more than 50% of the terrarium’s size. Creating a temperature gradient for your leopard gecko to thermoregulate is crucial. Set an under tank heater to 88-92 degrees.
An under tank heater must be connected to a thermostat like this and a power center or a timer that will control the temperatures and turn the device on/off at specific times (timer). If you don’t regulate heating mat temperatures, it can overheat, burn your leopard gecko and cause heat buildup and even fire.
Connect an UTH to a thermostat and place its probe inside the tank, right where the heat mat is under the tank. If the heat pad gets too hot, it will automatically shut off.
One important thing on under tank heaters: your heating pad must be lifted from the ground. Most new heating pads will have rubber feet, but if yours doesn’t, you must lift it up from the ground. Lifting it from the ground will ensure the air flow.
If the hot air builds up under the tank, the bottom of the terrarium will crack (glass) and/or burn your leopard gecko. With heating pads without feet, use a thick cardboard piece or something similar to lift up the terrarium slightly.
The best types of light bulbs for leopard geckos?
The best type of lights for your leopard gecko are low wattage incandescent light bulbs, halogen or other household bulbs. A light bulb will provide heat and light in the tank. A well-lit tank is important to promote healthy activity and appetite.
White incandescent/spotlights are the best for mimicking the daytime brightness, while providing your leopard gecko with heat. Another good choice is to get a low-UVB, high visual output bulb.
While your leopard gecko will benefit from a little exposure to UVB, it will also have a bright light. A great bulb to use would be a 5.0 compact Repti-Sun like this.
Best light bulb for the night time heat for a leopard gecko
During the night, it is the best idea to use an infrared ceramic heat emitting bulb if your tank gets too cold with a heating pad. Ceramic light bulbs don’t produce UV lighting, but only heat. They also don’t produce any light so it won’t disturb your leopard gecko.
Ceramic bulbs can get very hot if you get a high wattage bulb. And if leopard gecko’s vivarium is small, this bulb will produce too much heat. You can choose a mini 25 to 50 watt ceramic heat emitter, that will be enough to raise temperatures a little in smaller tanks.
How to install and place light bulbs in leopard gecko’s vivarium?
You will need to place a light bulb that you choose over the terrarium screen cover, or hang it above the lizard. Make sure to cover the bulb to prevent any burns – for this you will have to get a reflector dome like this and place the bulb inside. 7-9 inches (18-23 cm) is the optimal distance from the light to your leopard gecko.
A good reflector dome should have ceramic sockets for overheating bulbs and an on/off switch on the cord. It should also cover the bulb properly to minimize any chances of burns or fire.
If you need two separate bulbs for day and night, get two separate domes and place daylight bulb in one, and night time bulb in the second one. This way you will connect them to a power center to turn on/off at certain times. There are even dual domes that you can find.
Place the bulb on the screen top and measure the temperature under it with an infrared or digital thermometer to ensure it is optimal. If the temperature is too high, lift the dome higher or use a lamp stand like this that is height adjustable.
What is more, only place a dome with a bulb above the leopard gecko. If you place the bulb on the side, the bulb will cause eye damage in your gecko. Leopard gecko’s eyes are protected with an eyebrow ridge or arch, that protects the eyes from the bright light.
Summary on leopard gecko lighting: You can use a UTH connected to a thermostat that will cover 1/3-1/2 of the tank. Keep checking temperatures to make sure it’s optimal. At night, you can also use a ceramic heat emitter. Use heating devices on one side to create a temperature gradient.
How to automate the light bulbs and a heating mat in the terrarium?
Automating the photoperiod and other accessories in your leopard gecko’s tank will make your life easier. To automate all the processes, you can use a terrarium power center like this. This power center will turn the light on and off (timer), as well as the heating pad.
You will not need to wake up at the same time every day to turn on the light or remember to turn them off at night.
To automate the lights, heat pads etc., you can also get a digital or mechanical timers. You will need to connect each device to a timer and set times for when you want them to turn on and off.
Checking temperatures in a leopard gecko enclosure
You must make sure to use reliable and efficient devices to check temperatures in the tank. High or low temperatures will cause serious stress, and many other health issues. To check temperatures in the leopard gecko tank, make sure to use:
- Digital thermometers with a probe on each side of the tank – warm and cool, and preferably in the middle.
- A handheld infrared thermometer like this, that will enable you to check temperatures in any spot – very useful to have an overview of temperatures
Please do not use analog or stick thermometers – they are very inaccurate. Inaccurate temperatures might make your leopard gecko stressed and become sick over time.
Poor heating accessories
Many owners choose to buy heating rocks to provide heat for their leopard geckos. We don’t advise buying hot rocks until they become safer for reptile use. Many hot rocks heat slowly, but then overheat and cause belly burns in reptiles.
Most reptiles don’t feel being too hot on the belly and will continue laying on the rock while getting burnt. If you choose to use one, then you must use a mini low wattage rock heater + a thermostat to control the temperatures.
Replacing leopard gecko’s bulbs
To maintain leopard gecko’s habitat, you will need to replace the bulbs from time to time. If you are not using any full-spectrum bulbs, then it is not that serious.
With full-spectrum lights, UV light output minimizes after 5-6 months, without you noticing. With general light bulbs, you will need to change them when they burn out.
Leopard gecko tank is too cold?
If you have an under tank heater and your leopard gecko’s tank is still cold, it might be because heat escapes the tank quickly. It can also be low house temperature.
If your leopard gecko’s tank is cold, you might need to add another heating source or insulate the UTH. Read about raising temperatures in a leopard gecko’s tank in this post.
Humidity in leopard gecko’s tank
Humidity levels are very important for leopard geckos. While you must have a humid shedding box for your leopard gecko, overall humidity is also crucial for shedding. Optimal humidity levels in leopard gecko’s tank should be 25-40%.
To control humidity levels, you will need to use a hygrometer inside the vivarium. If the humidity drops too low, your leopard gecko will have a problem shedding and keeping moisturized. With a very high humidity, the gecko will develop a respiratory infection and weaker immunity.
To increase humidity, create humid hiding/shedding spot and place a large water dish. Water from the dish will evaporate from the heat and increase the humidity.
The inside of the shedding box much be filled with vermiculite or sphagnum moss and the humidity inside a shedding box should be around 75%. To decrease the humidity, ensure the ventilation is good and reduce any spraying/misting.