Winter Worries

[Dragongurl288]

I'm getting two juvies sometime in January. I'll be housing them in a Rubbermaid tote where one wall has been replaced with screen mesh. Their breeder doesn't reccomend any belly heat, but around this time of year I  feel cold in my room. Should I give them a little extra? What should I use?

[monster]

do you have a thermometer to see how cold it actully is? 65 is about the lowest we want to keep them for long peroids of time. 70 is ideal.

[Dragongurl288]

No, that's my next step though.

[Geckogal]

You can use heat tape, or a heat pad. Personally I don't see the problem with belly heat, but I've probably got basically no info compared to your breeder.

[jhawkk2004]

People worry about belly heat just because if a gecko remains on it too long it can cause damage or even kill them (perhaps if they fell asleep on a heat rock or something). I personally have no experience with belly heat and crested geckos, but I would recommend based on what I've heard that if it is in fact too cold for them to invest in a small lamp with a heat bulb to raise the temp a few degrees.

[monster]

heat by any means can be good and bad, it's all depending on your tempatures to begin with. a thermometer is extreamly important before you go messing with heat pads/lamps/etc etc.
seasonal flucuations are not harmful and follow thier natural cycles. not only breeding geckos can benifit from a cool down.

[markNcc]

Where i live, cold is not something i have to worry about too much, but if a little extra heat is needed for them, i use a 15 watt bulb in a metal holder like they sell at pet shops. At night i just put a piece of black construction paper under it so the light doesn't shine (much) but the heat is still there.

[Dragongurl288]

Thanks everybody. The house seems to be holind at 72F. I think I'll grab a small lamp or pad in case. I can't wait!

[firecrested]

At that temperature I wouldnt use any kind of heat.  If you're using a heat pad you will definately need a rheostat to control the pad so it's not too hot.