[Eddie H]

Hi Folks. I'm thinking of upgrading to a larger viv for my one Leo. Well, have been thinking for a while actually. What maximum size of viv would you use with a glow light/reflector small 14cm and medium? I plan to use a 60W heat bulb for a start, maybe higher depending on the temperature.

Eddie

[Jools]

Hi. First off I have never used a bulb to heat any of my Leo vivs - always heatmats which I have found has several advantages - cheaper to run, 24 hour heat, better heat gradient.
If you are going to use a bulb then I would think a 60W in a 3ft. viv would be about right. But the bulb needs to be on a dimmer thermostat and the Leo will need a period of dark at night. Place the bulb at one end of the viv so that you can get a heat gradient (a warm side and a cool side). I would have thought that if the viv was any smaller than 3 ft. it would be difficult to acheive this with a bulb. Hope this helps a bit.

[Eddie H]

I have a heatmat anyway, and am using the heat bulb to heat up the air in the viv.

Without the heat bulb the air in the warm side will only reach 23/24 and under 20 on the cool side.

[mowgli]

The air temp isn't important, it's all about the floor temps with leo's as it's essential for their digestion.

As long as your warm end is around 30-32 on the actual floor you don't need to worry about the air temperature.

[Jools]

Originally Posted by mowgli

The air temp isn't important, it's all about the floor temps with leo's as it's essential for their digestion.

As long as your warm end is around 30-32 on the actual floor you don't need to worry about the air temperature.

Absolutely agree

[Eddie H]

So, Leos come from warm climates and when they emerge from their hides and are more active at night times, they should be comfortable even if the air temperature is only, say 20 degrees?

What if they want to bask and soak up the heat then, do they soak up the heat under their bellies?

[mowgli]

[QUOTE]What if they want to bask and soak up the heat then, do they soak up the heat under their bellies/QUOTE]

Basically yes, hence why it's the ground temp that is more important than air.

Although the do come from a warm climate they spend most of the daylight hours underground avoiding the sun and the extreme heat so there not really baskers like a lot of other reptiles.

You would be quite surprised how much the air temperature actually drops when the sun goes down especially in arid mountains.

TBH my feeling would be that raising the air temp in the viv might actually make the Leo's uncomfortable.

[mowgli]

[QUOTE]What if they want to bask and soak up the heat then, do they soak up the heat under their bellies[QUOTE]

Basically yes, hence why it's the ground temp that is more important than air.

Although the do come from a warm climate they spend most of the daylight hours underground avoiding the sun and the extreme heat so there not really baskers like a lot of other reptiles.

You would be quite surprised how much the air temperature actually drops when the sun goes down especially in arid mountains.

TBH my feeling would be that raising the air temp in the viv might actually make the Leo's uncomfortable.

[Eddie H]

Thanks Jools/Mowgli