Exo Terra Viv Heating

[fridayman]

I have got a 30x30x45 Exo Terra viv for now, and a 45x45x60 viv for when Golum is a little bigger (gargoyle gecko). The heat mat that I have is far too big, so I'm about to buy another one. Can I use a 42.5x15 heat strip and attach it to the side of the arboreal viv instead of having it under the viv? Or is it best to keep it under?

[fridayman]

Anyone?

[SuperTed]

on the side is fine infact probably better for aboreal stuff because it will help keep an even temp high and low!

[fridayman]

Originally Posted by Kellogscornsnake!

on the side is fine infact probably better for aboreal stuff because it will help keep an even temp high and low!

Cheers, I wasn't sure

[Tina]

Gargoyles are semi-arboreal so he may sleep on the floor, even my crestie sleeps on the floor on a stone most of the time and they are arboreal.

A gargoyle shouldn't need a heat mat anyway as preferred temp is mid 70's and they'll be happy with night-time drops into the low 50's. Normal room temp should be fine without any heating unless it got really, really cold in winter, but will be fine for now.

[fridayman]

Originally Posted by Tina

Gargoyles are semi-arboreal so he may sleep on the floor, even my crestie sleeps on the floor on a stone most of the time and they are arboreal.

A gargoyle shouldn't need a heat mat anyway as preferred temp is mid 70's and they'll be happy with night-time drops into the low 50's. Normal room temp should be fine without any heating unless it got really, really cold in winter, but will be fine for now.

I have noticed that for the last couple of weeks he (she?) has been sleeping on the floor, on the cold side. So I thought I would move the heating to the side. The heating is for winter really as the temp in the house drops quite a bit in winter at night. I'm surprised that they are happy with temps in the 50's, but it's comforting to know that he would be OK if it does drop that low. This is my first garg so I'm still learning a lot. Thanks.

[Tina]

One thing to be careful of with all the rhacodactlus (sp) is that they don't get too hot, anything in the mid 80's for too long can stress them enough to kill them. I have a small heat mat on a stat under the exo terra for my crestie so should it get cold enough it will come on - mine's set to 70 degs. When it was very cold, earlier in the year, it did come on but she still didn't sleep on that side but she did go and lie on the warm side for about 30 minutes after she'd woken up each evening.

I'm sure your gargoyle will be fine without any heating until the winter by which time you'll probably have moved her/him to the bigger viv which you can get a smaller heating mat on a stat for.

Good luck with him/her - gargoyle's are lovely.