Help - Leopard Gecko enslosure & heating

[Loo Loo]

I have a leopard gecko that I have had for a couple of months now so is about 5 months old now!!!!

I am still not convinced that the heat mat that i have is the best set up I can have for my Gecko....... I have a vivarium, all wood except the front which has glass sliding doors!!!

I have a warm hide and a cool hide along with a home made wet box with a piece of kitchen roll lining it. His water bowl is at the back of the viv in the middle. I have read so many horror stories about the sand so opted for some wood effect lino tiles which are stuck to the floor, its a bit barren but I will be building up some fake plants etc gradually!

The heat mat that I have is a lucky reptile thermo heat mat that I have been advised (by the pet shop i bought the gecko from) to place on the side of the viv next to the hot hide. I am not convinced that this is in the best location as I have been told that Geckos must have under belly heat?? If i place this mat on the floor surely the gecko is going to burn itself?? I am not sure what to do...... is it best to have it on the floor as the lino tiles are stuck? If i covered the heat mat with kitcen roll, i dont want it to catch fire or anything??

Any support would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Does anyone have any suggestions / Can you put my mind to rest that my set up is ok for my gecko....... he seems happy in himself............!!

[trw]

a heat mat is the best method of heating for a leo, however it will need to be on a stat. a stat will keep the temps correct and stop your leo from getting burned. how are you currently heating the viv?

[wallyreptiles]

u could try having the heat mat underneath the vivarium so he doesnt actually come into contact with it. just place a thin polystyrene sheet between the heat mat and the vivarium

and how much of the viv does the mat cover?

oh and

[trw]

putting the mat under a wooden viv would allow no heat to the leos belly. out the mat in the viv under the substrate, and once again a stat is a must.

[spend_day]

leo's absorb most there heat through there stomachs so it should really be on the floor of the viv (not the side) and on a thermostat

[Annihilation]

Could try it under your tiles, if theyre not glued down or anything

[Loo Loo]

My viv hasn the heat mat covering the side of the viv. I have some lino type tiles stuck to the floor. Am worried that if I put the heat mat on the tiles a- they will burn and B- so will the gecko. The pet shop I bought him from said not to put the sand over the heat mat as it would cause a fire. I never want to use sand anyway! I am now contemplating buying a glass cage with a heat mat on the bottom?

Thanks for the replies.

Recommendations of what I need to buy to regulate the heat mat would be very helpful.

[SleepyD]

with regards to using heatmats inside a wooden viv and underneath substrate/tiles etc here is a direct quote from the Habistat PDF page ~

The heatmat can be positioned inside or outside of glass or plastic tanks. In wooden or melamine structures the heat mat must be fixed inside the cage. Wood is a good insulator and, if the heat mat was placed outside such a cage, little heat would find it's way into the cage. This would thermally block the mat and may present a high risk of overheating. <<snip>>
When using on the floor it is imperative, if substrate is used, that it be kept to less then 1cm

plus they recommend running the heatmat with a thermostat ~ this is what regulates the temps

[dickjeffrey]

You really need to unstick the floor tiles you have in there, put the heat mat on the floor of the viv and then re-lay the tiles over it. There is absolutely no danger of fire by doing it this way as the mats only get warm to the touch and the tiles in my kitchen get hotter on a sunny day (remember those?) than the ones in my vivs ever do!!! I have 5 wooden Leo vivs set up like this and have never had any problems. I would agree with others on here that you need a thermostat to maintain the correct temperature - I have mine set to 30C and it is on a timer so that it goes off at night. The tiles retain heat fairly well and cool down over a couple of hours so it gives a gentle cool down and a gradual warm up in the morning - like the ground would in the wild! Hope this helps

[Loo Loo]

I am off to lift the tiles now and get the heat mat underneath them temporarily. Can anyone recommend exactly what I should buy in terms of a heatmat that works with a thermostat and the best type of thermostat? I dont care how much it costs!!

Thanks guys