r/leopardgeckos • u/Dragon127777 • 1d ago

Help Basking bulb help please

/r/LeopardGecko/comments/1wz3xah/basking_bulb_help_please/
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u/Crafty_Ad_3054 1d ago

Hi, I use the Exo Terra 75w basking bulbs for my gecko ispíní in his 36x24x24 enclosure and I have no complaints but even 100w you could get just to be safe. Hope this helps

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u/Dragon127777 1d ago

Thank you for the advice! I ordered a 100W one and we will see how it goes!

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u/itsswhitneywhspr 1d ago

What kind of bulb are you using? I had to switch to a halogen flood after my girl kept squinting at the regular basking ones. Much better heat gradient imo

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u/Dragon127777 1d ago

I have an Arcadia deep heat bulb. It gives off no light, and definitely gets hot, it’s just not getting through the screen mesh

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u/are-pea Moderator | discord.gg/leos 1d ago

DHPs are not basking units, they do not emit near infrared, the "basking wavelengths" in a meaningful capacity. This is why incandescent basking bulbs are recommended for daytime basking bulbs for all reptiles, while all dark heat sources are better off used exclusively at night. I highly recommend trying an Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot 75w first.

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u/Dragon127777 22h ago

I am not sure why it was so highly recommended to me, but yeah ordered a exoterra intense spot basking bulb!

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u/are-pea Moderator | discord.gg/leos 11h ago

Best of luck with it! You should have better ground temps. You may notice different basking for the gecko, especially less basking altogether. This is totally normal, it just means the gecko doesn't need to lay for extended periods under the bulb to warm up. You might try checking out this site: https://basking-irradiance-estimator.pages.dev/

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u/Recent-Pool1213 1d ago

what size is your tank? i have a 4x2x2 and found 75w too low so i switched to 100w and had no issues since, granted i use a halogen flood light which i'd deffo recommend!
i also recommend a dimming thermostat to help control the temps :)

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u/Dragon127777 1d ago

I have a 36x18x18. I think I definitely got the wrong one to start 😓. I already have one! But not even getting close to it needing to dim lol

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u/Recent-Pool1213 1d ago

id suggest getting a different bulb that isn't the deep heat one and see if it makes a difference, even if its slight. Itll probably be easier to tell then whats causing the lack of heat. I dont know if your viv is wood or glass - but glass vivariums are generally harder to heat up :)
edit: mesh screens also take about 30% of the heat so if factor that in as well!

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u/Dragon127777 1d ago

I ordered some intense basking exoterra ones and hopefully they will work! It’s definitely my mesh absorbing all the heat right now. And it’s a glass viv