Leopard gecko tank too hot?

Question

All rite I have a 20 gallon fish tank that I'm keeping my juvenile leopard gecko in and i don't currently have any type of heating fixtures going on right now. The tank is not near any windows i keep my door closed when i go to school and i keep a fan going all the time in there.I have two thermometers (there are not digital) placed on the basking side and on the cool side i also have one hygrometer placed in the middle of the tank the humidity. The temperature is usually around 80 in the morning and when i get back from school which is about at 4 o'clock the temperature is 90 degrees all throughout the tank. And the temperature stays the same throughout most of the early night. I just need to find out how to lower the temp to a manageable temp like its supposed to be like 80 degrees i think. O ya i dint know if this will help but i live in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Answer 1

that's the right temp

Answer 2

You only want the hot side 88-92 degrees.  Is there any way you can move the tank to a cooler part of your house or somewhere that DOES have air conditioning??  Not letting your gecko thermoregulate during the day is really not a good plan, so having the whole tank 90 degrees all the time is really not healthy.

I would also consider getting a digital thermometer.  When you do use a heat element, you need to measure the hottest spot of the tank, not just the ambient air temps.  A non-digital can be up to 25 degrees off what the hottest spot of the tank actually reads with a digital.  They're only about $10 from the fish department (or reptile sometimes) of Petco and the outdoor department of Target or Walmart.

Answer 3

Leopard gecko's are unique in the way that all they require is a u.v light 12hrs. on durin day & off at night. They absorb heat through their underside, so an undertank heating pad in a corner of the tank is best for these guys.

Answer 4

That's fine....mine is usually that way in the summer time too. It's impossible to lower it without special equipment and they like it hot. Just make sure they have lots of water available. I've had leo's for years and they are super healthy. They are pretty hardy little guys.

Add on:

Unless you are going to get something to cool off the tank or move it...I keep a large dish of water in the tank. My geckos are kept on sand (yes I know the dangers of sand!) I used a very very fine sand and have never had problems with it. I find when my geckos are hot they will push sand into their water dish and wet it and then lay in the wet sand to cool themselves off. They do a pretty good job of thermoregulating themselves. Like I said, I've never had a problem, my geckos are thriving and they breed every season. So I think they are happy and healthy in their tank the way I have it set up. You can try getting a lower wattage basking lamp and see if that helps. Or try a larger tank so there is more of a gradient between the basking side and the non basking side. I keep my guys in a 40 gallon breeder tank. Misting the tank once in awhile helps bring the temp down and with the heat, the humidity doesn't stay high for long.