Lighting for leopard gecko..?

Question

what should the wattage of the bulb be for a leopard gecko? and i dont want to hear"geckos dont need lighting use a heat mat" i already know that...so please answer what i asked and dont mention heat mats.. i already use them but i want to know the answer to my question, thanks

Answer 1

Depending on the size of cage, 75 to 100 watts. I have a snake and it takes a 120 watt bulb in a 40 gallon tank. Make sure to only light a certain part of the cage, they need a cool spot too.

Answer 2

I've heard people using the aquarium bulbs (the linear tube lights) to provide ambiant light for geckso & whatnot since they don't produce much heat.  You can probably get them for like $10-$15 at Wal-mart.  As mentioned, if you use an incandescent bulb, just make sure to watch your temps (substrate, not air!) and use something accurate like a digital with a probe or a temp gun.  ~Michelle

Answer 3

A 75 watt basking light, this will help you keep the temp ok, and you can switch off the heatmat for maybea a couple of hours a day to make it last longer,

hope this helps.

Answer 4

Use whatever bulb will provide the right temperatures combined with the heat mat. Mine is a 50 watt infrared bulb that I turn off at night.

Answer 5

The light could actually hurt the leopard gecko. If you INSIST on using one, make sure it only lights a small section of the cage, and there should be part of the cage that has no heat mat or lighting. It also should not be lit at night.

Answer 6

It's not a matter of wattage, it's a matter of the temperature of the enclosure under the light. The wattage of bulb, the distance of the light from the enclosure, and the size of the enclosure will all have a bearing on the temperature.

In short, not eough information provided. 90 deg Fahrenheit is the temperature you're after on the substrate directly under the light. You should get a digital thermometer.