Leopard Gecko Ceramic Heater

Hey, the people here seem friendly and helpful so I decided to ask this question here. I am trying ceramic heat emitters for my leopard geckos rather than heating pads. Each one is above either a ceramic tile or some slate rocks and is staying at a little over 90F. I’m checking them religiously with a temp gun, don’t worry. They also help to keep the ambient temps up which I have been struggling with lately. Does this seem like a good idea to you folks? Also, are there any affordable thermostats that anyone can recommend? I need a few of 'em and don’t want to go completely broke.

What enclosure are your leos in?
I’ve usually just stuck with a UVB/A during the daytime and a heat mat that’s on a stat, that’s always kept a perfectly consistent ambient temperature for my leos. They’re in wooden vivariums, so the insulation is really good.

As for thermostats, the ones I use are usually the habistat range. They’ve been consistently good and they seem to be some of the cheaper on the market, but I may be wrong.

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Thank you for the reply. I use 20 gallon long glass aquariums currently. Wooden stuff is kinda hard to get for me. I’ve considered UVB but upgrading things is slow for me right now. Two use the heaters often, one is always sprawled out on his tile or next to it right in the 90F range. My giant has dug a small rut next to his tile and is currently laying in it, eyes closed, with his arms straight out behind him.

I am considering placing the heating pads back under the enclosures of the other two, though I do want to watch them for maybe a week to see if behaviors change. I’m also going to check out those thermostats and maybe order 4.

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It sounds like they might be enjoying basking in the warmth, but I would definitely get a temperature gun to make sure that tile doesn’t get too hot on the surface. Burns are definitely something you don’t want to be dealing with, trust me lol.

I would definitely prioritise getting a UVB, since leos are often prone to a lot of health issues without it (namely MBD, which is debilitating to most geckos).

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I’ve got a temp gun. That’s what I’ve Been religiously checking the surface temps with. I’ll definitely look into UVB as well as those thermostats. Thanks for your help!

That sounds fine! As long as you have a thermostat its 100% ok. I mean thermostats aren’t normally to too expensive but jumpstart is great.

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Leopard Geckos absorb heat from the bottom of their bodies; so I do not think that this would be the most effective. Ceramic heat emitters also over heat very easily and they are hard to regulate. What works best for me through all the seasons is a larger heat pad with a thermostat to keep my temperatures constant.

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For one of my shyer ones I am probably going back to a heating pad. The others bask very frequently though and actually seem more active and alert than with the heating pad.