It can be difficult to get your head around all of the lighting you need for your leopard gecko to thrive, so we've created this simple step by step guide. Please read the full guide before you begin, as there are some tips at the end which will save you time and frustration! This guide assumes you know the basics of Leopard Gecko Care and is designed around a vivarium that is 90 x 45 x 45cm - 120 x 60 x 60cm*.
You can find our Leopard Gecko Care Guide here, and our Leopard Gecko Shopping List here!
You will need
Habistat dimming thermostat, with a built in timer (Amazon / Internet Reptile)
Arcadia Shadedweller Pro T5 Kit (Amazon/ Internet Reptile)
Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED** (Amazon/ Internet Reptile)
Komodo Ceramic Light Fixture (Amazon/ Internet Reptile)
Exo Terra Daylight Basking Bulb (Amazon / Internet Reptile) OR Arcadia Deep Heat Projector (Amazon / Internet Reptile)
Additional materials
A drill
Step 1
Install your Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED in the center of the roof of the vivarium. Plug your thermostat into a nearby outlet.
Step 2
Install your Arcadia Shadedweller UVB on one side of the vivarium. It should cover about 30 - 50% of the length.
Step 3
Your bulbs should have come with two cables - one which will connect them to one another, and one that ends in a normal plug. Connect the two fixtures and then plug one of them into the thermostat. Test that the thermostat will switch them on before proceeding (or even better, test this before you install them into the vivarium to save yourself time should adjustments need to be made).
Step 4
Install the komodo lighting fixture on the same side of the vivarium as your UVB. Ensure the bulb will not be too near the UVB as the heat may affect the plastic over time (a few inches of distance will suffice!). Screw in your bulb and plug the fixture into the other plug in the thermostat. Test all is working before proceeding.
Step 5
Add your basking platform under the bulb. Take the probe which is attached to the thermostat, and place it on the edge of the beam of the bulb. Ensure it can't be moved by your reptile by pinning it down with a hide or a rock. Run the lighting setup for a few days before adding an animal to the enclosure to ensure temperatures are stable and that everything is working as it should.
* Larger vivariums may need slightly different setups with multiple basking spots and UV gradients. I recommend the following Facebook group if you intend to go larger than 120 x 60 x 60cm: Reptile Lighting.
**You only need an LED if you intend to use live plants, or would like some extra light in your geckos enclosure. The LED is entirely optional, but can look really nice and does have minor benefits for reptiles.
Additional Resources
How to set up your UVB kit (this is for a slightly different version, but the only difference is that the one I have linked is specifically designed for Leopard Geckos, and doesn't have an on/off switch on the lamp itself!)
Tips and Tricks
You can connect up to 10 light fittings together (max 80 watts of power), so if you have multiple enclosures you can plug all their UVB together and have them all on one timer.
Drill all of your light fittings into the roof of the vivarium BEFORE you assemble it and save yourself some back ache!
Set your leopard geckos day:night schedule so it suits your own schedule. For example, if you are at work from 8am - 7pm, you can have their lights go on at 9am and go off at 9pm, so you get to admire them in the evening!
You can use a smart extension lead with a cheaper thermostat setup (as long as it is still a dimming stat!) which will connect to your phone and allow you to set a day:night cycle that way. This is ideal if you have multiple thermostats running, or multiple setups. We use this one!
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