Hi! I'm going to be replacing my gargoyle gecko's tank from a 10g to a 15 or 20g before he outgrows it. When I do, I'm thinking of doing a bioactive enclosure, in which case I'll probably go for a 20g so I have enough room for a deep substrate and false bottom. His humidity is supposed to be 50 to 70%, temperature from the low 70s to mid-80s. Based on what I've read I might replace the overhead that came recommended with a UTH, if that can still be done with a bioactive. Any tips? Thanks!
It can be done, but I would place the UTH on the back of the tank instead of on the bottom. It won’t reach far through deep substrate, and it can also risk burning the mat out (though that may not be an issue if the mat is used with a thermostat).
My experience is coming from my hermit crabs though, where they have substrate 6″ or more (currently 12-13″), so it’s really a concern in that case. If you want more opinions, I’d check out this FB group and see what they say - https://www.facebook.com/groups/bioactivegroup/ Good luck! :)
