what times of day should i turn off my heat lamp & mat for leopard gecko?

Well this is coming straight from leopardgecko.com...

"The best way to heat your leopard gecko is by using an undertank heating pad or tape. These are available at any pet store or online. Heating one end of the cage is best. This allows for a temperature variation that your lizard needs. Heat rocks tend to become too hot for leopard geckos and should be avoided due to the risk of burns.

For viewing, a simple low-wattage light can be placed overhead on the screen-cage top and left on 12 hours a day.

Because leopard geckos are active at night (notice their vertical pupils), they do not need to bask under a special UVB light.

Albino leopard geckos are light-sensitive for the first few months of their lives, but they do fine as a pet.

The ideal temperature in the hide box is 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. The ambient air temperature of the room they are housed in should be above 73 degrees."

That's straight from them. With my own experience I've found basking lights are ok to use. Normally you won't ever see them basking because they are nocturnal. As long as one side of the tank hits the mid 80s or so during the day to simulate their natural environment it's perfectly fine. I'd say 83 degrees is probably plenty good enough, especially if you have a heat mat going. At night, a light isn't really necessary, but if you do want one strictly for viewing I would recommend a very low wattage blue bulb. You can find these at most pet stores; they'll probably say something like "moon glo bulb", "night time bulb," or something similar to that. When it's night, you really don't need to heat the tank unless it gets pretty cold in your house. Just think what it would be like in nature and try to simulate that. As far as when the lights go on and off, the day time bulb should be on for 12 hours (invest in a timer to make this easier you can get pretty cheap ones at home depot or other hardware stores). If you spend a few extra bucks you can get a second one for your night time bulb or some timers allow for one to go off when another goes on, but are harder to find. I'd recommend reading through leopardgecko.com and other websites to brush up on your husbandry. Can never know too much to make sure your pet is healthy.

Leopard Lamp

Any leopard gecko enclosure will need to have temperature control available. Unlike most tropical lizards, leopard geckos don't require an extremely hot cage to thrive. However, they do need a warm spot at one end of their enclosure. Like every other type of reptile, leopard geckos are cold blooded, taking on the environmental temperature, rather than generating their own heat.

This means that they're hot in a hot environment and cold in a cold environment, and can't regulate their temperatures internally like a bird or a mammal. When they feel like they need to be a different temperature, they regulate it by moving to a different spot in the cage. Leopard geckos are more active when warm, and can be very sluggish when cold. Even their digestion slows down!

The warm end should ideally be around ninety degrees Fahrenheit, with the cooler end around eighty. An under tank heater is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Heat tape is another popular choice for keeping the cage at the correct temperature.

Don't be tempted to choose a heat rock - an artificial stone with a heater built in - as these often get hotter than appropriate, and some lizards can actually bask themselves to death on one. You can also choose to provide a basking light instead of an under tank heater. Once again, a temperature of about ninety degrees is best, and temperatures over ninety-two can be quite dangerous.

At night, allow the tank to cool to the low seventies, with an under tank pad providing a hot spot. Don't allow the night temperature to sink below sixty-eight degrees, since this can also be bad for your reptiles.

*****"OK, there are two types of lighting in the world of herpetology. There is uv lighting which comes in the form of a flourescent tube. This kind gives off UV-A and some UV-B (which synthesizes D3 and speeds the uptake of calcium in all animals) but not much heat to speak of. Many lizards and tortoises need this kind of light because it somewhat duplicates the sun's effects. Leopard Geckos DO NOT need this type of lighting. Leopard Geckos are nocturnal (awake at night) and never bask in the sun in their native homeland. They get their D3 from the gut-loaded insects that you feed them with the occasional dusting of calcium with D3 added". "The second type of lighting you will see in the pet store is only used for heating. There are all kinds of fancy screw-in type bulbs out there with fancy names like "Reptile Basking Light" etc. Don't let them fool you, these screw-in type bulbs cannot emit UV of any sort. They are only needed for heating purposes. There is no reason to buy these kinds of lights for $3 or more when a regular old light bulb from the hardware store/department store works equally as well. Depending on the size of the cage you are heating and the temperature of your home you might need anywhere from a 40 watt to a 100 watt bulb. If you need more than that you should probably invest in a Ceramic Heat Element (CHE)."

in case you prefer to apply a UTH, get your self a stable digital thermometer and the two a mild dimmer or a reptile thermostat. The dimmer you are going to ought to regulate, however the thermostat you place and bypass. they are approximately $30 online and incredibly certainly worth the money, IMO. you prefer to get a warmth mat which will hide a million/3 to a million/2 of the tank. this relies upon on what type it is. additionally, get a stable thermometer from aim or Walmart for roughly $10. you place that top over the middle the UTH or interior the warmth conceal and it will inform you precisely how warm the mat is getting. The stick-ons are terrible and in basic terms degree ambient air temps (which would be 25 stages off what the mat is). so which you prefer your temps to be 88-ninety two on the nice and cozy edge. with a bit of luck a advance in temps will help their appetites. additionally be arranged to split them or get them vet care if choose be.

when the sun goes down turn it off turn it on when you wake up

lepord gekos dont bask