One myth surrounding the leopard gecko is that they are nocturnal, so they don’t need any light in their habitat. This is not true. Leopard geckos need regular periods of both light and dark to regulate their sleep cycle. During the day, they sleep, bask and digest their food.
You have options when it comes to gecko lighting. You can choose to add a light-only bulb to your tank, but then you’ll need to also include a separate heat source, like a ceramic heat bulb or a leopard gecko heating pad. Another option is a leopard gecko heat lamp that provides both heat and light. The downside of this option is that you’ll need to turn the heat lamp off at night, which means you’ll have to provide a secondary heat source.
One important fact to note is that it isn’t a good idea to rely on natural light for your tank. Natural light can overheat the tank and won’t provide the UVB that supports optimal gecko health. Learn more important leopard gecko facts and information.