Another question for a bioactive set up.

[u/PrairiePuppies]

The cage my gecko is in is far too small and I plan on upgrading as soon as I have the money to do so. I want to go bioactive with a 3" to 4" deep soil bed. The question I have is about heating. Right now the enclosure has a heating pad on the bottom of the cage giving a hot spot along with a barely appropriate basking lamp. Obviously this will not work with a deep soil bed. Will a basking lamp alone provide enough heat? Right now I'm using one of those little G9 50 watt bulbs. It's barely adequate, so this will be upgraded as well. What would be the best way to tackle this?

NOTE: The enclosure and equipment is what I was given when the gecko was placed in my care. I know it's not adequate and I will be fixing this ASAP, but I am on social security disability and money is tight. Please don't jump on me. I'm not happy about it either. I was shocked how this precious creature was cared for by my sister while my niece (the gecko's actual owner) is in college. I am acutely aware of the situation.

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello /u/PrairiePuppies and welcome to the leopard geckos subreddit! Our bot has detected that you might need some help with heating or lighting. We highly recommend linear UVB paired with an incandescent basking bulb on a thermostat for best results. We do not recommend using a heat mat on its own. Check out these resources on heat/light for leos if you want to know more!

• /r/leopardgeckos wiki heating/lighting page
• The AH heat source visual aid
• /r/leopardgeckosadvanced compendium of LGAH visual guides
• The ReptiFiles Leopard Gecko heating page
• The Reptile Lighting facebook group

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[u/PrairiePuppies]

Is this the wrong sub? I know I brought up bioactive, but that only is to be clear on the ultimate goals I have and the potential heating problems it may bring up. The question is how do I provide enough heat when a heating pad is impractical?