Rack heating for leopard gecko tubs

Getting heating and UV lighting right is the single most important factor in reptile health — the vast majority of common illnesses, from metabolic bone disease to respiratory infections, trace back to incorrect temperatures or lighting. Running four separate juvenile leopard gecko tubs is exactly the kind of setup where heating efficiency really matters. To point you toward the right solution, can you tell me what size tubs you're using, what you currently have under or around them for heat, and whether you're running individual stats on each one?

That's a very common pain point with rack setups — four stats, four plugs, four mats is a lot of clutter and a lot of points of failure. The clean solution is a heat cable run in a channel underneath the tubs, controlled by a single proportional thermostat. For four to five 15-litre RUBs on a 60cm shelf, I'd recommend the Microclimate EVO Pro thermostat paired with a Titanium heat cable — the 25W or 45W depending on how many tubs you're heating. One stat, one cable routed in a groove along the base of the shelf, and every tub sits on the warm spot uniformly. Much tidier and actually more consistent than individual mats.

Yes, provided you route them correctly. The cable sits in a shallow channel routed into the shelf board — you can use a router or even a hot glue gun groove — so it's in direct contact with the underside of the tub rather than heating air. The heat transfers through the RUB base just as effectively as a mat. The key is still setting your stat probe inside one of the tubs at the warm end, targeting 28–30°C on the warm side and leaving the cool side unheated. Leopard geckos are crepuscular and don't need UVB to thrive, so belly heat from below is genuinely their primary welfare requirement.

Exactly. The Microclimate EVO Pro is a proportional thermostat, which means it modulates power output rather than just switching on and off — that gives you very stable temperatures rather than a cycling warm-cold-warm pattern. One unit controls the entire cable run across all your tubs. It has a clear digital display, alarms if temp goes out of range, and it's the same stat brand you're already using so you'll be familiar with it. For five tubs on one shelf it's the most sensible and cost-effective upgrade you can make. Available on Amazon UK and from most reptile suppliers.

Good call going with the 45W — gives you thermal headroom and means the cable isn't running at full load constantly, which extends its lifespan. When you route it, keep the cable runs parallel and evenly spaced under each tub position rather than bunched together. One last thing: once it's set up, give it 48 hours to stabilise before introducing any geckos, and check temps at both ends of each tub with a temperature gun rather than relying solely on the stat probe. That way you know every animal is getting what it needs.