Im just getting started...

Well in my research of breeding mealworms for fishing i stumbled upon leopard geckos, well after lots of reading im hooked... i want to get 2 females, i think my boys (2 and 4yrs) will enjoy watching them grow up and my wife fell in love with almost everything about them...

today i got a 20L tank for $20 and a free broken reptile den for the cool hide(magnetic one so you can see if you move the rock on the outside of the glass) can i use super glue or could that cause problems with the leo? does any one know if they will grow out of the medium size? the opening seems small.

i know not to use sand, im most likely going to get the carpet...

one question i do have is what kind of heat source to get? i want to get the heating pad but keep reading its about 50/50 on cracking tanks, if i put some cardboard under the corners to get some air flow will there still be a problem? should i just get a red light heat lamp for day and night use?

for the warm side im thinking about getting one of the medium half logs, can they climb on top of them? for now the moist hide will be a storage bowl with a wet paper towel... where in the tank does one put the moist hide (warm or cold side?)

is it true you can put something in the tank the leo will use as a toilet? it sounds to good to be true.



thanks for the help and feel free to give any advise you have

Hello and welcome. You NEED a heat pad underneath the tank as this is how your geckos will digest their food. They do not need any lights as that stresses them out. I would not use super glue in their tank. The best bet is to have a hide that they can get into and lay flat on the floor to get the heat from the heat mat. I have never ever had an issue with a heat mat breaking a tank and I have 30 some geckos, about half in glass tanks.

Where to put the moist hide is kind of your choice. I have some geckos that like it warm so I put it on the heated area. I have some that like it cool and some that don't ever ever use it.

As for the litter training. I have a couple that use it. You would get a container of sand(for older geckos) and just have it in the container and put a piece of their poop in it. Some will start pooping in the "litter box". Others will just ignore it completely.

They are all different and have their own personalities, which is wonderful. They are really great pets and I hope you guys enjoy them. I appreciate that you are doing your research before rushing out and getting one. Kudos on that!!

Hello,

Just some advice since they will be your first geckos. I would suggest only one until you become familiar with the keeping in general. One of the reasons is not all geckos will get along and you will have to be prepared with an extra tank and setup just incase. Of course if housing them together was your plan. They should have at least a 40 gallon so that they will both have their own space in various temperatures. IMO they do best housed alone so that you can keep track of food amounts eaten, feces and avoid injury to one another.

check your temps offen you can get a grate thremomiter with probe at walmart for about 8 bucks i think 90% of new leo owners dont pay atn to there temps then geckos start fasting and such and i would stay away from carpet there mouth will lock on it well trying to hunt and there claws get stuck... i say ues tile its easy to clean and hold temps well

WELCOME!!! we are so glad to have you here! every one has given you great advice so far, if i were you i would avoid the repi carpet because of multiple reasons but mostly because its like a kitchen sponge and grows bacteria like crazy and leos get their teeth cought on it and it can hurt them. as a beginner i would start off as using paper towels until you know what you would like to put in the bottom for sure. such as slate, tile, peal and stick tiles ext. you will need to get a prob thermometer for sure, if you go to petsmart you can get one for like $10. as for the heating the under tank heating is a must like jolene said, and the most reason for tanks breaking is if while you are cleaning the tank you spill cold water on the glass were the hot pad is. so dont do that lol and they usually come with little rubber stubs you put on the corners of the tank to help air flow. as for the light i would either get a ceramic heat emitter or the Exo Terra Night Glo Bulb, those are very soft and don't seem to bother leo's as much as red ones. and i do believe that leos love to bask in the warmth of heat that is emitted from the blue bulb or heat emitter because there is no light to hurt their eyes. as for the glue, is it for fixing the hide or sticking it to the side of the tank? either way i would first try getting some aquarium safe silicon, you can find it at home depot if you cant find it anywhere else, but make sure its safe for aquariums. also to start off getting one leo would be a good idea but if you do get 2 you will probably need to upgrade to a bigger tank once they get bigger just to make things good for them. my leo loves her moist hide half on the heat mat area and half off. also if i were you i would try buying a leo from a breeder or a good pet store, petco and petsmart have been known to take bad care of their leos. another good starter idea is to find a vet that is experienced in treating leopard geckos, that way when you get your leo you can take it into the vet to have it checked for any parasites. once you get your new babies lol make sure to give it or them time to get used to thier new home and then gently put your hand in the cage for a bit at a time to help them get used to you. when it comes to young children and leos make sure to be very careful because they can drop their tails if they are scared or a little child tugs on it... well... i think thats all i have XD welcome and dont be afraid to ask any question! and dont forget to post pictures of your new leo when you get it/them!

Hello and welcome to the forum! I'm Kathryn, I hope you enjoy your time here (I know I do! ;D) And welcome to the world of leopard geckos, they are addicting I have to warn you! I started off with one and now have 8!

I'm glad you're whole family is on board with your plan for a new pet! Personally, I recommend starting off with one leo. If you do enjoy it (which you more than likely will!) then I would suggest getting another one. Although females CAN be kept together, its not recommended, especially with beginners. Females don't enjoy each others company, they merely tolerate it. Leos don't become lonely, so housing one by itself is perfectly fine. Females housed together can and will fight for dominance. Risks of passing on disease is also high when housing multiple leos together. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't do it, just letting you know it IS difficult. You should have an extra tank on hand in case they do start fighting (they could be fine together for months and then one day begin fighting for seemingly no reason).

Sand is definitely a no-no! It can cause impaction, resulting in death. I recommend paper towel or tiling (slate, ceramic etc). Both have no risk of causing impaction. Paper towel is cheap, and tiling is easy to clean and looks great.

Heat mat is definitely a must. Leos get their heat from their bellies to aid in digestion. An overhead heat source wouldn't do much. You also need a probe thermometer to monitor the temps. The hot side (the UTH covering 1/3rd of the tank floor) should be 88-95*. I have never heard of under tank heaters causing glass tanks to crack and if they did, they must have been extremely hot! The temps our leos need would not be near that temperature. I have over eight tanks with under tank heaters and none are cracking.

If you do house two leos in one tank you need to double everything in the tank. So, for two leos you'd need two hides on the cool side and two on the hot side. You'd also need two moist hides. This prevents fighting over the "best hide", and allows them to escape each other even if they both want to be on the same side.

I have half-logs, and my leos do indeed climb on them. I also suggest getting hides in which are almost completely surronded by wall (i.e only one entrance/exit). Leos like to go into the dark places away from as much light as possible. The logs don't block out light very well, I find anyway.

Again, welcome to the forum! I hope we have helped you. And please post pictures of your leo(s) when you get them!

Im beginning think one would be a better idea...

Where is a good place to find the tiling?

home depot or lows or any place like that usually have them, if you haven't already read this it will. explain the goods and bads of all the different tiles. http://www.leopardgeckoforum.com/t166-proper-housing-for-leopard-geckos

that link has a lot of great info, thanks

welcome to the wonderful world of leopard geckos!
It's very easy to become hooked on

Are the sticky tiles you mentioned the vinyl ones?

those stuck right on the glass? the heating pad works good with them?

yes if you get the ones that feel like they will break if you bend them to far then they will be fine. they are one of the best with the heat pads, i was surprised on how well the heat went through. oh another thing you might want to get is a thermostat to control for your temps so you don't burn your leo cause some pads can get up to 105.

i just figured the pad was adjustable, good to know.

you would think after all this time they would make it that way but most of them don't.

what brand thermostat do you suggest?

is there a good pad that i dont need to use one with?

All pads, unregulated, will reach upwards of 100F; I've heard reports of people reading 130F off an unregulated pad. Any thermostat will do, but I hear the herpstat brand is a relatively reliable one. If you're unable to get a thermostat, a rheostat or light dimmer will suffice, and the use of a temp probe in combination of more substrate can help alleviate the extreme heat.

i use Hydrofarm thermostats for my corns heating pads and i havent had any problems out of them yet. plus they aren't expensive.

benr7sj wrote:i use Hydrofarm thermostats for my corns heating pads and i havent had any problems out of them yet. plus they aren't expensive.

I've seen those on Amazon, and their the brand I've looked into getting due to their inexpensiveness. I just hadn't found anyone who used indoor crop growing thermostats for reptiles too, haha!

yeah ive got three going for my snakes. my separate therm with probe reads within 2 degrees F of the thermostat setting. im happy with them.

Hydrofarm thermostat is the cheapest digital reading thermostat you'll find, and it works very well. Surprisingly given the price, but it's good to see some good products that aren't charged premium reptile brand name prices these days

Most other thermostats at that price range are only dial based, with no digital display.