Proper Housing for Leopard Geckos

Ok, I don't know about you but one of the things that irritates me to no end is posts about simple things such as proper housing, heating and lighting for Leopard geckos. I understand a lot of these issues are because of the places where people purchase their leos often give them the WRONG information on how to properly house them but this is leo 101 stuff that ANYONE planning on investing in any herp should understand long before the purchase of their animal. *End Rant, sorry *

I want to go into some common misconceptions about proper housing for leos, things to avoid, and things to include. This is going to be long but it is crucial for any leo owner to have a good understanding of this information beforehand. Your leopard gecko can live upwards of 20-25 years so let's do this right

The first thing is Leopard Geckos are not nocturnal, but are CREPUSCULAR. This means they are most active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk. A true nocturnal animal is active only at night. We see our leos up sometimes during daylight hours, early evening, and shortly after sunrise (for those of us that never sleep ) which excludes them from the nocturnal catagory. This does not mean however that these are the only times our leos are active. I'm sure there are several that are busy throughout the entire evening after sunset.

Next misconception.... leos are thigmatherms, which means they regulate their core teperature by laying on things such as rocks that have been heated by the sun, this aides in proper digestion and also proper core temperature regulation. Unlike heliotherms, lizards that regulate their core temperature from over head heat sources, such as bearded dragons, are generally diurnal not crepuscular. Leos will not benefit from an overhead heat source the way a heliotherm does. Heliotherms have a different skin structure designed to tolerate the sun's hostile uv rays whereas a leo does not and can not tolerate that kind of intense overhead heat source.

When putting together your vivarium (viv) there are things to consider that will make it a more habitable place for your leo. You want to try and simulate their natural environment as much as possible. Even though we have removed these animals from the wild and have made them to live in a captive environment there is still natural instinct that can not be denied that comes from the genetic level. The urge to find certain hides, simulate certain terrain, and provide proper heat in accordance to what they would have had if they were to be in their natural wild environment all falls on us. Understanding these and having some baseline knowledge of your leo's wild ancestory will be crucial in providing the proper viv for your animal.

In brief Leos originate from the arid, rocky regions of northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. They are from 'Packed Earth" parts of the desert terrain NOT sandy regions (this will be important later on when deciding on substrait for your viv) and generally inhabit the mid level rocky crevaces of the desert regions. Temperatures are rarely over 100 *F and humidity rarely goes over 57%.
More info: http://www.climatetemp.info/afghanistan/ This will be important to understand when discussing viv temperature ranges and humidity needs.

Tank Size:
Generally a 10 gallon tank (US Measurements sorry), is considered ok for a single adult leo or a growing juvie. Personally I think the bare minumum for an adult leo should be a 20 long tank. This provides you enough space to get the proper temperature gradient and provide enough tank decor to make your leo feel safe and comfortable. Leos are NOT arborial geckos so length is more important than height when setting up your viv. Leos generally SHOULD NOT be housed together because of the many problems that can occur such as same sex bullying/fighting, premature mating between opposite sex pairs, and general incompatibility. Leos are SOLITARY creatures and do not seek out group habitats to exist. They do not get lonely nor do they crave the company of other leos. Obviously for some owners or larger scale collectors this is not a feasable method of housing your leos and a "Rack" or tub method can be substituted but this should be undertaken by experienced collectors knowing how to properly set up a rack system (I will not get into setting up a rack system). There are many different types of glass viv tanks available on the market to suit just about every taste and need for leo enthusiasts. Aquariums are a very popular choice.

Lighting:
Seeing as how leos are crepuscular, there is no need to suppliment a uv valued light in order to provide your leo with optimum health benefits. Seeing as how they are not, in the wild, generally exposed to uv lighting they do not depend on uv values to aide in metabolism, supplimentation, and digestion like some other herps can. By providing your leo with a broad spectrum UV or flourescent light will only serve to stress your leo out as the light will be TOO bright (esp. for albino leos). If your leo is housed in a dark room where there is limited daylight, you can use a regular 15-25 watt frosted incandescent light bulb to help establish a day/night cycle. This low wattage should only add about 2-4 degrees to your overall tank temps. Check with your local time and temperature station for the hours of sunset and sunrise and set a timer accordingly with the season changes to make sure your leo is properly cycling through the seasons. Setting a timer on a flat 12 hours on 12 hours off schedule is inaccurate if your attempt is to simulate the natural day/night cycle for your area.

Regular low wattage incandescent frosted bulb



All of which can be used in a regular dome fixture for herps.


If you need to suppliment heat that you may not be getting thru your under tank heater, whether it is because your substrait is too thick or your uth is undersized or under-performing, you can use a 50 watt infrared or 50 watt moonlight blue bulb to suppliment heat (this wattage is recommended for a standard 20 long viv). I have found that the infrared irritates my leo's eyes. He will not come out and explore if the red light is on but he will happily explore when his blue moonlight bulb is on. This is a subject of debate but from my own experiences I would presume the red light is bothersome and would prefer to use the blue. Experiment with both to see which is best suited for your particualr leo.
Infrared heat bulb:

Blue "Moonlight" heat bulb:


If your gecko is recieving enough natural light from a window, and the correct temperatures are being reached NO lights are necessary AT ALL.

Heating:
With Leopard Geckos BELLY heat is what is most important. Leos need proper belly heat in order to properly digest food and absorb nutrients. With improper digestion you can run into all kinds of problems ranging from shedding issues, to eating/regurgitation issues, failure to thrive, and an all around generally depressed state. You can achieve the proper belly heat needs of your leo thru the use of an Under Tank Heat mat (UTH).

UTH:

(More images: [url=http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1020&bih=601&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=Under tank heat mat&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=]http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1020&bih=601&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=Under tank heat mat&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=[/url] )

Generally your UTH should take up approximately 1/3rd of your tank's floor surface, on 1 side of the tank (not running the length of the tank but covering half by width). For example if you are using a 20 long tank that measures 30 inches your uth should take up approx. 12 inches of the total length of your tank and cover the majority of the 12 inch width. So an 8x11 inch mat should be considered the minimum size for that tank. Generally the wattage for this size mat will vary depending on manufacturer but it should range between 7 to 12 watts give or take a little to provide the proper heat range you will need to provide for your leo. The average temperature for a healthy adult leo should be between 88-95*F. (31-35*C Approx.). Obviously sick or young leos will prefer the higher end of the heat scale and could even with stand confortably temps as high as 98*F (37*C) with out ill effects. Keep in mind this is just a guide. Some leos prefer it cooler, some prefer it hotter. KNOW YOUR LEO. This is why we provide a temperature gradient in our tanks, a variable from a hot side to a cooler side. Your cool side temperatures should be similar to your general ambient room temperature. By providing this gradient it will permit your leo to THERMOREGULATE, meaning they adjust their body temperature by moving from one location to another to suit their heating/cooling needs. Your hot side of the tank should be CONSISTANT. You do NOT need to adjust your UTH to compensate for day to night temperature shifts. This is normal and a drop or elevation of a degree or 2 from day to night and back is not a need for concern or regulation. It is natural.

Most UTH will put out an average heat range of between 90-100*F (again depending on brand of UTH). You can control these temperature outputs by adding a thermostat or rheostat to your UTH. This will permit you to set your mat at an acceptable temp range thet your leo is comfortable. I have a rheostat on my UTH and it is set at 93*F. You should monitor your GROUND temperatures in your viv with a good digital probe thermometer placed over the heat mat (directly on the floor of the tank) for correct readings, or through the use of an infrared heat gun. You should have at least 1 method of constantly monitoring your hot side to make sure temperatures do not go above the acceptable range. An additional probe thermometer on your cold side will make certain your cool side is also in acceptable ranges.

Properly placed temp probe:




Some leos like to use their temp probes as pillows



Substrait (What goes on the bottom of your tank):
First let's talk about what is NOT acceptable despite what you may see in pet shops and on less than accurate care sheets. SAND is a big no no. So is gravel. The main reason for this is the small particles can be ingested by your leo and cause impaction even death. Also sand can cause your leopard gecko to have excessively dry skin hindering proper shedding, and stones or pebbles can have jagged edges that scrape and scratch your leo as he walks across it damaging their delicate skin and leaving them succeptable to infection. Some say the risk is reduced with adult leos but honetly why risk it when there are so many other SAFE options. Neither sand nor gravel simulate a leo's natural habitat (Leopard geckos hail from "Packed Earth" type deserts, not loose sand deserts) and should be avoided. A more natural substrait would be along the lines of slate, ceramic and porcelain tiles or even high end vinyl simulated slate tiles. There are problems endemic to using each of these alternative substraits that should be addressed. Kitchen roll is considered an acceptable easy option, and used by most large scale breeders. Kitchen roll is also the suggested subbstrait medium for "Hospital tanks" (when your leo is sick and needs an extra sanitary space for recovery).

Slate:



Slate is a great natural stone tile you can use as a substrait BUT it has a tendancy to be thick and unevenly cut. Because of these irregularities in the slate surface often times it is needed to add a thin base of sand in the tank before installing the slate tiles. The problem one often runs into here is that now your substrait is TOO thick and your UTH is under-performing. Obviously you can try to fix this by either bumping up to the next size UTH, adding heat lighting, or thinning your substrait. Another common problem with using natural stone as a substrait is the natural tendancy of natural stone is to disperse heat throughout the entire surface of the stone rather than making more of a hot "spot". This can also cause your UTH to under-perform. You're heating a greater thicker surface & distributing the heat over a broader area, again this can be solved by sizing up your UTH, altering the substrait, or adding heat lighting. With the irregular cut of slate tiles you will need to fill in the "grout line" (The line that is between the butted ends where 2 pieces of slate come together) so that feeders do not hide in there & toes do not get caught and injur your leo. You can fill in these grout lines by taking a fine grain sand (I know sounds counter-productive since we don't really want sand i n our tanks) and put a thin layer in the grout line, brusing it all in then misting lightly to pack the sand. Add another thin layer, brush, mist. Lather rinse repeat until your grout line is completely filled. Your leo will track some of this sand out and it will rest on the slate surface so you will likely be forever replacing sand into your groutlines and cleaning it up off your slate surface.

Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles:

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are an excellent substitute for irregular slate tiles. They have straight cut ends that butt together nicely so no need for grouting, they look natural and provide a safe, easy to clean surface for your leo plus they can usually be cut to size at the store you get them from to custom fit your viv. Downside, they are smooth, which can cause some developmental issues in young leos such as splayed legs from lack of surface traction. They do not heat well as the nature of ceramic and porcelain is as an insulator (think coffee cup here) not a conductor, some can be too thick thus causing your UTH to under-perform and maintain proper temperatures, and they will distribute heat through the entire surface of the tile rather than creating a hot "spot" but more often a "warm area". Again some of these problems can be solved by upgrading your UTH or adding supplimental lighting.

Vinyl Floor Tiles (the self adhesive kind):

This is what I use in my viv. They stick directly to the floor so NOTHING can get under them, they butt together beautifully, they can be cut to fit any tank design by the person using them, and they come in MANY different colors, textures, and styles. They heat well because they are thin and of a man made substance so they do not have the tendancies that slate and procelain/ceramic do. They make a nice hot "spot" perfect for your leo's hot side of his tank. The key to getting a good tile is to make sure it is a HIGH end tile, one that will crack as you bend it rather than one that flexes and bows when you bend it. The reason for this is the high end tiles do NOT put off any off-gasses that could affect your leo. The glue doesn't melt until you're heating it over 120*F. Here is a photo of my viv complete with vinyl simulated slate tiles (This was in the under construction phase):






Repti or Cage Carpet:

Many people have used repti carpet in lieu of sand or tile substrait simply through lack of knowledge that ther are other alternatives. Repti carpet can be used in some instances with out harm but generally the concern using this substrait is teeth and nails can get caught in the material of the carpet, the carpet can harbour bacteria and cause your leo to fall ill if not regulary and COMPLETELY cleaned and disinfected, or it frays and doesn't look natural. Some of the solution could be to use a nice thick cotton or felt table mat, but you can still encounter some of the same problems with disinfecting the mats, and keeping the environment snag and bacteria free.

An alternative to any of thses 4 substraits discussed is regular white paper towels, brown butcher's paper or no substrait at all. If a glass viv is used, i would not recommend using no substrait at all, as a glass surface can get very hot, above the safe temperatures for you leo.

Hides and Tank Decor:
How elaborate or simple you decide to do your viv is completely up to you but at a MINIMUM your viv should have 2 hides, 1 on the warm side, 1 on the cool side. A moist humid hide to aid in tank humidity and shedding of your leo is highly recommended and considered a must by some. For a better look or for shy/jumpy leos you can apply a background to 3 sides of your tank (Back and the 2 sides) to add a more enclosed "secure" feeling for your leo. You can use either pre-designed aquarium backgrounds (which come in MANY different styles and landscapes) or as simple as black or colored construction paper or poster board, even a scene you print off your computer could be used.

The hides you choose to use in your tank can be as elaborate or simple as you like. The range is endless. You can use something as simple as a tupperware dish or a butter tub with a hole cut in it, or you could go as complex as natural rock formations or pre-formed habbahuts, artificial rock hides, or coconut shells available at most pet supply warehouses. I designed my tank in a very natural way to simulate my leos natural habitat.

My viv:
Front view (the larger brown ceramic soap dish water bowl was replaced with a smaller tree stump looking bowl which you can see in the overhead view).



Top view:


and a moist hide with paper towel substrait

He really prefers this moist hide to the sphagnum moss hide.

and his cooler moist hide with sphagnum moss

complete with Eros' bum


As you can see there are plenty of places to hide in the rock formations, the right side is my hot hide, the left my cool side, there are 3 hides in various temperature ranges, plus 2 moist hides, 1 with sphagnum moss, and one humid/moist hide in a tupperware dish with moist paper towels over his hot hide. There is also a litterbox in there which Eros DOES actually use regularly. He never messes anywhere else. Though this isn't necessary, your leo will naturally choose a corner or area where he does all his 'littering'.

A simple set up:



Even in the simple set up the leo has all he needs. Multiple hides, a humid hide, food and water bowls and calcium/suppliment dish (We'll get into suppliments in another thread). So as you can see the possibilities of how to set up your tank are as endless as your imagination, but remember to keep it safe, keep it natural and keep it clean.

Make sure you have your tank set up for about a week before you expect to get your leopard gecko so you can monitor temperatures, adjust settings, test thermostats, rheostats and thermometers, refine problems and have everything all ready for your new arrival. Some last minute things can be purchased after you get your leo such as added fake plants (avoid artificial cactus as they can poke your leo in the eye), feeders, or different bowls, but you should be just about 100% complete by the time your new friend arrives Hopefully through this tutorial you will have established a fine habitat for your new friend with minimal stressors and maximum comfort. Any questions please feel free to post PM me.

This topic is locked from replies, if you have any questions concerning this caresheet and/or relating to proper housing for Leopard Gecko's then please post a new thread in the correct section, reffering to the caresheet. Please do not reproduce this information without permission from Kermit, or The Leopard Gecko Forum.