Buying A Leo

great! only if it's in a really dull corner? Deos it have to be a vivarium or can you get a terrarium?
I ask a lot of questions don't i.

yep only if its in a really poorly lighted place, as long as it holds heat a vivarium, terrarium or tub will make a good home

aww! Great stuff!
And does the heat mat only have to cover 1 half/1 third of the tank?
Does anyone have anything i need to know that hasnt been said here?

Great website- www.leopardgecko.co.uk

just remember not to put your gecko on sand no matter what your told when you buy it.

and that site is very old, it hasnt been updated since 06.

but what about the heatmat? shouldn't it take up 1 half - 1 third of the tank? Soz. Tons of questions! :)

About a third of the tank, maybe a bit less. Just a nice hot area for the gecko.

Your heat mat should cover approx. 1/3rd of the tanks floor surface. There is a thread in the housing section that explains the perfect set up for leopard geckos. You might like to check it out. Also it is usually recommended to not leave crickets in the tank with your leo esp. If you're going away. They can bite, literally ea, your leo even if you leave carot bits for them. Not worth the risk if you ask me. Id start your leo on mealworms or morioworms before your trip so you can leave them in a dish for your herp. It is unusual for worms to escape a dish. Make sure you leave a carrot in the dish as it will make the worms more active thus attracting your gecko.

It shouldnt be too big! You need to leave an area where they go to cool down in my 2.5ft viv it takes up maybe 1/4? or a bit more hope thats helped x

That's helped a lot guys. thanks a ton. But what's a herp?

Herp is short for Herptile or Herpetology.
Reptile's basically...

ah... thanks
Know when you use a thermostat? What do you put it to? Do you need a thermostat and if not then do i leave the heatmat on all the time?

Set the thermostat to some between 30*C - 35*C, and it will keep it at the temperature which you set it at.

You attach the thermostat to your heat mat.. and set a temperature.. and it will ensure that the heat mat doesn't go hotter than the temperature you've set.. and if it does, the thermostat will turn off the heat mat until it's cooled down abit

Just know that some thermostats well have a swing of 2-5 degrees hi or low before it responds. Zoomed seems to be pretty reliable. Most I've seen used only vary 2-3 degrees. So if you have it set to go off at 35* it may actually not shut off until your thermometer reads 37*-ish. Something else to consider is a rheostat (light dimmer). I use a rheostat and what I like about it is unlike a thermostat that turns on and off your heating elements, the rheostat actually lowers the wattage output for steady consistent heat.

The heat mat should take up about one third of the tank.

mine is very bitey so make sure you get a calm leo that won't bite all the time.

its bloody annoying when your scared to pick up your pet

Just a touch on the electricity subject, with two UTH's running 24/7 I realistically notice a $2 USD increase in my electricity bill. It's insignificant to say the least.

how do you put it on a timer?
And also do leopard geckos like to be handled?

You don't need a timer, the thermostats will shut off and on atuomatically.

The best type of thermostat to get is a Dimmer or Pulse.

cool. Dimmer or pulse? What does that mean?

A dimmer thermostat lowers the wattage to keep it at a constant heat, and a pulse will pulse the energy through to keep it at a constant heat.

With a regular mat stat, what it will do is (if you have it set for say 33C) then it will turn on if its below 33, and then turn off when it is above 33, but it might not turn off until about 35... so they can be bad for that reason. They don't keep a constant temperature like a dimmer or pulse will.

I use a 'mat stat' thermostat
by a company called Living Earth Electronics... Habistat.. they are really good in my opinion

yup the Habistat ones are the best available in the UK, and there pulse one is the one to go for.

"...Absolutely avoid any leos that have been housed on sand or other loose substrait..."

Kermit said that about buying leos when i asked about it at the beginning of this thread.
Is it true? When you've bought leos don't you house them in sand?

And also what wattage of heat mat should you buy?

It should take up about 1/3 of the tank