Buying A Leo

Contact me about your quote button Kel. And i'm sure i can sort it.

I'm sorry. I don't understand anything you said. But i probably wasn't paying any attention to what you had written. I was just skimming over it.

Well if you go back and actually READ it and absorb it, click the housing link that is included in the post (made it really easy for you to find) and you'll know exactly what kind of housing is best suited for your gecko.

thanks

I know what a moist box is but i have no idea what you can put in it! Can anyone tell me please?

Kitchen roll, moss, etc. Anything that can be misted and retain the moisture to create humidity.

How warm should it be in there and how do measure the temperature of the box?
Can you use moss out of the garden as long as you wash it?

You should just set it on the warm side of your viv, it'll stay warm enough. You might get away with moss from the garden, but I'm not completely sure there.

So would you just put it anywhere on the warm side of the tank?
Where else would you get the moss from? It wouldn't harm the gecko if you washed the moss would it?

It shouldn't, but I personally use this small wafer of moss sold at a local pet chain. When it gets hydrated, it expands to a good size and retains moisture well.

Jess, you shouldnt use moss from the garden. Even after washing it, its still too risky to carry parasites and germs and all sorts.
Lots of petstores seel moss, and lots of online stores.

i would go 1/3 on the belly heat. i dont know how old this thread is, but i saw a new question. i have mine set up with four inch flexwatt and it heats about a third of the floorspace.

as far as the moss goes, here in the states we have arts and craft stores that sell spagnum moss in big bricks for less than a dollar! if you were to buy that much in a pet store i bet it would cost you thirty five to fifty bucks american!!! no joke. like one square foot in a pet store is nine bucks, you can get nine square foot in a bag for .99 cents at pat catans or joe ann fabrics! they also sell really nice silk plants and plastic plants for a ton cheap, and have a huge selection. i have found TONS of stuff at craft stores that i have found useful.

Hi Jess, a leo will make a great pet so long as you stick to the basics. Gutload and dust food, clean water daily, remove poo's, disinfect enclosure once a month, keep moist hide moist for shedding & have heatmat/pad under 1/3 of enclosure with hot hide over heat so they can digest food properly. They are one of the easier reptiles to look after but I agree with Kel about getting an older leo to start as the babies & juvies are trickier. I got a baby male who was not even 4 weeks old in addition to the 4 month old leo that I already had and taking care of the baby proved much more tricky. He even escaped from his tub on the first night I had him which was scary cos they are small and move very fast. That baby is the same one in my avatar and he is now 3 months old and doing well at 11cm (snout to vent) and a whopping 16cm total length. He eats like the food will run out tomorrow, even eating after a shed, so I think he is going to be a big boy. Good luck in choosing your first leo and remember, there are no such things as stupid questions, only stupid answers. It is better to ask if you don't know something cos that way you can avoid making mistakes that were avoidable in the first place.

Okay.
Thanks guys. So 2 thirds of it should be on the heatmat?
And how moist should it be? Would it be okay to spray it quite a bit once a day?

i have my humid hide on the heat, and depending on what you have inside will determine how often you will need to spray. i use paper towell and spray every other day. just stick your finger in there, you should be able to feel the humidity. with moss you can probably get away with once or twice a week, like i said, just feel it and when it needs it, spray it.

Thanks.
So it should be right on the heat mat?

Most moist hides need sprayed every couple days esp. when part of them ior all of them is on or near a heat source. Moss will hold moisture longer than paper towels will obviously, butI usually only spray my paper towels every 2-3 days.

Okay.
Can you just put a moist hide anywhere in the tank?

my moss boxes are the opposite end to the heat mat in my tubs

thanks but can they be put anywhere?

some leopards will never come out of a nice humid hide, even after eating, they will go right back in there...all reptiles need heat to effectively digest their food, so i keep mine on the warm side incase they dont come out after eating, so they are guarenteed the heat they need to digest properly. also the heat will help keep the humidity higher in the box, because the definition of humidity is actually water content in the air, not just a wet spot...so i personally think a humid hide should be on the warm end. and something else to consider, most reptiles will take security over optimal temps every time! so if the humid hide is the only one that is snug and feels most secure, that is where the animal is gonna be, even if temps are not optimal.

Okay that's a good idea

I agree with Rick - moist hide on part of heat mat otherwise how do you achieve humidity? Air + water + cool temp = cold/damp. Air + water + hot temp = warm/humid.

I have quite a large plastic container for my leo's moist hide sooo half of it goes over the edge of the heat mat, and half is on the beginning of the cool floor space