New to leopard geckos

Hey everyone! I just got my first leopard gecko. I adopted it because it lost its foot from poor shedding. I have been doing as much research as I can but still have lots of questions. I've had it for 3 days. It's a juvenile. I have read so many different things about tank set up and substrate that I'm really just confused. I have provided a picture below of my set up. Right now I have repti carpet as a substrate. I have a warm dry hide on the left. I have a cool moist hide on the right. The day temp on the left side is only getting to about 85 F. The day temp on the left is about 75 F. I got it ou once to hold it and it didn't seemed stressed and didn't try to bite. It has eaten 1 or 2 insects a day every day I've had it except hasn't eaten today. It also hasn't came out of the hide at all except when I lifted it up and picked the gecko up. It felt cool to the touch when I held it. I have read that they should have 3 hides. Some sites say to have a cold moist hide and some say it should be a warm moist hide. I have read many articles about substrate and they all seem to say something different. I just want some advice!! I want to do everything I can to make this gecko's life as good as possible. Thanks in advance! <br />
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Welcome to GF and to geckos. You have read conflicting info because there's more than 1 way to do things. I definitely have one hide on the hot side and I put the humid hide wherever I have room for it, sometimes on the hot side and sometimes on the cool side depending on the tank layout. In my opinion, either is fine. I guess if you have both on the hot side it's nice to have another hide on the cool side.

Are you measuring your temps on the floor (hopefully with a digital thermometer with probe, or a temp gun) or in the air? If in the air, 85 is too hot.

The general agreement is that juveniles shouldn't be on a particle substrate. Beyond that, there are many choices: repti carpet (though some get their nails or teeth stuck in it), paper towel, newspaper (some people are concerned about the ink, though), and, my favorite, ceramic tile. Some people do keep adult leopard geckos on a particle substrate like eco earth or playsand (not calci sand).

Let us know if you have any more questions, and enjoy your gecko.

Aliza

Thank you! I feel much better after reading everyone's posts. I have ordered a thermostat for the UTH and a temp gun. I plan on putting tile in next time I get him out!

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