few noobish questions

Hey guys,
I'm looking into buying a leo for my son and I. We're still debating over whether we want the tangerine morph, the mark, or the normal. I prefer the mark and normal, my son is in love with the tangerine. So once we figure out which one we want for sure we'll be placing an order.

But before we get to that i had a few basic questions. I've been reading dozens of care sheets and articles on these guys over the last few weeks and most have the same info, but a lot contradict each other. During my research before getting into the tarantula husbandry hobby i found that care sheets give you a general sense but the real information is found here in the forums from experienced keepers.

So here i am

Back to the tarantulas. I have 2 colonies of roaches i use to feed the tarantulas, dubia and lateralis, i can't stand crickets because of their short lifespan and stink. Do i need to go buy crickets for the leo or can i feed them the roaches? Also the roaches have a higher calcium content than crickets, do i need to dust them or will having the calcium available in the habitat suffice? I will be getting meal worms/super worms for the gecko, i use them to supplement the roach diet for my tarantulas.

Temperature ranges is another concern. Because of where i live i have need of an air conditioner for maybe a whole week out of the summer. daytime temps in the summer range from mid 70s to low 80s, winter i keep the room the leo will be in 73-79. I've read care sheets and seen youtube videos saying this will be fine, others say no you need higher temps and a basking spot, others yet say don't worry about basking, they're nocturnal and don't bask in the daytime.

So for the experienced keepers, will these temp ranges be ok with a heat pad on the hot side to keep it in the upper 80s? Is that enough of a difference on the hottest days of the summer when the ambient room temp is 82?

You can feed leos roaches instead of crickets, you should only need to gutload the roaches, but you should offer the calcium in a dish for the leo, (they instinctively know how much they need) . Those temperatures in the room are fine, yes, a heat pad is great, no UV light source, they're harmful for leo's, Just make sure you have a thermometer to control the heat pad temps, as the heat pads will heat the spot too hot. But otherwise that sounds great!

Good advice in general, though there is a big difference in opinion about whether the gecko really knows how much calcium it needs. I have done well since 2009 using Repashy Calcium Plus to dust the feeders every other feeding and not leaving calcium in the enclosure except for the newly hatched.

Aliza

I think that's one of the greatest things about Leo's, there are many different ways of doing things, and as long as certain things are achieved, most of it is up to you! Its nice to have a pet that isn't SUPER picky or high maintenance

Thanks guys! that's what i've loved about my tarantulas. many ways to raise them and most are right

Another question on humid hides:

Care sheets i've read (one here even) say to put hte humid hide on the hot side. I've read threads here and articles that say it should be in the middle, a few others say put it on the cold side. So i'm thinking the middle is the way to go for the humid hide? And give my temps in the OP i'm guessing it should be misted a couple times a week? or should it be moist always and not allowed to dry out between misting?

I'm hoping to purchase a baby leo to watch it grow and learn it's quirks, i do this with all of my pets. I've only once bought an adult pet, i don't find them as much fun.

So my next steps are to buy the hides, etc., who are your prefered vendors for leo's and supplies? I've looked at LLL Reptile and NEHerp (i think it was), are there others that are better? or as good that i can compare prices with? Sure i can google them, but i'd rather find out who the trusted ones are than shooting in the dark and hoping i get a good one

The humid hide can be placed wherever. Mine are on the cool sides. They should always be moist and not allowed to dry out.

I'm actually not clear on the forums rules as far as referencing specific sellers, so if you would like my recommendations, you're welcome to PM me. I would stay away from big sellers and stick with private breeders. You're much more likely to have a good experience. Also, if you are planning on shipping, you won't be able to get a true baby. They shouldn't be shipped before they are at least 25 grams. Also worth mentioning that the breeding season just began so there is not a whole lot of babies floating around. If you wait a few months, you will get younger ones popping up.

ah good to know

It will be 6 weeks at least before i can order the leo. got to get the enclosure set up first and test the thermostat. that itself will take a couple paydays.

I don't know of any breeders in my area or around here i could do a pickup with, so i'm most likely going to have to order online. there are a few local pet shops near here that sell leo's i need to go look at, so i might do it that way if the price is decent. We looked into them when my son and I were debating on getting a snake previous to the leo, and their prices were quite a bit higher than what was available online, and the cost of gas vs shipping was a wash (3 hr round trip).

So yeah any suggestions on vendors, private and/or online i'd welcome, pm or post and i'll pm