Hey everyone

I've read about leopards for 1 month, I've had ball pythons before, but that is my only reptile experience.
I have a jump start brand heat mat thermostat, reptovite with d3, orange cubes (for crickets) and ordered a 10 gal zoo med, and jump start brand heat mat.
I've also ordered a separate thermometer, heat gun, and will be buying a calcium without d3.
I'll be getting a 10 gal tank (for now) and a screen cover, and will be feeding crickets and worms (wax, meal, and super, as well as horn worms, for variety, but keeping in mind fat contents and addictive extra tasty worms)
My first Leo will be a +++++ Leo (girlfriend works there, her store takes really good care of their critters)
I'm mostly just saying hey, and that I will be posting here more often.
My question however, for the more experienced owners here, is other than hides, which i will diy, and cover in glue and coir/ or fake moss, and substrate (tiles or paper towels) am I missing anything ?
I've been reading and reading, I want to set up tank and monitor temps for 1 week before I get the Leo (have her on hold, already found my perfect buddy) and I want everything I need.
With my ball, I used a feeder gut load that I mixed with water and injected into (already dead) feeder rats. Am I missing. any needed nutes for my future buddy?
As far as the d3, how often do the crickets/wormies get the dust?

My apartment is around 75, should I add a second heat mat to the cold side, just to super regulate everything, or is that over thinking things?
I want my Leo to be optimally perfect. I obsess over my pets, and currently have none, so this will be done right, 100%.
I plan on getting a second, possibly 2 females in a 20 long, but for now this is all that will be in the cage.
What am I missing, and what should I realize?
The Leo's at the shop seem very aggressive, but they have several (it is a pet store) in one cage, so I assume this is lack of interaction, and them being territorial.

I want my buddy to be happy, I don't have to hold her, just care for her.
What else do I need, and what should i prepare for?

Thanks for reading this, I want to do it right all the way, I'm caring for something, so it should be as happy as possible. Don't worry about my feelings, tell it to me straight. Money isn't an option, but expenses mean I have to wait longer to get my buddy, but that is totally cool.

This all said, I'll have pictures of my friend, as well as cage setup very soon, I was too in love to take pictures the other day of the Leo, but she had a nice fat tail (not too fat) and spine wasn't visible, they feed mix of all feeders, and dust.
Thanks again for reading!


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Welcome to GF! Your supplies sound pretty good. Here are some minor suggestions:
--Once you attach the Jumpstart heat mat to the bottom of the enclosure, it's difficult to peel it off and re-attach it to another, so unless you're planning to buy another heat mat when you upgrade to the 20 long, I'd recommend getting Zoo med heat cable which can be taped on (use Nashua tape that you can get from Home Depot or equivalent) and then re-taped somewhere else.

--the crickets will need some powdered grain gut load as well as the orange cubes. Even though they're labelled as "cricket food", they're pretty much only polymer water cubes with dye.

--the 10 gallon is fine for a juvenile, but the 20 long will be better when it reaches adulthood (2 in a 20 long should not be a problem)

--you'll find that some geckos tolerate and even enjoy being held (our hands are warm!) and some don't like it.

--In my opinion, 75 ambient temp is more than adequate. In winter my ambient temp can get down to the mid 60's and then the geckos spend more time in the warm hides. That's what thermoregulation's all about.

We'd love to see some pictures when you get the gecko.

Aliza

Thanks for the response!
Yes I'll be upgrading to a 20 long, and will actually be buying 2 separate bits of heat tape, one for hot and one for cool side, just so I can regulate my temps 100%
So far I have been dialing in my temps using make shift hides, but we be buying actual hides, or making better ones very soon.
The local pet store I was getting my Leo at now has them on sand, so I'm going to a reptile Exo this weekend and getting a little guy there. The wire in the middle will be moved, it's just for now, and no Leo in the cage yet.
Hot hide, humid hide (on hot side) and then a cold size cave, and a tp roll tube in the middle as a sort of "thingy"


Still need a backround, and a lid for the tank, and food, but no Leo yet, so that's ok.
As far as a lid, Leo's can't climb, so do they actually need a lid on the tank?

How's it look? I'm planning on changing to repti carpet or something similar fairly soon



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I had a leo somehow get out of an enclosure because the lid was askew, so get a lid to be safe.

Aliza

acpart said:

I had a leo somehow get out of an enclosure because the lid was askew, so get a lid to be safe.

Aliza

Click to expand...

Good looking out. It's not a money issue just a question.
Will have everything in time for the Leo


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Got a Lid, super worms, and this lil dude.
His name is totodile


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Congrats on the gecko! Nice looking guy.

Aliza

acpart said:

Congrats on the gecko! Nice looking guy.

Aliza

Click to expand...

He seems very active, already eating well, and quite friendly, although I haven't touched him other than getting him into and out of the box he came in from the store.


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He's being weird haha.
I assume he's just drinking the moisture from the wet paper towels.
Has a water bowl but oh well