Hey! New to leopard geckos..................

[<3myscalebabies]

Hey guys! I'm new to leopard geckos, but not new to reptiles. I have a corn snake, bally python, and Crested gecko. I do not yet have my leopard gecko, just getting supplies slowly. I joined to get info on them cuz I want to get a rescue and give them the best life I can provide! I had my heart set on one girl who was blind but she was already adopted (contrary to what was written). I'm thinking about looking for another baby who is blind or somehow handicapped. My Crested gecko is also handicap and my ball is a scarred, but healthy rescue. I do have some questions. I've been reading up on them and a lot of people say you can leave a small dish in with calcium and vitamins all time and they'll eat when they need it. If I have a blind baby, can they still use this method? I will "shake and bake" the mealworms and crickets. Is that enough for them? Also, how would I sterilize a tank? Can I use bleach in lots of water, or would be vinegar be better? I got a already used tank and just want to get rid of any disease or harmful germs in the tank. Any other tips would be great! Still doing research. Thanks guys

 

[indyana]

Welcome! I'm new to the board as well. I rescued a leopard gecko a couple months ago, and it's nice to hear that someone else is considering doing the same. Searching and reading in this forum has really helped me out, for sure.

For the questions:

- A dish of pure calcium (no other vitamins, no vitamin D, and phosphorus-free) is the only thing that should be put in the cage all the time. A blind gecko might have trouble finding it at first, but I assume once she discovered it, she could learn where it is. I personally keep a calcium dish in the cage and use Calcium Plus from Repashy Superfoods for dusting the bugs, since it has both calcium and other vitamins and is designed for use every feeding.

- For initially sterilizing a used tank, I would wash thoroughly with soap and hot water, then rinse well. Then, use pure, undiluted ammonia in a well ventilated area (preferably outside). It should be left on 30 minutes and the tank rinsed extremely well and left to sit for a day or so. If there's any ammonia smell after, keep rinsing. The reason I would recommend this is that ammonia is one of the few things that can kill the dreaded Cryptosporidiosis.
Crypto - Leopard Gecko Wiki
I usually use white vinegar on my own tanks, so you could use that for general cleaning after the used tank is initially sterilized, unless you have some sort of sickness outbreak. I also like Novalsan disinfectant if I think I need something stronger than vinegar.

Good luck with adopting a rescue!