SCGeckos
New Member
- Messages
- 99
- Location
- South Carolina
There has always been debates in regards to setups and substrates but it has heated up again as of late. There is of course the never ending and infamous "Sand debate" that always rears its ugly head every few days or weeks.
I personally feel that there can be much more to keeping Leopard Geckos than plastic tubs, paper towels, repti carpet, and cardboard.
Now just to be clear, My take on sand and Leopard Geckos is that it is an incorrect substrate (for this species) and should not be used. Leopard Geckos do not naturally occur in sand boxes.... They come from a region of densely packed clay/dirt and rocks. Therefore putting a Leopard Gecko in a aquarium full of loose sand is far from ideal and in no way mimics their natural habitat.
A huge part when it comes to using a naturalistic setup is understanding the proper care and husbandry of the species you are working with. You may have a beautiful setup that is an accurate depiction of the animals natural habitat but if your husbandry is lacking weather it is incorrect temps, incorrect diet, or incorrect supplementation (just to name a few), the animal will not thrive regardless of the setup.
Now all that being said, is it easier to keep these animals on paper towels, or tile with plastic hides??? Absolutely! That however does not mean it is the only way to keep these animals correctly. It is amusing to me if you think about it. Many keepers of Aussie species keep them on sand..... No problem. Many Cave gecko keepers keep there animals on coco fiber or a similar product..... No problem. You know why??? Because those substrates are similar to what they live in or around in the wild.
I would love to hear other keepers opinions on this topic (keeping it respectful). I would also love to see some pictures of some naturalistic setups that members have and how the animals are doing in these type of environments.
I personally feel that there can be much more to keeping Leopard Geckos than plastic tubs, paper towels, repti carpet, and cardboard.
Now just to be clear, My take on sand and Leopard Geckos is that it is an incorrect substrate (for this species) and should not be used. Leopard Geckos do not naturally occur in sand boxes.... They come from a region of densely packed clay/dirt and rocks. Therefore putting a Leopard Gecko in a aquarium full of loose sand is far from ideal and in no way mimics their natural habitat.
A huge part when it comes to using a naturalistic setup is understanding the proper care and husbandry of the species you are working with. You may have a beautiful setup that is an accurate depiction of the animals natural habitat but if your husbandry is lacking weather it is incorrect temps, incorrect diet, or incorrect supplementation (just to name a few), the animal will not thrive regardless of the setup.
Now all that being said, is it easier to keep these animals on paper towels, or tile with plastic hides??? Absolutely! That however does not mean it is the only way to keep these animals correctly. It is amusing to me if you think about it. Many keepers of Aussie species keep them on sand..... No problem. Many Cave gecko keepers keep there animals on coco fiber or a similar product..... No problem. You know why??? Because those substrates are similar to what they live in or around in the wild.
I would love to hear other keepers opinions on this topic (keeping it respectful). I would also love to see some pictures of some naturalistic setups that members have and how the animals are doing in these type of environments.