A beginner at Keeping a gecko, any tips and thoughts will be very helpful !

[Jazzie]

I have been thinking of getting a leopard gecko, but am a complete noivce in this area, just have a few questions and any tips for a beginner would be very helpful.

What age is best to get a new gecko ?

shall i purchase from a pet shop or get a pet from someone rehoming it ?

what sort of size tank is preferable ?

how big will it grow ?

male or female ?
( will not be breeding)

which food would be best ? or is it good to give variety ?

what is the best set up for the tank ?

how long roughly do they live ?

do they need extra supplements? if so what ?

do they need lighting ?

where is best to put heat mat?

Was a bit concerned about reading that feeding crickets to your gecko that they can then bother the gecko is this a big problem ?

also when they shed do they usually have problem not shedding there whole skin ?

i know a lot of question but am a total novice and want to research as much as i can to be fully prepared

any helpful tips will be great
Thanks

 

[Bamagecko76]

Any age, sub adult is best imho.
I'd go with a breeder, such as one of the site sponsors at the top of the page, I also recommend crestedgecko.com you could attend a reptile show as well.

20 long is generally accepted minimum.

7 inches is about average from head to tip of the tail.

Either male or female, little or no difference in behavior.

Crickets, dubia/turkish roaches and mealworms are what most people feed.

Housing is largely personal preference. They need a warm hide, cool hide and humid hide but the rest is up to you for the most part. This thread here as some good examples: http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=22299

Healthy geckos can easily live 10 or more years.

They need a dish with calcium powder available at all times. Also, you need to dust the insects with calcium with D3.

They are nocturnal, so no need for lighting as it will likely stress them out.

Put the heat mat on the warm side, under the thank, it should reach about 87- 90 degrees and cover no more then one third of the tank.

Just keep a close eye on it when you feed the crickets and remove any surviving crickets within an hour or so.

As long as you provide a humid hide with moist moss/ paper towel they should have no problem shedding. if however it does you can soak it in shallow luke warm water for a few minutes.

Hope this helps! Read some care sheets, use the search function and dont hesitate to ask any further questions!

 

[LeopardShade]

What age is best to get a new gecko?
- In my opinion, a sub-adult (not a juvenile, but not necessarily an adult yet).
Where should you get the gecko?
- I wouldn't buy from a pet shop. These geckos can often be improperly cared for and suffer from health problems. Instead, I would buy from a breeder who knows exactly what they're doing. There are lots on this website, just look at all of them above!
What size tank?
- a 10 gallon tank is a good size for one gecko, especially if you're starting out with a young one. When the gecko gets older, though, it can be provided with a 15-20 gallon enclosure, but this is not necessary. Leopard geckos are terrestrial lizards, meaning that they spend their life on the ground, and they do enjoy the floor space, but I'd start off with a 10 gallon.
How big will it grow?
- Depends on the gender. There are actually Giant and Super Giant Leopard geckos on the market - they are predisposed to get large, it's in their blood. Super Giants can get up to nearly a foot in length! But this will be specified when being sold. Regular females often reach about 7-8 inches in length, while males often reach about 8-9 inches in length.
Male or female?
- Up to you
What food would be best? Variety?
Crickets and mealworms make a great staple for Leopard geckos. I feed primarily mealworms, but crickets are a great source of food as well. Occasionally, as a treat, Leopard geckos can be fed waxworms. Make sure that these are not the staple, though, Leopard geckos can get addicted to them, and they are extremely high in fat and cholesterol. It would be like feeding a human doughnuts every meal. Leopard geckos do enjoy variety, so a varied diet (crickets and mealworms) is great. Food can be dusted with calcium/vitamin powder daily.
What is the best set-up?
- First off, NO SAND OR LOOSE SUBSTRATE!! This is such a common mistake with leopard geckos, and sadly, it is a huge cause of death for them. These geckos can accidentally ingest particles of the substrate and over time, the stuff will build up in their GI tract and cause a blockage. The gecko won't be able to eat or defecate, and it will lead to death. I don't care what it is. Sand, calcium sand, repti bark, aspen, walnut shell, none of it is safe! Go with paper towel substrate, it's what I use. Cheap, easy to clean, and 100% impaction free!
I would offer three hides, a warm dry hide (placed on the warm side of the tank - where ever the heat source is), a warm moist hide (this can be made by cutting a hole in a Tupperware container and filling it with moist paper towel), placed on the warm side for humidity to help them shed, and a cool dry hide (placed on the cool side - opposite the heat source). This gives the gecko a chance to thermoregulate, control its body temperature. For example, if its too warm, it will move to the cool side and vice-versa.
As always, a water bowl should be kept, as well as a dish with calcium supplement.
Longevity?
- With proper care, these lizards will often surpass 10+ years of age. There are even records of leos at 28 years old!
Supplements?
- Yes, supplements are needed to prevent metabolic bone disease, softening of the bones. I recommend Repashy Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus. It's an all-in-one calcium-and-vitamin powder, has everything they need. A dish can be placed in the tank filled with it, or you can dust the food with it. Either way, the gecko is getting its vitamins. To prevent overdoing it, though, I would either do one or the other.
Do they need lighting?
- No. They are nocturnal, bright light will stress them out. They need belly-heat, so an undertank heater is the way to go. Make sure to get a thermostat to control the temps of the UTH (Rheostat) so it doesn't get too warm or too cool. And, as always, make sure to read the instructions on how to set it up. Daytimes temps should be between 88-92, nighttime can drop a little bit.
Bothersome crickets?
- When left in the cage for too long, uneaten crickets can irritate your gecko by chewing on its toes/etc. Just make sure, if feeding crickets, that you monitor how many are being eaten, and remove any uneaten ones.
Shedding problems?
- With a moist hide, all of this is eliminated. Humidity = good shed.

Good for you for doing your research and taking proper precautions before taking care of a reptile. Best of luck!

 

[Quantumhigh]

What age is best to get a new gecko ?
Few months old or around 15g-20g weight
shall i purchase from a pet shop or get a pet from someone rehoming it ?
I would buy from a local or online breeder who specializes and is devoted to producing healthy geckos. Pet store generally do not take the time to properly care for critters and often find sick geckos or geckos with underlying health issues from these stores.
what sort of size tank is preferable ?
20gallon long for 1-2 geckos is a good size
how big will it grow ?
anywhere from 6in-8 nose to tail tip. Giant and super giant morphs you can add a few more inches
male or female ?
Male if not breeding would be my choice. Females can still produce eggs and a male would eliminate most any concerns with reproduction health issues.
which food would be best ? or is it good to give variety ?
Variety is the spice of life, as a staple food Dubia roaches are in my opinion the best with superworms, giant mealworms comming in second with ease of care and handling. Waxworms as fatty treats from time to time.
what is the best set up for the tank ?
several hides, 1 damp hide for sheding. desert decor. No sand! Desert color tiles from home depot work great. Papertowls on the coolside of the tank where they will likely goto the bathroom, away from there hides.
how long roughly do they live ?
Record if heard of 30yrs. Females much less from reproduction stress. Generally half that if you take good care and no heath issues.
do they need extra supplements? if so what ?
Calcium, and reptile multi vitamins
do they need lighting ?
No, just ambient lighting from a window is fine, they only need something to tell night and day cycles.
where is best to put heat mat?
On one side of the tank under one of the hides several hides. You want a gradient temperature from warm to cool across the length of the tank. Mid 90s- low 80s nothing below 75f

Mileage may vary from one breeder to the next but this is what I do and works well for me.

 

[Jazzie]

Thanks for all the adivice will be a great help, wont be getting one yet but maybe in the near future i want to be ready. Thanks again !

 

[NinjaDuo]

Any age, sub adult is best imho.
I'd go with a breeder, such as one of the site sponsors at the top of the page, I also recommend crestedgecko.com you could attend a reptile show as well.

20 long is generally accepted minimum.

7 inches is about average from head to tip of the tail.

Either male or female, little or no difference in behavior.

Crickets, dubia/turkish roaches and mealworms are what most people feed.

Housing is largely personal preference. They need a warm hide, cool hide and humid hide but the rest is up to you for the most part. This thread here as some good examples: http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=22299

Healthy geckos can easily live 10 or more years.

They need a dish with calcium powder available at all times. Also, you need to dust the insects with calcium with D3.

They are nocturnal, so no need for lighting as it will likely stress them out.

Put the heat mat on the warm side, under the thank, it should reach about 87- 90 degrees and cover no more then one third of the tank.

Just keep a close eye on it when you feed the crickets and remove any surviving crickets within an hour or so.

As long as you provide a humid hide with moist moss/ paper towel they should have no problem shedding. if however it does you can soak it in shallow luke warm water for a few minutes.

Hope this helps! Read some care sheets, use the search function and dont hesitate to ask any further questions!

I have quite a few leos (10) in 10 gallons, they do just fine

 

[Wild West Reptile]

I would suggest doing your own research on this site by using the search button. Just because you got a few answers doesn't mean they are all going to be right or wrong for what you need. Most are opinions and everyone has one. Check each of your questions yourself, especially the ones on substrate and lighting/heating and come to your own conclusions. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of threads on those subjects here. Do your own homework....that would be my advice.

 

[Bamagecko76]

I have quite a few leos (10) in 10 gallons, they do just fine

It's not a problem, it just seems like generally people prefer 20 gallon tanks for their geckos. In my opinion a ten gallon is plenty, I just thought I'd play it safe and recommend the 20.