A few questions, first timer

[luxxman]

Hey all, I am currently the proud owner of a Bearded Dragon and a Cornsnake and I am thinking of expanding in to the world of Geckos. I am working on a custom enclosure for my BD and once that is done I will have an extra 20 gallon long tank. So now I am thinking that I should put it to use and start my first gecko home. I'm still in the process of figuring out what kind of gecko that I want so I am trying to get up some basic info first. I have a few questions to start off with.

1. Would the 20 gallon long be big enough to house an adult leo or would I end up needed to upgrade it in time?

2. I see a lot of people have more than one gecko housed together, I understand that having females together is accepted but is there any benefit to it? I mean other than being more visual for me? Do they enjoy having company to interact with or would they prefer to keep to themselves? I would rather have one happy critter than two not so happy ones.

3. I already have ceramic tiles cut to size for use as a substrate for my BD, is this an ok way to go with geckos or is a different type of tile more acceptable?

Thats about it to get started off with I think. I'm sure I'll come up with plenty more questions as I get closer to actually picking one out. Thanks in advance for any thoughts and opinions.

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

1. Would the 20 gallon long be big enough to house an adult leo or would I end up needed to upgrade it in time?

A twenty long is a great tank size. You can house a single adult or a group of up to three.

2. I see a lot of people have more than one gecko housed together, I understand that having females together is accepted but is there any benefit to it? I mean other than being more visual for me? Do they enjoy having company to interact with or would they prefer to keep to themselves? I would rather have one happy critter than two not so happy ones.

I would not say that they enjoy each others company. It is instinctual to group together to avoid being taken by a predator though (your odds of escape are better if the predator might go after someone else.lol). Some leopards do great in groups, some do not. Trust me though if you get one... you'll want more.

3. I already have ceramic tiles cut to size for use as a substrate for my BD, is this an ok way to go with geckos or is a different type of tile more acceptable?

Tile is an excellent substrate.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

1. 20 gallon is plenty big enough.

2. As you seem to understand, do not house males together because they will fight. Keep in mind that if you house females together, they need to be quarantined for at least 90 days to make sure they are not sick with soemthing that may effect the other.

3.Tile is great, but is it slick ceramic? Slate is much better because your leo will slide around on a slick surface. My tile is a rock slate tile and he seems to enjoy it very much.

I only have 1 leo right now. I have only had him about 3 weeks and I am already dying for more. Jeremy is sure right about wanting more after getting one.

 

[luxxman]

Ok sounds good so far, thanks for the responses.

I already know that I will want more once I have the one. I I just don't want to have more than one in the tank just to suit my own desires. Since it seems so common to house more than one together I have a feeling I will pick up a pair of females. I just need to start looking into breeders in the new england area so I can get things moving lol. I'm also thinking of starting a home for a crested as well so that will be a whole other set of questions to pop up soon haha. I have $125 in gift certificates for petco so I should be all set for picking up the accessories I would need. I'm just not so sure about buying the actual geckos there.

The tile I use for my BD is ceramic with texture to it. No jagged edges or anything but enough for him to have good traction and aids in keeping his nails down when he thinks he can dig through it lol.

 

[Jeanne]

Where in New England are you? There is a show coming up January 6th and 7th in White Plains, NY. There will be a few really good Gecko breeders there, lots of Geckos to choose from

 

[luxxman]

I'm in Massachusetts, not really sure how far it would be to travel. I'll have to look into it. There is an expo coming up in NH in april but I don't know if I can hold out that long haha. I went to the one in NH the last time it came around and that was only about a 45 minute drive for me.

Edit: I just checked and the one in NY is almost 200 miles away lol

 

[Jeanne]

I live on the border of MA, in Pelham, NH, it is a far drive for me too, about 3 1/2 hours, so I only go once in a great while. If you want, I can always meet you somewhere, if I have any geckos that you would like. Just let me know what you are looking for.

 

[ReptileMan27]

1: a 20 gallon is plenty for 1-3 adults, one adult can be housed in a 10-15 gallon tank.

2: you can house more then one togther, but only 1 male per cage, I wouldnt reccomend getting a male to put in with females unless you plan on breeding. but females are generally fine together, just make sure their all about the same size.

3:For substrate, tiles,paper towels,newspaper, or slate tiles are good and safe for leos.

Leos are a heck of alot easier and cheaper to care for then beardys, so you should have no problems .