check this for me plz

[aricbuss]

hi im buying a pair of leopard geckos from a breeder they come with a large oak vivarium,heat rock, water dish, moist hide,two dry hides, an egg laying box, and a red heat lamp1 Is this all i will need to purchase other than the cost of food?

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I would not use the heat rock. They have been known to get too hot and burn them. What substrate is in the viv? You technically don't need to purchase a "substrate" though. Paper towels are just fine. If you want to upgrade a little, you could use repti-carpet or slate tile. I don't recommend anything else, though.

Also, how large is this viv?

 

[aricbuss]

front to back about 2 ft ,from side to side 3 and a half ,and it is about 2 and a half feet high. They have them in this enclsure for 2 years and the heat rock has'nt harmed the leos. But i have heard many times that they can burn. And the substrate is half repti carpet and half calci sand.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I think you should remove the calci-sand. If you really want sand, you should use fine-grade, sifted playground sand. There is much less risk of impaction. If you ask me, you should get rid of sand all together, but calci-sand is deffinately the worst. Again, my opinion, I would lose the heat rock. Just my opinion.

 

[ReptileMan27]

Defently remove the heat rock and calci sand, both are dangerous products. Go with an UTH or heat mat.

 

[aricbuss]

ok I guess i will need to buy some more stuff
and is 250 dollars a good price?

 

[ReptileMan27]

ok I guess i will need to buy some more stuff
and is 250 dollars a good price?

Seems like a pretty good deal

 

[sportbike_rob]

Seems like a pretty good deal

+1, sounds good to me, i also agree, get rid of the heat rock and calci sand. a under tank heater and thermostat work best

 

[MichaelJ]

I wouldn't use the sand all together and definitely not the heat rock. 250 doesn't sound bad.. What type of leos?

 

[aricbuss]

they are just the standard type. I cant use a under tank heater if its wood so is there any other suggestions?

 

[ReptileMan27]

they are just the standard type. I cant use a under tank heater if its wood so is there any other suggestions?

They make heat mats that go in the cage under the substrate.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

they are just the standard type. I cant use a under tank heater if its wood so is there any other suggestions?

Belly heat is so important, that if you can't get a heat mat, I would even go as far to say that you shouldn't get that tank.

 

[LadyGecko]

I also would tend to agree with removing the heat rock and the sand
Slate or tile are beautiful and less dangerous substrates to use and easier to keep clean
There are many examples of tanks posted on this forum that are beautiful show tanks using this substrate

As long as the pair has good weight and nice fat tails-it sounds like they can co-exist together without the male constantly stressing the female with wanting to breed if they have been living together now for a number of years

I believe that most of the people on this forum keep their males separate from their females except when breeding them to prevent the females from being stressed from excessive attention from the male and males often forget about food when they have breeding on their mind
But there are Leos that have lived together as 1:1 for many years with no issues

You are going to have to also buy or make an incubator with housing male/female together or it is a waste of energy on the females part to be mating and producing eggs if you have no intentions of incubating them
Also you will need another tank/tanks for hatchlings and everything that goes along with it-uth-etc.

If these are your first Leos you might want to start out with a single male or female rather than rushing right into keeping a breeding pair

Also you really should have a spare tank set-up-in case there are any issues with either the male or the female and they need to be housed alone

If you like the Leos and the tank and you are experienced enough with keeping other lizards to jump right into keeping a breeding pair /incubating eggs and rasiing hatchilings then the whole thing sounds good to me

Just keep in mind that your female will lay many sets of 2 eggs per season and you will need to find new homes for all of those babies

Have fun with your new leos



Sandy

 

[aricbuss]

dont worry because i have saved up 750 dollars to breed them and allready know a couple people who would like to purchase one.They have lived together for 5 years and have done good on the calci sand and heat rock.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

dont worry because i have saved up 750 dollars to breed them and allready know a couple people who would like to purchase one.They have lived together for 5 years and have done good on the calci sand and heat rock.

LOL I'm gonna worry about it as long as those are in the tank, but again, it IS your choice...

Please do not breed thinking that you have people to buy the hatchlings. You should not be selling your hatchlings until at very least after their first shed, and proof that they are eating well and pooping well. If you come across a leo that is having problems, it is YOUR responsiblity to take care of it. Also, your leo may hatch MANY more than you have set up to sell throughout the year. If you are willing to spend that money and time to take care of these hatchlings, then good luck.
**If you do decide to keep the heat rock and calci-sand, DO NOT use the same with hatchlings!**

 

[GeckoMandi]

dont worry because i have saved up 750 dollars to breed them and allready know a couple people who would like to purchase one.They have lived together for 5 years and have done good on the calci sand and heat rock.

You came here for advice so take it....

 

[aricbuss]

ok
so when i get them remove the calci sand and heat rock and buy an under substrate heater. thanks

 

[GeckoMandi]

ok
so when i get them remove the calci sand and heat rock and buy an under substrate heater. thanks

That's the best way to go, if I was you I would get some nice slate or ceramic tile it gives that awesome "natural" look