Does this sound right??

[#19wingnut]

Hi everyone,

Another newbie here(though I've been lurking on the site for weeks reading threads to get info), got some questions and ideas, hoping to get some input from all you experienced leopard gecko owners. So I've decided that I'm going to get a leopard gecko, though I'm not in a great rush because I want to have the little fellas housing set up perfectly for it in advance before I bring it home. I already have a large glass aquarium(48"Longx12"Deep/Widex21"Tall) that I plan to use for housing it, I'm thinking this should more than suffice for a single leo??(though I wish it were a bit wider than 12"). Next here are the items I plan on purchasing or making, maybe you all could look the list over and let me know if I need to add or subtract anything or recommend anything different or better...1.) UTH heater-have been looking at the Zoo-Med Repti-Therm for 50-60gal aquarium, 2.) a light for night time viewing and secondary heat as my house gets cold during the winter(I would likely run this light 24/7 unless the UTH can maintain good heat on its' own, then it would just be for nightime viewing, any suggestions for bulb or fixtures?), 3.) Thermostat(I want something that I can set and not fiddle with, so I have decided against a dimmer or rheostat...suggestions??), 4.) Substrate-I have a few boxes of 12"x12" natural slate tiles and a tile saw, so I was planning to use this, 5.)Warm, humid, and cool hides(may buy or build, still undecided), 6.) Water, calcium, and feeding dishes, 7.) Backdrop of some sort(I'd like to make a 3-D one but as the tank is kinda on the narrow side, I'm not sure if this is a good idea?), 8.) Digital thermometer(unless there is a thermostat with one built in?), 9.) Calcium powder, Calcium powder with D-3, vitamin powder of some sort-recommendations?, 10.) Random decor(maybe driftwood, fake plants, some kind of formation out of shaped slate?), 11.) Screen lid for tank-I'll build this, 12.) Medium of some sort for humid hide-recommendations? O.K. I know I'm probably forgetting at least a few important items as I just rattled this all off the top of my head so please remind me what I'm missing. So...I apologize for my long windedness, but I want to make sure that I have everything set up and running smoothly before I bring the little critter home. Thanks in advance for any replies, I appreciate the fact that many of you answer the same questions repeatedly for us beginners and I thank you for taking the time to do so.

 

[GeckoTrouble]

You've got a pretty good list going
I like the Zilla thermostat paired with a digital thermometer and probe. Even if you spring for the expensive thermostats, I think it's safer to have a seperate thermometer and probe in case the thermostat malfunctions.

I would go down a size on the UTH. Geckos are good at hunting out heat and don't need a huge area.

My geckos LOVE having grapevine, wiffle balls, ramps, bridges etc etc to enrich their environment. Try not to make anything immovably permanant as they will appreciate it if you change it up every now and then.

I use repashy ICB for calcium and vitamins (it's an all in one) and am very happy with it.

I use moss for my humid hides.

You forgot feeders! Make sure you have some sort of container for them. I for example buy mealies by the hundred for my blind gecko. The container they came in goes in the fridge (taken out once a week to warm up and feed) and then a small amount shaken out into a small kritter keeper to gutload for feeding. Then I have another kritter keeper that has superworms for the other three geckos (the ones that can see and hunt)

You should also add to that list a good reptile vet. For safety I would take a fecal sample to be analyzed for parasites as soon as you get your gecko. Most parasites are easily treated if gotten early.

Kudos though... it really looks like you've done your research

 

[#19wingnut]

Thanks for the response, I think I've got a good idea of what I need but it's reassuring to hear it from someone who has done this before. One more question...When I see people talking about using moss(sphagnum, peat, etc.) in their humid hides, are they referring to the dry,brown mulch looking stuff, or to the stringy green forest looking moss?? Thx again.

 

[erik]

the sphagnum moss is the stuff you buy in garden centers, the green stuff. Put a patch in the hide and moisten it about once every two days. Some other people use coco fiber, that's more the mulchy stuff. Either seems to work fine!

 

[#19wingnut]

Thank you both for responding, I have researched the Repashy ICB after seeing you mention it and I think I will try it myself to replace the vitamin powder and calcium with D-3 powder that I was going to use to dust the feeders and then I will just add a dish of pure calcium powder to the aquarium. Good news as well, I have found a member on this site that sells Repashy supplements here in Western Canada, he has the westergeckos.ca site, so I will probably just order from him as he is fairly close to me(Besides I doubt any of the larger pet chain stores near me would have the stuff anyways).

 

[gitrdone0420]

Hmm, sounds pretty nice. I wanna see a picture of the housing once you get it all set up! =]

 

[#19wingnut]

Well I'm hoping to start ordering some of the supplies soon, and get busy cutting the slate tiles to fit, though I think it will be a work in progress for a while, even after I get the gecko, as I will probably keep wanting to improve the enclosure as much as I can(and as often as time and money allow). Eventually I'd like to buy some of those fake rock ledges that can be attached to the tank walls anywhere with magnets, that way the little guy/gal will be able to utilize some of the tank height as well. So it could be a year or more before it is actually "done", but I hope to have it up and running with a leo comfortably inside within 1-2 months. Plan to have all the hides and essentials in place before the gecko comes home, and fill the tank up with fake plants, obstacles(drift wood, large flat rocks, etc.) and other decor over time to make things more interesting and visually appealing. I may post pics once I get the tank functional and the gecko home, and then maybe add more pics later as I improve it.

 

[ReptarNDukeNukem]

That sounds very good you have the same size tank as mine a 55 gallon.If you want to expand your collection put it on your side and divide it up to four for 12 gallon sections.If you want you can use paper towels for a while as substrate because we all know slate tiling is not cheap.

 

[#19wingnut]

hmmm, never thought of putting it on its side, that would add a lot more floor space. So would I just buy or make a screen top for it and attach it to the front somehow? This would probably actually be easier for maintenance work inside the tank instead of reaching in from above, only problems I can see are that my tank stand wouldn't be wide enough for the tank that way(though it won't be full of water so it probably wouldn't break, I guess I could always build a new stand too), and that I plan on having a small(maybe 50 Watt) infra red lamp lamp in addition to the UTH as my house gets cold during the winter and I am unsure if the UTH alone will provide enough heat, so I doubt the lamp would be effective throwing heat through glass(hopefully the UTH will be sufficient and then I will only use the lamp for night viewing). As to the slate tile, this is no problem, I have 4 boxes each containing 8 12"x12" tiles left over from some reno work i did in my house, I may even try to use some to make some contoured landscaping.