First-Time Lizard Owner Needs Help!

[ThatRunnerGuy]

Hi, I'm a 15 year old Sophmore in High School, and my parents recently said that I could get a leopard gecko, something I've been bothering them for some time now. So, getting nearer and nearer to owning one. I was wondering if somebody could give me a checklist, for lack of better words, of what to get. I have a tank, a 20 gallon fish tank (Which I will get a screen lid for, due to other animals). I also know that I need to get a heat source of some sort, but do not know what kind, as there were many different things suggested throughout my research, so what kind would be nice to know. Also, I will get crickets, which is not new, as I used to own a toad. I do not know what sort of substrate to have, I'm actually clueless to be honest. And then I know I have to have a hiding place both of a cool and warm side of the tank. What should I feed my leopard gecko? I've read wax worms, meal worms, crickets, and even pinkies? Also, I know I need a water bowl, as well as a food bowl if i go the meal worm route. And anything else you would like to add is much appreciated, thank you and I hope to learn as much as I can before I get my Leopard Gecko!

 

[RUBYsoho]

Hi, there! I'd be happy to walk you through the process, as I've had geckos/reptiles pretty much all my life. From your post, I can tell you seem to have a good grasp on what you'll need & how to care for your new leopard gecko. It's always good to do research before getting a new pet, that way you can care for it exactly how it needs to be cared for. Currently, I have a 2 year old female gecko. Get ready, because this will probably be a pretty lengthy post. I'd like to be as detailed as possible to help you the best way I can. If you have any questions, feel free to message me anytime!

To start off, here is a quick photo I just took of my tank, just so you can get an idea of how it's set up:



That is a 30 gallon tank (you said you had a 20 gallon, which is also fine). As far as substrate goes, many people argue that sand is a poor choice because gecko's can swallow it, block their intestinal tracts & die. I've had gecko's all my life & have never had this happen. If you do choose to use sand as a substrate, I recommend using a VERY FINE grain sand, that way even when your gecko does accidently ingest some, it will be easily passed through its digestive system. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture, but on the right side (the cool) of the tank, under the sand, I have some reptile carpet, which can be bought at any pet store chain. This is just my preference, so it is entirely up to you if you wish to use it as substrate.

You can clearly see the left side of the tank is the warm side (that's where the 60 watt lamp is kept, as well as a heating pad, which is underneath the tank, on that side ONLY. A bit more information about supplies: The lamp and the heating pad are by ZooMed. The lamp is a 60 watt, nightlight red reptile bulb. It is idea for AM/PM use, as reptiles cannot see red light. As a general rule of thumb, I tend to leave her light on pretty much all day and night, unless I see that she has been hanging out for a prolonged period of time on the cool side of the tank. In this case, I see that she's getting too hot, so I shut the lamp for a few hours. You'll get to know your gecko's personality fairly quickly, so you'll be able to determine what he/she likes. You'll also need a thermometer for each side of the tank. In my tank, I have a thermometer on the upper left & right corners. The warm side should range from 84-94 degrees Fahrenheit & the cool side should range from 70-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

You will need a hide on BOTH sides of the tank. I have a hollow log on the warm side & a wooden hide on the cool side (note: the wooden cube hide does have an entrance facing the side of the tank you can't see). When my gecko sheds (this happens about once or twice a month), I add a humid hide to her tank to assist with the shedding process. It can be as simple as a tupperware with a lid & a hole cut in the side, lined with warm wet paper towels. I recommend changing the paper towels every day that she's shedding to keep the hide clean. I also have a water bowl & a small glass kidney dish, which has a bit of calcium powder in it at all times (I use Tetra ReptoCal powdered nutritional supplement). This is also a preference, as some people prefer "dusting" their food with calcium powder before each feeding. I find this kills mealworms too quickly, so I leave it in her bowl to lick at when she feels like it. I also use that same dish for her mealworms or waxworms.

Now, on to the feeding aspect...
I generally feed my gecko about 10-12 small crickets per week. I feed 5 or 6 at a time. If she doesn't eat them within 1 or 2 days, I remove them. Keeping uneaten crickets in the tank for too long will cause them to start pecking at your gecko's skin & stressing him/her out. If you do decide to leave them in for a few days, I recommend putting a food source in the tank for the crickets, like a raw piece of carrot. I also feed her about 20 mealworms a week, in addition to the crickets. I usually drop about 8-10 mealworms in her bowl at any given time & leave them in there until she eats them all. I do feedings about 3-4 times a week or every 1-2 days. Adult geckos do not need to eat everyday & as long as their tails are nice & fat, it means they are healthy. As far as waxworms go, I feed her these about twice a month as a TREAT only. Waxworms are completely made of fat, so they are not good as a staple in your gecko's diet. Crickets & mealworms should be the main sources of food. You do want to make sure your crickets & worms are "gutloaded"...meaning they have the right diet, so they are then nutritional for your gecko. I keep my crickets in a small plastic beta fish tank. They're around $6-$10 at pet stores & come in really handy. You can line the bottom of the holder with uncooked oats & drop a few raw carrots or potatoes in their for food. Your crickets will live as long as you need them to, that way you don't have to make so many trips to pet stores to buy new crickets. The same goes for mealworms. I leave mine in the fridge with a food source and they live for weeks.

I think that pretty much covers it. Sorry for such a long post - I do hope it was somewhat helpful. If I left anything out or you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I hope this helps & good luck!

 

[ThatRunnerGuy]

Thanks a lot! This definitely helped out a lot!

 

[j&k lemmy]

Belly heat is more important than back heat & if the Leo you is a juvinile you want to avoid sand. They eat it and get plugged up. It's fine for adults. I suggest slate tiles. There is lots of set ups in the DIY section here on the forum. Hides can be anything for expensive pet store hides to old butter bowls. Moist hides should have a wet paper towel or cocoa fiber in it.
A lot of great breeders are here on the forum to

 

[Chessie]

Welcome to the forum,

I've been preparing for my gecko and doing a lot of research, so I'll go ahead and walk you through my set up.



I also have a 20 gal tank. I put a Under Tank Heater on the left side, then I used a thin layer of sandy substrate and covered it with natural slate tiles. Lowe's cut the tiles for me, so that was really convenient, and it was also cheap, and it should be extremely easy to keep clean. The slate warms up from the heater and retains that heat well.

I made hides out of small plastic containers that I covered with air-drying clay. Then I painted and sealed them. There's one on my hot side, one on my cool side, and also one in the middle to use as a "humid hut". I plan on putting wet paper towels in there.

Then I included some decorations the gecko can climb on and rub against.

I also used ceramic dishes because they are easy to clean.

 

[RUBYsoho]

Wow, Chessie, compared to my very basic tank set-up, yours is awesome! I've always thought about redecorating, but I just don't want to stress my leo out. I notice every time I even go so far as rearranging her tank, she acts weird for 2-3 days.

Where did you get that clay? I'd like to experiment... :main_thumbsup:

 

[Chessie]

It's Crayola Air-Dry clay. I got it at the big chain discount store that starts with W. It came in a huge tub for $9. I was able to make all three hides and a little cow skull with one bucketful. It took about two days to dry, and there was some minor cracking, but painting it and then sealing it with Mod-Podge has given it an excellent texture.

 

[RUBYsoho]

Thanks a lot for the info! I REALLY want to get this clay & spruce up my leo's tank, but like I said...she gets VERY stressed out in the days after I rearrange stuff. It might just be a risk I'll have to take for the sake of an awesome looking tank lol

I generally keep her tank so plain & simple because she's had it that way for 2 years now...my motto usually is, "if it's not broken, don't fix it." So, I usually shy away from renovations. But, your tank looks so sweet, I might just have to try it! Thanks again for the info.