First-Time Reptile Owner with Baby Leopard Gecko Question

[lbrock18]

Hello!

I am a first-time reptile owner. Four days ago I got a baby leopard gecko (3 weeks old). He has been eating like a pig and using the bathroom. I've also watched him drink several times out of his water dish. However, he seems to not be very active. I realize they are nocturnal, so I fully expect for him to snooze the day away, but even at night time it seems like he is hiding out and not doing much moving about or exploring. The second I feed him, he will come out for a good 20 minutes and eat and walk around, but he seems to go right back into his hides and hangs out there for the rest of the night. Is this normal? Like I said, this is my first reptile experience, so I am just worried that something might be wrong. I am feeding small crickets and mealworms, dusting them with both calcium and vitamins and he has a calcium dish (without D3) in his cage at all times. He is living in a 20L tank with a 10-20 gallon UTH, and he also has a 50 watt red heat bulb for supplemental heat. The ambient air temperature on the warm side is about 83 degrees. I am also using reptile carpet and not sand or any fine substrate. I would greatly appreciate any input anyone might have! Thank you!!!

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Sounds pretty normal to me! Most of my geckos come out to eat and sleep the rest of the day. They really just aren't very active creatures at all. Using a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) instead of a light (leos can see red light) and making sure his tank isn't in a very bright room may encourage him to be out and about more but he also just might prefer the hide and stay in it no matter what you do. Do you know what the temperature is on the floor of your tank? Other than not knowing that, your set up sounds great

 

[lbrock18]

Thank you for responding! Do you have any advice for what size lamp should I be using for a 20-long tank? Also, what size CHE should I use? I don't know the exact floor temperature yet. I ordered a digital thermometer with a probe, but it hasn't been delivered yet.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

Hey leah welcome aboard!

No worries, i have a male leo that didn't come out even at night for four days. I even lifted his hide up to see if he's okay and apparently he is. Most lazy leos usually come out at dawn for a couple of hours and then retreat back to their hides. Just make sure he is well-fed and well-hydrated