Getting a Leopard Gecko!

[jerrymb]

Okay so with the heating pad on half of the tank and a hide the temp. should be about perfect right?

I keep my UTH on only 1/3rd of the tank. My temperatures are good.

 

[Gecko977]

Well about half of the tank that's a rough estimate.I don't want to get a mini heater since the bigger one is only 2 dollars more.

 

[Gecko977]

I got the UTH today!I have it on mostly one half of the tank but I had to scoot it toward the middle a bit more because where the cord plugs into that casing was too close to the edge.I have a picture of under the tank to show the little bit it was elevated from my desk.But I glued two coins together and then glued that to each of the separaters to raise it up more.Now it's about half a centimeter up from the desk and I used the bottoms of plastic cups for two hides! What do you guys think?! Is it ready for a gecko? Also I bought calcium dust today to dust the crickets/mealworms.

 

[Coby78]

Good job with the set up and UTH. I can't really tell, but if you don't have a moist hide, make sure you get one. I can't tell if the hide behind the plant is one of not. And you have time, but if you have a Gatorade cap or something similar, put some of the calcium dust in there so it can get some whenever it wants.

Other than that you're good!

 

[Adinar]

One thing you will want to do is make sure there is air circulation under the tank. Get something like 2 sturdy pieces of same sized wood so nothing melts or cracks. And calcium dust is a must as someone else pointed out.

Other than that I think you are fine.

Just moniter the temps over the next few days while you wait for the shipment to come in. Call and ask the petstore when they expect it in and see if you can arrange to be there when it comes in so you can be there if they will let you. Then that way you can take a look at all of them and pick out the healthiest animal. Until then read, read, read. Any other questions, just ask!

 

[Gecko977]

Thanks

 

[M_surinamensis]

Anytime you are cutting your own materials, you should take extra precautions to ensure the remaining edges are smooth and rounded- no burrs, no slivers, no sharp corners or edges. Like in the plastic cups you have cut into hides in those photos.

 

[Gecko977]

Thanks for the info I will fix them. Now I do have a question that was asked earlier but not answered. I am using the tank from my previous hermit crab experience and there was an outbreak of something like mold and I no longer cared for the crabs. I think that whatever this was formed from the crab pee. It was black in color and stunk badly but it couldn't have been black mold like I said earlier. Just didn't have the same characteristics. Once again the tank was not cleaned until a few days ago. I emptied the sand out and used clorox wipes,salt, and dish soap to clean it. I soaked all of the plants in this and the tank and repeated. Then I washed it out with a 2000 psi power washer. The tank still has a sandy smell but not a smell like crab pee. What I want to know is: Is there any bacteria left in the tank?Why is there still a sandy smell?

 

[Gecko977]

Is it safe to put this gecko in my tank?

 

[Chosen010]

I believe you can spray it with a mix of vinegar and water..

I believe it's like a 10:1 ratio for water:vinegar..

 

[Gecko977]

Well I've already cleaned it a bunch so I assume it's okay. I don't see how it could be dirty anymore...

 

[Adinar]

Well I've already cleaned it a bunch so I assume it's okay. I don't see how it could be dirty anymore...

If you are worried about it still, I would say you bleach (the liquid, not the wipes) and water. Mix the two and let it soak then rise really well. If there was anything left it probably wouldn't survive.

Chances are the vinager got it, but you can do this if it still has you concerned.

 

[Gecko977]

It just couldn't be dirty anymore the soap,clorox wipes and salt had to have killed everything and I know the power washer blasted it all off. I'm not worried anymore because it's very unlikely anything is left.

 

[Gecko977]

If you are worried about it still, I would say you bleach (the liquid, not the wipes) and water. Mix the two and let it soak then rise really well. If there was anything left it probably wouldn't survive.

Chances are the vinager got it, but you can do this if it still has you concerned.

I never used vinegar.

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Phew, just spent the past 25 minutes reading this thread. First off, congragulations on getting your first leo! They are really fun and adorable, and I've only had mine for 2 weeks. My baby was from petco, but had only just arrived that morning and wasn't with the other leo's for more than an hour. Your tank seems great, as long as you have a moist hide and a calcium dish in there. A water dish is also great to have too. I have the most basic, homemade, cheap tank ever, and my leo is quite happy and healthy, and growing nicely. Can't wait to see your leopard gecko when you get him! Or her. Please post lots of pics.

 

[Gecko977]

The pet store got the shipment in just a bit ago and I beat it over there!I'm gonna try to get a pic but I don't want to disturb him/her because he's in the warm hut right now. He has clear eyes,relatively fat tail, and a clear vent. He pooped on the way home and I know its odd but I got a picture. There's no parasites and things are digested pretty well.

 

[Gecko977]

PICTURES!

Here he or she is!Not the best pics but the best I can get for now! What morph is it? And I put some calcium powder in the food dish. I was supposed to do that right? Also I ended up getting crickets.

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Awweee! Congragulations!!! What an adorable little baby. I'm no good with morphs, sorry, but it's good to have a calcium dish in there with the gecko, so they can lick it so they get nutrients for their bones. Yaaay! Congrats. Your gecko looks healthy, I think. Very cute.

 

[Gecko977]

Thanks!He's running all over the tank now and is very quick!How long should I avoid handling? Also on the way home the his container accidentally got flipped over but flipped up almost immediately. He seemed startled but is moving a lot now so I assume he wasn't injured right?

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Yay! It's good that he's active. I read to wait at least 3-4 days, so they can get used to their surroundings. That's how long I waited, but you read my post, Pepper is still not a fan of being handled. And from what I've learnt so far, baby gecko's are pretty tough. Pepper has slipped and fallen and jumped quite a bit, because she is so fast. No harm done whatsoever! She barely shakes her head before she runs again. I think they're like children. They fall alot, and their bodies are okay with it? Just don't go tossing him about or anything. I'm sure he's fine. Any name ideas?