Getting a Paroedura picta

[Canadian]

hello all, im pretty new to the reptile game. i have wanted to get a lizard for the longest time since i babysat my friends leopard gecko's for a week. they are awesome animals and so lovable. so i am full of questions. i am looking at getting a Paroedura picta or panther gecko as some call it. i just went out and picked up a 15 gallon fish tank from a friend and got it all cleaned up. now heres where i need your help. i really want to make a good home for my soon to be new friend so i need to know exactly what i should get for his/her cage. i just saw this video and was wondering if this is a good set-up to follow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBye2S45wXo&feature=channel_video_title . i was wondering if maybe i can use something like this instead- http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3678495 . i have heard good stuff about it but i just want to make sure. and also do i need to feed him just crickets? or should i give him/her meal worms every once in a while? and how often should i feed the lil guy? and for the top light can i just use any regular incandescent bulb or does it have to be a specific one? also the tank needs humidity so how often should i spray the tank? and since these arent really climbers i dont need to put any vines or branches in this do i? and for houses, he needs a house thats moist and a house or two that arent right? well thats all i can think of at the moment but if theres anything i missed please tell me. im sure ill think of more stuff later. thanks a bunch and sorry for so many questions. -Wes:main_thumbsup:

 

[T-ReXx]

hello all, im pretty new to the reptile game. i have wanted to get a lizard for the longest time since i babysat my friends leopard gecko's for a week. they are awesome animals and so lovable. so i am full of questions. i am looking at getting a Paroedura picta or panther gecko as some call it. i just went out and picked up a 15 gallon fish tank from a friend and got it all cleaned up. now heres where i need your help. i really want to make a good home for my soon to be new friend so i need to know exactly what i should get for his/her cage. i just saw this video and was wondering if this is a good set-up to follow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBye2S45wXo&feature=channel_video_title . i was wondering if maybe i can use something like this instead- http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3678495 . i have heard good stuff about it but i just want to make sure. and also do i need to feed him just crickets? or should i give him/her meal worms every once in a while? and how often should i feed the lil guy? and for the top light can i just use any regular incandescent bulb or does it have to be a specific one? also the tank needs humidity so how often should i spray the tank? and since these arent really climbers i dont need to put any vines or branches in this do i? and for houses, he needs a house thats moist and a house or two that arent right? well thats all i can think of at the moment but if theres anything i missed please tell me. im sure ill think of more stuff later. thanks a bunch and sorry for so many questions. -Wes:main_thumbsup:

That setup is fine for a pictus. The other one will work too. Crickets are fine as the main diet, you can give mealworms occassionally if you choose to. Feeding depends on age; a baby should be fed daily, adults 3-4 times a week. Any bulb is fine for day lighting, pictus are nocturnal, they don't need UVB. How often you mist depends on the humidity levels of your house, you want 60-80% humidity so usually once or twice a day will suffice with cocofiber as substrate. A couple of branches will be appreciated, they do climb a little bit. No humid hide is required, the tank humidity level is enough.

 

[Canadian]

alright thanks a bunch for anwsering my questions rexx heres my list so far-
- reptile carpet
- branches
- humidity and temp monitors
- fake plants
- a few hides
- small crickets
- a 60-100W bulb and fixture to hold it

i have a few more questions though. i know i need a heater for the tank but i heard about tank heaters cracking the glass? i was just wondering if this would work without breaking glass- http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752652 ? then the next thing is do i need a water dish? i know they like to lap from the leaves but i heard some will lap from the bowl but the bowl also help the humidity level, that true? and lastly is calcium powder. i know i need to coat the crickets with this but ho often should i do it. and also how many crickets do i give him/her each time i feed him/her? again thanks a bunch! -Wes

 

[touch 13]

I've been trying to keep up with the thread here, but i'm unable to see the video or pictures you posted. So here's my setup.

I have my male pictus in a 10Gallon wide setup. i use a 50W tight beam (as i do catch my man basking) the temps are a nice 78 on my warm side and 72 on the cool side.

He has a med size water bowl that he drinks from daily, with 2 hides and 2 fake greens.

the substrate is something i read off of a Uk distributor, he uses 2-4 inches of eco earth on the bottom with a 2inch tube in the corner, feeding the floor of the setup and at least 1 inch of coco husk/peatmoss/soil mix. Every morning dump 50-200ML of water into the tube to keep the floor moist. These guys love to dig to find the moisture. i Recently added some vines into my setup (after finding his pooping spot on the very top of the leaves about 3 inches off the ground) and he does enjoy using these vines as a hammock.

These guys are really hardy, will eat just about anything that moves and do tend to be a little more skittish. Their breeding routines are out the door, producing 2-3 clutches a month for females. TRUELY love them.

I feed my pictus a worm/cricket/calcium diet.

Mon,Wed,Fri, i feed him 5-6 1/2inch crickets
Tues/Thurs i provide a clear (candle holder) cup with 10-20 small-med meal/super worms
Saturday, i give him a lid of calcium w/ D3

 

[T-ReXx]

alright thanks a bunch for anwsering my questions rexx heres my list so far-
- reptile carpet
- branches
- humidity and temp monitors
- fake plants
- a few hides
- small crickets
- a 60-100W bulb and fixture to hold it

i have a few more questions though. i know i need a heater for the tank but i heard about tank heaters cracking the glass? i was just wondering if this would work without breaking glass- http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752652 ? then the next thing is do i need a water dish? i know they like to lap from the leaves but i heard some will lap from the bowl but the bowl also help the humidity level, that true? and lastly is calcium powder. i know i need to coat the crickets with this but ho often should i do it. and also how many crickets do i give him/her each time i feed him/her? again thanks a bunch! -Wes

That heat pad will be fine. I've never had a reptile-specific pad crack a glass tank in over 18 years of keeping reptiles. In a thin-glass tank or with an unregulated, out of date heat source I suppose it is possible, but anything that gets that hot isn't going to be suitable to use anyways.

I provide a water dish for every single animal in my collection. Some use it, some don't but it is always there and clean. Water is absolutely essential for every living thing and IMO there should always be a water dish. If anything a good sized one does help increase humidity, especially if placed partially over the water source.

I would ditch the repti-carpet. I've never liked that stuff. For a terrestrial species like pictus who enjoy digging a 3-4 inch layer of cocofiber over a drainage layer of gravel or LECA is a better idea. Also, with repti carpet humidity can be much harder to maintain, especially in glass aquaria.

Dusting schedule depends on a few factors. For babies, juvies and breeding females dusting every feeding with a D3-free calcium powder is a good idea. For adult males and non-breeding females dusting every other feeding is perfectly fine.