Hi :) i just have a few questions

[lovelovelove135]

Hi guys i'm new here and decided to join because i'm going to get a leopard gecko in February and i want to be well prepared i have a few questions and instead of asking them separately in 10 different threads i thought i'd just ask them all here haha so first of all, i think i'm going to get a giant leopard gecko so would a 20 gallon long be okay? i think i'm going to get the zilla critter cage. 2nd: how long can the gecko survive without heat? it's not a long ride at all, definitely less than an hour, but i'm just wondering if i should bring a couple of hand warmers for the gecko on the ride home. you know, the little square ones where you rub them together to create heat? 3rd: instead of eating crickets, can they eat roaches instead? can the b. dubia ones completely substitute crickets? and any advice on keeping cockroaches would be nice too, like if i can keep them in my garage or something? 4th: if they breed, will i have too many roaches since i'm only going to have one leopard gecko to eat them? if i'm going to have like an excessive amount of cockroaches then...i'm not quite sure what i'm going to do haha thanks so much in advance so excited to get a leopard gecko

 

[KingMixer]

Hi guys i think i'm going to get a giant leopard gecko so would a 20 gallon long be okay? i think i'm going to get the zilla critter cage.

That would suffice through out its adult life.

2nd: how long can the gecko survive without heat? it's not a long ride at all, definitely less than an hour, but i'm just wondering if i should bring a couple of hand warmers for the gecko on the ride home.
It would be fine if its under an hour and the temperature isnt freezing for it. If its freezing, then the hand warmers would add a little extra comfort for it to ensure it keeps its body temp up since its cold blooded and cant produce its own body heat.

3rd: instead of eating crickets, can they eat roaches instead? can the b. dubia ones completely substitute crickets?
Absolutely, there higher in protein, thus more nutritious anyways. Just make sure you dont feed it ones that are too big for it to swallow without chewing.

and any advice on keeping cockroaches would be nice too, like if i can keep them in my garage or something?
I did a quick google on dubia roach care and got this, it should answer your questions. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandun...e.ntlworld.com/bandung/roaches/dubiacare.html
And as long as your garage is between 77 and 86 degrees they will thrive!

4th: if they breed, will i have too many roaches since i'm only going to have one leopard gecko to eat them? if i'm going to have like an excessive amount of cockroaches then...i'm not quite sure what i'm going to do haha thanks so much in advance so excited to get a leopard gecko
Im excited for you too!! its very fun and interesting to own a leo, just make sure you read up on the proper care for one. But if your not getting it till febury then you have plenty of time =)) hope this helped.

 

[lovelovelove135]

Thank you so much!!! that was very helpful! i think i'm definitely going with roaches now cause they don't make noise, don't smell, can't climb so escape would be kind of hard, and more nutritious like you said i just have to get rid of the tiny squeamishness i have with being near them haha no worries though thanks again!

 

[lovelovelove135]

well, i guess i'm going to stick with crickets haha my parents don't want roaches within a mile of the house xD they're like we grew up with them and we never ever want to have to deal with them again...so i guess that solves that haha i can't get it through their heads that dubia's can't climb!!! there's pretty much no chance of them escaping, but they just won't believe me haha i think i'm going to have to leave the crickets in the shed though...they don't want any insects in the garage...it shouldn't be a problem, i just have to worry about proper temps which shouldn't be much of a prob either or...i'll just leave the crickets in my room...hmm...if any escapes...*shudder* nevermind xD

 

[maggiee22195]

well, i guess i'm going to stick with crickets haha my parents don't want roaches within a mile of the house xD they're like we grew up with them and we never ever want to have to deal with them again...so i guess that solves that haha i can't get it through their heads that dubia's can't climb!!! there's pretty much no chance of them escaping, but they just won't believe me haha i think i'm going to have to leave the crickets in the shed though...they don't want any insects in the garage...it shouldn't be a problem, i just have to worry about proper temps which shouldn't be much of a prob either or...i'll just leave the crickets in my room...hmm...if any escapes...*shudder* nevermind xD

Hey, if you do not want to deal with crickets I would get mealworms. I have 3 leos and all I feed are giant mealworms. They do not smell, do not make noise, and mine last about 3 weeks to a month before they start to die. I would definitely suggest mealworms if you don't want jumpy, noisy, smelly crickets. Let me know if that helps! PM me anytime if you have any questions... I would love to help. Good Luck!!

 

[lovelovelove135]

Hey, if you do not want to deal with crickets I would get mealworms. I have 3 leos and all I feed are giant mealworms. They do not smell, do not make noise, and mine last about 3 weeks to a month before they start to die. I would definitely suggest mealworms if you don't want jumpy, noisy, smelly crickets. Let me know if that helps! PM me anytime if you have any questions... I would love to help. Good Luck!!

Thanks so much! I've been thinking about that but I've heard they aren't very good nutritional value, can cause impaction, and heard geckos can get fat off them haha i can just imagine a chubby little gecko and how cute it would be, but it wouldn't be a very healthy leo haha but i'll look up some more info and stuff. Thanks again! if i have any questions that need to be answered quickly i know who i'll turn to haha

 

[Jordan]

Mealworms are considefred the best diet for a leopard gecko. They arent fatty, and once gut loaded they can be as nutritious as you make them. Most big scale breeders use purely mealworms to feed their gecko's. dont really know where youve heard the impaction thing from but thats nonsense. i think mealworms are the best option for you, and your squeamish-ness

 

[CanadianGirl]

Just a note on the heat thing, I brought my first girl home on a good 3 hour drive in the middle of January (absolute dead-of-winter cold in my area) and she was absolutely fine. Had her in a plastic container which i kind of wrapped in my sweater and held close to me, so as long as you have some sort of heat on in the car you should be fine with less than an hour for sure.
Another note, my new little guy was adopted from a home where he DID NOT have a source of heat and the woman who owned him didn't heat the house due to heating expenses, she preferred to just wear jackets and boots inside. The poor little guy was freezing and I got him nice and warm as soon as I got home, but he did survive who knows how long without proper heat. (note that I am not saying in ANY way that it is ok to leave leos in improper temperatures, it is not healthy or comfortable for them! All I am saying is that I wouldn't be too worried about an hour car ride.)

 

[roger]

Just a note on the heat thing, I brought my first girl home on a good 3 hour drive in the middle of January (absolute dead-of-winter cold in my area) and she was absolutely fine. Had her in a plastic container which i kind of wrapped in my sweater and held close to me, so as long as you have some sort of heat on in the car you should be fine with less than an hour for sure.
Another note, my new little guy was adopted from a home where he DID NOT have a source of heat and the woman who owned him didn't heat the house due to heating expenses, she preferred to just wear jackets and boots inside. The poor little guy was freezing and I got him nice and warm as soon as I got home, but he did survive who knows how long without proper heat. (note that I am not saying in ANY way that it is ok to leave leos in improper temperatures, it is not healthy or comfortable for them! All I am saying is that I wouldn't be too worried about an hour car ride.)

I agree

 

[rubym]

Some of mine like roaches and crickets and some dont. You can always go with meal worms or supers. I agree as long as your car is warm enough for you to be comfortable then yur leo should be comfy too.

 

[lovelovelove135]

Thanks everyone! I guess i'm going with mealworms now xD it just comes down to whether or not my leo will be willing to eat it haha of course i'll throw in some crickets here and there to get my leo entertained and stuff...i can't wait by the way, if anyone was wondering, i'm waiting till February to get one because that's when the expo is actually close to me haha i'm not quite sure i would want to get a sick leo from ******** or *****...as much as i feel bad for those animals, if i keep buying, ******** will keep buying as well sooo...we gotta stop them from selling live animals if you guys haven't heard about that undercover investigation at *****/******** yet you should look it up...its pretty sad but anyway i'm straying off topic...How many mealworms/crickets would you recommend i feed my leo? i know you feed them every other day right? i've gotten like a whole mix of numbers which left me very confused haha and once again, thanks for everything everyone