Love my leopard gecko, he's my first reptile and the start to my reptile love

[Nadia Garcia]

Hello I am Nadia, I got my leopard gecko in November and enjoy him so much! He has grown into a vibrant happy gecko . I just wanted to join a forum to keep myself informed about leopard geckos and any extra information because everything helps. My leopard gecko Toki was my first reptile so I learned many things through him, and I am still learning. Thanks!

Toki the first day I got him in November

Toki at the Beginning of March

He has more spots now too!

 

[Star1]

He's a nice looking gecko! Welcome to the forum

 

[Nadia Garcia]

Aw you have awesome geckos!!!

 

[Caleb C]

Do you plan on getting more geckos?

 

[Geckomaster743]

Sorry If im late to welcome you :3 My mom's name is Nadia too xD You're gecko is really cute c: But Uh yeah welcome to the Forums. There are a ton of active members here, and lots to learn!

 

[Nadia Garcia]

I am getting a bearded dragon in 2 days! But yes I plan to have more geckos eventually but I just love my Toki ! He is very chill and keeps growing ! I live leopard geckos and have only seen crested geckos but I'm not too familiar with other geckos. But now I come to realize that I will always have a gecko throughout my life !

 

[Caleb C]

Bearded dragons seem nice and fun, but they're too expensive and take up too much space. They need a 40 gal minimum, uvb lights, and basking lights. Leopard geckos are set once you have all the supplies. Bearded dragons require a new bulb once every 6 months.

 

[Nadia Garcia]

Yeah heh it will definitely be more work but I am excited to have another life to spoil

 

[scm133]

Welcome!! He is a cutie!! Sounds like you have the "lizard" addiction. I started with one that looks like Toki two years ago. He is now, a big sweet 80 gram boy. Since then, my collection has grown to 15 leopard geckos, and yes...a Bearded Dragon. The beardie is my day time buddy, while the Leos sleep.

 

[Nadia Garcia]

Aw I hope my Toki grows more into a somewhat chubby healthy gecko . I love the leopard geckos and hopefully he lives the fullest years wise. I plan to always have a leopard gecko in my life . Yeah my beardie is definitely my daytime friend which is nice, so I have a lizard to love during the day and another to love when it gets dark !

 

[Caleb C]

Aw I hope my Toki grows more into a somewhat chubby healthy gecko . I love the leopard geckos and hopefully he lives the fullest years wise. I plan to always have a leopard gecko in my life . Yeah my beardie is definitely my daytime friend which is nice, so I have a lizard to love during the day and another to love when it gets dark !

3/5 of my geckos are usually out during the day, lol. After years of captive breeding, they will sometimes be more active during the day as well.

 

[Nadia Garcia]

Yeah I have actually seen Toki come out as early as 5 pm and some days hang out sleeping in the morning, but I try not to handle him until after a good feeding

 

[Star1]

Mine tend to wake up around 3pm when I get home from work and they'll start checking for food

 

[Nadia Garcia]

Hello everyone, I am searching for some honest advice on sand as a substrate. Toki is a little over 6 inches and I was thinking about changing his reptile carpet substrate to very fine sand substrate. I am somewhat hesitant but also love the look. I also have aquarium sand, not reptile sand that has been boiled but I am not sure whether this is even safe for a reptile, but it is a completely fine grained sand. Help anyone who reads this, all information is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Caleb C]

It's best not to use sand if you don't have to. Leopard geckos are clumsy eaters, and lick everything. Lots of sand is also calcium based, making them want to lick it even more, which often leads to impaction. I recommend against using it, as you're paying for something that will put your reptile at risk. If you still want to use sand, always use a feeding dish and make sure that the sand isn't calcium based and your chances of impaction will be lower. Honestly, reptile carpet looks perfectly fine, it comes in brown and green.

 

[Amanda1]

I wouldn't use sand. Best not to risk it. If you want something that looks more natural and is easier to clean than reptile carpet, you could use slate tile. It's cheap and easy to find at Lowe's, Home Depot, and those types of stores.

 

[Star1]

I agree with everyone else about sand. My first leo when I was younger got impacted and died because I didn't know the risks of using sand. I just use paper towels but I'm getting nice enclosures built and I'm going to use tiles In Them so it looks better.