Need Advice

[Jolenels]

We recieved a leopard gecko today as a gift for our daughter. I know where the issues of contention are going to be when I explain the set up it came with, and some of the questions I have . Please, be nice to me and others!

It's a teeny little thing. Our daughter, who is three, named it Dora. Though I think it's too little to be sexed.

The tank is a reptile tank from a petstore, one with front doors and a place for a lock (We have a lock!!!). I'm not sure on the size, but the bottom is easily the size of a ten gallon tank or bigger. It's quite large.

The bottom is reptile carpet, since she (Ill say she since it's named Dora lol) is so little. I have gotten some flack for the carpet but remember....I got it in a tank like this just today. I do have questions about switching to another substrate once it is past six inches. I've heard sand....no sand, mulchy barky soil, no soil, I've heard sand as long as it's fine granuals or the calcium sand from stores, or there are still those adamant against any sand due to ingestion. I don't want to make him ill....but I don't want paper towel all over the tank for the next 20 years!

She came with one hut, but I plan on making another with an old tupperware container tomorrow until I can get out to buy one. The hut she has is open on the bottom. I thought that maybe I could put some wet paper towel in the bottom of the tupperware container to keep that one moist until I can get some mulch or whatnot? Plus, I am worried, will the gecko cut herself on the edges of the opening to the container?

Heating. Go EASY guys! I've read mostly that undertank heating is best. She did not come with that. She came with a two lamp heating system. It's a heat lamp for the day, and a night lamp that is purple and dim for night. Is it super imperative that I rush out and buy an undertank heater? I guess she was living in the pet store with the same set up as she has now, which is why the person who got it for us got it that way. Does anyone do this? Or am I going to stress her out and kill her?

She also has one windy, stick thing. It's like a shapable stick, and it's low to the ground, and one suction cup vine on the side of the tank. Should there be more for climbing and hiding in there (remember, I plan on making another hut)? More 'greenery'?

Thanks!!!

 

[Geckomaster743]

For substrate i would say never use some thing they can ingest. Thats number one. The substrate i use is Reptile carpet because its very easy to clean and it stays moist for Humidity which is handy when my geckos are about to go in to shed. Heating is preferred with lights because it provides the same heat as a Head pad or under tank heating but does not burn the carpet or what ever is under/above it because its on the cage and not on the carpet. NEVER use sand. Calcium Sand/Repti Sand/ Any sand, It will impact them which will clog the insides of there bodies and on some serious cases your gecko would be out of options and the vet won't even be able to treat it. Don't worry about sexing your gecko till later on but be very careful when handling your gecko and getting more then one. Tail's will come off at will to defend themselves and your gecko has a chance of dying/getting sick of infection when the tail does come off because its an open wound. Though the bleeding will stop the tail will never look the same again and it will appear as a blob. This does hurt your gecko so be very careful. Remember that if your daughter handle's the gecko she must be supervised because the little ones tend to have a stronger grip then needed and may grab the wrong place to hold them like the tail or face so please take the time to teach her until your sure she won't drop,grab,or hold in to your gecko with a very strong grip. I would also like to mention about taming. Not all your geckos will start off Docile and the best way to do that is to hold them for about 10 - 15 min at a time and just let them sit there so they can get used to scent and observe you so they think you will not be harmed. Do not handle your geckos around feeding time because they may tend to accidentally bite you because they think your finger is a Mealworm,Cricket. You may have to help your gecko eat using Mealworms because crickets may be too fast. Do not feed an insect bigger then length between its eyes because they will choke or have problems digesting. Do not ever feed your gecko more then two worms a day because they will throw up. I would suggest you do not get any more lizards due to fighting,Vet bills,More attention and more needs that you may not be able to tend to. I had 7 lizards though one died to a parasite and i have 6 more which take about an Hour to tend to every night with my 2 brothers and in there lifetime all together they probably have costed us about 900$ in food,Cages,Bowls,Medicine etc. I hope this answers most of your questions and you learned some tips!

 

[Amanda1]

I had this whole big response typed out, and my internet just disappeared! ugh here we go again...

I don't keep leos, but I've learned a thing or two on this forum, so I'll try to help. It sounds like you're doing great so far! The cage is plenty big enough for a baby gecko (and I LOVE the doors on the front, don't you?). It would probably be fine for an adult as well, as long as you have a temperature gradient so they can regulate their body temperature. An infrared temperature gun would make checking your temps super easy, and they're not that expensive (~$30), so I would recommend getting one.

The carpet is actually a pretty good substrate. When she gets bigger you may notice her claws getting stuck in it, which could cause injuries to her toes, but for now it's fine. I'm partial to paper towels personally, but if you want a more natural look you could use slate tiles. Easy to clean, and they hold heat really well.

I don't think it matters whether your heat comes from a UTH or lights, as long as it's watm enough. I think it's harder to regulate temps with a UTH since they're either on or off, no in between. (You could be fancy and get a thermostat, but if you're technically challenged like me, it's not an easy thing to do).

More hides will make your gecko feel safe and happy, and be sure to place them at spots with different temperatures and humidities. Leos like to climb, but aren't as graceful as their sticky-toed cousins, so you don't have to go crazy with vines and stuff. I don't think she'll hurt herself on the tupperware, but you could just sand down the edges with a metal file to make sure.

Hope this helps! We'd love to see pictures of your new little one and your setup!

 

[Jolenels]

Thanks guys! I guess it has an under the tank heater, but when I touch the reptile carpet it is barely warm. The pet store said we need the lights as well. So for now I'll keep it as such. It worries me since the light gets HOT and I have a child, and run a child care centre in my home. The tank is on a table right now that is high enough they can't touch the lights, but I'm going to be moving it up even higher for my own peice of mind!

 

[Caleb C]

I'm too lazy to read the other responses, so I might repeat a couple things.
First of all, it's great that you're looking for help, so don't feel bad if you mess up a little at the start.
I prefer reptile carpet, mostly because of the looks, and it's perfectly safe, but you might notice that they sometimes get their nails stuck. I use paper towels in the humid hide, it's not as messy as moss or anything like that. Under tank heat pads are very important, as it helps with digestion, they need belly heat to digest well. If the under tank heater is on, it should normally feel a little warm to the touch, and hot if lift the carpet and touch it directly.
I used a black takeout bowl as a hide, and cut a little hole in it, then flipped it upside down, and my leos like it more than the ones I bought.

Take pics! It's easiest to tell if you're doing anything wrong, or if there is anything you could possibly change.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Thanks guys! I guess it has an under the tank heater, but when I touch the reptile carpet it is barely warm. The pet store said we need the lights as well. So for now I'll keep it as such. It worries me since the light gets HOT and I have a child, and run a child care centre in my home. The tank is on a table right now that is high enough they can't touch the lights, but I'm going to be moving it up even higher for my own peice of mind!

Yeah i understand that situation. Though i prefer Heat lights, Don't use both at once and never let the Temp reach over 90F because it gets too hot. I change my water bowls daily.

 

[Jolenels]

I found out the under tank heater is about a quarter of the tank, in a back corner, where his one hut is. The place I was touching didn't feel warm because it was across the tank from the heater lol. I've been keeping an eye on the temp and it's about 80 during the day but it drops to about 70-75 at night when I turn on the night light. Is that okay?

Also, I used a yogurt container flipped over with wet paper towel in it to make a moist hole. I apparently thought the wee gecko was massive and cut a fairly large opening lol. I'll take some photos tomorrow if I find time, of him and the tank. He's in my daughters room and shes zonked. The first photo I took I forgort to turn off the flash and he flipped out . Not making THAT mistake again!

 

[Caleb C]

That should be fine, the temps are probably the air temps in there, so the temp of the ground is higher. I usually use one heating element at a time, and I rarely use the light. I use both the light and the uth during winter though.
Oh, and I think your leo is a normal, it seems pretty docile, my small ones dont really like to be handled yet.

 

[Jolenels]

Okay, the first two are Dora. She's in a container because I'm still nervous about her random bursts of speed and I didn't want to risk a break away while I was photographing! The quarter is just for size comparison....I had a toonie in there but then realized some people may not know the size of a toonie lol. Then is her enclosure, the tube is in there because my daughter insisted she needed a tube today. It will come out tomorrow lol. And all the spots are from the water I mist with.

 

[Jolenels]

ahhhh and NOW I see where to insert the image instead of upload a file....duh...sorry!

 

[Caleb C]

They don't require humidity, but I spray my tanks a little, twice a week. Your little leo might actually be a mack snow now that the picture's closer up. Did a friend of your give it to you for free? The tank is an exo terra, they're pretty much the best glass tanks that are sold for reptiles, and are also pretty pricey. You can measure yours and look it up online to see how much it goes for. You don't need plastic plants either, leo's are clumsy climbers and usually just end up falling off of high places.

 

[Jolenels]

My sister bought it for my daughter for a late birthday present. My sister has some snakes, and this was a tank that her boa had outgrown, so she cleaned it up and passed it on to us . I thought you had to keep it a little moist, like spray once or twice a day, to help with keeping them moist for shedding? Or is that only something you have to consider once you notice shedding starting? There was a stick thing in there but she got up there and tumbled off so I removed it. I'll have to take out the wood too I think, since there is a nook I didn't see and she crams herself in there! I'm worried once she gets bigger she will try to get in and get stuck!

I read that she will change as she sheds? That the bands will become spots? For some reason I couldn't get her head to not show up blurry, it might be that she doesn't sit still for more than a nano second lol

 

[Caleb C]

If she's moving around, it means that she's healthy
You actually need a humid hide for shedding, the one with the paper towels on the bottom so it's always humid in there, they should have natural instincts to go in once they're ready to shed.

 

[Jolenels]

I wish I knew how old she was, that's my biggest pet peeve so far! I read it takes until 18 months to reach full grown, but I wish I knew her age now. My daughter keeps asking and all I can say is 'baby'.

I'm worried that she can't get water. She came with the big dish, and I fill it, but then I put a cleaned out pop bottle lid so that it was more face level in there. This is probably a stupid question....but can she drown in the bigger dish? I'd imagine she will bail before that point, but I figured I'd ask. I'm a bit of a worry wart. And with my daughter spending hours peering in the tank I'm sure she's scared to come out and face the enamoured three year old! I don't see her move much in the tank, but when we take her out she is all over the place, except when she gets to neck level on an adult, then she stops moving and just hangs out....it's sort of strange.

And I do thank you for your help!! I joined a different forum as well but it's horribly unactive and it's hard to get answers at all from it!

 

[Caleb C]

I don't think that she will drown, and I've noticed that my geckos only drink water the week they settle in, and are a little more stressed. Afterwards, they seem to get enough liquids from their food, I haven't seen my geckos drink water in a very long time. It's best to leave them alone for the first couple days to a week, mine wouldn't touch their food until the 3rd day, others took longer. Do you know where your sister got your little gecko from? It doesn't look too old, possibly 2 months?

 

[Jolenels]

She got it from Petsmart, there was two and she said she rested her hand in the tank and this one crawled on up. All the pet store could tell her was that it was a baby. It ate the first day, no problems there. She just didn't eat today, but she ate ALOT yesterday! So I'll try tomorrow....catching all those teeny crickets is rather difficult grrrrr lol. Plus regardless of my precautions one always seems to escape my catching attempts. Thankfully I have a killer chihuahua who gobbles it up before it gets to far haha.

Will she lose the white on her tail? I've never stopped and actually looked at leopard geckos so I thought they all looked exactly like she does lol. But after you said mack snow I looked up a bit and thats where the white on the tail comes in right? Will she just turn regular coloured as she ages? Someone said she would get brighter with each shed, if that's true I look forward to it! She's decentley bright now!

 

[Caleb C]

Her striping will pretty much turn into dots, it's pretty much a normal, but it's whiter, instead of yellow. There are lots of different morphs of leopard geckos, same with lots of different animals. They will change colors, but sometimes they won't exactly get prettier colors. Cool thing with reptiles is that they "fire up", they pretty much change into a more intense color when they're happy, like when I bring my super hypo carrot tail out, which it loves, it turns from an ugly dark yellow to an light yellow-orange color. You can refrigerate mealworms if you get those, and they're much easier to use than crickets. You will start to notice that crickets chirp, and smell pretty bad.
Have to go, mom wants me to go sleep, bye

 

[LeoLover1]

<< my avatar is a snow, and they change alot. Here is the same gecko now. As you can see, his black patches have faded, and the background turned yellow. He's kinda fired up here, and is more white usually. But the speckles have really gotten nice!

 

[Geckomaster743]

Yeah, When you spray the tank make sure they are in shed because they don't need extra humidity. If you worried about not seeing your gecko drink trying slightly spilling some of the water but only enough that a small 1 - 2 Centimeter Water bubble forms next to the bowl. I have a baby who's almost smaller then that who normally dosent drink unless some spills and i use my finger to lead her to the bowl it self. If they stop eating one day it may be that they are too Cold, they are thirsty ( Mine has learned to rely on Water bubbles so i have to refill it daily ) or they have some sort of Parasite.. I normally wait 2 days before i pull out a syringe and give them water because of possible dehydration and then if it leads for over 1 - 2 Weeks i use Repta - Aid. Your gecko seems pretty healthy but just incase. How many crickets do you have a day? You may see throw up if she eats more then 2 - 3.

 

[Jolenels]

I think I saw her drink today. She dipped her nose slightly in the water bowl, then shot off after another cricket. She did eat today too, just not yesterday, so I guess I'll be feeding her every other day.

We are excited to see the changes, if she loses the white so be it . Like I said before, I thought all leopard geckos looked exactly like her! I have noticed the white band on her head seems brighter today then it was when we first got her, but maybe I wasn't paying close attention before. The rest of her is pretty much the same. Today she fell asleep curled up in my hand. I'm hoping this means she will be a fairly mellow critter.