New Member - few questions!

[AliMak]

Hi all,
been looking at the forums and looks like theres a lot of good info on here. i was hoping some of you could help me out as im a new starter?!

Ive got 2 Leopard Geckos, a male and female.... 3" x 1.5" viv, with 3 hides; a hot end, cool end and middle. Bark substrate and some plastic plants.
The vivs heated by a heat lamp, and the temp on that end is around 86. The cool end is around 74. Lighting is a simple aquarium tube light.

Firstly is it worth it to put a couple of real plants in there?
And should it be a bit hotter at the hot end?

Im doing well with them so far i think, got all the info to get where i am from the reptile shop and a book. Ive had them a week now, and i think there getting settled. Havent really handled them yet only when putting them in! Thought i should let them get settled for a couple of weeks?

Im feeding them mealworms and small brown crickets. I leave a dish with about 20+ worms in all the time. But i dont notice them eating any of them, i thought maybe its because their only eating a couple at a time?
With feeding the crickets, they're still in the little plastic box they came in and im just opening the lid and knocking a few out at a time. Is this ok to do or is there a better way?
And im feeding around 3 each every couple of days but theres often a couple left overnight. Ive left them and they clear them up the next day but should i be feeding just 2 each and taking out any left?
The water dish is next to the mealworm dish and i freshen it up every few days. Both are placed in the centre but slightly to the cool side.

I dont have a moist hide in there but i was going to get a spray bottle and spray the whole viv a little bit every day, i was told about this option. But if the best option is to have a proper moist hide can someone explain a bit what id need to do?

Lastly! I want to get them climbing a bit, so they have more space then just the floor space. So is there a good material or way of placing branches to get them to climb easily? I have 2 branches sort of intertwined laying at the back of the viv coming up to the top of the hides. But they dont seem too bothered!
And i want to hammer in some decor on the back wall, so would it be ok to take them out but in their hide (the hot end hide is hollow so they can climb in and hide in there all day).

Thank for any help in advance :main_thumbsup:

Alan

 

[Jordan]

firstly, the tube light isnt on all the time right? because they need darkness at night as theyre nocturnal.

and real plants are entirely up to you, though in my opinion fake plants are easier to look after easier to set up and maintain and often look better even.
im not sure if you need it hotter as i work in degrees celcius but im sure someone will say if so.
ye sits a good idea to let them settle. a week or two normally does it.
i personally think that it is a lot of worms to have in at all times. i think its best to pick specific feeding days 2 - 4 days a week, and feed them between 5-10 mealworms each (if their adults) on these feeding days. others may disagree though. and that seems like how i put crickets in to my boxes. though they should be gt loaded and dusted first ideally.

there are many ways to make a moist hide, all type of moss or '-lite's', even damp paper towels could work tbh.
its to help them shed, so if theyre fine shedding then it isnt necessary to have one.

most display vivs come with a climbable background. also a good high rock (thats safe) could provide a good climbing spot. also a natural hiding spot if its placed well in a corner, with like a space between the rock and the corner. the plants youve got could hang down from places to climb. also theyre is such thing as a reptile ladder by 'ZooMed' which is good. also a reptile hammock which provides a nice platform.
polystyrene shapes that you get in packaging from stuff can also be painted and made to look nice.
they mostly climb at night which is why they might seem not bothered by them.

good luck.

 

[acpart]

Congratulations on your new pets. Yes, the hot end should be a bit hotter, closer to 92 or so (F). As you will probably hear very soon when the US wakes up, bark substrate is not a good idea for 2 reasons: the gecko may easily ingest some and the crickets will hide in it and die and stink. I took care of someone's gecko this past spring who had mysteriously dropped her tail the night before she brought her. The next morning there were 2 pieces of bark in the poop area. The gecko had apparantly eaten some bark and then been so distressed by the feel of the bark passing through her digestive system that she took her tail off. You also really don't need the light at all, but you can use it.

ALIZA

 

[AliMak]

Thanks for the quick replies :main_thumbsup:

You've got me worried now about the bark, i have noticed they have a bit of trouble seeing the crickets on the bark as they blend in at night. Whats my best option for substrate then? I dont want them just on kitchen towel or anything as the viv is on show.
Ive seen the male hunting a cricket and he got a piece of bark instead because he missed it! But he had a chew on the bark and saw it wasnt food and dropped it.

I went to my local shop yesterday and got myself some moss and a red light, now ive just got the moss in the tub it came in with the lid off and the end cut off so they can crawl onto it. Im happy with this for now but what options have i got for the moss? I dont really have room for it under a hide and i dont want to get another hide for it.

The lights are my main problem now. Ive swapped my ceramic bulb for a red 1, so i can see them at night. But as its just on the hot end it leaves the other half of the viv in the dark. So i was thinking of swapping my tube light that i use for the daytime for a red tube. So it will give the whole viv a red glow.
Do i need a daytime white light on so they know its the day?
And could i have the red lights on 24/7?

Thanks in advance

 

[acpart]

If you do a forum search for "substrates" you will find more than you want to know. I use ceramic tile. Other non-particle options include paper towel, shelf liner, repticarpet. If it's a display viv, look for a recent post something like "I love my new ceramic tile" and look at the pictures. It looks really nice.

As long as the room has normal daylight (meaning that you're not keeping them in a windowless room) that is adequate to let the gecko know day from night. If you want a light you can use one and I guess a red light on all the time is OK. They don't really need any light at all.

I use paper towel in my simple humid hides which are made out of plastic tubs. For the breeding groups my humid hide doubles as a lay box. I get a 6"X6" or so plastic "sandwich" container, cut a square hole in the top and use moist eco earth (coco fiber). They love that, even the males. SOme people do use moss but some find that it molds.

Aliza

 

[rubym]

We have tle in all of our tanks. Its fairly inexpensive, easy to clean and it looks nice.

 

[Jordan]

a light shouldnt be kept on 24/7, they are nocturnal and prefer the dark. having a light on all the time can be very stressful for them. i personally dont think that its a good idea to have a light on overnight. they can see fine in the dark, and your sleeping and so dont need to see them.

aspen is a good substrate. its a loose substrate so all loose substrates have the risk of digestion, however ive found that not one of my gecko's have ever digested this stuff.

 

[AliMak]

Ok that sounds good ill look into getting some tiles. Ive read the threads on it and looks like the best option. Its just that its not as natural as some loose substrate. How do they do in the wild is there a lot of impaction problems?!

I dont have the white light on 24/7 just the red bulb. Because thats what is heating my viv so thought i shouldnt turn it off? Or should they have a colder night time temperature? :main_huh:

in addition to the red heat bulb, would a replacement red tube light for the white 1 be ok? If its a really low wattage so doesnt give out any heat.

Thanks A lot
Alan

 

[Jordan]

i suppose if its what is keeping them warm then you need it on. but its much better to get an under tank heater for this reason. especially for tiles too. a thermostat and a heatmat/heat cable can heat the tiles fine.

the white one is not really needed. but if you want to replace it with something else thats up to you. but no light is needed at all so it is all a bit unneccesary.

 

[AliMak]

ok thanks guys for the info.
think ive got some stuff to look into now, and ill post in the relevent section with any more Qs
:main_cool3:

 

[Jordan]

okay good luck, and enjoy your gecko

 

[tlbowling]

I was just breezing through this post...and from what I read, it looks like you are only using a heat lamp to warm the hot side? They def. need belly heat, so you'll need a heat mat and thermostat (like a light dimmer).