New Tank Setup

[Nynecho]

I obtained a baby leopard gecko about 2 weeks ago. This is the first one I've owned in a while, and this is the first one I have cared for myself.
At first, he was living in a rubber-made bin that was 12" tall x 6" wide x 12" long and it was difficult to fit much in there.

Now I have purchased a 20+ gallon tank and a nice stand for it, and with as much money as I had left over, I decorated it.
This is the tank setup.



It is very long, so there is a lot of empty space in between the warm and cool sides...

The cool side has a small water dish, a coconut lined with moist napkins, and a plant to provide shade and a place to climb. The hydrometer reads 45 and the thermometer reads 85.
The warm side has half a toilet paper roll and a box face down with a couple holes for entry. Behind the box there is a log for climbing that leads to a water dish just outside the range of the under tank heat pad. The thermometer reads 100.

Despite the slightly high temperature on the hot side, Ringo still likes to hang out over there a lot. He chills under the log mostly, or on the edge of the large water dish.
He tries to climb through the wire stems of the plant in the corner of the cool side but gives up when he reaches glass.

I am thinking about taping a piece of fabric to the back wall of the tank that reaches from the floor to the rim. Ringo really likes to climb fabric, and since he is so tiny, i figure he can still cling to it for awhile before scaling fabric is no longer an option. Does this seem like a good idea?

Anyway, because of all the fancy decor in the tank, I choose to feed Ringo in his old small tub, that way crickets have no way of escaping.

This is the area i feed him in, as well as my cricket keeper.



Does this all seem like a good way to keep a leopard gecko? He seems pretty happy ^^

 

[Embrace Calamity]

1) Those thermometers aren't considered accurate. Analog thermometers need to be constantly calibrated to be kept accurate, which you can't do with those. Pick up some digital thermometers with probes for accurate readings.
2) Those temps are way too high. The cool side needs to be about 75 (I say no higher than 76, some say no higher than 80). 85 won't allow for your gecko to cool down properly. You shouldn't heat the cool side of the enclosure at all. The climbing through the plant is probably him trying to find a place to cool down.
3) That is a lot of empty space. I would recommend adding more hides. I have a 20 long and use 4 hides (3 dry, 1 humid). Yours looks larger, so add more.
4) You need a cool dry hide. Your gecko might be staying on the warm side for three reasons: the temps you're getting aren't accurate and it's not that warm, there's too much open space and he doesn't feel comfortable going all the way to the other side, or he doesn't need to be somewhere humid so he chooses to stay where it's dry but too warm.
5) Tape shouldn't be used inside the enclosure, especially with small geckos because they can get stuck on it.

It's a nice enclosure, just needs some tweaking with temps and hides. I'm sure it'll be great once a few changes are made.

~Maggot

 

[ZombiGecko]

I agree with everything maggot said. If you have a under tank heater like needed, you will not need any other heat source at all. Also you need a thermometer with a probe. They arnt too expensive...

 

[Embrace Calamity]

If you have a under tank heater like needed, you will not need any other heat source at all.

I don't agree with this. UTHs are great for heating the surface, but not the air. The surface will be nice and warm, but especially with an enclosure this large with a screen top, the air will remain about room temp. Some people prefer that method, but I've found that it really limits the gecko's movements. My gecko is much more active with overhead heat than without. To each their own though.

~Maggot