New To Leos

[TigerJon]

Hello Community,

This is my first time visiting the forum. My daughter (nine years old) has very recently developed an interest in Leos because a friend has one. This will probably be the first of many questions:

Petsmart (where we plan on getting a Leo) has a Zilla Basic Desert Kit that includes a 10 gallon aquarium and two lamps (day white light spot and a night black heat). The kit is only $63, so what seems like a pretty good deal, but we are very unfamiliar with what we really need. The aquarium will be placed on her dresser that gets a good amount of daylight, so I am wondering if we need these lamps or if we can use an under-tank heat pad.

Any advice for what we actually need in regard to this question or anything else would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[ChristinaJ]

Stay away from those kits at all cost. You will need a heat pad, NO LIGHTS AT ALL. The heat pad needs to cover about 1/3 of the tank and controlled by a thermostat to be a constant 90 degrees. No sand or loose substrate, only use tile or paper towels. you will need to feed a good supplement, I recommend repashy calcium plus. DO NOT purchase geckos from large chain stores. They are not kept properly and often die shortly after purchase, you are better off finding a local breeder or attending a local reptile show where you get a healthy animal with a guarantee and don't open another spot for a poor baby leo to be abused.

You will need a shallow water bowel and numerous hides, including a moist hide on the hot side of the tank to assist with shedding.

 

[ChristinaJ]

Also, leos don't need light at all, they are nocturnal animals, and many are affected and stressed out by lights, the light from a window is fine but any more than that is a big no no.

Allow the new leo to settle in for a week or so before you try handling it, babies will be very jumpy at first and need to be handled in the tank, not out of it until they are "tamed" down a bit and used to being handled. That being said, they make great pets, I got my first one when I was 5, and have loved them ever since and that love has grown into me breeding these awesome animals. If you have any more questions feel free to message me on here or email me at [email protected]

 

[mudskipper]

I stopped by the Petco in Cambridge, MA today to pick up a decor. I saw a mother and her son picking out a leopard gecko they wanted to buy. I told them not to because they looked sick. The leopard gecko babies were all very skinny, living on sand, and had no moist hide as usual. One was blind on both eyes from a bad shed. I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't want to upset other leo owners here. So I highly recommend buying from one of the site sponsors here as Christina mentioned. You will probably pay at least $100 after shipping instead of the $15 at Petsmart, but you'll save yourself and your daughter unnecessary headaches and heartaches. I'm assuming that she would want to pet and hold her leopard gecko so you could ask the breeder for an especially friendly one. Some breeders list if they are friendly and whether they are good eaters. You should also find videos on Youtube on how to tame a leopard gecko. It could be something you and your daughter do together

Instead of getting the 10-gallon, a 20-gallon long would be more comfortable, and your daughter will also have more space to decorate with. If you don't mind spending a little more, get a front loading Exo Terra tank. 18" wide by 18" deep or 24" wide by 18" deep. Petco and Petsmart should have these. As for height, either the 12" tall or 18" tall would be fine for her. But if you're tall like me, the 18" tall would be easier to work with.

Just like Christina mentioned, you would heat the tank with an undertank heater. Since the tank will be by a window, you will have to get caves or hides that are completely dark inside. One of the 3 hides will be a moist hide. Google "leopard gecko moist hide" for ideas. You probably won't find a good hide for this purpose for sale at Petco or Petsmart. Most people just use a tupperware filled with moist paper towels. If you want to get all fancy, you can order a medium Exo Terra Gecko Cave or Zoo Med Repti Shelter online. It's what the leopard gecko will need for shedding.

The leopard gecko will need to eat live food. So you should watch a few videos on how to breed mealworms if you don't want to keep buying live food every couple of weeks. It's pretty easy. Besides the Repashy Calcium Plus that you use to dust the insects with, you will also need calcium without D3 in a dish in the tank at all times. Also read about "gutloading". There are plenty of posts on that subject here.

As for a light, you can get the lowest wattage red bulb for nocturnal reptile viewing. It can be left on 24 hours a day. Make sure you get a lamp with a dimmer. The light will also increase the temperature in your tank so you'll need a thermostat to regulate the undertank heater or you may overheat the tank. You should also get a digital thermometer that you point and click to read any surface temperature. Petsmart should sell it. It's $25.

These are just some of the basics. As you can see they add up to be more than $63 for the set up and $15 for the leopard gecko. But it will be worth it!! Leopard geckos are adorable

You can read more about leopard gecko care here.

http://www.geckosetc.com/care.html
http://www.leopardgecko.com/leopard-gecko-care
http://www.leopardgeckosforsale.com/care

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

The only things i see "wrong" (not really wrong but uneccessary) with mudskippers post is if your going to get the repashy calcium plus you wont need the extra dish with calcium without D3, the repashy they sell in pets mart is an all in one and should say plus vitamins and minerals on it somewhere

Also if you dont have the money for a thermostat for the heat pad a lamp dimmer is a great altenative, i use one and it stays between 88-91 degrees which is where it should be, and lamp dimmers only cost about $10

If done right your setup should only cost less than $100 or bucks heres whta you need
1) For a baby or juvenile, (or even an adult, although he wont be as happy) Get a ten gallon tank from wallmart-$10
2)ZooMed (i think) 10 gallon heat pad - $20
3)Lamp dimer- $10
4)Hides and decor- $25 (less if done right) Between 3-4 hides will be needed, 2 of which can be tubbaware containers with a whole in the lid
5)Repashy All-in-One Calcium Plus-$7
6)Happy leo and daughter- Priceless

Good luck with these amazing animals!

 

[TigerJon]

Everyone,

Awesome info; thank you very much. Okay a few more things:

This is already going to be pricier than we thought. Since our daughter is doing some chores to help pay for it, we are wanting to make it as least expensive as possible. In regards to the gecko, does anyone know of a breeder in the Kansas City area where we could get one reasonably priced ($100 is a lot more than we imagined paying). We certainly want a healthy animal, but we will be on a budget. As for a home, I seriously doubt we will ever have more than one gecko. I imagine we could get a 20-gallon tank on Craiglist cheap, but I am concerned about the room it would take. Would the 18" Exo Terra Tank be a comfortable home for one adult?

In regards to the calcium supplement. Will the Repashy product act as an all-in-one for all of the gecko's vitamins and minerals?


We are a bit confused on the heating/cooling/humidity process. I definitely like the idea if the under tank heating pad for heating one side of the habitat. I assume these come with some kind of control to raise or lower temp. It sounds like if we use this method to heat, the only lamp needed is for night viewing (is there night bulbs available that give off a blue hue instead of red). Also, I assume all the misting should take place on the hot side of the habitat (85 - 90 F ?). BTW, the habitat won't be right next to the window, but will get natural light from the window, especially when the blinds are open.

I am sure I will have othe questions, but thank you again?

-Jon

 

[mudskipper]

It's the shipping that's expensive. You could try a reptile shop near you or a reptile expo too if there is no breeder near by. Just stay away from chained stores that do not treat their animals well. I actually got my first one from a local reptile shop. He breeds his own leopard geckos and got dozens of them.

As for the setup, you can keep it as inexpensive as possible like Issac's suggestions. I tend to spend more money on my pets than other people, but the leos aren't going to care as long as they have all the basic stuff like proper heating, hides, food, and supplement. Breeders and people who keep a lot of leopard geckos actually keep them in plastic containers. The 18" x 18" x 12" Exo Terra is plenty of space for one leopard gecko. You and your daughter could also make your own hides. There are tons of posts under the DIY section.

 

[mudskipper]

On the blue light, I have seen moonlight bulbs on the Exo Terra website. Looks like they don't give off as much heat as the red bulb so I didn't look into them because I needed extra heat in my tank. Both the red and moonlight bulbs appear to have minimal visible light for reptiles according to Exo Terra's tables.

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/night_heat_lamp.php

I do have a blue LED strip for my aquarium for night viewing. I don't know if fish and reptiles see the same wavelengths though.

 

[TigerJon]

We found a local pet shop that specializes in reptiles. Leos are $49, or $20 more than Petsmart, but I can live with that. I see where I can get a Zoo Med heater on ebay for $17 including shipping, but how do these units regulate heat? Is there only an off/on or do they come with a thermostat? My daughter's bedroom is one of the more comfortable rooms on our second floor (today it is 103 outside). We keep our stat (on the main floor) at 74 and the temp in her room is 77 or 78. I am guessing the heat pad will be able to get the side of the tank it's under to 85 or 90, but what if it gets too hot is my worry.

-Jon

 

[LeopardShade]

Will the Repashy product act as an all-in-one

Yes, it is an all-in-one calcium-vitamin-mineral supplement that is intended to be used with every feeding. No additional supplements are required if you use Repashy Calcium Plus. To make sure you get the freshest and up-to-date formula, I would buy directly from Repashy Ventures rather than Petsmart or Petco who carry the T-Rex form of it.

all the misting should take place on the hot side

These geckos do not need misting at all. It just creates superfluous ambient humidity. They come from a semi-arid climate and any humidity that they encounter is usually in the form of a moist hiding place. Thus, the only amount of moisture you will need to provide is in the form of a moist hide.

I see where I can get a Zoo Med heater on ebay for $17 including shipping, but how do these units regulate heat? Is there only an off/on or do they come with a thermostat?

To put it simply, they do not. A ZooMed UTH, when used alone, cannot regulate heat and does not come with a thermostat, so temperatures can be rather capricious. Worse, they could potentially skyrocket into dangerous areas on a hot day if not regulated appropriately. Therefore it is best to invest in a thermostat which can be easily connected with the UTH to regulate heat. I use ZooMed Rheostats along with my UTHs and they work very well, but there are other thermostats out there that can be set to a specific temperature and changed at will. Spyder Robotics, I believe, makes some pretty good thermostats.

 

[TigerJon]

Okay, I saw the ZM stats on 800PetMeds. We'll get one of those for sure. How about getting the temps on the cool side down to the mid/high 60s?

 

[TigerJon]

Sorry, I asked that last question wrong. If I am not mistaken, the habitat needs to be 80 or so on the dry side and 90 on the moist side during the day and 70s in the entire habitat at night. How is the gradient during the day achieved?

 

[ChristinaJ]

it creates a natural one from the heat pad, that is why you only cover 1/3 of the tank, the tile naturally cools as it gets farther away from the heat source

 

[Russellm0704]

Sorry, I asked that last question wrong. If I am not mistaken, the habitat needs to be 80 or so on the dry side and 90 on the moist side during the day and 70s in the entire habitat at night. How is the gradient during the day achieved?

Im not sure you have the correct grasp on the warm and moist side. Both sides need to be dry. They are desert animals. There should be a warm side and a cooler side. The undertank heater will create the warm side(around 90 degrees is ideal) and room temp is ok for the cool side. The humid hide should be placed on the warm side and should be misted every couple days. The warm side needs a dry hide AND a humid hide. But the whole warm side should not be humid as too much humidity will cause problems with leopard geckos.

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

Just incase your mistaking hide with side, a moist hide is like a little cave with a wet paper towel in it

 

[aella]

Sorry, I asked that last question wrong. If I am not mistaken, the habitat needs to be 80 or so on the dry side and 90 on the moist side during the day and 70s in the entire habitat at night. How is the gradient during the day achieved?

There are only two sides: the warm side and the cool side. There is not a moist side, only a moist hide.

 

[TigerJon]

I am sorry to have been confusing. What I meant to say is the side with the moist hide being located on the warm side. I think I get it now; the side that the heat pad is under will warm that side to 90F and the other side will not absorb the heat and will remain at room temp. If that's good enough for our new Leo, that's good for us.

So, there is no need to spray mist into the habitat, just lightly mist the moss (or whatever we use) within one of the warm side hides? I saw a video on YT where someone said to lightly mist the gecko when is is molting.

 

[moefv]

Just incase your mistaking hide with side, a moist hide is like a little cave with a wet paper towel in it

Or you could get moss, but paper towels work the same! God Bless - Moefv

 

[aella]

You can use moss, but there is a risk the gecko could get impacted. I personally use paper towels just to be on the safe side.

 

[Russellm0704]

I am sorry to have been confusing. What I meant to say is the side with the moist hide being located on the warm side. I think I get it now; the side that the heat pad is under will warm that side to 90F and the other side will not absorb the heat and will remain at room temp. If that's good enough for our new Leo, that's good for us.

So, there is no need to spray mist into the habitat, just lightly mist the moss (or whatever we use) within one of the warm side hides? I saw a video on YT where someone said to lightly mist the gecko when is is molting.

I personally would use paper towels. No impaction risk and there will be no mess. The only time i have loose substrate in my humid hide is when my females are laying eggs. and they make a mess of this substrate(eco earth).