Possibly Getting A Leo - Some Questions

[Rell18]

Before I graduate, I will possibly be getting either a Leopard Gecko or Crested Gecko. I've done tons of research on both geckos but I don't know which to choose. I have some questions that are related to the care of Leos.

1.Is the cost of heating a Leo expensive? On average, how much does it cost to heat a leo?

2.Will a leo eat zoo-med reptile foods? One is called can-o-crickets.

3.Can my leos food be dusted with T-Rex Leopard Gecko Dust at each feeding? I heard the T-Rex Leo dust contains all the vitamins and minerals a leo needs to grow.

 

[ctb41808]

I have a gecko leopard so my answers are only based on that...
1. I don't have an exact amount but I know it's not made a noticeable change in our power bill when we added Stevie's heat mat (this is based on a 15 gallon glass aquarium)
2. They like live prey so unless your wiggling ot on a spoon every-time the can-o-crickets would be a no go since the crickets don't jump around.
3. I'm not an expert by any means but my understanding is that you need to provide pure calcium (the kind without Vitamin D added) at all times (I keep a cap from a 2L soda bottle in Stevie's habitat for this) and that you need to alternate calcium with vitamin D with a good multi-vitamin made for geckos (I hear good things about the T-Rex brand but I've never used this particular kind).

 

[Merriweather]

1) I dont really think so, its just another appliance using a bit of electricity. I dont think its anything that would really be noticeable until you start getting into multiple lamps for many a reptiles.

2) Leos will only eat live. If it moves they want it, if it doesnt forget it. You can if you are resourceful, start a roach bin and grow your own feeders. Then theoretically feeding them is free from then on out.

3) You do want to dust their insects with a calcium (T rex, Reptivite, Leopard gecko repashy, what have you..) powder so they get the extra vitamins they need or else they can have bone problems and other deficiencies. Gecko powder will last for ages, you don't need much. Ideally, I've heard its best to dust your insects with a powder that has some Vitamin D in it, and then leave a little bit of the calcium without the D3 in their cage in a shallow dish for them to lick up when they need it.

Crested geckos do not need to be heated, but a lot of people like to keep some sort of a temperature monitoring system on them to make sure their ambient temps stay between 70-80. Below 70, they grow slower. Over 80 can be health hazardous so don't keep them in a warm room.
They should be offered both live food and crested gecko diet, although my crested shuns anything with a face and just gobbles the cgd.

So as far as costs go, I really think they are about equal.
Do you want a hopping exotic-looking wall-climbing grape-nibbling eye-licking gecko? Get a crested.
Do you want a lap-sitting oh-wait-nvm-gonna-explore many-colours fat-and-fabulous smiley chill gecko? Get a leo. [These are based on my stereotypes/opinions, all geckos/people differ]


A gecko will live for about 10, 15, maybe even more years. Invest in the good stuff now (IE, vitamins, the lamps, hides, etc, .. ) and you'll have an awesome happy gecko with you for a good time.

Gosh I'm long winded.

 

[lovelovelove135]

I'm getting my very first leopard gecko very soon! I pretty much went through the process you're going through right now haha I had all these questions in my head, what kind of gecko should I get, and you know. Before I go on I'll answer your questions first xD

1. I bought a Zoo Med heating pad that's only 16 watts. According to them, it costs pennies a day to operate. People who have bearded dragons (much more expensive set up and require lighting as well) hardly saw a jump in their electricity bill. So I doubt you'll see a difference. I haven't tried out my Zoo Med yet, but some people say it works well and others prefer other brands like Ultratherm and say the Zoo Med sucks haha I got mine on sale, but in stores it costs around $30, I think. Well that's for the 30-40 gallon one. I have a 20gal long and the 10-20 looked wayyy too small to produce enough heat for the tank so I went with a bigger one. But always have a thermostat! You don't want a fire or a fried gecko haha They can run for $60+, so they're quite pricey. However I got mine (1000w Zilla temperature controller) for $30 off amazon. So definitely don't go in stores for this product because I don't think you'll ever find it this cheap.

2. I don't think leopard geckos will ever eat anything already dead xD unless you dangle it in front of his face then maybe haha from what I heard, leos have to see their prey moving in order to know it's food. If it doesn't move, then they don't really know it's food xD so you're better off getting crickets/mealworms/superworms/roaches. Now you're probably thinking well, which one should I feed my gecko? Well, when I get mine, I'm going to go with superworms because apparently they're better than mealies. Their exoskeleton is easier to digest or something like that. But they can only eat like 2 or 3 every other day. Depending on the size of the leo. If it's a baby it has to be fed everyday though. Crickets are absolutely terrible. They smell, make a lot of noise, can escape and it's just a mess. I'm gonna get a small bag of crickets for my leo to feed once in a while just to get him chasing his food around, but I will not keep them in my house. If they ever escape...I'm gonna go nuts. I'm gonna make sure he eats all of them before I go to sleep too haha because that chirping...ugh. People say they like roaches better. If you're squeamish about bugs, well...roaches...yea they may not be for you haha roaches don't make noise, don't smell, and they can't really fly. Unfortunately, they don't sell them in stores so you'll have to buy some online and start a colony. For me, I'm just gonna go with superworms, and crickets once in a while. Oh, and you might want to keep your worms in the fridge so they don't turn into beetles so quickly.

3. You're supposed to have 3 different supplements: calcium with D3, pure calcium, and a multivitamin. The D3 helps the leo absorb the calcium, but too much is like poison. I wouldn't go with an all in one because you have to alternate days. Like one day you dust your crickets/worms with a multivitamin (w/o D3), the next day you dust with calcium D3. The pure calcium (no D3 or phosphorous) should be in the tank at all times in a little dish. The gecko will eat it whenever he feels like it. For me, I have a hard time finding the pure calcium in stores, but I'm pretty sure they sell it at the expos (where you should get your leo because they're healthier).

I went through the same thing you're going through: leo vs. crested. I picked a leo because they can regenerate their tale and are a little less jumpy. If a crested loses his tail, it will heal, but it will just look like a nub. If a leo loses his tail, it will grow back to a full tail, but it won't be as pretty. At least he has a tail though haha And leos are a little less jumpy, like when you're handling your crested he can just randomly jump out of your hand, but leos tend to not jump haha So that's my take on that. And sorry if I gave you TOO much information. I just wanted to give you some tips here and there to help you along, but of course it turns out to be like paragraphs haha but I hope I helped!

 

[Rell18]

Thank you so much ^^. I'm definitely getting the Leo over the crested. I just made a shopping list for the leo and everything came to about $180. For the crested, I think the supplies came to about $270. I'm going to try my best to go to the reptile show that's in columbus because I live in dayton.

I really appreciate everyone's help . Good luck with your new leo, love. Post some pics when you get your new little guy or gal ^-^.

 

[prettyinpink]

Wow, when I do the math for cresties it doesn't come out that much for me. You must be spoiling them

Just wanted to say that not all leos will ONLY eat food that's moving. Most will but my bell loves those can-o-crickets, I keep a few on hand when I'm all out of food and/or give it to her with her other food. She loves them and she's the only one I don't have to dangle them for her. I got them for my Nova she loved them, since I want her fatter, she loved them but now she won't touch them :main_rolleyes: so I'm having my bell eat 'em up, my Raptor doesn't like them either...They have a VERY strong smell. I also put them on my beardies salads, I love that they have the 'juices' locked in vs. the freeze dried ones.

 

[prettyinpink]

Just curious, could you show us your shopping list? I'm so curious what you have on there...I'm not sure how you got it that high. Esp with the cresties.

Unless you're going like REALLY all out

 

[lovelovelove135]

Thank you so much ^^. I'm definitely getting the Leo over the crested. I just made a shopping list for the leo and everything came to about $180. For the crested, I think the supplies came to about $270. I'm going to try my best to go to the reptile show that's in columbus because I live in dayton.

I really appreciate everyone's help . Good luck with your new leo, love. Post some pics when you get your new little guy or gal ^-^.

You're very welcome! And $180 is right around what I spent, but I bet it's totally worth it all Pictures never do any justice, but I'll probably post anyway haha Good luck to you, too!

 

[Rell18]

My mistake on the crestie shopping list total. It was supposed to be $170, not $270.

Here's my new shopping list for the leo.

All Living Things 10 Gallon Aquarium (20 x 10 x 12) - $45
Zoo Med Under Tank Heating Pad - $18.00
Thermostat - $40.00
Repashy Calcium Plus - $11.00
2 Thermometers (one for the warm side and one for the cool side) - About $6.00
2 Hides - Medium - $14.00
Repti Cage Carpet - $5.00
Baby Leopard Gecko - $30.00

That added up to about $170

 

[lovelovelove135]

Here's my new shopping list for the leo.

All Living Things 10 Gallon Aquarium (20 x 10 x 12) - $45
Zoo Med Under Tank Heating Pad - $18.00
Thermostat - $40.00
Repashy Calcium Plus - $11.00
2 Thermometers (one for the warm side and one for the cool side) - About $6.00
2 Hides - Medium - $14.00
Repti Cage Carpet - $5.00
Baby Leopard Gecko - $30.00

That added up to about $170

May I suggest some things? At first, I was looking at the 10 gallon as well, but then I realized, once I put in all those hides, it's gonna be pretty cramped. Then, I started looking at the All Living Things 15 Gallon Aquarium, and it seemed pretty pricey for a tank and a screen, and it still looked pretty cramped. For a screen and a 20 gal long aquarium, I'm paying about $45 (with coupon and sale...Petsmart is having a sale on all aquariums. The 20 gal long is now $28 after saving 10%, and on top of that I have a 10% coupon-from Petco, but they match coupons so it's all good haha) the same price you're paying for a 10 gal. So what I suggest (that is if you have room in the house) get a 20 gal long. The sale ends Jan. 30, so you have plenty of time. Although, I have a feeling Petco might be having a $1 per gallon sale soon, I don't really know. But if you still want to go with a 10 gal, I suggest get a regular fish tank and buy the screen cover separately. Don't bother with the All Living Things one, because it's the exact same thing, except it's more expensive (I'm pretty sure). And if you ever want to convert to a fish tank, you'll have one; but I'm pretty sure the All Living Things one cannot be converted to a fish tank because it's built for reptiles, so the glass is thinner. But it really comes down to your choice.

I also want to suggest something on the carpet too. At first, I was so sure I was going to go with the repti-carpet. Then, I heard the leos can get their claws ripped out, crickets hide under it, it's great for holding bacteria, and their teeth get stuck when they're eating. Also if the calcium happens to get on the carpet, it's hard to get out. Of course you can always wash it , but you'll need another carpet to replace it as the other one dries out. Now, I'm going with tile. I heard it's a lot easier to clean, and it makes sense because you just wipe it down with a wet paper towel when it gets dirty or if calcium gets on it, and it's closer to the leo's natural habitat. They don't live on sand, they live on rocks, so tile is pretty close to they're natural environment. You can get natural looking ones too. Vinyl or all natural stone. So yea, once again it's your choice, but I'm just giving you some tips so you don't run into any issues in the future haha Good luck!!! :main_thumbsup:

 

[phantom12321]

I personally sprung for a 20 Gallon long, And I really think it was worth it. My gecko has plenty of places to hide, a water, food and calcium bowl, a nice heat spectrum and a moist hide, and still a little place to run around. I'm going to see if I can train her to use a hampster wheel too. I've seen it done.

 

[Rell18]

More than likely, I am going to stick with the 10 gallon because I don't have enough room for a 20 gallon in my room. I don't think the hides, bowls, etc will take up much space because I've seen the exact ones I'm getting placed in a 10 gallon tank.

As for the reptile carpet, I am definitely taking that off of the list of things to buy. I don't want my leo getting sick and I'm really glad you told me about that, love .

More than likely, I'll be getting my leo from a reptile show. I live in Dayton, Ohio and there's a reptile show that comes to Cincinnati once every month and Cincinnati is only about 45 minutes away from where I live so that works perfect.

I do wish I could get the 20 gallon long tank but there just isn't enough space in my room.

 

[prettyinpink]

"All Living Things 10 Gallon Aquarium (20 x 10 x 12) - $45"

Wow! I didn't know they were that much. I got my tanks off CL, one came with Beau and the other I bought for my beardie (when he was smaller). I know you can get a 10gal at Walmart for $10 I think.

I forget how much everything costs...I bought my stuff used, or already bought it previously.

 

[Rell18]

Prettyinpink...I love you! I just looked on wal-mart.com and they have 10 gallon aquariums for $13.00! Sometime this week, I'm going to go to one of the local wal-mart stores and see how much it is in store. I can't believe its that cheap! It's the same size as the all living things aquarium, only cheaper, way cheaper!

 

[prettyinpink]

*lol* Glad I was able to help

 

[Dougefresh]

Ya and you don't have to go out and buy any super secure screen top either like you would for a snake, any cheap clip on will work fine :main_thumbsup:

 

[Merriweather]

If you dont want to do carpet, you can always go with good ole paper towel. Easy to replace, harmless, and great for babby leeoosss.

Ive always wanted to know, where do people get such tile? Its something I'd like to look into, but I haven't asked yet.

 

[prettyinpink]

I personally don't have tops for my cages, but I don't have anything that can get into them and they're deep enough I don't have to worry about them getting out.

For tile I use slate ( I believe that's what it's called :main_rolleyes: ) tile found at your local home depot or lowes. You can get them to cut it to the exact measures of your tank for you. There's some that look 'realistic' like sand, or even gravel. As in they have some that are textured, or if you don't like that you can get smooth kind.
IMO, looks better than tile and nice and easy to clean up, and holds in heat nicely. Also very cheap!

Hope that helped

 

[ajveachster]

If you are concerned about reptile carpet, and don't like the look of paper towels go with kraft paper. It is the brown paper rolls that you use to wrap boxes for shipping. You can usually find it at your local dollar store, and you can get several tanks worth of paper out of a single roll. It is just about as convenient as paper towels, and looks better if you want something with a slightly nicer look.

 

[Merriweather]

Just curious, could you show us your shopping list? I'm so curious what you have on there...I'm not sure how you got it that high. Esp with the cresties.

Unless you're going like REALLY all out

As far as me saying it would for the most part even out, I was referring to upkeep, with leos needing live food and cresteds needing less live food and CGD.

When I bought my first crested, I think I spent about ... $150ish on everything for it.
12x12x18 natural terrarium aquarium, cgd, one water bowl, one hide, one faux plant, some vitamins, crickets, and I cant remember what else if anything else?
I've since bought a top light, a thermometer for that aquarium, a mushroom ledge, a magnaturals hiderock, and a (free!) real plant in there.

PS, never ever buy the "zoo med 3 in 1 humidity hide". Its extremely fragile, and any hairline cracks you don't notice, upon being sprayed with water for humidity, will grow, loudly at that, until the hide splits possibly endangering your leos.