Hello, today I got a bearded dragon for free, not able to take care of the Dragon at present time but I did get a 20 gallon long, two reptile lamps and screen top. I was wanting to set up a leopard gecko tank and was wanting to know what I would need for the tank. I do know that they do not require a UVB light (is this correct), I was wanting to know what type of heat light, substrate or mat would be best and what kind of food would I need. Thanks.
Setup for Leopard Geck
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garner63080
GarnerGeckos
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Just curious, if your not able to care for the dragon, how would you care for a leopard gecko?
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GeckoCrossing
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Dunno if this is their reasoning... but bearded dragons require a lot more care and food. UVB replaced every 6 months or year depending on type, heat lights, bigger tanks, a LOT of feeder insects if it's under 18 months old. Leos are just so much easier lol.
GeckoCrossing
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And to answer the original question:
Undertank heat pad covering 33% of one side of the tank, hot spot between 88 and 95F surface temp, measured with a probe or infrared thermometer for accuracy. No overhead lights are needed. Substrate should be something non particulate, like ceramic tile, slate, paper towels or reptile carpet. As for food, it's basically whatever feeder insects you can get and comfortable with. You can use mealworms, crickets, roaches, silkworms, phoenix worms, locusts, superworms etc. And always have a fresh dish of water and a small dish of pure calcium without D3 in the tank for the leopard gecko to lick when it wants it.
Undertank heat pad covering 33% of one side of the tank, hot spot between 88 and 95F surface temp, measured with a probe or infrared thermometer for accuracy. No overhead lights are needed. Substrate should be something non particulate, like ceramic tile, slate, paper towels or reptile carpet. As for food, it's basically whatever feeder insects you can get and comfortable with. You can use mealworms, crickets, roaches, silkworms, phoenix worms, locusts, superworms etc. And always have a fresh dish of water and a small dish of pure calcium without D3 in the tank for the leopard gecko to lick when it wants it.
Dimidiata
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Because caring for a beardie is A LOT more work. Not to mention, a beardie would eventually need a bigger enclosure.
Ya, one of the reasons is that they are a little more expensive to feed and buy lights for. Also I will not be starting anymore zoo animals in the house until I am able to get a job. I am already taking care of my sulcata tortoise which is doing goo right now and my daughters guinea pigs. My daughters are 9 and 12 and well when they said they would take care of them when we bought them I'm thinking they thought that I would be taking care of them when we got them. However I do plan on getting a leopard hopefully in a few weeks or so when I do get a job. We are very blessed at present time, God has been very good...my wife is bringing in enough each month for bills and gas and we also have some income tax set back. My wife and I talked and were not able to consider the Beardie in the finances at present time, + I don't have a large enough inclosure for him/her, if I ever get one I think it will be started as a baby. I am just wanting to prepare now, figure yard sales and finding things on sale may help.
Awesome!!!! sounds not so bad, I do have some green tortoise carpet that I bought a few years ago, just wondered would fleece work or would they injest the material. But the reptile carpet isn't to expensive and if I am right you can wash this.
Took the Dragon to Petsmart today and one of the employees keep reptiles and she was wanting another Beardie so she was very happy to take him/her off my hands. I just hate to see animals or reptiles live where they can't be completely happy and taken care of the way that they should be kept.
Tiles are cheaper than reptile carpet. I get slightly textured ceramic tiles, they cost 84 cents each at home depot. 20 longs will use 2 12x12 tiles and one 12x6 (or 2 12x3). Heat pad ($15 - $25), a couple things to hide in (they don't know the difference between an expensive pet store hide and a cardboard box), moist hide (sour cream tub with a damp paper towel, hole cut in the lid), digital thermometer with a probe ($10 in the home section at walmart), and you've got a happy gecko.
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