Starting on a budget

ApplestoApples

New Member
Messages
39
Hi from Tennessee,

I am new to the forum (obviously) and hope to get some leopard geckos soon. I am only 13, so I have other people to convince first.:) Also, I am open to DIY since I have monetary restrictions.

Luke
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,290
Location
Somerville, MA
Welcome to GU. I would guess that if you went with a 10 gallon tank and got everything you need with careful shopping you could do the whole thing for about $75 including the gecko. It will be much cheaper after you get everything to maintain the gecko. Do a lot of research so you can present your parents with plans of where you'll keep the gecko and how you'll care for it.

Aliza
 

ApplestoApples

New Member
Messages
39
Ya, I have been stalking these forums for a few weeks now. I just asked my parents and they are gung-ho as long as I fund it, which I knew I would have to. I have a 29 gallon fish tank I will take down and use. I was thinking three female leopards.
Luke
P.S. Did you write an online article on leopard gecko breeding? It was really good, I recognized the name.
 

DrCarrotTail

Moderator
Messages
3,589
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
Hi and welcome! Great that you're learning all you can before jumping into picking up a leo! I did the same thing when I wanted a bird in middle school :)

I would suggest starting with a single leo. If you hunt around the forum you'll find a lot about keeping multiple leopard geckos together. It can be a chancy thing to do. Leo's are solitary animals and prefer to live alone. If you keep more than one female in a tank, fights and feeding issues can always occur and you need to be prepared with a second tank in case something happens.
 

ApplestoApples

New Member
Messages
39
Should I put him in the 29 gallon ( same dimensions as a 20 long) then gradually add one or two more/ or start one in a 10 gallon? I want to use the 29 with multiple geckos or atleast try evetually.
Luke
 

jbs81890

New Member
Messages
426
Hi and welcome! Great that you're learning all you can before jumping into picking up a leo! I did the same thing when I wanted a bird in middle school :)

I would suggest starting with a single leo. If you hunt around the forum you'll find a lot about keeping multiple leopard geckos together. It can be a chancy thing to do. Leo's are solitary animals and prefer to live alone. If you keep more than one female in a tank, fights and feeding issues can always occur and you need to be prepared with a second tank in case something happens.

Welcome! As mentioned here it is very iffy putting multiple females together. They can really hurt each other. As a matter of fact someone posted a picture of his female after she got into it with a female cagemate over food. I would extremely recommend start with 1. Get your husbandry down flawless and then add to your collection. It's what I did and I am very thankful I did.
 

jbs81890

New Member
Messages
426
I haven't really heard of any dividers that can actually keep them apart. If they want each other they will get there lol
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,290
Location
Somerville, MA
I am one person who regularly houses female leopard geckos (and even breeding colonies) together with nearly no trouble. I say "nearly no" because once in a blue moon there is a mild problem at which time I separate the offenders. If you're thinking about eventually having more than one leopard gecko, you should consider getting a 10 gallon tank. You can put your first one in the 29 gallon tank. If and when you get a second, you could quarantine her in the 10 gallon tank and after a month or so try them out together. If they get along, you're all set, and if not, you can keep one in each tank.

It is possible to put a divider in a tank. I regularly divide my baby tanks into 3 sections. A piece of plexiglass cut to size will do it. You can always put contac paper on the plexiglass so they can't see each other. Then you could either put the UTH so that half is on each side of the plexiglass or you could use heat cable. Be aware that half of a 29 gallon tank isn't big enough for an adult leopard gecko.

I have written a number of articles for Gecko Time of which I'm a co-editor, including "Breeding leopard geckos on a small scale".

Aliza
 
Messages
543
Welcome to GF! I started with a juvenile leo in a 10 gallon but the 29 gallon should be fine. I suggest starting with 1 because then they will be more social to you, not the other leopard gecko.
 

ApplestoApples

New Member
Messages
39
Alright, I am starting with one and then will cautiously add more. I am looking at buying from an online breeder, and don't know if I should get a guaranteed female or one incubated to be a female. Normally I would just get the guaranteed female, but wonder why a breeder would sell an adult gecko unless it had some temperament issue? Which is a safer bet?
Thanks, Luke
 

DrCarrotTail

Moderator
Messages
3,589
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
Where are you from? There might be some breeders in your area or someone might be able to recommend a reptile expo near you where you could go check out some nicely bred leos in person. Shipping can be expensive.

Some experienced breeders can be 99% sure of the sex of their geckos at hatching since their equipment has been set up extremely precisely. You can usually tell if a gecko is male or female by about 20g with some experience sexing them. Breeders will often sell adult geckos that don't fit into their breeding projects anymore. Most geckos are pretty chill and they only rarely have temperament issues.
 

ApplestoApples

New Member
Messages
39
There is one called Knoxville area reptile club. I am probably going to post a classified. Too bad my mom wont drive me to the expos!
 
Messages
73
Location
Tallahassee, Fl
Welcome to the group, I could imagine that scenerio, "hey mom, drive me to a warehouse filled with a bunch of snakes and lizards"... LoL yeah not many moms would be into that. I have Leos and I'm a mom(about to be of 2 instead of 1) but I'm only 26 so that probably has something to do with it. Plus I'm all into pets(have birds & dogs too) XD
 

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