this might be extra long!:) HELP!

[Jace]

Hi everyone
okay first off I'm about to purchase my first leopard gecko
and I thought this would have a lot of reliable answers for my many questions that I need answering . I've done a lot of research but everywhere I look I see different things
so help if you can
I want my Leo to have the best
okay so can you tell if a Leo is a male or female when they are a baby?
How do you make a moist shelter for them to shed in? And should this moist shelter on the warm side of the terrarium or the cool side?
Is it better to have a heat lamp or pad under the aquarium?
What is the best substrate for a baby leopard gecko? I heard something about reptile carpet...
Do they need a UVB light?
Is it okay to have one of those red lights on at night so I can observe my gecko?
What should it's main food source? When and how should the food be dusted with supplements?
What kind of supplements should I keep in a little dish in the aquarium?
How big should the terrarium be?
Um that's all I can think of
if I think of anything else I'll ask
thanks!

 

[Mel&Keith]

Everyone's opinions differ but generally:

1. You can usually sex a leo at 20g or 3-4 months old
2. A humid hide can be made from a food storage container with a hole cut in the top or side. Use moist paper towels (most hygienic) or moss. Can be on either side of tank.
3. Under Tank Heater
4. Tile, Paper towels, Paper, or Reptile Carpet (less easy to clean than other 3 choices)
5. No (normal light from a window is enough to establish a day/night cycle)
6. Yes, a red light is fine for night viewing
7. Crickets, Mealworms, Superworms, and Roaches are all good food sources. Wax worms are not. Dust them with vitamin supplement one a week.
8. Keep Calcium supplement in the dish inside the tank at all times.
9. 20g long is a good size.
10. Good luck!