tons of general health care questions from a new owner

[symbiotic]

Well, I guess I'm not a new owner since I've had my leo for 7 months now.. But I still have yet to get good advice on things for my leo, or been able to interact with someone who knows a lot about them to ask questions.
So here I am, tossing them out on this forum.

1. I have a lamp to heat the cage for my leo cause I couldn't afford an undertank heater when I got him. However, everytime I turn the lamp on.. he runs to the other side of the cage and doesn't return to the lamp side unless it is turned off. I've checked the temp of the cage when the lamp was on it, and the thermometer reads in the 80's.
Is that too hot for them? And if it is... is there anyway I could reduce the temperature the lamp gives off to make it slightly cooler for his comfort?

2. I bought mats for the bottom of his cage, but have no idea how many days or whatever I should wait before its preferred that I switch them out. (yes, to answer questions.. its a reptile carpet)

3. The tank's glass to be cleaned itself. How often should I clean that, and what kind of things could I use that would be safe for the leo?
(Yes, I know I can take him out while cleaning.. The question is more of a "Is glass cleaner safe to use to clean the tank with" type question.)

4. I got 50 mealworms and fed them to him a couple times, but have mainly just gotten him crickets. However, ever since I've fed him the mealworms... he's grown lazy and won't chase his crickets down like he used to. Any advice on that?

5. Though I keep calling it a "him", I'm not exactly sure what gender it is. I did pick it up one time and with the position it was in on my hand, I saw his underbelly and I think I saw the markings the males have... Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can check that without turning it completely upside down (which makes it bite me lol).

6. I keep seeing things saying I need a moist hide for my gecko. I have a 15 gallon tank, and not much more room for anything (with his water dish, cave, and log in there). Does this hide have to be big? What can I make it out of, or are there things that I can buy at the pet shop to make it? And what should I put in it to make it, and keep it, moist?

7. Change his water everyday? Or does it have to be that frequent?

That's.. pretty much all the questions I can think of right now. If I think of anymore I'll most likely most them here. But if anyone can answer any of these, it would be greatly appreciated.

If there is anything else you guys think might be useful.. Feel free to toss it at me.

 

[Lpac]

1. I have a lamp to heat the cage for my leo cause I couldn't afford an undertank heater when I got him. However, everytime I turn the lamp on.. he runs to the other side of the cage and doesn't return to the lamp side unless it is turned off. I've checked the temp of the cage when the lamp was on it, and the thermometer reads in the 80's.
Is that too hot for them? And if it is... is there anyway I could reduce the temperature the lamp gives off to make it slightly cooler for his comfort?

actually it is supposed to be 88-95 degrees, so you need to make it hotter.
since geckos are nocturnal they do not need the light to shine on them they would much rather be in the dark.

2. I bought mats for the bottom of his cage, but have no idea how many days or whatever I should wait before its preferred that I switch them out.

you can replace it when it starts getting too dirty and smelly (im assuming its reptile carpet).

3. The tank's glass to be cleaned itself. How often should I clean that, and what kind of things could I use that would be safe for the leo?
(Yes, I know I can take him out while cleaning.. The question is more of a "Is glass cleaner safe to use to clean the tank with" type question.)

i clean it every month. you can use a vinegar water solution or buy a reptile terrarium cleaner
http://www.********.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752613&lmdn=Reptile
the link is supposed to be pets mart but they blocked it

4. I got 50 mealworms and fed them to him a couple times, but have mainly just gotten him crickets. However, ever since I've fed him the mealworms... he's grown lazy and won't chase his crickets down like he used to. Any advice on that?

hes going to eventually eat. i had a gecko like that and i tried a bunch off stuff but at the end i just left them in there and he ate them.

5. Though I keep calling it a "him", I'm not exactly sure what gender it is. I did pick it up one time and the position it was in on my hand, I saw his underbelly and I think I saw the markings the males have... Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can check that without turning it completely upside down (which makes it bite me lol).

haha you can safely lay him down on a place that he cant escape (i use my bed lol) and pick up his arms to the point were he is standing or you can post pictures and il try to tell you.

6. I keep seeing things saying I need a moist hide for my gecko. I have a 15 gallon tank, and not much more room for anything (with his water dish, cave, and log in there). Does this hide have to be big? What can I make it out of, or are there things that I can buy at the pet shop to make it? And what should I put in it to make it, and keep it, moist?

this is a really simple way to do it and instead of paper towels you can use peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, etc. (GO ON THE LINK)
http://www.herpcenter.com/moist-hide-creation.html

7. Change his water everyday? Or does it have to be that frequent?

yes you should give it fresh water everyday

i posted my answers in the quote hope i helped:main_thumbsup:

 

[bman123]

Wow I cannot read your answers lol that text is hideous

 

[symbiotic]

i posted my answers in the quote hope i helped:main_thumbsup:

Yeah that helped. Thanks much.
Though, the question about him not wanting to be under the light... I have the lamp pointed right over the cave I bought for him. He absolutely loves his cave as he's in there most of the time, but when I turn the lamp on he always hides underneath his log (his hide on the other side of the tank). So its not like he's exposed to the light.
And, I'll see if I can try to see which sex him/it is. But there's a good chance I might just take you up on your offer to help if I get a pic. Thanks.

Wow I cannot read your answers lol that text is hideous

LOL! No offense to Lpac, but you're right. The blue text blends in with the background color of this site far too well. Had to tilt my laptop screen in order to read it. lol

 

[Chevalrose]

1. I have a lamp to heat the cage for my leo cause I couldn't afford an undertank heater when I got him. However, everytime I turn the lamp on.. he runs to the other side of the cage and doesn't return to the lamp side unless it is turned off. I've checked the temp of the cage when the lamp was on it, and the thermometer reads in the 80's.
Is that too hot for them? And if it is... is there anyway I could reduce the temperature the lamp gives off to make it slightly cooler for his comfort?

They do need belly heat to digest their food so an UTH is a must. Lamps really only help LGs if the UTH can't supply quite enough heat. 80's is too low of a temp, they need somewhere in the mid-90s. Your leo ran away from the light because they are nocturnal and can be sensitive to light.

2. I bought mats for the bottom of his cage, but have no idea how many days or whatever I should wait before its preferred that I switch them out.

Are you talking about a reptile carpet or an UTH? Either way, I don't think there's a need to wait to change anything. Especially if it IS a UTH, you should get that going right away.

3. The tank's glass to be cleaned itself. How often should I clean that, and what kind of things could I use that would be safe for the leo?
(Yes, I know I can take him out while cleaning.. The question is more of a "Is glass cleaner safe to use to clean the tank with" type question.)

Peroxide and vinegar is a great natural cleaner. Spray some vinegar first and then the peroxide right after. These two substances sprayed one after the other creates a chemical reaction. Don't mix them together in one bottle though because it prevents them from working properly and it's harmful. I use this method to clean just about everything in my house, including my rat cage.

As far as frequency goes, cleaning the glass I'd say should be done once a month or if it get's dirty. You should spot clean the cage as often as you can (remove poo or any other messes).

4. I got 50 mealworms and fed them to him a couple times, but have mainly just gotten him crickets. However, ever since I've fed him the mealworms... he's grown lazy and won't chase his crickets down like he used to. Any advice on that?

Can't help you there, no idea...I'm a noob myself.

5. Though I keep calling it a "him", I'm not exactly sure what gender it is. I did pick it up one time and with the position it was in on my hand, I saw his underbelly and I think I saw the markings the males have... Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can check that without turning it completely upside down (which makes it bite me lol).

As Lpac said...try to lift the front of "him" up as much as you can to see the back of him.

6. I keep seeing things saying I need a moist hide for my gecko. I have a 15 gallon tank, and not much more room for anything (with his water dish, cave, and log in there). Does this hide have to be big? What can I make it out of, or are there things that I can buy at the pet shop to make it? And what should I put in it to make it, and keep it, moist?

Yes you need a moist hide, but they aren't that hard to make and shouldn't take up too much space. I believe you can even just put it in when it looks like he might be going into shed if there really isn't a lot of room. Lpac linked a good DIY hide.

7. Change his water everyday? Or does it have to be that frequent?

Changing the water everyday is important because it's stagnant water. When water sits it gets icky. Also it's easy for your gecko to make it gross by pooing in it or otherwise splashing in it.

 

[Lpac]

Yeah that helped. Thanks much.
Though, the question about him not wanting to be under the light... I have the lamp pointed right over the cave I bought for him. He absolutely loves his cave as he's in there most of the time, but when I turn the lamp on he always hides underneath his log (his hide on the other side of the tank). So its not like he's exposed to the light.
And, I'll see if I can try to see which sex him/it is. But there's a good chance I might just take you up on your offer to help if I get a pic. Thanks.



LOL! No offense to Lpac, but you're right. The blue text blends in with the background color of this site far too well. Had to tilt my laptop screen in order to read it. lol

1.-you can try to switch the light to the other side but your best bet is to buy a UTH

2.-if you do post a pic i will do my best to sex him

3.-haha yea i think i wont be using that color again:main_rolleyes: btw i changed it to white lol

 

[symbiotic]

Very nice. Thanks Chevalrose for the extra info.

1.-you can try to switch the light to the other side but your best bet is to buy a UTH

2.-if you do post a pic i will do my best to sex him

3.-haha yea i think i wont be using that color again:main_rolleyes: btw i changed it to white lol

Yeah... I'll try to get some of the things I need for his tank tomorrow. UTH included of course.

The booger still isn't extremely social yet... So it might be a wee bit before I can get him to crawl on my hand to take him out.

Lol. Saw the adjustment. Gotta love when that happens.

 

[Seibar]

You may want to try a Night Black Heat bulb (I have a 75 watt from Zilla), it gives off heat but very little visible light. Adds heat in the day and allows me to see my gecko at night without him running off when I turn on the light.

I have a UTH also, so his belly is fine.

For the moist hide apparently is very important for when they shed, I made one out of the plastic container he came home in, upside down with a hole in it and some papertowels til I find the right moss. Empty butter dish or soup container should work fine.

"is there anyway I could reduce the temperature the lamp gives off to make it slightly cooler for his comfort?"
Hang the lamp higher? Though if your 'hot' side is only 80, its not too hot at all...

 

[Lpac]

"is there anyway I could reduce the temperature the lamp gives off to make it slightly cooler for his comfort?"
Hang the lamp higher? Though if your 'hot' side is only 80, its not too hot at all...

or you can get a dimmer:main_thumbsup:

 

[Eric1969]

I have a UTH and a red basking lamp, that I have on a dimmer, that is the best thing I got for the lamp... This way in the warmer weather, I can turn the heat down, as not to be too hot since he loves to lay on his hamock which is in the air, and does not always get his belly heat on the ground...... For a moist hide I got one of those tupperware onion savers, cut an oval hole in the side, so he can get in. I just have paper towel in there I keep spraying every few days if it dries out. He loves it... and its pretty small..

 

[symbiotic]

Nice.. Didn't even think about a dimmer.
Still need to get that UTH (wasn't able to get it the other day). And we'll see how things work out from there.

 

[Eric1969]

Nice.. Didn't even think about a dimmer.
Still need to get that UTH (wasn't able to get it the other day). And we'll see how things work out from there.

ya I like it. You can also user the dimmer on the UTH, that way if it gets too hot on the ground, you can lower the wattage..... I have ceramic tile over sand and it is just right with the UTH under it.