Help and Advice for new Leopard Gecko!

[McBoredFace]

I’m about to get a leopard gecko and instead of trying to figure out all this stuff on my own, like I did with my Cham, I figured it would be easier to ask you guys. I need to know every single thing I need before buying a leopard gecko. I already have the tank and some fake plants I never used for my Cham. But what else do I need? Lists of exactly what I would need would be most helpful. I spare no expenses either when it comes to my reptiles :3 thank you<3

 

[ToxiccKiwii]

Depends on what you wanna know! They're ranked as the best gecko for beginners, and really aren't too hard to take care of; I have three of these guys, all in separate tanks.

They need to have a basking spot, but more belly heat than overhead UVB, I have stick on heat mats on the bottom of my glass tanks, plugged into regulators that keep them around 84* temps, if they get too cold they will hide and refuse to eat, so I always make sure they have a warm spot to settle down in.

Humidity is usually around 40% in their tanks, that's the usual levels in my apartment, but it's been lower, higher, and it doesn't affect them either way. Though higher humidity will help when they shed, when they have trouble I usually put a glob of damp moss in their tanks to help them along, they also eat their shed skin, so there's not much clean-up involved.

Note* they LOVE their hides, all of mine poop off the side of their hides, and will sit on top of them to be out in the open sometimes. I keep theirs on the opposite side of the tank away from the heat mat so they can regulate and be comfortable. I also keep my tanks off of a flat counter so the mat can get air flow (picture attached is my set up for my gecko-tanks and my skink tank)

Depending on the tank, I wouldn't use sand like most out-of-the-box kits come with, unless you're gonna do calci-sand, because they can ingest this and get compounded, specially if they're younger, I've used the fake grass, and paper towels, they don't seem to be picky about one or the other, but the only downside of papertowels is if you let their food free-roam, most will usually hide under them.

Mine also personally don't really care for climbing vines/leaves, but they love to chill underneath them, I have mine placed over the part of the tank with the heat mat, and they'll nap there under the leaves.

Since mine are all female, I do have make-shift lay-boxes in their tanks, given there's enough room, one of mine doesn't care for it at all, but the other two will sleep, dig around, and chill out in their lay boxes constantly, they're filled with eco-earth. One of them has laid phantom eggs in them before, but I think it's more just a comfort thing for the other.

They should have a bowl of water constantly, and I feed mine usually every couple days. I personally leave a little bottlecap of calcium powder in each of their tanks, they don't eat it but occasionally will lick at it....They love meal worms, dubia, crickets- I use those as a staple, coated in calcium powder / multivitamin. But I've given them smaller super / wax / and butter-worms as treats, not too often though because they decide they wanna get picky sometimes and not eat... the rule of thumb, just like with Cham's is to not feed them anything bigger than their head, 'cause they could choke on it, regardless of what it is.

One major thing to note is that their tails are EVERYTHING; fat tails = happy (healthy) geckos, they store their nutrition in their tail, females tails will shrink when they lay eggs because their taking extra nutrition they need directly from their tails, and they use it for nutrition between feedings. You have to be kind of careful though because they can also drop their tails if they get too stressed or feel too threatened/scared.

On the other hand though, all of mine love being handled, I've been in the kitchen cooking with my giant (gecko picture 3) just chilling on my shoulder, the other ones are too wriggly when they're out of the tank, but they'll crawl around my arms and lap, curl up in my shirt, they have to get used to you, though, when my youngest was a baby, I'd pick her up and she'd scream, but now she loves being coddled around.

I'm sure there's different ways to do it, but, this is what's worked for me over the passed three years with mine.

I've babbled a crap load, but if there's anything you want to know / want an opinion on that I missed, let me know!!

<3

 

[McBoredFace]

Wow thank you so much that really helped. It was exactly what I needed to know I can’t wait to get one! They’re having a sale at petco. All reptiles 50% off and the bearded dragon tank kit is 50% off too. So if there’s anything useful in there I’ll try to get it. But the tank is huge so I’ll stick with mine. Also you keep yours separate? In the store they’re together and cuddling? Is this not the case when you take them home? Especially if I want a male?

 

[ToxiccKiwii]

Personally I wouldn’t get one from a petco or a petsmart, from the way their tanks are set up to the breeding/care, wherever get them from they care more about selling the reptile than they do about the reptile itself, and sex of the gecko is not garuanteed. If that’s your only option getting one then I’d be ready to treat it as if you’re rescuing a gecko that needs rehabilitation care because chances are they’re not getting the correct care they’ve needed from the get-go.

Your best bet is to find a breeder, someone reputable who has personally cared for it from day one, and is familiar with the morph. To be honest, the cost won’t be much different, the one from my second picture I posted I got from a breeder for 60$

But, personal preferences aside lol geckos are more solitary reptiles, they live alone in the wild, and they don’t thrive for companionship. Two males will fight, even from the same clutch, once their old enough. Male and female are fine but they’ll breed, and you also have to look out for dominance in the male, make sure the female is getting her share of food, and they have enough space to co-exist, as well as space for a lay-box of eco earth for when she lays eggs. Females also have the possibility to get compacted, so they NEED their nutrition, and to be well fed before and after laying a clutch. But that’s a completely different conversation lol.

More than one female is eh depending on who you ask, because if they they’re sharing territory for hides, water, and sharing food which can cause them unnecessary stress, they can become aggressive with each other. Even if they’re from the same clutch and tolerate each other’s presence, one can dominate and eat more of the food, causing stunted growth and a malnourished tail in any others housed with her. They can also nip at the tail and toes of any others causing missing toes and a damaged tail, which is noooottt good for their health.

It’s not guaranteed that it’ll go downhill from the getgo, because it all depends on how they’re housed, how big of a tank / how many hides, how much food, etc... it’s possible but it’s a risk that you’d have to decide is worth it, or have a spare tank set up just in case.

I’m babbling again, if there’s anything else let me know

 

[JoshD49]

Hello,

My friend has 2 leopard gekos in a tank together and they are healthy with fat tails. They have been in there for 2 years but she is wondering if there needs to be things inside for them to climb on.

 

[Curlytails]

I’m about to get a leopard gecko and instead of trying to figure out all this stuff on my own, like I did with my Cham, I figured it would be easier to ask you guys. I need to know every single thing I need before buying a leopard gecko. I already have the tank and some fake plants I never used for my Cham. But what else do I need? Lists of exactly what I would need would be most helpful. I spare no expenses either when it comes to my reptiles :3 thank you<3

shoot a question and ill answer! not to toot my own horn but im very experienced with them. the first reptile i worked with from a very young age and im hoping to get back into them early next year

 

[McBoredFace]

Thank you all very much as soon as I get one I’ll let you know how it goes and if I have anymore questions I’ll let you know oh actually speaking of which, so from your answers it’s clearly frowned upon to put them together in one tank yet at the petstore you see multiple in one tank all cuddling and it’s so cute! So I don’t understand. If they’re raised in the same tank cuddling they’ll still fight when put into a new tank at home?

 

[McBoredFace]

And if so why? :/ they’re always smiling and cuddling like they love each other very much! Lol little humanizing joke. I know they’re not really smiling. But why do they cuddle if they don’t get along?

 

[JoshD49]

My friend has had 2 in the same cage for the last 2 years with no problems. I don't know the sex of them but they have not reproduced so I assume they are the same sex either way.

 

[Curlytails]

females can live together but males will fight. thats why breeders like Brian from bhb keep females in a large tub with 4 inside and add 1 male to rotate as more females are bred that way and it saves space