Anybody Know Anything About Geckos?

[mattyd1701]

hope somebody can help with this seen a few images of reptiles on here in the past few months and im getting no answers from a reptile forum i joined.

Im getting myself a leopard gecko to get into the keeping reptiles taking me ages to persuade the misses to let me have one so im doing this as quick as possible before she changes her mind

and so far i have decided on the Vivexotic LX24 viv (which is 24" Length x 15" Width x 16" High just right for a adult Leopard.)

got my eye on a Thermostat and Thermometer but im drawing a blank on heating, im looking at using a heatmat but im not sure what watt mat i should use for that size Viv i have chosen i will look into using a heat lamp if somebody recommends using one of them insted (will i have to buy the fittings with it aswell?), i also need help picking out a substrate and help with the lighing (fixture and bulb)

if anybody can help i would be very happy and it would be much appreciated

thanks Matt

 

[MBOU]

Hmm heating/lighting:

Lighting is unecessary, its just for you, heating again is personal choice, a thermostat and a heatmate or a thermostat with a ceramic heat emitter.

Either way, fittings for the ceramics and a guard will cost about £15 and is the 'ideal'. But a heat mat works fine, aim for about 1/3 of the viv sized mat. And get a decent quality thermostat! I lost two royals to a dodgy thermostat that cooked them

As for bedding, geckos are stupid, when they lunge at crickets, they generally grab a mouthfull of bedding to, leaves you with few options.

You can use newpaper, you canget white sheets like the stuff chippies use for fish n chips (you can buy bulk cheaply) or you can use calcium sand. Make sure its calcium sand not normal sand so that if the gecko does get a gob full.. he can digest it.

Some geckos are more stupid than others so not all grab mouthfulls of bedding.. but it only has to happen once and you get a gecko with impacted stomach and avet bill running into the many hundreds and more n likely adead gecko.

Make sure you get a good calcium dust for the food and a good mix of mealworms and locusts is best, crickets are ok but locusts are much better, you just get less of them.

If you want to see the gecko better, I would advise getting a 5% Reptile UV Bulb, the low UV will do the gecko good and it will provide light for you to see the gecko. Bonus. You could always add that later?

 

[MBOU]

For the ceramic:

Guard (dont want a gecko or yourself melting yourself to te bulb!)
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/prorep-viv-lid-spotlight-guard-black-p-590

and...

Light Fitting
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/thermo-socket-pro-screw-fitment-p-997

Or (if you can fix it)

http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/arcadia-ceramic-reflector-clamp-lamp-200mm-p-1690

The ceramic itself:

Wattage is going to vary on the size of the tank/heat of the room externally etc

http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/ceramic-reptile-heater-100w-p-1247

Ceramics are more expensive to set up, far cheaper in the long run! I have to use bulb for my chameleon but have to replace the £9 bulb every month!

Heat mat:
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/pro-rep-habistat-reptile-heat-mat-6in-11in-p-1219

Thermostat i guess will depend on whether its the mat or ceramic you use..

But:

MatStat:
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/habistat-mat-thermostat-p-146

Dimmer Stat for Ceramic (so it cools down and heats up rather than on/off on/off)
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/habistat-dimmer-stat-dimming-thermostat-p-153

Substrate:

ReptiCarpet
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/zoo-med-cage-carpet-gal-p-1584

Sand
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/rex-calci-sand-black-225kg-p-1740

Food and supplements:

http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/komodo-insect-dusting-powder-leopard-gecko-p-1058

locusts
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/live-locusts-medium-prepack-tub-reptile-livefood-p-865

mealworms
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/live-mealworms-regular-prepack-tub-75g-reptile-livefood-p-1454

waxworms (only fed as a treat, personally i wouldnt for the first few weeks)
http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/live-wax-moth-larvae-waxworms-15g-reptile-livefood-p-50


Livefoods is a great website, i have bought stuff from them no problems. But gives you an idea of brands too.. the only thing im not sure on is the fitting for the ceramic but im tired LOL