My First Leopard Gecko Is Here!

[Betta5]

Sorry forgot about this, thanks for all the nice comments about him. I will get a pic of his tank today, but it wont be very good as its from my mobile hehe

His tank is 24"x12"x12"
1 exo terra hide on the hot side
2 log sorta hides on the cool side
water and food dish
a plastic house humid hide
paper towels on the floor
and a lid

(just thought i would put the tank stats down)

 

[fishboy619]

sounds a nice tank,
cant wait to see pictures.

 

[Betta5]

Hi before everone has a go at me for the tank being neer a heater and a window, the heater is never on and i only open the top window to let some air through. I will be moving the tank shortly. Also excuse my wonkey hand as it was the only way he wouldnt jump.

Him

Not the most eye pleasing tank but he seems happy enough in it, any opinions on how to make it look nicer would be nice,

Thanks

 

[SoCalMom]

A more shallow water bowl would be better

Do you have an under tank heater? Dish of pure calcium available at all times?

Is reptile carpet available where you live? Paper towels are ok, but leos have been known to eat loose ends and can become impacted

I would suggest a "long" tank instead of a "tall" so you have more floor space. That looks a little cramped

I would also suggest taking out the hide that looks like a house (on left side). Will give your leo more room.


Heres mine so you get an idea (dont mind heat lamp...was just there for pic. Her tank is plain but I like it that way lol)

And a pic of my big fatty girl just for the heck of it

 

[nellie_nospu]

Are your geckos (geckoes?) a specific "special" colour? Only compared to those gorgeous pics my Oz is very drab / dull. Got me worried now, could that be a sign of something wrong? Otherwise healthy and happy lol.
I'll see if I can get a pic to put up...

 

[fishboy619]

the tank looks ok.
got to laugh at the house thats meant for a hamster, lol. not sure its best there, i would leave it if your leo uses it. personally for a moist hide i use a small food container with a hole cut in it, that way your gecko can climb on top of it too.
i would also get a shallower water dish, the exo terra ones are good, they have littl steps at corner for bugs to get out if they fall in.
i would personally scrap the food dish unless you are seeing your leo eat from it. as crickets and locusts wont stay in the dish for long, and its taking up room.
a calcium dish i would add for certain. just a small shallow dish.
personally i havent noticed anything with using paper towels, but i havent been keeping my leo for ages. at the timer of now, i would say its fine and i have seen no problems with my leo using it.
it looks cramp, but its 12 x 24 x 12, which is ok. i think it could be the dark picture and all the stuff in the tank.
i was told when i first was asking about leopard geckos, that the tank set-up is the owners personal choice, aslong as it has a warm cave, a cool cave, a moist cave, a heat mat, water dish and calcium dish, everything else is your choice.
if it was my tank, i may be tempted to add a fake plant or too.
but other then that, it seems to have everything the leo needs (apart from calcium dish) and you have a wonderful gecko.
good luck with everything.

 

[Betta5]

Hi thanks for the replys,
the hamster house is his moist (humid) hide and he uses it everyday. When i wake up hes in there the tank is 24"x12"x12" so it is long. I have a 32"x15"x12" for him when he gets bigger so hes not going to be (should i put him in it now?) He does climb over everything and the little blue thing at the back is his calcium dish which he has 24/7 fresh. If i ditch the yellow house i would have to get something that takes up more space. Is it weird he uses the moist hide every day?
Im a bit scared to add a plant as there are 2 holes in the lid at the top and i would be scared he would climb out. He defo has the calcium dish but he steps in it more than licks it. Does he look OK from the pic?

 

[Betta5]

Sorry about dark pics dont like to wake him up in the day i waited for him to wake up.

 

[SoCalMom]

Are your geckos (geckoes?) a specific "special" colour? Only compared to those gorgeous pics my Oz is very drab / dull. Got me worried now, could that be a sign of something wrong? Otherwise healthy and happy lol.
I'll see if I can get a pic to put up...

Mine is just a normal. Is your leo a chalk white color? He is going to shed if he gets dull then turns chalk white

 

[fishboy619]

sorry for not seeing your calcium dish, i jumped to conclusions...lol. the dark picture and all.
if your gecko is using the moist hide, i would leave it, i dont see a problem with him using it everyday, he has other hides to use so hes choosing to go in the moist hide.
my leo also walks in her calcium dish, i cant see a problem, its there if he wants it. you just find dusty footprints over the tank.
if you can move the gecko to a bigger tank, i would, not that he NEEDS it, but will do him good for extra room. no harm in giving him more space.
could you cover up the holes? with fly screen or something, or add a plant at the other side away from the holes?
just an idea.

 

[Betta5]

sorry for not seeing your calcium dish, i jumped to conclusions...lol. the dark picture and all.
if your gecko is using the moist hide, i would leave it, i dont see a problem with him using it everyday, he has other hides to use so hes choosing to go in the moist hide.
my leo also walks in her calcium dish, i cant see a problem, its there if he wants it. you just find dusty footprints over the tank.
if you can move the gecko to a bigger tank, i would, not that he NEEDS it, but will do him good for extra room. no harm in giving him more space.
could you cover up the holes? with fly screen or something, or add a plant at the other side away from the holes?
just an idea.

I just didnt know if he would be able to catch crickets in a larger cage, he dosnt really like crickets he like mealworms, he takes them over crickets every time. Yeah I have some bug sheet that you put on windows to keep them out could use some of that i guess.

 

[kribensis12]

I have a house gecko who layed 2 eggs today. I have a question, is it easy to handle gecko's? Becasue mine just sits on the dark part of a log. You have a GORGEOUS LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nellie_nospu]

Are your geckos (geckoes?) a specific "special" colour? Only compared to those gorgeous pics my Oz is very drab / dull. Got me worried now, could that be a sign of something wrong? Otherwise healthy and happy lol.
I'll see if I can get a pic to put up...

Mine is just a normal. Is your leo a chalk white color? He is going to shed if he gets dull then turns chalk white

He (well, probably a she actually) does goes grey and dull before shedding but this seems different somehow. It does seem to have been a gradual dulling, it's only now I'm looking at other geckoes that he seems different?
Anything else I should be checking for? S/he has calcium / D3 supplement dusted on his food, as advised by the shop I bought him from. Big tank (36x12x12), heat mat covering about a third of the bottom, beech woodchip substrate (NOT shavings lol), various hides and self-made burrows, a plant to climb on ( )...!

 

[fishboy619]

i wouldnt have beech woodchip as a substrate, paper towels, kitchen roll, plain paper or a reptile carpet would be better, the leo could strike its food and accidently eat a bit of substrate too, causing problems.

 

[cheesy feet]

I have a house gecko who layed 2 eggs today. I have a question, is it easy to handle gecko's? Becasue mine just sits on the dark part of a log. You have a GORGEOUS LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think house gecko's are really ment to be handled...Are you incubating the eggs?

i wouldnt have beech woodchip as a substrate, paper towels, kitchen roll, plain paper or a reptile carpet would be better, the leo could strike its food and accidently eat a bit of substrate too, causing problems.

Agreed, they can become impacted.Then they would have to be operated on, which would cost loads!Still theres a high risk off death then and also before hand because by the time you notice it may be to late...You've learnt well fishboy, hows your leopard gecko(S) btw?