Hoping To Pick Up Some Leos!

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Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
3,005
50
81
New York
Hey Everybody,

As some of you may know I've been searching for a reptile preferably a lizard. I was interested in Ackies which I still am however I most likely can't provide proper housing for them and trying to reintroduce my family back to reptiles. I've decided a good reptile would be leopard geckos as my brother had them before a few years back. Well my question is about the care and welfare of these geckos...as I've done research but it's always better to get answers from reliable leopard gecko keepers.

1: I defiantly want an exo terra tank because they look very professional looking as it will go into a newly done living room most likely. Would a 24 x 18 x 18 (LxWxH) tank be good for maybe 2 females and possibly an addition of a male as they get older? Also I'm thinking about the 24 x 18 x 24 model also.

2. Is it possible to feed leos solely canned crickets and canned worms with calcium powder on the side?

3. What is the estimate growth rate of leopard geckos?

4. What is a good size to start them out, is hatching to small?

5. Any other tips or suggestions?

Thanks A Million
 
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Pazzoman said:
Hey Everybody,

As some of you may know I've been searching for a reptile preferably a lizard. I was interested in Ackies which I still am however I most likely can't provide proper housing for them and trying to reintroduce my family back to reptiles. I've decided a good reptile would be leopard geckos as my brother had them before a few years back. Well my question is about the care and welfare of these geckos...as I've done research but it's always better to get answers from reliable leopard gecko keepers.


I give props to you for admitting that you're not ready for ackies at the moment. You'll get there in the future and when you do you won't be sorry! Hopefully by then I'll have a male ackie to hook up with my 2 females. :D

But for now Leopard Geckos are a great reptile to start off with. They're pretty easy to keep, hardy, colorful, and all around friendly geckos. I've been keeping and breeding this species for way too long now. I'll basically let you know what's worked for me. Check out this link as well. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...es-and-advice-to-help-us-keep-our-herps/page2

1: I defiantly want an exo terra tank because they look very professional looking as it will go into a newly done living room most likely. Would a 24 x 18 x 18 (LxWxH) tank be good for maybe 2 females and possibly an addition of a male as they get older? Also I'm thinking about the 24 x 18 x 24 model also.

Exo Terra makes nice tanks and you won't be sorry when you get one. I would love to have swinging doors on all my tanks. At the moment I only have 2 Exo Terras. Anyways, when it comes to Leopard Geckos you want to have plenty of floor space. Height isn't that important but you could make a pretty cool fake rock wall for the background that would add some more space for the geckos to explore. I have a build thread somewhere that shows how to construct one.

I would stick with females if you want to keep multiple geckos unless you are planning on breeding them. They WILL breed, trust me on this and you will get eggs. My oldest pair I've had for 19 years now and they still produce a few pairs of fertile eggs every year. You could probably get away with 3 females in that size tank as long as you had enough hides for them. For the most part leopard geckos get along well but there is a pecking order so make sure everyone is getting an equal share of food.
2. Is it possible to feed leos solely canned crickets and canned worms with calcium powder on the side?

Nope, they need live prey. Their feeding response is based on movement for the most part. Plus those canned diets aren't really healthy for any reptile as a main diet.

3. What is the estimate growth rate of leopard geckos?

They're sexually mature at 10 months. Other than that the size is based on the sex, it's health, the temperature it's kept, how much it is fed and what strain of gecko it is. They max out usually around 18 months old.

4. What is a good size to start them out, is hatching to small?

I usually wait to sell mine when they're are at least a month old and eating well. Most breeders do the same. Babies are skittish at first but they calm down pretty quickly with brief handling a few times a week.

5. Any other tips or suggestions?

Buy yourself a digital temp gun or temp prob. It's worth the investment.

Thanks A Million
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Vicious_Fish has some great advice. I recently got into leos in the last couple months and I love my two guys. If you're looking for just a pet, then why not go with a single individual? I've read of more and more instances of multiple females not doing well together, either because of an alpha female that hogs all the good hides, or a submissive female getting very skinny because she's not bold enough to compete for food. I've never kept multiple leos in the same habitat, so I can't say for sure. One big adult would do well in a 24x18x18 Exo-Terra, but like Vicious_Fish said, floor space is much more important than vertical space because leos are not good climbers at all. I have one of my males, a big 95 gram guy, in a 24x18 and he'll be upgraded soon because he looks too cramped in it. My other guy is in a 36x18 Exo-Terra, and it's great for him.

Other things to remember for husbandry are:
- You need to provide at least two hides for ONE gecko (one on the warm end of the tank, one on the cool), and one needs to be humid hide to aid with shedding. If you have multiple females in the tank, then each girl needs access to her own hide.
- An undertank heater is essential, and the warm end needs to be 90+ degrees. A temperature probe or gun is also essential for making sure temperatures are adequate.
- No lighting or heat bulb is needed.
- Live food is absolutely a must. Mealworms or superworms are good staple diets.
- Provide a dish with calcium and vitamin powder, because leos will lick the supplements as they need them.
 
Thanks for the info viciousfish and Natalie,

I actually do have a temp gun when I use to have a savannah monitor. I would like to have at least 2 females to start with because when they mature I would like to try and breed them just because I think it's amazing...however I will be getting 2 leos at the youngest age which vicious has said 1 month is pretty safe starter for 3 reasons....

1 reason:

Give me time to settle in and purchase other equipment for breeding.

2 reason:

More time for taming purposes...however my brother use to have them and they were very friendly...and I'm pretty sure thier all very docile from what I've seen and read.

3 reason:

The cuteness factor when they are really young...for my mom :)

-Vicious

Yeah thank you for understanding the fact that ackies probably woudn't be good for me at this time...I woudn't want to stress them out too...bettter they go to a good home. I had a feeling they wuld require live prey which isn't a problem as I dealt with crickets before... however my parents hated the fact of the nightly chirps and escapees that occur occasionally lol. At 10-18 months is perfect for me to prepare for a possible breeding.

I will get on those links now, and I've read the thread of the background you made for the leo tank, looks real nice wish I could be creative like that lol

-Natalie

Yeah I have the hides covered trying to construct a nice desert scene to give a full natural tank for these leos. The humid hide I will mostly likely be purchasing or creating a little cave with that holds moss..or a deli cup with moss. UTH I guess a 12 inch size would be best. I'm probably going to purchase some kind for viewing pleasuret like a florecent bulb...and of corase a red night bulb (I really like the feeling of seeing what they do at night before I go to bed lol). So your saying I can feed solely mealworm and superworms and nothing else (I will monthly throw in crickets..this will make parents real happy)? Any specific calcium addictive you trust (Repti brands?..also I heard "grit" for bird is good)?

Thank You Guys Very Much!

P.S. I had this weird idea of adding a shelf or shelf to hold rubbermaid tubs in the stand if breeding occurs in the future to separate the babies....and then have an incubator at the bottom of the stand. I like the zoomed incubator brand as it looks easy and can easily view all the eggs without opening the top...but will it fit in the stand is another story lol.
 
Pazzoman said:
Yeah I have the hides covered trying to construct a nice desert scene to give a full natural tank for these leos. The humid hide I will mostly likely be purchasing or creating a little cave with that holds moss..or a deli cup with moss. UTH I guess a 12 inch size would be best. I'm probably going to purchase some kind for viewing pleasuret like a florecent bulb...and of corase a red night bulb (I really like the feeling of seeing what they do at night before I go to bed lol). So your saying I can feed solely mealworm and superworms and nothing else (I will monthly throw in crickets..this will make parents real happy)? Any specific calcium addictive you trust (Repti brands?..also I heard "grit" for bird is good)?
Click to expand...

I use the Zilla Red LED lights on both of my guys' tanks and they do a great job of adding just enough red light for nighttime viewing (but no heat).

As far as feeders go, it's up in the air. Most people feed one or more of the following bugs: mealworms, superworms, silkworms, crickets, Dubia roaches. There have been some intestinal parasites associated with crickets, so I avoid them. (Plus, it's just so much easier not to raise/have crickets :) ). I'm unable to get Dubia because I live in Florida, but I've heard they are all-around the single best feeder for leos. I feed my guys mealworms and superworms, and have heard of absolutely no issues from providing those. Waxworms are a good treat, but relatively high in fat and should be avoided as a staple diet. Silkworms are starting to get popular based on their superior nutrition values.

muffywrx said:
you only leave a dish of calcium in the enclosure, not vitamins. dust vitamins weekly. I have 5 leos, love em.
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Hmm, not to argue, but I've read from several long-term leo keepers and breeders that a combination of calcium and vitamin (such as Herptivite) should be provided in the dish. If there's a solid reason not to do it, then I can stop. I give Flukers calcium and Herptivite vitamins as a mixture in a bowl, and once a week I also dust feeders with Calcium + Vit D3 powder.
 
If live food is an issue, you could also try crested geckos. They can live on a primarily powered diet along with some types of baby food and they also will take live given the chance. They would appreciate the taller exo terra cage. I also really like leos and hope to be getting some of both of my own when I have a little extra money. Just though lt I'd throw that out there
 
Natalie said:
Hmm, not to argue, but I've read from several long-term leo keepers and breeders that a combination of calcium and vitamin (such as Herptivite) should be provided in the dish. If there's a solid reason not to do it, then I can stop. I give Flukers calcium and Herptivite vitamins as a mixture in a bowl, and once a week I also dust feeders with Calcium + Vit D3 powder.
Click to expand...

if you mix calcium and multivitamins, then they can't self-regulate their supplements very well. You should only leave in calcium. Dust multivitamins once a week, no need for more than that unless they are scrawny.
 
I only leave a dish in the tank with calcium powder when I have ovulating females. Other than that they get their vitamins and minerals from when I dust their food. Too much is not good for them.
 
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