Good Leo Gecko Tank?

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Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
2,999
43
81
New York
Hey Everybody,

I did post a thread already about the topic, and now this is updated from everything I've understand. This have led to what I'm thinking about purchasing for a leopard gecko or two. Questions that I have are placed in certain categories...also keep in mind I'm trying to keep a professional look while also trying to get a near exact replica of the scenario of where a leo gecko would lie in the natural world.

Tank/Stand

-Exo-Terra Glass Terrarium (24"L x 18"W x 18"H) $160
-Exo-Terra Terrarium Stand (24"L x 18"W x 31.5"H) $160

Tank Supplies

-Exo-Terra Reptile Cave - Small (6.5" x 3.5" x 1.5" High) $5
-Exo-Terra Reptile Den - Small (4" x 8" x 4" Height) $20
-Exo-Terra Mealworm Feeder (4.75" x 4.5" x 1.65" High) $10
-Exo-Terra Water Well Water Dispenser (5.5" x 4.5" x 6.75" High) $15
Would crushed walnut shells be a good substrate for leos that will be for month old leos? I'm looking for a desert looking substrate.

Vitamins

-Herptivite Multivitamin (3.2 Oz.) $13
-Rep-Cal Calcium (4.2 Oz.) $8

Heating/Lighting

-Zoo Med Repti-Therm Undertank Heater (12" x 8") $23

Any cheap light fixtures that would hold both a basking light bulb and a night red bulb...along with a UV bulb if need be?

Thermometer

-I have a lazer pointer that marks heat already...forgot the name lol

Food/Water

-Mealworms
How many mealies should be fed to 2 leopard geckos per day?


Thanks A Million,

Any other tips will be appreciated, by the way I have the prices up because I would like to ask if anyone knows if the prices of the items would be reduced at an upcoming reptile expo unless the only thing reduced is live animals....and my wallet.
 
What I personally would get from those choices in red, additional items/suggestions in green:

Pazzoman said:
Tank/Stand

-Exo-Terra Glass Terrarium (24"L x 18"W x 18"H) $160
-Exo-Terra Terrarium Stand (24"L x 18"W x 31.5"H) $160

It will be much easier to keep the temperatures up in the shorter cage.

Tank Supplies

-Exo-Terra Reptile Cave - Small (6.5" x 3.5" x 1.5" High) $5
-Exo-Terra Reptile Den - Small (4" x 8" x 4" Height) $20
I absolutely hate these dens since it's a pain to get the lizard out should you need to, and the magnets are way too strong and could easily lead to pinched/squished/severed fingers/toes/tails/etc. in addition to potentially breaking the glass if you're not careful.
-Exo-Terra Mealworm Feeder (4.75" x 4.5" x 1.65" High) $10
-Exo-Terra Water Well Water Dispenser (5.5" x 4.5" x 6.75" High) $15
-Exo-Terra Gecko Dish
Has two sections: one for water (could be used for superworms), one for vitamin powder
 Would crushed walnut shells be a good substrate for leos that will be for month old leos? I'm looking for a desert looking substrate. No.
-Zoo-Med Vita-Sand
Greatly reduces the risk of impaction because of its small grain size plus it can be digested by the geckos if it's ingested.

Vitamins

-Herptivite Multivitamin (3.2 Oz.) $13
-Rep-Cal Calcium (4.2 Oz.) $8

Heating/Lighting

-Zoo Med Repti-Therm Undertank Heater (12" x 8") $23
Any cheap light fixtures that would hold both a basking light bulb and a night red bulb...along with a UV bulb if need be?

UVB is unnecessary since these are nocturnal geckos that stay underground during daylight hours (for the most part). Remember that they need fairly warm temperatures (90°F for the basking area; can drop to mid-70's on the other side of the cage).

Thermometer

-I have a lazer pointer that marks heat already...forgot the name lol
Maybe it's a Pro Exotics Temp Gun?

Food/Water

-Mealworms
How many mealies should be fed to 2 leopard geckos per day?
-Crickets
Will be staple food
-Super worms
Occasional treat; preferred over mealworms (less chitin, easier to kill, eat, and digest)


Thanks A Million,

Any other tips will be appreciated, by the way I have the prices up because I would like to ask if anyone knows if the prices of the items would be reduced at an upcoming reptile expo unless the only thing reduced is live animals....and my wallet.
Click to expand...
 
Pazzoman said:
Red = Will Purchase Green = Questions Yellow = Will be removed do to health issues or unnecessary for leos

Tank/Stand

-Exo-Terra Glass Terrarium (24"L x 18"W x 18"H)
-Exo-Terra Terrarium Stand (24"L x 18"W x 31.5"H)


You may have gotten confuse, one is the tank and one is the stand..how ever it was unnecessary for me to post the stand lol.

Tank Supplies

-Exo-Terra Reptile Cave - Small (6.5" x 3.5" x 1.5" High)
-Exo-Terra Reptile Den - Small (4" x 8" x 4" Height)
-Exo-Terra Mealworm Feeder (4.75" x 4.5" x 1.65" High)
-Exo-Terra Water Well Water Dispenser (5.5" x 4.5" x 6.75" High)

Would the food hole be able to not allow mealies to escape? Also I kinda do you like that the water can be given to the geckos without the worrying of rapid evaporation? Also I think it just looks real desert like (Water Well)

Zoo-Med Vita Sand

Vitamins

-Herptivite Multivitamin (3.2 Oz.)
-Rep-Cal Calcium (4.2 Oz.)

Heating/Lighting

-Zoo Med Repti-Therm Undertank Heater (12" x 8")

Ok, no to UV so do you know of any fixture that can hold two bulbs? (I've seen plenty, but any you prefer)

Thermometer

http://www.contractorstools.com/metris_tn400l.php Metris Temp Gun Hope it's good purchase it at an expo.

Food/Water

-Mealworms

(Gecko Dish)
By any chance is thier anything else I can keep as a stable diet, a member on my other thread (Hopeing to get Leos) said that mealies can be a stable diet. I'm hoping to go with mealies or anything else thats not a cricket do to chirping noises and ease of cleaning.

Thanks A Million,

Any other tips will be appreciated, by the way I have the prices up because I would like to ask if anyone knows if the prices of the items would be reduced at an upcoming reptile expo unless the only thing reduced is live animals....and my wallet.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Wiggles
 
Pazzoman said:
Thanks for the reply Wiggles
Click to expand...

No problem.

Oops, I just noticed that your cage and stand post listed the cage and stand, not two different cages as I originally thought.

The food dish doesn't really matter; I just suggested the gecko dish because it had a dual purpose. The waterer you had listed will work great as will the mealworm dish.

As for the light fixture, I'd go with two separate fixtures unless you can find one with two plugs so that you can have the two lights on separate timers.

I'd swap out the mealworms for superworms for the reasons that I previously listed plus the fact that they're just like mealworms except bigger and better; they usually get a much better feeding response, too. I definitely do agree that the chirping of crickets is pretty annoying. Roaches (dubias, etc.) are another good food and can be easily cultured plus are quiet, so they could be a good substitute for crickets.
 
Pazzoman said:
Hey Everybody,

I did post a thread already about the topic, and now this is updated from everything I've understand. This have led to what I'm thinking about purchasing for a leopard gecko or two. Questions that I have are placed in certain categories...also keep in mind I'm trying to keep a professional look while also trying to get a near exact replica of the scenario of where a leo gecko would lie in the natural world.

Tank/Stand

-Exo-Terra Glass Terrarium (24"L x 18"W x 18"H) $160
-Exo-Terra Terrarium Stand (24"L x 18"W x 31.5"H) $160
I think this is a good tank for a single leo; however, I have one for my 96 gram male but he looks kind of cramped in it, so I'm upgrading to a larger tank. You might consider a shorter, longer tank, which would be most suitable for a leo. (Something like a 36x18x12 sliding glass front tank from www.glasscages.com, or a Visionarium?)

Tank Supplies

-Exo-Terra Reptile Cave - Small (6.5" x 3.5" x 1.5" High) $5 An adult leo will need a medium, possibly a large if it's a large adult.
-Exo-Terra Reptile Den - Small (4" x 8" x 4" Height) $20 Same as above-- get a medium at least. I also recommend the Exo-Terra Snake Cave (medium for medium size leos, large for the largest ones). These make AWESOME humid hides. My guys love theirs!
-Exo-Terra Mealworm Feeder (4.75" x 4.5" x 1.65" High) $10 Great choice :D
-Exo-Terra Water Well Water Dispenser (5.5" x 4.5" x 6.75" High) $15 You know, I bought one of these for each of my leos and ended up hating them. Although the premise sounds good (constant replenishment of water), leos drink so little that the bowls quickly became stagnant. Also, the bottles have a hard time automatically refilling the bowl. I had to go into the tanks and tip them to get the bowls to refill. I don't know, I thought they were a major waste. I'd go for an Exo-Terra small dish instead.

Would crushed walnut shells be a good substrate for leos that will be for month old leos? I'm looking for a desert looking substrate. I'd personally go to Lowes or Home Depot and have them cut either ceramic, stone, or vinyl tiles to the dimensions of your tank floor. Any loose substrate is at risk for being swallowed and causing impaction. Leos are clumsy eaters and like to taste everything around them anyways, so I'd be very worried about ingestion. I have tile in my leo tanks and LOVE it. Very easy to clean and very natural looking.

Vitamins

-Herptivite Multivitamin (3.2 Oz.) $13 Great choice
-Rep-Cal Calcium (4.2 Oz.) $8 Great choice. Also, pick up a jar of calcium with Vitamin D. Leave the regular calcium in a dish in the cage so the gecko can supplement himself ad libitum. Once a week, dust feeders with the Cal+Vit D.

Heating/Lighting

-Zoo Med Repti-Therm Undertank Heater (12" x 8") $23 I like these but have found the temperature is a little hard to regulate. One of mine gets almost 100 degrees, which is bordering on too warm for leos. I'm getting a different kind of heater with an adjustable thermostat soon.

Any cheap light fixtures that would hold both a basking light bulb and a night red bulb...along with a UV bulb if need be? There is no need for a basking lamp, because leos are nocturnal and obtain their heat from a "belly source", i.e. undertank heater. UVB bulb is completely unnecessary for the same reason. I started off keeping a low-power fluorescent strip light on my leos' tanks during the daytime, for "daytime viewing". Well that was a big waste of money on my part. Leos just don't come out during the daylight hours, so you'd have a light running for nothing. For a night red bulb, I love the Zilla Red LED Clamp Lamp, which produces no heat but just enough red light for you to be able to watch your reptile.



Thermometer

-I have a lazer pointer that marks heat already...forgot the name lol Awesome, those are the best!

Food/Water

-Mealworms
How many mealies should be fed to 2 leopard geckos per day? It'll depend on the size of the gecko. I'd start out by buying 100 mealies and see how long it takes them to consume them, then order online from that point on to save money, OR start your own mealworm colony. Also I should mention, if you're housing two leos in one cage, make sure they're both female and of the same size. You'll need to provide extra hides so that each girl has a good choice of locations (i.e. more than 2 hides in the cage). For this reason, I would suggest a larger setup than an Exo-Terra 24x18. After putting three hides and three bowls in a tank that size, there will be very little open floor space left.


Thanks A Million,

Any other tips will be appreciated, by the way I have the prices up because I would like to ask if anyone knows if the prices of the items would be reduced at an upcoming reptile expo unless the only thing reduced is live animals....and my wallet.
Click to expand...

I hope this helps! I added comments in yellow.

Also, you mentioned mealworms vs other feeders. I think mealies are ok as a staple diet, but my guys are so large that they enjoy superworms as a major staple. Superworms do have less chitin than mealies. I hate crickets. If you're not in Florida :) you also have access to Dubias roaches which are considered the "best" all-around feeder. Silkworms are also great. Waxworms, butterworms, etc. can be given as occasional treats.
 
Make sure not to use substrate that can possibly be ingested until they're roughly done with growing. I would recommend buying some ceramic tiles for now. You can always change it to something else next year.
 
I'm going to also suggest NOT using sand like substrate to avoid possible impaction. You never know, and I've heard horror stories even from the "digestible" ones unfortunately.

Mealworms are fine. Superworms are fine, just larger. Some recommend not doing superworms, but others have no issues.
Crickets are annoying and smell bad.
Dubias are great feeders and I will probably switch over to them after I do mealworms for a while. I will never breed mealworms but I can do roaches.

And I'll second the undertank heat instead of lighting.
 
Thanks Everybody for your input, hope the list is accurate for housing leopard geckos

Tank/Stand

-Exo-Terra Glass Terrarium (24"L x 18"W x 18"H)
-Exo-Terra Terrarium Stand (24"L x 18"W x 31.5"H)

Tank Supplies

-Exo-Terra Reptile Cave - Small (6.5" x 3.5" x 1.5" High)
-Exo-Terra Gecko Dish
-Repti-Carpet (Brown Color)...figure it was easier to clean
Defintly hides can varie due to the vast number of equipment that will be shown at the expo, and I will need a few for the tank...size based on size of geckos.


Vitamins

-Herptivite Multivitamin (3.2 Oz.)
-Rep-Cal Calcium (4.2 Oz.)

Heating/Lighting

-Zoo Med Repti-Therm Undertank Heater (12" x 8")
-Red Bulb
-UV bulb (Just for viewing purposes)

Thermometer

- Metris Temp Gun

Food/Water

-Mealworms fed daily
-Super Worms/Wax Worms fed monthly in an alternating matter.
- Regular bottle water, water bowl changed every other day.


Thanks A Million,

Any other tips will be appreciated, by the way I have the prices up because I would like to ask if anyone knows if the prices of the items would be reduced at an upcoming reptile expo unless it's just life stock reduced?

Also I hate to say it I may be going to the expo this sunday or the expo in November as I'm having difficulties convincing the parents...however I will print out this list for when I do go out and purchase them.
 
Repti-Carpet is pretty popular but it's actually a major harborer for bacteria. If you think about it, if your animals pooped every day on carpet, and you just picked it up, you'd leave behind little bits of poop and bacteria can then multiply. A lot of people still use Repti-Carpet, but you need to have some way to remove it and sanitize it, or replace it regularly. Also, young gecko toes can get snagged in the carpet, so it's recommended to avoid it with the babies.

(I still vote for tile) ;)
 
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