Opinions On Leopard Geckos?

[Einstein'sMommy]

I was recently thinking of maybe getting another animal. I used to have two leopard geckos in the past so I know how to manage their care and the dietary needs, but I was wondering, what are your personal experiences with your geckos? It's been so long since I've had one that I want to make sure that I can give him all that he needs to be happy and healthy. Do you like your geckos? Are they friendly? Differences between male and female? Reasons to get them/not get them? I plan on buying a 29 gallon Zoo Med tank with the front doors for easier access and I like the way they look. I also don't plan on getting him a light fixture. I heard that it is not necessary. I do plan on getting him an under the tank heater though. I also am going to feed live mealworms and crickets and dust them in calcium every other day. I will keep a little bottle cap full of calcium in the tank so if he feels the need to have some calcium, he can get it! I will also provide a moist hide, and two other hides. One for the hot side and one for the cool side of the tank. Do you think a leopard gecko would be a good fit for me? If not, what else would you recommend? I really do have my heart set on a leopard gecko though. Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[shanlung]

Go for it.
I am sure if you have doubts, that you be a good carer for a leopard gecko.

I made friends with water dragons even if they aint mine and live in the wild.
Tinkerbell Legacy - Living with a flying parrot - Goodbye to dragons

wtdr 058 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

wtdr 064 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Heck! I even befriended a redback living the the stairs leading to my porch.
And the blue tongue skink in my garden when I was living in Brisbane.

 

[Mizzely]

I love my leopard gecko! He's in a 20 gallon long (same floor space as a 29 gallon). Wish I had sprung for the front opening style but I couldn't pass up the deal!

One thing I found though is that depending on the day, I do have to use a heat lamp for mine in addition to the under tank heater. If you are getting a 29 gallon, those are a little tall and you will have to buy a larger wattage bulb to compensate for the distance. I have mine on a thermostat and it will kick on when its too cool in there

If you've already had geckos in the past I don't see a reason to get back into them!

 

[Einstein'sMommy]

Thank you both for your input! I always thought that geckos absorbed heat from their bellies and that's why a heat lamp isn't necessary. But maybe I'm thinking about snakes!

 

[Mizzely]

No they do absorb most heat through their bellies (and need belly heat to digest properly) but if the ambient temperature in the tank is too low that is a problem too.

 

[Bartleby]

One thing you can do with an under tank heater is to use porcelain/ceramic tile for the substrate. The thicker the better. The tile will act like a heat sink and therefore utilize the under tank heater more efficiently and keep the ambient temp higher as well. Plus, they are super easy to clean and don't pose impaction risks. This was a tip I picked up on one of the gecko forums when I was thinking about getting one.

 

[Einstein'sMommy]

One thing you can do with an under tank heater is to use porcelain/ceramic tile for the substrate. The thicker the better. The tile will act like a heat sink and therefore utilize the under tank heater more efficiently and keep the ambient temp higher as well. Plus, they are super easy to clean and don't pose impaction risks. This was a tip I picked up on one of the gecko forums when I was thinking about getting one.

Ahh! Great tip! Thanks!

 

[Mizzely]

I do use stone tile in mine and it not only looks great it does hold heat and clean up well

 

[Einstein'sMommy]

I got a leopard gecko! Unfortunately I did get him from PetSmart. I know... Naughty Monica! But he was the skinniest in the tank and the smallest so I sort of rescued him. Fortunately, he has no sign of bites on his body or a stub tail or regrown tail. Anyways his/her name is Yoshi! I don't know what morph he/she is but I'm thinking normal/high yellow? Idk I'll put pictures up later. I'm housing him in a Exo Terra extra large extra wide enclosure. The dimensions are 36 x 18 x 18. It's equivalent to a 50 to 55 gallon I think. For right now I have and UTH covering one third of the tank. And he has a total of four hides. One on the hot side, one on the cool side, one in the middle, and a moist hide on the cool side. So far no light fixture as my house stays at a pretty constant 76 degrees and the ambient temp in the tank is about 78 degrees. Basking spot is 90 degrees and cool side is 79-82 degrees measured by a temp gun. Substrate is reptile carpet. He is eating like a champ! At least five small/medium crickets a night and four mealworms also depending on what he's feeling like. Any suggestions?

Here is the exact tank I bought. Exo Terra® Reptile Terrarium | Terrariums | PetSmart

 

[Einstein'sMommy]

 

[MandaExotics]

I'm pretty sure that's equivalent to <40 gallons, seeing as 48" is about my beardie's dimensions I want a blizzard leopard gecko eventually, but right now I'm content with my 8 yr old beardie. When I get one I don't plan on using light heating fixtures either seeing as the coolest my animal (non-bird) room gets is the mid 70s, I just plan on using UTHs. Most people I know with these guys use UTHs as the main source of heat as well. My snakes do well with just UTHs or radiant panels as well (just as a side note). Whatever insect you're feeding, gut loading it if you're not already doing so is also a good idea with pretty much any lizard.

 

[Birdbabe]

The only geckos we get here are the ones in the house! There's two now,,, sshhhhh, hubby doesn't know,

 

[Einstein'sMommy]

I'm pretty sure that's equivalent to <40 gallons, seeing as 48" is about my beardie's dimensions I want a blizzard leopard gecko eventually, but right now I'm content with my 8 yr old beardie. When I get one I don't plan on using light heating fixtures either seeing as the coolest my animal (non-bird) room gets is the mid 70s, I just plan on using UTHs. Most people I know with these guys use UTHs as the main source of heat as well. My snakes do well with just UTHs or radiant panels as well (just as a side note). Whatever insect you're feeding, gut loading it if you're not already doing so is also a good idea with pretty much any lizard.

Yes I gut load with Repashy's Superload Gutload. Is this a good one to use? I've heard great reviews!

 

[MandaExotics]

Yes I gut load with Repashy's Superload Gutload. Is this a good one to use? I've heard great reviews!

I've actually never used that brand Seems like a decent brand though.
Just watch the Phosphorus and Calcium (especially anything with D3 if you ever use it) if you ever decide to switch or vary brands. Too much is just as bad as too little, however there's also such a thing as over complicating things too. Calcium should be at a higher ratio than phosphorous as far as supplementing.

If you want to take a look at just the insects themselves this is one of the more extensive charts I've found in association with insect feeders:
http://moonvalleyreptiles.com/files/Feeder-Nutrition-Common-Reptile-Feeders-v1.0.pdf
Helps if you're ever in the mood to give your scaly friends treats

Maybe someone else on this forum has more experience with Repashy itself. I keep a colony of roaches and tend to lean toward higher protein with DIY dry mixes and plenty of fresh fruits/veggies. I have no intentions of breeding crickets, not worth the hassle IMHO. But I like my roaches for some reason, probably because my cat thinks they're amazing.