New leopard gecko

Toddydog

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 30, 2017
Messages
132
Alright so I got a leopard gecko a few weeks ago and I mean it seems to be going alright but I still think there need I need to improve so tell me how to do better.
The temps are around 75F with a hot spot around 93F
I bought 3 different under the tank heaters and none of them worked out completely. One of which almost impoded I was a little worried. So I opted for a cooler pad and a pad on the side. Not sure if that alright but I've checked both of them to make sure neither of them get too hot.
He spends time between the cool hide the moist hide and the warm hide which is his favorite. I've started feeding him every other day with gut loaded mealies sprinkled with calcium. I also bought a multi vitamin since I heard they need more than just calcium. The mealworms are kinda small so I'm not sure how many I should feed him I've kind of been just dropping them in and letting him eat until he went back into his hide.
My biggest issue here is that he hates me. I tried offering my hand. Putting some calcium on my hand. He gets so nervous around me and if I try to force the issue (try to pick him up) he'll hiss at me. I try to give him space now but I really want him to not be terrified of me.
He went into shed a while ago and I added some damp spag to the warm cave and it went well.
Anyways, any advice helps.
20180222_132518.jpg 20180215_105204.jpg
 

Mini8leggedfreak

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
270
Not a bad setup and you sound like you are doing good.
I personally went with a 20gal long for mine, I just felt that a 10 was too small.
I’ve had my girl for about 13 years. I’ve found out that, with mine at least, they’re tastes change and sometimes they don’t want what you’re trying to give them. She seriously wouldn’t touch crickets for 2 years.
Not sure if you’re aware but if you ever decide to go like more natural they’re actually not a real desert species. Also when they shed be sure to check there toes for left over skin.
And about the handling thing, it will get used to you. I could pick my girl up when I was interacting with her all the time. Then I went to school for 2 years and now she’s a little more iffy with handling.
Hope everything goes well
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
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5,893
With Leo's you can use a ceramic bulb on a pulse stat. That gives the heat from above they need.
 

CWilson1351

Arachnobaron
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Jan 23, 2017
Messages
454
Welcome to the world of AB and Leopard geckos!
First thing, you definitely need an under tank heater. Leos use the belly heat to help them digest their food. The one on the side is only helping raise air temperature unfortunately. I have had great luck with Flukers brand and some tape to secure it to the bottom of the tank. You also want to elevate the tank an inch or two so airflow keeps the heater from burning out. Along with the UTH a thermostat is a must have. The ground temperature should be between 90-92.
As for the handling, something that helped get mine more accustomed to me was just laying my hand inside with them and waiting. I did this every other day (before feeding) and over time they felt safe enough to get closer. Most importantly though, I never forced contact or handling. Now after some years, and a few "I'm hungry" bites both climb right onto my hand without issue. Well, when they want to they will climb up.
If at all possible I would avoid using mealworms as the primary food source. They are very high in chitin, that coupled with the current heating situation could spell trouble. Other feeders mine like are dubia roaches, crickets, superworms, Hornworms, and as an occasional treat waxworms.
The damp moss was perfect! Mine each have their own hide with sphagnum moss that I keep moist. My male spends most of his time in there even.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Welcome to the world of AB and Leopard geckos!
First thing, you definitely need an under tank heater. Leos use the belly heat to help them digest their food. The one on the side is only helping raise air temperature unfortunately. I have had great luck with Flukers brand and some tape to secure it to the bottom of the tank. You also want to elevate the tank an inch or two so airflow keeps the heater from burning out. Along with the UTH a thermostat is a must have. The ground temperature should be between 90-92.
As for the handling, something that helped get mine more accustomed to me was just laying my hand inside with them and waiting. I did this every other day (before feeding) and over time they felt safe enough to get closer. Most importantly though, I never forced contact or handling. Now after some years, and a few "I'm hungry" bites both climb right onto my hand without issue. Well, when they want to they will climb up.
If at all possible I would avoid using mealworms as the primary food source. They are very high in chitin, that coupled with the current heating situation could spell trouble. Other feeders mine like are dubia roaches, crickets, superworms, Hornworms, and as an occasional treat waxworms.
The damp moss was perfect! Mine each have their own hide with sphagnum moss that I keep moist. My male spends most of his time in there even.
I don't think underground heat mats are right for Leo's. Much better to give them a nice amount of substrate and use a ceramic (like the sun) to heat the ground and let them utilise that.
 

CWilson1351

Arachnobaron
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Jan 23, 2017
Messages
454
I don't think underground heat mats are right for Leo's. Much better to give them a nice amount of substrate and use a ceramic (like the sun) to heat the ground and let them utilise that.
I thought the same but was told heat mats are better by long time keepers and breeders on a gecko centered forum.
I haven't checked on how well the ceramics heat the tile in with mine. Those are more for supplemental heat from what I have seen though. At least that's been my experience.
The pulse thermostat you mentioned is definitely a good idea. I love the ones I have for my reptiles.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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I thought the same but was told heat mats are better by long time keepers and breeders on a gecko centered forum.
I haven't checked on how well the ceramics heat the tile in with mine. Those are more for supplemental heat from what I have seen though. At least that's been my experience.
The pulse thermostat you mentioned is definitely a good idea. I love the ones I have for my reptiles.
Ah right. A tile would allow the heat through without causing thermal blocking. I'd still think a ceramic overhead bulb would suit this lizard better.
 

CWilson1351

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
454
Ah right. A tile would allow the heat through without causing thermal blocking. I'd still think a ceramic overhead bulb would suit this lizard better.
Yeah, I left the substrate topic alone since there are so many different opinions on it.
Depending on the substrate, I do think the ceramics could be a better option. When the weather warms up a bit more and stays consistent, I'd even be willing to give it a chance to see how it goes. At least on tile. That's an idea for another thread however :)
 

Toddydog

Arachnosquire
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Dec 30, 2017
Messages
132
There's a lower temp heating pad on the bottom but it doesn't nearly get hot enough hence the side pad. I've tried a heating lamp and I really didn't like it.

Feeding wise I have tried supers and he eats them but he has a bit of an issue with their size. I could pick up some crickets and see how that goes. I just generally don't like crickets.

Otherwise, I'm just a bit worried about his tail. It's smaller than what I've seen and I don't want him to be starving or not getting the right nutriance.
 

CWilson1351

Arachnobaron
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Jan 23, 2017
Messages
454
There's a lower temp heating pad on the bottom but it doesn't nearly get hot enough hence the side pad. I've tried a heating lamp and I really didn't like it.

Feeding wise I have tried supers and he eats them but he has a bit of an issue with their size. I could pick up some crickets and see how that goes. I just generally don't like crickets.

Otherwise, I'm just a bit worried about his tail. It's smaller than what I've seen and I don't want him to be starving or not getting the right nutriance.
Ah ok, I must have missed the pad underneath. Ceramic Heat emitters are different from a normal heat lamp. They don't put out any light, only warmth. Supers are a bit big and they can be trouble for some Leo's. From everything I have read, dubia are the most nutritional feeders but properly gut loaded crickets are good too. I also dislike crickets but my female Leo loves them.
It can take time for a Leo to put on weight. From what I could see in the picture, his tail is not horribly thin. For now just letting him adjust to the new home will help him gain weight. As a once a week treat you can also offer a few waxworms. They are high in fat, pretty much junk food for Leo's. That will help fatten his tail up. I do recommend being cautious about the waxworms though. Too many and he might turn down other food.
 

Tim Benzedrine

Prankster Possum
Old Timer
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Apr 4, 2004
Messages
1,496
If pulse thermostats are a bit outside of you budget (It's my understanding that they can be pretty pricey) a LOT of keepers use these, including those keepers at the dedicated forums that CWilson mentioned. They are just "on-off" type stats, but work pretty well...I've had mine over a year now and it still is functional.

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contr...19568764&sr=8-2&keywords=hydrofarm+thermostat

I have mine connected to my heat lamp to control ambient temperatures, but for belly heat I use a UTH beneath my gecko's warm hide and I've pretty carefully placed enough floor covering and measured it to arrive at the proper belly-heat temperature.

A less expensive option is to use a light dimmer, but that's not as precise and you may find yourself needing to adjust it frequently. It will work on both a heat mat and a light. Independently of course, the same as the less expensive thermostats.

I'm not a fan of superworms for my gecko. He regurged one once, and while it may have been a one-time occurrence, that was enough for me. Now I mainly give crickets, B. lateralis roaches sometimes (He doesn't seem to be a big fan), mealworms, very rarely a couple wax-worms, and now and them calci-worms, which I think are a little high in fat too, so I offer them infrequently.
 
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Toddydog

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Dec 30, 2017
Messages
132
Yeah I've been thinking about crickets. It's not easy to get roaches around here so it's either I order them online or make a colony (there's something about the thought of 1,000+ roaches living in my room that is a bit off putting). He ate one superworm but I don't think he liked it. I think I'll vary between crickets and mealworms with roaches and wax worms as a snack.
The thermostat is a good idea, I don't mind spending a little extra to make sure my leopard gecko is healthy.
 

Tim Benzedrine

Prankster Possum
Old Timer
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1,496
I have a couple hundred B. lateralis in my room and expect a real population explosion now that warmer weather is coming into sight.

I just offered one to my gecko a bit ago and it was no sale. So I tossed it to my L.P. who doesn't turn anything down. :D
 

Toddydog

Arachnosquire
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Dec 30, 2017
Messages
132
Alright, quick update. I did more research and the best feeders are dubia so I purchased a bunch of dubia online. In the mean time I purchased the second best feeders, crickets. They are in the process of being gut loaded. My family has the obsession with saving egg crates so I threw some extra in there. I was going to buy some more calcium at the store because I was running low but like an idiot I forgot. I also forgot some wax worm snacks. 20180227_115852.jpg I ended up changing the enclosure a bit more to a smaller water bowl and a little container I can fill with calcium. Size wise he hasn't lost or gained weight so hopefully this new diet of mostly dubia and crickets will be better! Thank you all for the great advice. 20180227_120137.jpg
 

athlete96

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
78
Sorry if I've missed this, but what is the powder in that box? ETA: Yup. Missed it. Leos do not need supplemental calcium in their tanks. They are not programmed to self regulate with calcium and therefore do not need it in their tanks. Dusting insects with calcium once a week is enough.

You need a thermostat. UTH can very easily burn your gecko by getting too hot. They need to be regulated to prevent overheating. The stick on thermometers are garbage also. A digital thermometer is much more accurate and costs maybe 2$ (CDN) on Amazon.

What supplements do you have?

I thought the same but was told heat mats are better by long time keepers and breeders on a gecko centered forum.
I haven't checked on how well the ceramics heat the tile in with mine. Those are more for supplemental heat from what I have seen though. At least that's been my experience.
The pulse thermostat you mentioned is definitely a good idea. I love the ones I have for my reptiles.
UTH really are better. Leopard geckos do not bask like beardies do, and do not benefit from heat above. Check out where they live in the wild - in rocky substrate under crevices and slab rock in Pakistan. They are also not a reptile that requires UVB (if you were to do a UVB lamp as well) from a light, so UTH is the most practical.
 

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
672
A heat mat heating from the ground upwards and a heat bulb heating the substrate from above like the sun will achieve the same affect.

Good luck with your gecko, I seriously need to get a gecko for myself
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Not sure what you are doing actually. I've raised this species. I don't know why you have a heat mat on the side??? They don't need calcium in a dish- assuming that's what it is.

I HOPE you have a UTH! The best brand to get is UltraTherm. I've owned the same ones for a couple of decades, NEVER an issue. See Beanfarm to get them

Also, I never kept my Lep Gex at such high temps, I'm not sure why you do.

If that is Repticarpet you need to get rid of that crap. The fibers of Repticarpet end up getting caught on their teeth when they dive for insects forcing them to fight against man-made fibers. That's all sorts of bad, not to mention possible ingestion.

The height of your water dish IMO is too tall. You can't expect the little guy to see the water, let alone balance himself to drink. At least that's what it seems in the setup.

Those thermometers are garbage. A digital temp gun is your best choice, see Amazon.

The size of your gex tail will let you know if he's well fed or not.

Here's an article by Ron Tremper. If you don't know who that is, I suggest you look him up.

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Leopard-Gecko/


I implore you to do more research.
 
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Toddydog

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 30, 2017
Messages
132
Not sure what you are doing actually. I've raised this species. I don't know why you have a heat mat on the side??? They don't need calcium in a dish- assuming that's what it is.

I HOPE you have a UTH! The best brand to get is UltraTherm. I've owned the same ones for a couple of decades, NEVER an issue. See Beanfarm to get them

Also, I never kept my Lep Gex at such high temps, I'm not sure why you do.

If that is Repticarpet you need to get rid of that crap. The fibers of Repticarpet end up getting caught on their teeth when they dive for insects forcing them to fight against man-made fibers. That's all sorts of bad, not to mention possible ingestion.

The height of your water dish IMO is too tall. You can't expect the little guy to see the water, let alone balance himself to drink. At least that's what it seems in the setup.

Those thermometers are garbage. A digital temp gun is your best choice, see Amazon.

The size of your gex tail will let you know if he's well fed or not.

Here's an article by Ron Tremper. If you don't know who that is, I suggest you look him up.

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Leopard-Gecko/


I implore you to do more research.
I've done quite a bit of research at this point. There is an under tank heater. The one on the side is just to help tempatures reach about 90°F. Both of them are tempature controlled. I will look into possibly getting the UTH you mentioned because I don't particularly like the one I have.

The calcium is just in case and gives him the choice to add a bit more calcium to his diet.

I've never seen him have an issues with the carpet. If I've noticed anything of the sort I would have taken it out. I will however take alternative suggestions on the issue because they are a pain to clean and I'd rather not use them.

The bowl isn't as high as it looks. He easily towers over it when he stands up.

He had been fed a mealworm only diet when I got him so he's been fatting up. His weight has increased little by little since then. It's not been that easy teaching him how to eat other foods, besides a small little worm but slowly I've seen an increase in his numbers.

I'm not saying I know everything on leopard geckos, I'm not even close to knowing everything but I do research everyday and everyday I'm tweaking and changing things.

When you talk to someone and you want to help them, it helps to leave the patronizing attitude out if it. You will seem more credible if you don't criticize everything someone does. That just puts people in a defensive mood and nothing will get accomplished.

Regardless I will still take your information into consideration and do a bit more research on a few topics you brought up. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I've done quite a bit of research at this point. There is an under tank heater. The one on the side is just to help tempatures reach about 90°F. Both of them are tempature controlled. I will look into possibly getting the UTH you mentioned because I don't particularly like the one I have.

The calcium is just in case and gives him the choice to add a bit more calcium to his diet.

I've never seen him have an issues with the carpet. If I've noticed anything of the sort I would have taken it out. I will however take alternative suggestions on the issue because they are a pain to clean and I'd rather not use them.

The bowl isn't as high as it looks. He easily towers over it when he stands up.

He had been fed a mealworm only diet when I got him so he's been fatting up. His weight has increased little by little since then. It's not been that easy teaching him how to eat other foods, besides a small little worm but slowly I've seen an increase in his numbers.

I'm not saying I know everything on leopard geckos, I'm not even close to knowing everything but I do research everyday and everyday I'm tweaking and changing things.

When you talk to someone and you want to help them, it helps to leave the patronizing attitude out if it. You will seem more credible if you don't criticize everything someone does. That just puts people in a defensive mood and nothing will get accomplished.

Regardless I will still take your information into consideration and do a bit more research on a few topics you brought up. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
As far as patronizing I've done nothing of the sort. I have merely looked at the picture you posted and what you posted in the first post, and provided some information.

Please feel free to point out where you felt I was patronizing you. All you saw from me was text and you did not hear tone. Please don't read into what is typed before accusing me of something, just ask me first before you assume.

I didn't criticize everything as you wrote above. Did you read any comments about the plants, huts or ExoTerra cave? No you didn't.

If you get the one I suggest, I strongly urge you to get what is called Plummer's Tape, they have it- or used to- one roll will last a life time for this use. You will use this to tape the UTH to tank. Cover the UTH w/aluminum foild so heat radiates back up to tank. The company I recommended Ultratherm, their products are basically Flexwatt premade. You want a sandwich basically. In profile it would look like Al foil then UTH then glass tank then your lizard. They raise ambient temps by about 5F on average. My lep gex loved it. If you find it's too cold certainly use appropriate "moonlight" bulb for additional heat at night. The blue color of the bulb won't disturb them as it resembles the moon light.

Def. will get fat on mealworms, great way to gain weight, certainly better than crix, has same effect of course on Ts.
 
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