Leopard Gecko setup?

Question

My bf and I just got two leopard geckos. A male and a female. The male is albino. We have a 15 gallon tank for them. Two hide dens, a fake tree limb for climbing, a water thing and a thing to put their worms in. They only use one hide place and like to be in there together. We put moss in there to help them shed but I dont know how to keep it humid. Is it better to just mist with some water in the morning? or should I get one of those waterfall things that are supposed to keep it humid and help them drink water like they would naturally? I dont like picking up their hiding den to mist it because I dont want them agitated. Also I just put paper towels down as the substrate. SHould I use moss every where? Or something else. I wont use the sand since it will hurt them. I just want healthy geckos.

Answer 1

I found that the best substrate for them is outdoor carpeting. It is the same as reptile carpet, but way cheaper and can be puchased at any gardening/hardware store. It has nothing that they can ingest like sand/gravel/walnut substrates do, so there is no fear of blockages and it can be easily removed and washed.

Fresh water should be offered to your gekos at all time, and you should mist their entire cage several times a day (if you do not want a waterfall)

Good luck with them!

Answer 2

As a substrate try reptile carpet. It is really easy to maintain, dry droppings can simply be hoovered up. You can also throw it in the washing machine. You can get this from most good pet shops. I know Zoo med do a range.

I wouldn't suggest using moss all over as it provides way too many hiding areas for crickets and other food items etc.
Moss in the hides is good. Just use a gardening spray bottle and mist when ever you feel your gecko needs aid in shedding.
I used to mist mine a lot but now my gecko can manage without it. In the summer the gecko's enjoy being misted.

The 2 hides are great, make sure you have one on each side of the tank, one on the hot side and one on the cold side.
The hot side should be where you have your heat bulb and heat mat - placed UNDER the tank.

I wouldn't say you needed a waterfall, and it wouldn't really benefit them and may just take up space, but if you have the money to spend and would like to get one then am sure it would look great. Just remember that Gecko's originate from really hot dry countries such as deserts in India and Pakistan.

From what you've said you seem to have everything sorted. Don't stress too much, these animals are very independant and can cope really well with even the most simple set ups. Good luck to your reptile keeping! I am sure you will really enjoy the company of these little facinating creatures.

Answer 3

First of all, Leopard Geckos do not need all that much humidity. They can pull the shed from their bodies on their own, in fact, nine times out of ten, they will eat and enjoy it. Paper towels is a good idea for their home, because sand can impact them. I had two lep. geckos that I kept on sand, and they both got impacted intestines and I had to feed them with a tube. Sadly, they never got better and needed to be put down. :( Although, I have a full grown gecko now, very healthy and he lives on paper towels. Heat lights for Leopard geckos are a bad idea, because they really don't come out that much. But you can handle them on a regular basis from a young age and they will become very friendly and enjoy their time out with you. Slow movements are a good idea. Geckos hide for a lot of reasons. Sometimes they don't get along with their tank-mates...other times there are too many crickets in the tank. They stress easily. No more than seven or eight crickets at a time is a good idea. Also, no heat rocks...they can burn a gecko really fast if they are on the fritz or have hot spots. Use a heat pad stuck below the tank on the outside, but make sure you layer the paper towels just enough so the heat isn't unbearable. Stick it beneath their regular hiding spot. And if you want to bond with your gecko, try feeding the meelworms by hand. Mine will actually come over and take it from me. It's gross, but after a while, it's very fun to do. Climbing trees and what not are unnecessary, because leopard geckos don't climb much. Keep in mind they are from a desert land. Pakistan I believe...so flatlands and scattered rocks to hide in or rest on are what they know. But fake plants that give them some cover make them feel more comfortable. If you have any cats are dogs, that could make them hide more as well. They can see them and they get very nervous. A large rock water bowl should be enough for a leopard gecko...I never mist mine and he's happy as pie. 15 gallons is a bit small for two geckos....but I spoil mine in a seventy-five gallon long tank so he can chase his prey and search them out. I like to keep him just a bit wild. If I were you, I'd remove the moss...you could get mold or your geckos could accidently ingest the moss whilst feeding. Try to limit the meelworm feedings to once a week...no more than two for each. Crickets are the way to go. As long as they have a water bowl, a hiding place, a heat source and calcium dusted crickets, they will be fine. Also, when they are out, try talking to them...doesn't matter what you say. When you get them familiar with your sound, they will come out to see you, assuming you have food maybe. Thats a good way to see if and when they are hungry.

Answer 4

Pick up the hide box and mist it. Your geckos will be fine. Use a fine calcium sand for the substrate. I've been breeding leopard geckos for 5 years now and never had a problem with calcium sand. You will need a much bigger tank. A 15 gallon tank is only big enough for one gecko. Keep in mind they will get 8 to 10 inches long. Don't use moss everywhere. It would be to hard to apot clean.

Answer 5

DO NOT put in a waterfall. That will bring the humidity in your tank too high and you will be opening them up to respiratory infections among other things. These are desert animals- the humid hidebox is helpful for shedding, but the rest of the tank needs to stay dry. I keep mine under 30% humidity though some people say up to 40% is safe. It's not going to hurt your geckos to check their moss every day. Just mist it as needed to keep it moist, but not wet. Checking it daily and changing it out weekly is important to prevent the bacteria, mold, and/or mildew that may grow in there, as well as shoo out any crickets that may be hiding in it. It's also an opportunity to get a good look at your geckos and make sure they're doing well.
Here's some good reading if you're interested.

http://www.drgecko.com/humidity.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/rockymountain/RMHPages/RMHeopard.htm
http://www.thegeckospot.com/leocareindex1.html#housing
http://www.leopardgecko.com/emcare.html
http://www.petco.com/caresheets/lizards/Gecko_Leopard.pdf

Answer 6

When we were breeding geckos at the shop we used vermiculite in their hideouts. It holds the moisture in better than moss and can be purchased in most garden departments. You have to check it for moistness every couple days or so. Do not put moss all over the bottom because it gives the crickets too many places to hide and you want very little cricket excrepent in the cage. For the eggs, we cut a "door" in the side of a plastic flip-top box(can be 5x5"), put 3-4 small round holes in the top for ventalation and filled it 2/3 with moist vermiculite. Along with moisture it also holds heat, two essentials for healthy eggs. You have to leave enough room in the top for mom to crawl around and lay the eggs.
Please do not use paper towles or newspaper in the bottom of your tank. It will breed mold like crazy and make your animal sick. You should use a medium gravel as substrate. Everything else sounds great! Just change your flooring ASAP!

Answer 7

My step daughter got one for Christmas. I would definately purchase a water fall & if you can, put the moss every where. It's only a 15 gal tank so it should't be too expensive as say a 50 gal. And by purchasing a male & a female I believe you want baby geko's eventually? Better to make their habitat as natural as possible. I wouldn't keep using the paper towls, get the moss. If your still wishing to better your tank after doing all this, ask your local vet. Our vet has been most helpful...for FREE over the phone helpful hints! good luck!

Answer 8

sure, you are able to homestead 2 lady leopard geckos in that tank on the link. its easily very fairly and roomy so as that they are going to do stable in a tank like that. you do no longer easily opt for a thermostat because of the fact i think of the tank comes with one. yet you do opt for a heating easy for them. you are able to in simple terms pass to pets-mart or puppy-co and ask witch heating lamp could be stable for leopard geckos.