LucisAbsentia
Hatchling Member
Hey guys! This is going to be long.
Alright, so last night I acquired a leopard gecko from a friend who can't take him with them on their move. I wanted to make a list of things to double-check I have everything right, because I trust the keepers on this site a great deal, and I like to hear personal experience even after a lot of research.
This gecko has a 20G tank, and currently one hide, some plants, a big piece of driftwood, and a shallow water dish. He's housed on mostly sand and has an infrared light that they kept on at all times. Also - a heat rock.
Now, I want to change a few things. I honestly hate sand as a substrate. Not only do I not want to take the risk, but I find sand to be very uncleanly in a tank and it's just not my preference. I want to change it out for the Zilla reptile carpet. I also bought a second hide to use as the moist hide, more fake plants, and some stackable rocks. Would this be appropriate for a setting, all of those things plus the water dish?
In terms of heat and light: I do not want to use that heat rock. Again, I know they've apparently made safe ones, but I do not know what brand this rock is, and I do not trust it. If I place the infrared over the basking hide or the stackable stones to capture warmth, would that create enough of a spot for him to get by, or must I invest in an under-tank heater? (The only reason I didn't today was because they were out of the size for 20G, go figure). Also, is it best to have that soft blue daylight bulb for day, and use the infrared at night? Or just use the infrared? I've read multiple different things about lighting.
Lastly, I want to ask about feeding. I feed both of my other lizards crickets for the most part, so I'll be using those (at least for now). I /hate/ leaving crickets in tanks. I know leopard geckos are nocturnal, but will I be able to feed him during the day so I can prevent just putting crickets to roam around him? Also, will he need both calcium and multi-vitamins, or just one? I've also read to leave some of the powder in the tank and they will lick up as much as they need. Is this true?
I know this seems like a lot of questions, but I was unsure of the setup the previous owners had until I received the new little boy. I did as much research as I could, but I wanted to get some other input so I can give him the best.
Alright, so last night I acquired a leopard gecko from a friend who can't take him with them on their move. I wanted to make a list of things to double-check I have everything right, because I trust the keepers on this site a great deal, and I like to hear personal experience even after a lot of research.
This gecko has a 20G tank, and currently one hide, some plants, a big piece of driftwood, and a shallow water dish. He's housed on mostly sand and has an infrared light that they kept on at all times. Also - a heat rock.
Now, I want to change a few things. I honestly hate sand as a substrate. Not only do I not want to take the risk, but I find sand to be very uncleanly in a tank and it's just not my preference. I want to change it out for the Zilla reptile carpet. I also bought a second hide to use as the moist hide, more fake plants, and some stackable rocks. Would this be appropriate for a setting, all of those things plus the water dish?
In terms of heat and light: I do not want to use that heat rock. Again, I know they've apparently made safe ones, but I do not know what brand this rock is, and I do not trust it. If I place the infrared over the basking hide or the stackable stones to capture warmth, would that create enough of a spot for him to get by, or must I invest in an under-tank heater? (The only reason I didn't today was because they were out of the size for 20G, go figure). Also, is it best to have that soft blue daylight bulb for day, and use the infrared at night? Or just use the infrared? I've read multiple different things about lighting.
Lastly, I want to ask about feeding. I feed both of my other lizards crickets for the most part, so I'll be using those (at least for now). I /hate/ leaving crickets in tanks. I know leopard geckos are nocturnal, but will I be able to feed him during the day so I can prevent just putting crickets to roam around him? Also, will he need both calcium and multi-vitamins, or just one? I've also read to leave some of the powder in the tank and they will lick up as much as they need. Is this true?
I know this seems like a lot of questions, but I was unsure of the setup the previous owners had until I received the new little boy. I did as much research as I could, but I wanted to get some other input so I can give him the best.