# Leopard Gecko Set Up



## Aimeelou2010 (Nov 11, 2012)

Hi, im pretty new to this so bare with me.
I have recently purchased a vivexotic 3ft vivarium with the hope to house 2 leopard geckos, i have also bought a heat mat.
I know the basic equipment i need i.e calcium sand, thermostat, heating and lighting. 
Just wondering what you would recommend brand and price wise.
I would be really gratefull for your advise
Thanks alot
Aimee
:2thumb:

P.S 
If anyone is selling the vivexotic cx36 stand i would be very interested


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## danstar33 (Apr 13, 2012)

Are you planning on buying baby leopard geckos or adult ones? And also, I would reccomend using either slate or limo flooring untill your geckos reach adult size. Calcium sand is not really a good choice as a sand, nevermind a substrate. The risks of impaction that come with sand are some what less than people make out. As long as you use a fine grain sand, e.g Argos play sand (£3 for 15kilos) and feed slightly oversized crickets you should be fine providing you geckos have good calcium in their diet. Calcium sand actually makes the geckos want to eat it. Which is definitely not the way forward. 

Also you will need a thermostat to control your temps! 

Cheers!
Dan.


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## Aimeelou2010 (Nov 11, 2012)

Hi Dan, 
Cheers for the advise, i got told by many shops to get calcium sand and then by owners it was a different story. I have lino already put in place at the bottom of my viv. I was planning on getting adult leopards but not too old if you know what i mean. Can you recommend any retailers for the thermostat?
Cheers 
Aimee


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## danstar33 (Apr 13, 2012)

Haha yeah! That's always the case, I personally use habiststat products. They just seem correctly priced for me. I would get the 'mat stat' one, you can get it online for around £20 I think, which is a bargain considering it could save your animals life!


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## Aimeelou2010 (Nov 11, 2012)

Yeah sounds good to me. Do you have gecko's then?
I got told by one shop that they didnt need uv lol


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## danstar33 (Apr 13, 2012)

Yeah I have one Leo at the moment, and I have a new little nipper ready for collection in December! Excited! I don't think they do need uv to be honest, although I do use a light with Somw UVB in it  just in case. When you do get them I would reccomend using mineral water too. It sounds expensive but it's only £1 for around 2 weeks worth


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## Vizarie (Nov 6, 2012)

youll also need a moist box, really simple to make, get a plastic container (small/medium size) cut a hole big enough for your leos to get in and then line it with some paper towls or a type of moss (cant remember what its called) make sure the paper towels are moist/damp and place it in the warmer side of the viv

my leo loves his moist box more than his hide most of the time


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

It's called sphagnum moss : victory:

Also if you're getting two to live together try and get two females to reduce the risk of fighting or non-stop mating :2thumb:


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## Jesterone (Sep 30, 2012)

I will link two threads at the bottom of this post that are fantastic sources not only for how you should set up your vivarium but also how to care for your Leo. They are great guides for beginners and the experienced alike. 

You will find things that work better for you as do many of us but the guides are the general outlines. 

As for housing two Leo's, yes having two females will reduce fighting. However, it doesn't rule it out by any means. Fighting can occur one day into living together or 2 years later. Or never at all. If you're 100% committed to keeping them together you must be sure that there are plenty hides so there is limited competition. And be prepared (financially) to have to seperate them. 

For cheaper end of reptile goods there are sites like swell reptiles or Surrey pets supplies that will offer you the lower end prices (unless you want second hand). 

Leo's do not need UVB but recently people are becoming more likely to use it as studies and general use has proven it to he beneficial. But it's not necessary. For a begginer I'd steer clear of any sand, especially with Leo's at a young age. 100% no Calci-sand as Leo's will purposely eat this as a supplement and its a big risk of impaction. 

Again, all these things are guides and the basic needs of a leopard gecko. Many will have different techniques and ways of doing things that work for them. But you'll pick this up as you go along. 

The best of luck to you and welcome to RFUK. I look forward to seeing some photos of your set up and your new Leo's 


http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizard-care-sheets/699119-how-setup-basic-leopard-gecko.html

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...roduction-leopard-geckos-updated-version.html

P.s. I'd also highly recommend Repashy Calcium Plus. You've probably read that Leo's need supplements in the form of live food dusting. Usually 4-5 days Calcium dust and 1-2 days multivitamin. What Repashy does it take away the guess work of when you should use what. It's used with every feeding and supplies everything a Leo needs in equal balance. It's also attrtibuted to an increase of activity in Leo's.


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## danstar33 (Apr 13, 2012)

Do you know how much that repashy is? I'm quite interested in that myself,


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## Jesterone (Sep 30, 2012)

danstar33 said:


> Do you know how much that repashy is? I'm quite interested in that myself,


Depends on what weight you get. Lilly Exotics is the official reseller of Repashy goods in the UK. You can find them via their site or eBay. 

I think the lowest is 4oz for £9.99. It's more expensive than other supplements out there but a quick search of it just in this forum will tell you why. Specially since supplements like Nutrobol are made using a 20 year old formula. And this is updated as and when it can be. 

You will find it slightly cheaper on some UK sites, except Lilly exotics offer free delivery on it. So on the total it's better to go through them. 

If you buy some, always keep it sealed and in the fridge to prolong its shelf life. I transfer mine to a sealed Tupperware.


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## danstar33 (Apr 13, 2012)

Awesome! I'll do a little research, and I'm sure in the near future I will experiment! 

Cheers!
Dan.


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## Aimeelou2010 (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks guys for all the advise. I will look forward to posting pics of the full set up


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## JD918 (Oct 14, 2012)

Might as well ask on here instead of making a new thread, for substrate, I will be getting some vinyl or lino for my gecko at some point, but was just going to use kitchen roll/paper towels to begin with as I dont have the vinyl/lino yet, was just wondering how thick it should be layed down? ie one paper towel thickness across the whole viv or more?

Picking my lil gecko up tomorrow! Super excited!


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## danstar33 (Apr 13, 2012)

Hey there! Yeah I'd say that paper towels are fine for now, I'd use 2-3 sheets thick just so he doesn't burn himself on the heat mat! Good luck, let me know how you get on!


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## Jesterone (Sep 30, 2012)

JD918 said:


> Might as well ask on here instead of making a new thread, for substrate, I will be getting some vinyl or lino for my gecko at some point, but was just going to use kitchen roll/paper towels to begin with as I dont have the vinyl/lino yet, was just wondering how thick it should be layed down? ie one paper towel thickness across the whole viv or more?
> 
> Picking my lil gecko up tomorrow! Super excited!


Vinyl/Lino is a great choice. Easy to clean and 0 risk of impaction. I myself use slate effect vinyl, to imitate roughly the natural habitat of a Leo. 

For the time being it doesn't matter too much about the kitchen roll. One piece, two pieces. The heat will still penetrate. I've never used it but I think those that do layer is slightly in a sort of overlapped fashion to avoid holes. 

As long as the heat mat is on a thermostat and your probe is positioned correctly then it shouldn't matter


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