# General Help with Leopard Gecko Viv setup



## lisawalkden (Nov 10, 2008)

As I mentioned in another post, I know nothing about reptiles, however my boyfriend has been looking into it for a few months now and so I thought I would suprise him with a setup and gecko's for xmas.

However comes the problem.... I have no idea what he'll need!!

My plan is to set up the viv, with the geckos in so that xmas morning they are in their new home. So obviously I will need to know everything that they require.

I have looked on various sites and put together a little shopping list, but a few questions still remain unanswered.

Shopping List:

Vivarium
Heat Mat
Food & water dish
Hides
Sand/Woodchip/Kitchen Roll
Plants

What else will it need?

One thing I'm not sure on is, some people say that a heat mat is enough, others say you also have to have a heat bulb. I know that they do not need UV bulb, but do they need a heat bulb as well as mat?

Also, if you have a wooden viv, where does the heat mat go? As on a glass viv it obviously goes on the outside, but can the heat get through the wood? Or is it safe to have it inside?

Sorry for the essay, hope someone can help! Thank you in advance!!


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## cubeykc (Aug 8, 2008)

mat stat


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## Lloyd_earle (Oct 30, 2008)

cubeykc said:


> mat stat


 

thats not helpfull


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## SleepyD (Feb 13, 2008)

basic list would include ~
1 x vivarium or tank ~ 24L x 12w x 12h minimum ~ if using a wooden viv then the heatmat would go on the floor on the inside.
1 x heatmat and matstat
1 x water bowl
1 x humid hide
1-2 x hide
1 x calci-dish
Substrate ~ I prefer tile, lino etc
Livefood 
Supplements ~ calcium powder and a vitamin powder with D3

I've found that the heatmat with stat is enough to provide the correct underbelly heat range needed and I personally don't use uv lights.
Think I remembered everything


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## lisawalkden (Nov 10, 2008)

would the 24" x 12" x 12" be suitable for 2 geckos? Or would you need a larger viv? Thanks for all help so far


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## SleepyD (Feb 13, 2008)

some would say yes, some would say no ~ personally I'd try and get a bigger viv for two


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## nathan and jacqz (Dec 25, 2007)

*hope this helps*

we have two baby leos and this is our set up

1 24x12x12 wood viv
1 heat mat on inside of viv with the whole floor covoured in lino this aids cleaning and can be any colour you like and holds heat from mat
1 moist hide as we triet 2 but they both huddle in one all the time this is a tupaware box with a small hole cut in top filled with moss and sprayed to dampen 
2 dry hides cave type things and one drift wood thing they can go under on 
food dish
water dish
you will need thermometers as you need to know what heat you are running

dont forget calcium powder and nutrabol powder we put this in plastic milk bottle tops and they lick what they need 

i also have a heat bulb in our tank but leos absorb heat mostly through there belly so bulb is only used when the ambient temp drops

hope this helps if you need any more infp pm me


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## KatiePearce (Aug 15, 2008)

i have one gecko in a 2ft wooden vivand 4 in a 3 ft (but is is large and I have made a third level)

make sure you have a warm end and a cool end so the gecko can move around and get the heat it needs

I use a heat bulb as opposed to a mat. With a thermo stat

85-90 degrees in the warm end and about 70 in the cool end ( in the 3ft)

I have hides all over the place so they can hide at whatever temp they want and do not feel exposed. I find the best thing to use is a nice looonngg tube of cork bark at the back of the tank, this way they can stay in the log and move back and forth as they wish.

thermometres

I use lino as a substrate, I started out using ground english wulnut shell but with the threat of impaction I changed. Also lino is so much easier! just a bit of kitchen roll to clean up the poops and spray with a little bioclean -T Rex and 'wipe. easy.

I have a humid hide with spaghnum moss which I spray as and when (usually every other day)

food bowl (with a constant supply of meal worms)

Trex leopard gecko dust and nutrobol for dusting (i just use one on one day and a different one the next)

I mixed the two supplements together and leave it in a bowl in the viv also

fake plants for deco

water bowl

thats about it!


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