# Leopard gecko set up?



## HOTTOASTcass (Jun 6, 2015)

My brother and I are allowed a gecko and I was just wondering is anyone can give cost and advice on set ups 
Can we use a glass terrain ? 
What heating do they need ?
Any morphs that stand out that we could get ? 
Our reptile shops only stock adults or bearded dragons
Is there any breeders out there? 


All advice appreciated. 
Please note this is not a "starter" reptile it's a serious commitment for us and we have basic information on them we have a few other reptiles in the house hold but find these species really wicked!


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## HOTTOASTcass (Jun 6, 2015)

Edit **

We would like 2 a male &a a female we understand they may breed when matured 
Is this a good idea ? Or 2 the same sex??


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

The cost of the Gecko? Would be anywhere from £20( or less ) up to a few hundred. It all depends on which morph you go for. The cost for the set-up varies hugely also. It depends on how large and elaborate you want it to be. A basic vivarium and all equipment could be as low as £120 or you could be £300-400+. 

You could use a glass vivarium but a wooden one will be better for you and the gecko. They are cheaper to buy and to run so I really don't see why anyone would want to use a glass one.

Heating equipment is your choice. You can have a mat, ceramic heat emitter, light emitting bulb or whatever else you can think of. The size of the vivarium may restrict what you use but as long as you can get basking surface temperatures around 34C and cool end temps around 24-5C then you can use what you want. I prefer using overhead heat.

Morphs are down to personal taste. I personally think the wild forms of reptiles are the most appealing. When looking for a gecko remember there are also other sub-species of Leopard Geckos which are slightly different in appearance to the 'normal' geckos.

There are plenty of breeders but it might be beneficial if you told us roughly where you stay as then local breeders could help you out. There will also be many for sale in the classifieds.



Gavin.


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## HOTTOASTcass (Jun 6, 2015)

gavgav04 said:


> The cost of the Gecko? Would be anywhere from £20( or less ) up to a few hundred. It all depends on which morph you go for. The cost for the set-up varies hugely also. It depends on how large and elaborate you want it to be. A basic vivarium and all equipment could be as low as £120 or you could be £300-400+.
> 
> You could use a glass vivarium but a wooden one will be better for you and the gecko. They are cheaper to buy and to run so I really don't see why anyone would want to use a glass one.
> 
> ...


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

HOTTOASTcass said:


> Edit **
> 
> We would like 2 a male &a a female we understand they may breed when matured
> Is this a good idea ? Or 2 the same sex??


Don't know how I missed this bit. They are best, in my opinion, kept alone. It doesn't matter if you want two males, two females or a male and female pair they do best singly. If you want more than one gecko I would advise you get two separate set-ups( or since you have a 4' viv split it in two ). You will need a second as a back-up plan anyway just incase things start going wrong. It's not a case that they may breed it's a case of when they breed. Males generally hit breeding age sooner so that could put huge problems your way. Although many feel it is fine to breed whenever they can I personally think you should wait until they are around two years old.



HOTTOASTcass said:


> Thanks for the advice mate. Do you think height is needed?
> I've got a 4fter long but no real height wasn't sure if I should just sell it an use a plastic terrain type thing.
> 
> Was told hatchlings shouldn't be exposed to large areas where finding heat would be a hassle but I was curious as in the wild they would have a lot of space.
> ...


Height is needed to a certain degree. I would say at least a foot but I offer two and they use it. What are the dimensions of your vivarium? Don't use faunariums - they are too small for a fully grown gecko so you will need to upgrade in the future.

That is a load of bull. Who said that? A shop? People do use smaller enclosures for younger geckos but there is absolutely nothing stopping you from putting them straight into a four foot vivarium.

Use what you want. I use ceramic heat bulbs/emitters but heat mats and normal light emitting bulbs can be used also. I wouldn't get a red light.

They don't eat fruit or veg, but the feeders you offer the gecko should be given loads. There are many feeder insects out there for you to choose from and any of these can be fed to a leopard gecko. Don't just offer one food source, offer as many as you can get. I feed around 20 or so different species of feeder insects and all are eaten.

Also it may be beneficial to look into UV lighting. There are many recent threads on here that will be good reading along with articles on other websites.



Gavin.


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## TheBadger (Mar 8, 2015)

You'll get a very mixed bag of opinions on set ups for Leo's.


I'll break all your questions down, remember this is all opinionated;

Size:

I personally think you need a 3ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft viv min for housing one. If you want to house multiple Leo's you'll need 4 x 2 x 2 min.
The more suitable space the better.
You can keep them in much smaller. But in my opinion you're just keeping them alive rather than keeping them as pets in tiny boxes.

Housing multiple:

Yes it can be done, if it's your first Leo, it isn't advised. Dominance of one gecko can cause stress and lack of food for the other(s). Many people have done it successfully. But you NEED a spare viv in case it goes wrong.
I'd advise get one first, but if you choose to get a few, go with two females.

Heating:

Doesnt really make a huge difference. So long as you recieve the desired temps.
You want a warm end, 32-34 Celcius, and the cool end, 24-26 Celcius.
I use overhead heating, a red IR bulb. But a heat mat would also be fine.

Substrate:

You'll see people say repti-carpet, paper towels and so on are fine. And they are. But it really doesn't look or act naturally.
I personally use a 60:40 mix of sand and Eco Earth. My Leo's seem to love to dig and re arrange. I also have odd bits of slate/stones all over. These keep the heat well and provide the Leo an area to heat its underside.
Despite what people say Leo's are able climbers, so give them some options!
Old smashed slabs or tiles can be used!
No calci sand.
*playsand is safest as the particles are extremely fine*

Hides/Decor:

You need 3 hides minimum, per gecko.
One in the warm end.
One in the cool end.
One moist hide. *Best not to put in the warm end*
It basically means the gecko doesn't have to choose between temprature and safety.
I make my moist hides out of old ice cream tubs, that I cut a hole in the top of, fill coconut fibre, and spray the inside regularly. 
With decor, it's limited only by your imagination.
You'll obviously need a water bowl.
You can buy fancy fake plants and so on, there are some cool replica dinosaur skulls and so on. 
Or go for the cheap and cheerful options; Old toilet rolls, old smashed slabs/tiles, bits of bark.
Dont keep the viv wide open, but have one open space.

Diet:

Give your Leo as much of a varied diet as possible. Crickets, hoppers, mealworms, roaches should be your stable. Waxworms aren't ideal nutritionally, so keep them to a minimum if at all.

Safety/Monitoring:

You'll need your heat source of choice on a stat. It basically controls the temp and stops it spiking dangerously high, or not reaching desired temps.
You'll then need a thermostat or two to confirm the temps are correct.
Temprature guns are brilliant for monitoring surface temps.
I also recommend getting a diary to monitor what your Leo has eaten, and also weighing her monthly/every fortnight to make sure they're at optimum weight.
Stick some money to one side for vets bills.


This is just a basic run down and is of course what's best in only MY opinion.

I'd recommend;

1, 3 x 1.5 x 1.5ft viv.
75-100w IR Bulb with bracket.
Stat to link bulb to.
Thermostat/temp gun.
Play-sand and Eco Earth.
3 x hides.
Decor you like.
Leo of your choice.


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## TheBadger (Mar 8, 2015)

You also want a bown with pure calcium in it for the Leo to lick when it pleases. :whistling2:


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## HOTTOASTcass (Jun 6, 2015)

TheBadger said:


> You'll get a very mixed bag of opinions on set ups for Leo's.
> 
> 
> I'll break all your questions down, remember this is all opinionated;
> ...


This post never came onto my email sorry I missed this! 
So much information thanks a lot!! 

This sounds all great I'm going with the heat Matt and will get a thermostat tomorrow. 

I wanted to get everything and have it completely ready and test the temps before I buy the Leo. Is this wise? 
I have either a plastic terrain which is 48x31x18cm

Or I have a 4ft wooden viv spare I think it's just over a foot high. 
There's these vivs I have or I can just buy a whole new viv which is 45x45x45cm 

http://postimg.org/gallery/3dexq3dzm/ 

Your opinion ?


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

HOTTOASTcass said:


> I wanted to get everything and have it completely ready and test the temps before I buy the Leo. Is this wise?


It's not just wise it is essential. Have the vivarium set-up for a week or so before you even think about introducing the Gecko. 




HOTTOASTcass said:


> I have either a plastic terrain which is 48x31x18cm
> 
> Or I have a 4ft wooden viv spare I think it's just over a foot high.
> There's these vivs I have or I can just buy a whole new viv which is 45x45x45cm
> ...


Use the four foot vivarium. There is no point buying another enclosure when you already have one. The other options you have mentioned are also too small for an adult Leopard Gecko.

Remember to get an appropriately sized heat mat, it will need to cover 1/3 - 1/2 of the vivarium floor. You will also need lots of places for the gecko to hide in or behind. You don't even need to buy things. Rock and wood from the beach, woods or parks are perfect. If you think they have come into contact with pesticides or the likes leave them.



Gavin.


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## HOTTOASTcass (Jun 6, 2015)

gavgav04 said:


> It's not just wise it is essential. Have the vivarium set-up for a week or so before you even think about introducing the Gecko.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Gavin 
Will do! 
I will go out hunting tomorrow or later for this 
Can I get stones big ones (daily sized) from the beach if I bleach and hot water clean them?? 
also what type of heat Matt will I need obviously large enough but the wattage and will it go under the wooden viv or inside of it?


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

I wouldn't use bleach, you can but I don't see the point. Just fill a tub or something with boiling water and pop the stones in to try and get the worst of the salt off. Driftwood would also be great if you are going to the beach. People pay good money for it online to decorate their vivariums. A good soak in clean water is enough.

Either a 20W or 28W should be perfect. It should go inside the vivarium under what ever substrate you decide on.



Gavin.


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