# leopard gecko



## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

im looking for a easy reptile to look after and good to handle 
is a leopard gecko the right pet for me
Also wat is the best substrate to use in the tank ????

Thanks


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## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

bearded dragons are easier to handle as leopard geckos can be quite skitty but either would be a good choice IMO


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## pebbles (Jul 12, 2006)

I think a beardie is a better pet even though geckos are lovely I found them a little boring imo.


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

i liek leos, and dislike beardies,everyone is diffrent..

but

most importantly..


can you afford one
can you afford a viv
set up stat mat etc
can you afford food
and can you afford vet bills
and can you afford to look after it for 10 + years?


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## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

freekygeeky said:


> i liek leos, and dislike beardies,everyone is diffrent..
> 
> but
> 
> ...


that should be above every pet shops counter imo


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

im saving money atm so hopefully getting it soon 
ive been told that a 10 galon tank is ok to keep it in, is this correct ?


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

yellrat said:


> that should be above every pet shops counter imo


yup!


Jackman94 said:


> im saving money atm so hopefully getting it soon
> ive been told that a 10 galon tank is ok to keep it in, is this correct ?


you saving for the gecko, but please remember vet bills for example can run in to the 100's of pounds..


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

ye i know
can i keep it in a ten gallon tank and wats the best substrate??

thanks for the replies btw


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

Jackman94 said:


> ye i know
> can i keep it in a ten gallon tank and wats the best substrate??
> 
> thanks for the replies btw


whast the dimensions?


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## mad baboon (Oct 2, 2008)

personaly i first didnt realy like bearded dragons but now i think one would be a great pet, if your looking for somthing small id say a leopard gecko because beardies have to have a fairly big tank... 
(i.e. 4ft long 2ft deep 2ft high) (leo only needs a 2x1x1 tank) so it your choice which ever one takes your fancy.


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## Brians Ark (Oct 13, 2007)

Hey

I think Leo's are a good starter lizard. One of the reasons being that they dont need UV and their vivarium wouldnt be as big as a Beardies

I also love Beardies but keep in mind they need a big vivarium when adult ( i suggest a 4x2x2)

As for substrate, kitchen towl is cheap and safe to use


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

is this an ok size? 16 ins.L x 9 ins.W x 12½ ins.H
its plastic


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

Jackman94 said:


> the dimensions are 16 ins.L x 9 ins.W x 12½ ins.H
> its plastic
> and what about the substrate ???


not big enough, and i wouldnt use plastic, unless its specifically designed.
substrate, the best is, paper in my opinion. no risk of impaction. you can see posss wees etc, and easy and cheap to clean.


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## kentish (Oct 8, 2007)

i have leopard geckos and beardies... 

personally, i think the leos are easier to look after as a first pet and although i agree some can be skittish, only one of my three is a bit quick to handle, and the more she gets used to you the easier she is to play with. 

leos dont take up as much room as a beardie. my leo tank for three is 2 ft 3inches wide, 1ft 2inches deep and 1 ft 9 tall (although it really doesnt need to be that high at all). Each of my beardie tanks (one per beardie) is 3ft wide, 1 1/2 ft deep and 2 feet high.

also - beardie's should come with a "I SMELL REALLY BAD" warning! Even though i would say they have more character than a leo - dear jeebus they can honk even when you clean them out every p00 and bath them every few days!

i also think leos can come in much nicer morphs than beardies. 

leos are nocturnal - so if you are out all day and want to play with them most in the evening, maybe leos are best. beardies are about in the day, so you may have less time to spend with them if you are out all day, although they wil still be around early evening.

i dont want to sound like i dont love my beardies though!! they have so much character and its fun to watch the way they behave. they also get much bigger than leos and are very docile. 

however - i'd also like to throw Crested Geckos in the frame.... i have 2 adults, 4 hatchlings and 2 eggs. they are the coolest little things and have SOOOO much character! nocturnal and easy to handle and take care of, really soft and adorable!


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

here is the tank i am looking at 
Aquatics Online Catalogue : Plastic Aquariums, Tanks & Bowls

the one tht says herp heaven on the front


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

Jackman94 said:


> here is the tank i am looking at
> Aquatics Online Catalogue : Plastic Aquariums, Tanks & Bowls
> 
> the one tht says herp heaven on the front


na, i wouldnt personally. they ae designed for abbys'hatchlings and live food in my opinion.
get your self a wooden viv. dont cost much.
like mine..


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

ok thanks mate u have all been good help
cant wait to get it still thinking of a good name to call him/her


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

Jackman94 said:


> ok thanks mate u have all been good help
> cant wait to get it still thinking of a good name to call him/her



yea i woudl advise getting a wooden viv. 2 x 1 x 1.5 is what mine are.
they cost £22 posted.

they were all custom made, along with the rest of the reptile room.


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## dragonjoanne (Feb 20, 2009)

freekygeeky said:


> yea i woudl advise getting a wooden viv. 2 x 1 x 1.5 is what mine are.
> they cost £22 posted.
> 
> they were all custom made, along with the rest of the reptile room.


hi where do you get your vivs there great id love some for my new leopard geckos


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

dragonjoanne said:


> hi where do you get your vivs there great id love some for my new leopard geckos


ND aquatics. all custom made etc etc


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## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

the only problem with leopard geckos is that because they don't take up much room they become addictive... beardies too can be addictive but when i think hmmm can i really fit another 4ft viv in here i decide no and go for a leo... 

i currently have 7 leopard geckos but 3 are in quarantine in faunariums... if you are just getting the 1 then quarantine isn't really essential... just ensure you wash your hands before and after handling... if you're purchasing from a pet shop you can assume that every word that exits their mouth is bulls**t... before buying you need to make sure its a long term thing and that you aren't going to get bored after a few months... are you ok with live food mealworms, locust, crix etc... can you afford the food every week, if your rep becomes ill do you have the sources to be able to pay a vet bill, if your ever away is there someone who can look after the rep etc etc 

best thing to keep it on if its a hatchling is kitchen towel or newspaper... may not look pretty (altho my kitchen towel has mushrooms on it hehe) but its the safest option... my adults are on playsand but all my leos in quarantine are on kitchen towel as will be my hatchlings when they hatch in a month or so 

try and get the age and weight of whatever you decided to buy before buying it and ask on here for advice... majority are really helpful and friendly  x


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

is this better ?-->Reptile Vivariums and Cabinets, Reptile Tanks
thrid one down


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

somthign liek that yea, chekc out classifides on heer first there may be a secon hand one.


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## Siman (Apr 12, 2008)

RUB's are perfectly fine for leos to be kept in. I've noticed some do better in RUB's, obviously though some do better in vivs. an 18ltr RUB would probably be the lowest I'd go for an adult.


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## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

there are a few people on here that custom build i believe  may be worth checking out and probably cheaper in the long run x


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## dragonjoanne (Feb 20, 2009)

my leos are tiny and in 40l rubs at the moment im not sure if i should have them in vivs or not


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

i dont want to sound stupid or anything but wat is a RUB?


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

dragonjoanne said:


> my leos are tiny and in 40l rubs at the moment im not sure if i should have them in vivs or not


up to you, as long asthe rub is big enough. ppersonall yi dont use them, i dont liek the look of them hehe!


Jackman94 said:


> i dont want to sound stupid or anything but wat is a RUB?


really useful box.
a plastic box.


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

ahh rite thanks


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

would i have tp cut a whole in the lid to put the light through ????


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## Siman (Apr 12, 2008)

Personally use heat mats / heat cable for leos.


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

i think you need to do a good amount of reading first. find some caresheets etc


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## Jackman94 (Mar 18, 2009)

i bought a book about them so will be reading it tonite


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