All the questions...

[syrus]

I'm new to this forum and I'm new to researching on the internet and in books about leos.
I've asked people wether they feed their leos crickets or mealworms, if they use UTH's, overhead basking lights, heat tape, and what substrate they use.
Does it really matter?(besides the big "sand" debate)
I've heard of people that use different variations of everything i've said and it seems their geckos survive, so is it just personal preference?

[geckosurfer]

Personal preference. Where the heat tape is exposed, we use tile (even in one of our aquariums), where it is build into our racks, we use papertowels. I like the heat tape more that the tank heaters as they seem to regulate better on our thermostats. I have one fussy gecko that 50% of the time wants crickets, the other times he wants superworms. We keep a little of everything just to get through. All the babies like meal worms and are only so-so on crickets. Again, personal preference. I'd try roaches, too, but haven't found a dealer near me yet (actually haven't looked that hard, either).

Julie

[AaronFromPA]

I am going to agree with julie, there are good schools of thought on both sides of the board. I am sure it also depends on where you keep your geckos and if it is a display tank or a breeding setup. Personally I use tile and comercially made hides because my tank is in the living room and I want it to look nice. If it were elsewhere in the home I would consider a paper towel and sandwich box hide setups in a heartbeat. There are rules of course to follow and the experience you have will no doubt lead to you feeling more strongly about one setup or another.