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New and have a plethora of questions

mudarcher

mudarcher

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Hello
I am interested in acquiring 1.1 leos(not sure about the number refrence either does this mean 1 male 1 female and if not can some one school me) and would like some questions cleared up

1.exo terra has a terrarium that looks superb (at least to me)
the dimensions are(w*d*h) (18in*18in*18in)(45*45*45*)
http://www.exo-terra.com/products/glass_terrariums_i.html
ive talked to a couple pet store workers they said it was good to house a pair
but thats almost like believing pathological liar(no offence meant)
would that house a pair of leos comfortably or should i go with a 30gal?

2.about substrate: (i know sand is the devil and many other types to) Ive heard of people using slate tiles. how would you go about doing that. My idea is to cover the bottom of the terrarium in a very spairingly layer of reptile sand and cover it with aquarium slate. the reason, just to have a level and filled in substrate so crickets cant get under the slate or possibility of a leo breaking its leg.

thats the two main question ill deffinately be asking more before i decide to purchase so new friends

feel free to shoot down any of my ideas and misconceptions
and thank you for any and all suggestions/replies


Matt
 
That glass terrarium isn't really necessary, you don't need 18in of height. I would recommend a 20 gallon long tank (L30 x W12 x H12) to house two geckos. The 20 gallon long will work better to create a heat gradient. One end of the tank should be 85-90 or so and the other end is basically fine at room temp (if its around 75ish).

As for the bedding, paper towel is the easiest. I don't recommend using sand, it's not digestable really and many geckos will end up losing weight because of it. Regular sized paper towels will fit in the bottom of the 20 gallon long nicely. You may have to cut off a little excess length wise, but width wise it fits almost perfectly. Depeding on what cage funiture you use, the paper towel should stay down pretty well, especially if you still want to lay some slate in. You shouldn't have many problems with the crickets running under the paper towel. Also, the paper towel is easy to replace when pooped on. I found that poop that lays on sand seems to smell more.
 
I've never used slate tile beofre so I can't give you my thoughts on that. I would agree that a 20 long would be better for a pair. They aren't climbers, and when they do try to climb, well it can be interesting....they just aren't graceful. The sand filling the cracks of the slate seems like a good idea but as always there is a fear of digesting it. If you would go that route dont use the calci-sand. Use the play sand you can get cheap at your local hardware store. I would say though, paper towel is your best bet. Crickets and mealies will get under it but that is just part of owning and trying to feed a Leo. If your Leos get accustomed to a certain feeding time, like beofre you go to bed, they'll be waiting and you may not have to worry about escape crickets...
Good luck and it sounds like you are off to a good start!
 
I agree, a 20 gallon long would be a wise choice for two leos. I actually have two females in a 20 long now and they are doing great. I use tile in all my glass cages. It is very easy to clean and looks alot better then paper towels for display purposes. You can buy 12" x 12" tiles at home depot for something like $1.75 a tile. In a 20 long you will need two and a half tiles. Home depot will even cut the 3rd tile for you, just remeber thet the 12" tile is really only 11 3/4 and not to have it cut too snug because you want to be able to pick the half tile up easily for cleaning purposes. I also put a layer of paper towel down under the tiles. This keeps the tiles level, from banging against the bottom glass and will also absorb water or other messes that could seep between the tiles. When you pick the tiles up to clean them, simply change the paper towels underneath. I hope this helps a little.
 
The 12x12 tiles are a good idea. I didn't see them when i went to home depot so i used the 6x6 tiles. One thing i suggest, is to get extra tiles that you can swap out with the dirty tiles. This will allow you a quicker transition in cleaning time. Also, assuming you washied the dirty tiles once you took them out, they would be dry next time you put them in the tank.
 
Thank you for the replys. You helped reinforce what i already pressumed.

now for another Question:

How do you wire a thermostat to an under tank heater :confused:
(saw a couple of simplistic diagrams that did not make sense)

Matt
 
The under the tank heat isn't really necessary. A simple dome light fixture with about a 40watt blub should heat up one end of the 20 gallon just fine. It will also heat up the slate underneath the dome fixture. So, the air will be warm, but also the floor will be warm for them to lay on. Just double check the tempuratures in the tank and the tempurates on the slate before you toss them in. Make sure the slate doesn't get too warm, don't burn them. You may need a smaller bulb, say a 25 watt, if its too warm. I'm not sure how the slate will heat up.

Do you buy an under the tank heater and a thermostat yet?
 
No products or supplies have been bought yet. i want to make sure i know everything i can before i jump in to this. thought the leos could just run a round the house until i learned more (j/k)

the reason i want to use uth is so i can have a uv light on top. i do know the leopard geckos are mostly nocturnal. but being in the aquarium hobby and having parrots i have found that they are healthier and look spectacular when using uv light and controlled sunlight.


matt
 
Well the UV lighting isnt needed since they are night dwellers.

If you still want to use an UTH you can use this as your thermostat:
http://www.zoomed.com/html/thermostats.php

Basically you'll plug the heat pad into it. Make sure the heat probe (the temp reader oval piece) is on the surface where the geckos will be. I'm not sure how well slate will heat up, that thermostat ranges from 70-110. You'll just have to monitor the temps. I wouldn't let the slate go over 90.

I still say a simple dome fixture and a 40 watt night bulb, is your easiest and cheapest route.
 
hmmm...

The under the tank heat isn't really necessary
Click to expand...
Since leopard geckos are nocturnal, in the wild they utilize the heat in the rocks that was absorbed from the intense sun ofd the day. Belly heat is preferred over lamp heat because as a rule, leos seldom expose themselves to the hot sun. UTH heat stimulates the gecko's digestive, immune, and metabolic systems.
 
I keep my night bulbs on 24/7 in my community tank, so it's always warm. I use flexwatt heat tape under my breeder bins 24/7. Probably should have said that, sorry.
 
Yeah thats what ive been reading and it makes sense.


what about plants i have an extensive list of animal safe plants. the one im interested in keeping is a jade plant. does anyone keep plants with their leos? and if so what kind of safe soil do you use? or do you just cover it with a screen?

my apologies for some of the questions (like the plant) the reason for this is because im used to setting up aquariums and am confused by simplicity.

Matt
 
Thanks for picking up on that Marcia. I love Fauna, everyone is looking out. Thanks again.
 
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