Leopard Gecko!

[Betta5]

As some of you may know i am getting a leopard gecko! This is what i need you guys to clear up!

1- Tank- I have a 3 foot by 18 inches by 12 inches tank in by garden because it has a crack in it! I cant use it for fish so i thought i may as well use it for a 'leo'. Can i use this tank? I will get a peice of wood to fit the top. Should i put air holes in it for ventilation, ands so the tank dosent overheat?

2- Heat mats- I have a heat mat that i used to use for my corn snake, It dosent have a thermostat, but dosent overheat as my cornsnake used to sleep on it after eating, he never once got burned. Can i use this? It covers about 1 third of the tank. Its a Ultratherm make! the tanks glass and i will use it outside!

Thats the only questions for now! will Try to get pics!

thanks

Sean

 

[moray]

the size of the tank is good, it needs good ventilation, you might be better off with a mesh lid. Personally I'd never use any heat source without a thermostat. The size of the heat mat is about right, it should cover about a third of the enclosures floor space, it should be 80-85 F in the hottest par of the tank, and cooler at one end, remember to get a moist box.

 

[grahamsokel]

I have to agree that i also would never use a heat source without a thermostat.The mat might be the right temperature now but that doesnt mean it will be right if we got a heatwave.In a heatwave the thermostat would switch the heatmat off

 

[Betta5]

Thanks for the replys,

So, i should find a new heat mat. I thought it was ok coz it said it was ok for nocternal species, obvestly wrong. Why do they even sell them without a thermostat? It said that It was a mat that diddent need a thermostat. You can type in 'Ultratherm heat mats' in google to see what it said about them. I will get one with a thermostat. How much are they? (£)

Sean

 

[BWBettas]

You generally dont buy them WITH thermostats but thermostats average out at around £25-£30 a piece

Bret

 

[teddyman5]

Please don't get one if you don't know how to look after it.Spend time researching in the library first.

 

[grahamsokel]

You will not find a heat mat with a built in thermostat you will have to buy the thermostat seperate.
for a heat mat you can get away with using just a basic mat stat but a temperature stat is better as it has the temperature marked on the dial.

Ebay is the best place to look for them

 

[Betta5]

Teddyman, i have researched loads and i know everything apart from the diet. I know they can have mealworms or crickets as the staple diet and you should then give them some vairation. The only thing i dont understand is the calcium and D3 stuff. They should have calcium in a dish so they can regulate their own intake. So when do you dust the food with D3 and calcium, is it every feeding?

and does D3 come seperate or can you buy them combined?
thanks
Sean

 

[BWBettas]

Im not being mean, but i want you to HONESTLY answer these questions with no help from the net.

1. Optimal Temp For Day Time
2. Optimal Temp For Night Time
3. Feeding Routine (What, When How Often)
4. Viv Size (For 6 month old and for an adult)
5. Equipment needed

Not being mean, just asking you to be honest and to answer them

Bret

 

[Betta5]

1- 90s ish
2- low 70s
3- crickets and mealworms disted with calcium and multivitimin powders, every day for youngsters. every other day for adults, maby 5 or 6 days a week.
4- You say small for small one so they get enough food, but i would say a 10 gallon min the bigger the better.
5- the tank, a lid (with ventalation), substrate (news paper, paper towels etc not sand for leos under 5 inches as they tend to eat it in their crave for calcium and die for impactation), heat mat with thermostat, a hide box at each end (hot and cold) and a moist box at the heated end for sheading. a calcium dish a bowl
of fresh water. and decorations of choice EG plastic plants for climbing and playing.

thats about it

sean

 

[BWBettas]

You shouldnt get high things as they arent great climbers and will fall and hurt theirselves. Also in degrees celsius 31oC approx. for days and 24oC approx for nights. Vitamin dusting is every day for calcium carbonate BAR ONE!!! where you use nutrobal. Nutrobal is the best stuff for them. But try and get smaller quantaties as it can go out of date

Bret

 

[Betta5]

Yeah, i was gonna get plastic plants and some low peices of wood.

Sean

 

[grahamsokel]

You shouldnt get high things as they arent great climbers and will fall and hurt theirselves. Also in degrees celsius 31oC approx. for days and 24oC approx for nights. Vitamin dusting is every day for calcium carbonate BAR ONE!!! where you use nutrobal. Nutrobal is the best stuff for them. But try and get smaller quantaties as it can go out of date

Bret

Have to say Bret i am impressed
You have done your homework and nobody can say you dont know what your talking about

 

[BWBettas]

Thanks graham. i dont do things by halves me considering iveonly had my gecko 8 days now. I think i have sufficient knowledge to be able to take it even further through reptiles. Maybe even snakes or beardies

Bret

Yeah, i was gonna get plastic plants and some low peices of wood.

Sean

Erm, you said you were going to get it things to climb up on? unless these have a little safety bit or something on them, i wouldnt reccomend doing them high up. And also in your last thread you said about keeping it in a 3 foot. Now your claiming to know all about yes i know to keep it in a smaller tank that is better

Bret

 

[Betta5]

I ment, I know your views on keeping small geckos in big tanks, I think i'll get an adult.

Just to be clear-

You feed them 6 times a week, All of them dusted with pure calcium, 2-3 times a week D3 as well as pure calcium?

thanks

Sean