Leopard Gecko

[fishboy619]

thanks for all your help.
im not sure exactly what to feed the gecko, mealworms or crickets, maybe i'll switch from one to the other each time i feed.
with the carpets, can you cut them to make them fit the tank?
i will leave the waterfall out, but what about the waterwell? will that be ok, or should i just be simple and stick with a bowl
are any of the other items i pointed out in my first post unsafe or un suitable?
oh and for the mealworms, ive seen a mealworm dish (refer to my first post) thats apparently wrom escape proof, wether it works or not...

 

[Genie]

live in england, pets at home dont supply for reptiles, but im sure ill find somewhere that has this

 

[SoCalMom]

thanks for all your help.
im not sure exactly what to feed the gecko, mealworms or crickets, maybe i'll switch from one to the other each time i feed.
with the carpets, can you cut them to make them fit the tank?
i will leave the waterfall out, but what about the waterwell? will that be ok, or should i just be simple and stick with a bowl
are any of the other items i pointed out in my first post unsafe or un suitable?
oh and for the mealworms, ive seen a mealworm dish (refer to my first post) thats apparently wrom escape proof, wether it works or not...

Switching on and off is a good idea. Leos need a varied diet anyway.I usually have to cut a little off the ends of the reptile carpet, but it fits perfectly width wise. Just go with a regular water dish

I've tried 4 different types of "escape proof" food dishes. They still got out. It's just easier to not leave a bowl of mealies in the tank. As long as you are feeding regularly, they dont need a bowl of meal worms

 

[cheesy feet]

Good choice, but here's a couple of pointers.
1. Don't get mealworms, get crickets. Crickets are easier to digest as well as nutritionally benficial to your gecko.
2. Crickets need to be gutloaded and dusted with calcium with D3 every other feeding.
3.PURE Calcium needs to be offered in a dish in the terrarium at ALL times.
4.The tank can be as simple as a 10 gallon tupperware or rubbermaid container or as complex as an exo-terra terrarium system.
5.The price of the equipment, it can be anywhere from $50 - $100 depending on what you want or are willing to spend.
In My experience, UTH's (under tank heaters) are not as effective as previously stated. In fact heating in my tank comes from an infrared heating bulb.

I also want to point out, that even though the animal is in its cage, you may want to try feeding circkets to observe his or her natural hunting tactics.

Sorry i've just skimmed the thread but just a few pointers...Black crickets are harder for them to digest (as mealworms are) so brown crickets are better.I feed my crickets with t rex calci plus, which they love to eat, and it lasts a long time.Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but when the geckos are young do not feed prey items wider then their head.For my geckos I use a wide bottle cap which i fill with pure calcium and I dust the mealworms and crickets with the same pure calcium, every once a week i use nutrobal aswell.Use paper towels as substrate so if you spill something/they poo/wee you can just lift it up, chuck it and put a new one in ...If your gecko goes of food try and vary there diet more with butterworms, mealworms, black crickets and small locusts, i guess this kind of diet would be best but I know few people can afford it...I have just started breeding my leos and she laid a clutch of 2 eggs, sadly i wasn't here to get thme quickly so they have 'gone off'.They are fantastic lizards.Anyways good luck.I will ahve babies soon

 

[fishboy619]

Sorry i've just skimmed the thread but just a few pointers...Black crickets are harder for them to digest (as mealworms are) so brown crickets are better.I feed my crickets with t rex calci plus, which they love to eat, and it lasts a long time.Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but when the geckos are young do not feed prey items wider then their head.For my geckos I use a wide bottle cap which i fill with pure calcium and I dust the mealworms and crickets with the same pure calcium, every once a week i use nutrobal aswell.Use paper towels as substrate so if you spill something/they poo/wee you can just lift it up, chuck it and put a new one in ...If your gecko goes of food try and vary there diet more with butterworms, mealworms, black crickets and small locusts, i guess this kind of diet would be best but I know few people can afford it...I have just started breeding my leos and she laid a clutch of 2 eggs, sadly i wasn't here to get thme quickly so they have 'gone off'.They are fantastic lizards.Anyways good luck.I will ahve babies soon

good luck with your babies.
i just want to check, now i think i understand it all, you provide PURE calcium in the tank at all times in a small bowl or bottle cap lid. ( i read somewhere it can be crushed cuttlefish, is this true?) and on the first feeding, you dust the bugs with calcium and D3/ vitamins, the second feeding (2-3 days later) dust the bugs with pure calcium, and the third feeding, you dont dust the bugs. am i correct. you cant over dose on calcium, but you can on d3/vitamins.
are you saying cheesy feet, that crickets, mealworms, locousts and waxworms are best for a gecko in a varied diet, or just locousts?
if locousts are best for leopard geckos instead of crickets, i can get a constant supply of them, at micro, small, medium, large and fully grown size.
cheers

 

[SoCalMom]

Ok, please don't take this rudely


To be quite honest, you are getting many different opinions from many different people on how to care for a leopard gecko. All this is going to do is confuse you. The same thing happened to me when I first started researching about leopard geckos. I got tons of different opinions, and it hurt me more than helped me. Everyone has given you the info you need. I also helped you alot through PM. What I suggest you do is take the info you have from everyone here, combine it with info you have researched on other sites, and figure out how you want to do it. Incorporating everyones opinions is a great idea... but at the end of the day it's up to you how you decorate the tank, what you feed your leo, etc.

I hope that didn't sound rude. I'm just trying to help you since you seem to be confused about the same questions even after they have been answered

Taking care of leos is easy and fun once you get the hang of it. Leos are hardy little creatures and can get along fine even with the most neglectful owners. I promise the leo will be quite alright even of you make a mistake here and there in the beginning

Good luck sweetie and I can't wait to see pics of your new little buddy

 

[fishboy619]

i didnt take that rudely SoCalMom,
i guess your right, i can ask as many questions as i can think of, and get as many answers back.
i just dont want to screw up and kill the little guy. as this is my first reptile especially. i just want everything to go right, the only one question i would like to know, is can locousts be fed as a staple diet?

thanks to everyone whos helped me so far. i will take it all into consideration and see what comes out of it. hopefully a happy and healthy leopard gecko.
pictures to follow in a month or so when i get the gecko

 

[The_Dude]

I guess locusts could be a staple diet. I've never tried it myself but I'm sure it'd work. I use brown house crickets, as they're easier to come by in my area. All I'm saying is, use what they sell you at the store. If you're talking about wild bugs, I'd not do that if I lived in a fairly populated area, because people have gardens. Locusts destroy gardens. Gardens which are usually coated in pesticide. Pesticide which can seriously F up your gecko. I personally go to a bait and tackle shop for my crickets, because I know the guy who owns the place farms his crickets. He also farms his own worms too.

 

[fishboy619]

i was talking about store bought bugs.
the shop that i would buy my crickets, mealworms and other bugs from usally has loucusts in too, and if im getting a regular supplie, i can have a custmore order to make sure they always have small locusts in.
i just didnt know if locusts would be a good staple diet or not.
i think i will just give the gecko a varity and get something different week or so.

 

[The_Dude]

Who knows. They could be munching on locusts all the time in the wild and we might never know it. I'm pretty sure, since it's non venomous and can't even produce a painful bite, it'd be just like crickets only quicker.

 

[fishboy619]

quicker, cos they can take larger jumps?
would you advise to to atleast try them, i wouldnt feel nice nipping theur bag legs, but would do if nessary for the gecko.

 

[The_Dude]

Naw from my experirnce, the gecko will always get the bug in the end. I don't even nip off their legs. It's an enclosed space and the bugs can't get far, so I'd not worry about them getting away from your gecko. Mine just sits in one spot and ambushes them as they walk by. It's the same for all ambush preds. Like Emperor Scorps or my girl, Rosie, a gecko will usually ambush the prey because them being coldblooded and only having as much energy as their environment provides, they tend to try to use as little energy as possible. That's not only efficient, but it's an instinct for survival.

 

[fishboy619]

ok
cheers for the help the_dude and other members.
any other help you may think would help please let me know.

 

[fishboy619]

just 2 quick questions, im getting my leopard gecko in 3 weeks, but i would like to know what Vermiculite is, i know its a moist thing you let the gecko use to help shedding, but what attually is it? moss
also does anyone have any spare for sale, either Vermiculite or gecko moss

also, what fruit and veg can you feed to them without making them ill?

 

[fishboy619]

right...
picking up my leopard gecko this comming saturday.
i have already a large tank, heat mat, paper towels for substrate (going to be tiles at a later date), 2 caves, 1 piece of wood, a small food dish, a water well and a water dish with small stone in, a screen mesh lid and a fake plant.
i also have purchased t-rex pure calcium and calcium with D3/vitamins.
i think thats all i need. i will of course buy some live food for it on saturday and gut load it, but can anyone thing of anything else i will need, i know i need some moss, but still looking for some, going to some shops this week.
cheers.
pictures to follow