Custom Leopard Gecko Habitat Mk. 1

**E Sylvanus** · 08-07-2020, 05:38 PM

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I just completed a custom enclosure for one of my leopard geckos, Halbarad. At this point, I'm mostly waiting to make sure that everything has cured, but I was also hoping to get suggestions on anything that needs to change before he actually goes in.

Size: 30" x 18" x 18"
Materials: Styrofoam + spray foam, non-toxic acrylic paint, sealed with polycrylic and Mod Podge
Heating: Under tank heater on (viewers') left side under "rock slab" hide and humid hide
Substrate: Ceramic tile
Accents: Live tillandsia; sand is mostly embedded in the polycrylic or Mod Podge sealant, though a light dusting has been left in some places to hide the edges of the tiles; gravel pieces and driftwood sticks are secured with cyanoacrylate glue

The water dish is recessed on cool side of the ledge and consists of a small dish coated in silicone with gravel embedded on the bottom and sides. The warm hide is under the "fallen rock" on the (viewers') left, the humid hide is right next to it and is accessed through the hole on the middle ledge area, and the cool hide is in the cave on the (viewers') right.

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This is my first custom build, and sort of a warm-up before I tackle my larger tanks. Any suggestions are appreciated so it's right before my little guy moves in!

**acpart** · 08-08-2020, 10:36 PM

It looks really cool. My only question is whether the water dish is removable so it can be cleaned in case it gets dirty (pooping in the dish, dead feeders, etc.).

Aliza

**E Sylvanus** · 08-08-2020, 11:00 PM

Thanks! The water dish is removable with a bit of finagling, but I hope he doesn’t make a habit of soiling it, lol! I used a disposable condiment cup to make it, so worst case scenario I could probably just replace it with a plain one if it ends up being too messy. Thanks for the input! I truly appreciate it!

**SpottedDragon** · 08-16-2020, 01:38 PM

Can the mod podge "rock" structure be lifted out for cleaning? I made an artificial "wall" of brick and tile for my male and he decided to poop in the furthest back corner and I had to disassemble it every few days, it was a pain and I ended up redoing it

**E Sylvanus** · 08-17-2020, 04:03 PM

The rocky area is in there pretty solidly. I can reach into the hides with tongs or a toothbrush. The damp hide and temperature probe are accessible easily through a removable panel. He has only been in there a couple of days, but so far he seems willing to do his business in the front corner, so hopefully he will make a habit of that.

Here’s a couple pictures of him exploring a bit:

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**Marillion** · 08-24-2020, 06:42 PM

Looks great! I would try to make sure the water dish is easily removable. Those should be cleaned fairly regularly as they can not only get soiled but build up algae, mold etc.