`Do I have a correct list of what my leopard gecko will need?

[Elizabeth Freer]

So for cleaning I'm going to use a tote or a tub with 1 parts water 6 parts bleach, then clean and scrub it with a wet towel, then rinse it off and air dry it. Would normal drying with paper towels work also for drying them? ? Or just air dry? I'll try to do the screen and the tank in the tub. I might just do it all in a tub. Tell me if I'm doing anything wrong for cleaning, and thanks.

Use 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. Wear old clothes, because the bleach/water solution will definitely spot your clothes no matter how careful you are.

You can dry the stuff with any clean towel. It does not matter.

What is important with the bleach cleaning and rinsing is the 24 hour air drying. That lets the bleach fumes air out.

A tub is a great idea for cleaning everything! I mean, isn't that exactly why bathtubs were made? :scratchhead:

 

[logan1234]

For an adult leopard gecko in total how much would I be looking to spend per month?

Also how many crickets should I buy online per time, and how often should I buy them online?
(Im worried ill buy them too late and he will starve!)

Also could crickets get too big for an adult leopard gecko before they die?

 

[Zux]

For an adult leopard gecko in total how much would I be looking to spend per month?

Also how many crickets should I buy online per time, and how often should I buy them online?
(Im worried ill buy them too late and he will starve!)

Also could crickets get too big for an adult leopard gecko before they die?

I just finished my first month of Leo ownership so I don't have the experience to answer those specific questions number wise.

What I can tell you however is what I did. I purchased a number of tubs of Crickets and Dubia Roaches a few weeks in advance of my Leo's arrival while I was getting everything else in order at the same time.

I had the same worries and concerns as you 'feeder insect' wise and was even more concerned about the seemingly low quality of feeder insects found in the average pet store, so my solution was to begin breeding both types of insect on a small scale for myself.

Now I have two medium sized Tubs/RuB's containing small cricket and dubia colonies from which I can regularly feed.

This has a number of benefits including but not limited to:

• I can select the correct sized insect each feeding as my Leo grows.
• I can be much more confident of how healthy and nutritious the insect is because it is bred by me and its diet has always been under my control.
• I no longer need worry about purchasing the insects from somewhere else and all the downsides that includes.

Getting the crickets and roaches to breed is very easy (in particular the roaches) and you can find all the information you might need in that regard elsewhere on geckosunlimited.

You're doing a great job so far with your research and care and should be proud of yourself for that.

Good luck,

- Shane

 

[logan1234]

I'm not allowed to get dubias since they might somehow get loose and infest the house. I'm going to have crickets and maybe mealworms. I'm like 70% sure how to take care of crickets but I don't know how to take care of mealworms. I also may not breed them and just buy them whenever I need them. Thanks for the help though. I'm also getting an adult leopard gecko.

Someone please help me with these questions:

If I'm not breeding crickets or any other insects, how much am I looking to spend per month on crickets and mealworms?

Also do crickets get to big for an adult leopard gecko before they die?

What size crickets should I buy for an adult leopard gecko, and any website recommendations for buying crickets/mealworms?

 

[logan1234]

So i'm cleaning the stuff with bleach in a bit, so I CAN dry it after I rinse with a paper towel? Then let it sit and air dry?

 

[logan1234]

I cleaned the tank, lid, hides, and water dish with 1 cups bleach 9 cups water. I spotted my clothes so I did a couple handprints. My dad rinsed it out and then put the stuff outside for a bit to dry in the sun then brung it inside for the rest of the 24 hours.

Also whenever I clean it when I get my leopard gecko, how often do I clean the stuff? And do I clean the tank with dawn too every time?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I dont think its that necessary to clean the tank that thorough once a week, unless you want to. Just bleach ( 1 part bleach 9 parts water, then rinse very well) everything before you get your gecko and it should stay pretty clean for the most part. Once you get your gecko replace the paper towel substrate weekly or every other week. If your gecko poops in a hide, then use dawn dish soap to clean the hide, rinse well, then either air dry or dry it with a paper towel. Dawn dish soap is safe. Have you seen those commercials where they use dawn dish soap to clean the oil off the birds whenever there is an oil spill in the ocean?

I cleaned the tank, lid, hides, and water dish with 1 cups bleach 9 cups water. I spotted my clothes so I did a couple handprints. My dad rinsed it out and then put the stuff outside for a bit to dry in the sun then brung it inside for the rest of the 24 hours.

:biggrin: I like your "handprint" idea. If the bleach is strong enough it will eat holes in the fabric.

Also whenever I clean it when I get my leopard gecko, how often do I clean the stuff? And do I clean the tank with dawn too every time?

Great job dad and Logan! :banana: That's teamwork!

The tank, screen, hides, and other stuff don't really get dirty. The water dish and any food dish are exceptions. I'd clean the water dish and the food dish with DAWN every time I give fresh water or food. Wipe the poop spot with water (and maybe DAWN) as needed. Always rinse.

Please reread kholtme's post I quoted. He's got a leopard gecko and gives great advice.

 

[logan1234]

My mom helped me too (Just adding that)

I might keep mealworms in a food dish, are there any caresheets for them on here?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I'm not allowed to get dubias since they might somehow get loose and infest the house. I'm going to have crickets and maybe mealworms. I'm like 70% sure how to take care of crickets but I don't know how to take care of mealworms. I also may not breed them and just buy them whenever I need them. Thanks for the help though. I'm also getting an adult leopard gecko.

Someone please help me with these questions:

If I'm not breeding crickets or any other insects, how much am I looking to spend per month on crickets and mealworms?

Also do crickets get to big for an adult leopard gecko before they die?

What size crickets should I buy for an adult leopard gecko, and any website recommendations for buying crickets/mealworms?

I don't know how much this will cost. Adult leos can eat crickets 1/2 inch and larger. The older the crickets are, the sooner they will die.

I order all my crickets from Armstrong Cricket Farm in West Monroe, Louisiana. ( 800-345-8778 )

Pet store crickets often don't live as long. When you have a small supply of crickets, you can make sure they get a healthy diet before you feed them to your leo.

Like Zux/Shane mentions, homegrown crickets are good. Crickets are somewhat tricky to breed at home. Maybe I was not keeping them warm enough when I tried.

New recommendation: I suggest getting a small digital scale from a kitchen store, so that you can monitor your leo's weight. Just weigh him weekly. That's enough. How about turning your leo experiences into a school project?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

My mom helped me too (Just adding that)

I might keep mealworms in a food dish, are there any caresheets for them on here?

Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/feeders-food-and-nutrition/35613-mealworm-breeding.html

[MENTION=54011]NeoLeo87[/MENTION] recommends clear butter dishes for crickets. Those will work for mealworms too.

Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ssues-/79178-dish-crickets-butter-dishes.html

 

[logan1234]

I was stressing since we were cleaning the tank outside, since there are bugs and stuff, but my parents said it was fine since we used bleach.

Good idea about the school project . We don't get projects that we get to choose that often but I'll try to look out for it.

The people you said you buy crickets from have there own website. I'm not sure if i'll but it from them or someone else. They have these "Cafes" I'm not sure how they work like the sizes and packages but I'll look into it later.

I'm going to try to set up the tank later this weekend or next week and check the temperatures but i'm still probably not going to get a leopard gecko for a month or two or more. It might be a christmas present for all I know.

Thanks for your help, I'll tell you more information of the tank and stuff later or questions.

 

[kholtme]

You should look into dubias and research about them, I know you parents already said no, but honestly i had crickets escaping and ive never had a dubia escape. They cant climb as well as crickets. If they do get out, they will go hide in a dark corner and you will probably never see them. Crickets jump around and climb on walls and you see them all over. Just make sure you get a good large container with a lid. Its much cheaper and easier than crickets, especially after you get the colony going.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Maybe your leo could be a Halloween gift? You guys are r-e-a-d-y!

 

[logan1234]

I went to the expo today!



I think i'm 90% ready. The people I was talking to said they were using mealworms as a staple diet (Think I used that right .) Could that work?

And I got the terrarium moss today at the expo and me and my sister got wood carved frogs. If you want a few pictures of the expo, just ask .

Me and my mom are going to clean the stuff again with dawn to make sure all the bleach is off and to get rid of the watermarks. I'm planning on cleaning everything with dawn (unless he goes to the bathroom on a hide, then I'll clean it) every 2 - 3 weeks.

Also whenever I get my leopard gecko, I don't know anywhere to get them besides expos. (I don't want to buy from a pet shop, they don't sell the one I want as an adult.) So I might wait until next spring when the expo is back, And that's when my mom is moving to a new house and I'm planning on keeping it there.

I got to hold a sugar glider and a leopard gecko, and I got to pet bearded dragons. It was my first expo and it was really fun.

 

[logan1234]

The mealworm thing you gave me was about breeding them. I just need to know how to take care of them. Could you please give me the info of how to do that? Thanks.

Like I said before In the post above, some people at the expo said they mainly use mealworms for there leopard geckos. Is that ok?

And which side of the heat pad do I tape to the tank?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I went to the expo today!

I think i'm 90% ready. The people I was talking to said they were using mealworms as a staple diet (Think I used that right .) Could that work?

And I got the terrarium moss today at the expo and me and my sister got wood carved frogs. If you want a few pictures of the expo, just ask .

......

Also whenever I get my leopard gecko, I don't know anywhere to get them besides expos. (I don't want to buy from a pet shop, they don't sell the one I want as an adult.) So I might wait until next spring when the expo is back, And that's when my mom is moving to a new house and I'm planning on keeping it there.

I got to hold a sugar glider and a leopard gecko, and I got to pet bearded dragons. It was my first expo and it was really fun.

The mealworm thing you gave me was about breeding them. I just need to know how to take care of them. Could you please give me the info of how to do that? Thanks.

Like I said before In the post above, some people at the expo said they mainly use mealworms for there leopard geckos. Is that ok?

And which side of the heat pad do I tape to the tank?

Sounds like you all had a good time at the expo. Wood carved frogs are nice! Did they each come with a stick that you stroke across the back to imitate the frog's croaking?

How about sharing expo pictures? We love photos, Logan!

Does this picture help?



It's good for your leo to have a variety of food. That means crickets or mealworms and something else. I think crickets are the healthiest food for geckos.

Mealworms contain more fat than crickets do. What you feed the mealworms may help that. I recommend placing mealworms on a bed of Zoo Med's Adult Bearded Dragon Food, just like for crickets.

acpart/Aliza: superworms & mealworm tips
"1. Keep the superworms and the mealworms at normal room temperatures. The refrigerator is too cool for them.

2. I keep both my mealworms and superworms in ground up grain bedding. I buy my ground up stuff from a USA supplier. In Europe you could do one of the following:
get a variety of grain and cereal and put it in the blender (they can eat whole grains but it will be much easier for you to get them out of the bedding if the grain is ground up)
OR buy some chicken feed

You can also feed superworms and mealworms vegetable pieces that you would normally throw away: potato peels, Bell pepper cores, eggplant peels, carrot ends, sweet potato ends, broccoli stalks. They completely demolish them!

3. I feed superworms by dropping 1 at a time in front of the gecko. For a very reluctant gecko, I hold the gecko and gently poke the superworm at the mouth until it bites the worm. I have a gecko that rarely eats in the winter and a few years ago he was losing a lot of weight. I used a hypodermic needle to poke the superworm, got some of the guts on the end of the needle and poked it (gently) into the gecko's mouth. He didn't get much, but it did some good and he eventually started eating again. He's about to go into his annual winter fast, but he weighs 90 grams right now."

 

[logan1234]

Ill post pictures later once my laptop restarts. .

A couple questions/comments:

Ill post a picture of both sides of my heat mat to show you which one I should tape onto the tank.

Ill post pictures of the plastic feet were going to glue on.

We are going to clean the tank sometime soon with dawn to get off bleach and wondering if every 2 - 3 weeks would be good for cleaning the tank and hides with dawn. Besides if they go to the bathroom on a hide.

And does the mealworms need a lot of bearded dragon food?

How often does the bearded dragon food need changed for mealworms?

Does it need grounded up?

What do they need for hydration?

 

[logan1234]

Pictures of some stuff that we got

Wooden carved frogs


Feet we are going to glue onto the bottom of the tank.


Moss for the warm moist hide.


And which side should be taped to the tank? Number 1 or 2?

1.

2.

Pictures of the expo:

 

[logan1234]

The rest of the pictures :

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Cute frogs! I've seen unpainted ones before.

White feet: I don't think those will elevate the corners enough. How about the felt pads one sticks on chair legs to prevent them from scratching wooden floors?

Moss: good.

UTH pictures: Did you or your parents find directions? If not, can you phone the manufacturer?

Did you see a leo you liked at this expo?