Newb to leaf tails.

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Reptiholic

New member
I'm just starting out with leaf tail geckos. I was told that Uroplatus phantasticus make good starters. Keep in mind these are in no way my first gecko. I've had lots of experience, just not with these jems.

I was thinking of starting with U.phantasticus and moving up to U. sikorae. A breeder told me that U. sikorae would be a step up. I want to eventually get to the fimbriatus, but I only want to do this once I get experience.

I'm planning to build a live vivarium with built in drainage. I have made these before for my pygmy chameleons. I have a 20 gallon, 40 gallon, a couple reptariums, and an aquarium with screen sides available for use.

I have read through caresheets at wildeyereptiles.com and it was very helpful. Any other suggestions are appriciated. I wont be getting the leaf tails for a few months yet, but I am just thinking ahead. I'd also like to find some sort of humidifier or mister that I could use... Perhaps one that isn't as expensive as the Habba mist?
 
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GeckoMike

New member
Tara

Gald to see an interist! If you are going to start with a Uroplatus I would recomend U.Ebenaui over the U.Phantasticus. IF you look in the forum Joe and I have been having this exact discution. This is the advice I gave him.

" If you are going for your first Uroplatus I would recomend U.Ebenaui because they are more active and much more easy than the other Uroplatus geckos. Not only that they are a little bit cheaper than the others as well and a lot more forgiving to small mistakes in husbandry. I have 4.5.2 right now and they are fast becoming my favorite Uroplatus gecko."

Now if you are still set on the U.Phantasticus you are on to a good start with the humidifier. I would get one from walgreens (sunbeam or walgreens brand) they work great I have a few in the gecko room and they are helping out tons!

How many are you looking at getting? The 20 gal woill be great for a 1.3 group. I have tried the repteraums for Uroplatus and I have not got real good results. They just dont hold the humidity as well as the glass tanks. I have all 30+ of my Uroplatus in all glass tanks with full screen tops. I would recomend a misting system and the humidifer as well. I have a rainmaker that I use that is on a timer. Most of the geckos get sprayed 3 times a day. The humidifier runs 2 times a day.

Hope this helps!

Mike
 
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oscar

New member
good luck Tara. i got my sikorae's in april and i love 'em! mike definitely has a heck of alot more experience, but i think if you have experience with geckos and especially any that require humid conditions you'll do ok if you make sure you get some really healthy well-established individuals.

Mike, i spray mine usually around 2x a day and they are in a converted sterelite 20 gal+/- enclosure with some screened cutouts. there's a pic somewhere in this forum of the enclosure. anyway, with that much humidity being introduced into your enclosures, how do you keep molds from forming? i've had problems in the past with that although the enclosures werent as ventilated. also, how deep a mixture do you use for a substrate? i have approximately 1" -1 1/2" of pure bed-a-beast, but could put some sand in there to deepen it. is that enough for the pill bugs?

Scott
 
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GeckoMike

New member
Scott

I should have been a little more clear on that on now that I look at it it looks like I flud them dayly! I only spray heavy at night to make sure tha they are drinking,and not all of them get sprayed that much the U.Guentheri and U.Peitschmani get sprayed once a day. But the U.Phantasticus, U.Ebenaui, U.Fimbriatus, U.Sikorae, U.Sikorae Samenti and the U.Lineatus Get sprayed 3 times a day. I do that becaus I am in Houston and the heat can drain them. Even with me keeping the room at a cool 65-75 it still gets too dry for my taste. I want to make sure that the humidity is up in the 80-90% mark just to be safe. It seams to be working so far!

What kind of U.Sikorae do you have? What paters are they? I love U.Sikorae they are so awsome the way they just melt in to the wood!

I use a bed-abeast, organic poting soil, and sand mix(around 70%coco,10%sand and 20% soil). It takes a while but once it gets going it is awsome. I have it set to where I put some soil in a light layer on top of the mix and the pill bugs are breeding like crazy. I have not had to worry much about mold there is almost nothing left to mold after the pill bugs eat it all up. I have noticed that if I put them in tanks with out a lot of plant groth they do not do as well. You have to remember thay are crustations and need the moisture. I am not sure if they will breed in the coco fiber but it is woth a shot.


Hope this helps!

Mike
 
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oscar

New member
thanks Mike.. i think i'll be in touch. i would like to make the enclsoure a little more self sustaining and i have pillbugs galore around my house. those are the kinds i can use, right? i havent fertilized this year so they should be ok, right?

as far which ssp. i am not sure. i think my female is samieti, but not sure about my male. Aaron and i were just talking and he read in his uroplatus book that they require different care and thought they couldnt interbreed. whats your experience/knowledge?

Scott
 
GeckoFiend

GeckoFiend

New member
I had a sikorae and a sameiti, and I kept them together, with temps in the mid 70's. Oscar and I were discussing breeding, and that's where the book recommends different temps.
 
R

Reptiholic

New member
Hey,

Thanks for all the information. I have a good feeling about owning leaf tails, I think it will go well. I'll keep everyone updated and be sure to post pictures when I get them. How exciting :p

I'm going to run to walmart and look into those humidifiers as well. I'll be buying a plant that the geckos can shower with as well.
 
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GeckoMike

New member
Oscar,

The pill bugs that you find around your house will work finr but I would recomend setting them up and letting them breed a few gens out so that you dont have any problems.

As far as the diffrence between a sikorae and a sameiti it is easy to tell get them to gape one has a black mouth and one has a pink mouth. I forget withch is witch right now. If I was at home I could tell you! I would just go and check!

I have mine together in the same tank and I have had no problems with them. I have not tried to breed them but I have heard that they can be interbread with out any problems. From what I have been told the ofspring are larget than sikorae and smaller than sameiti with a gray mouth. I have not seen it but I have heard it from more than one person.

Hope this helps!


Mike
 
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oscar

New member
thanks Mike. i knew the how to tell the differences, just wasnt sure as their compatability care-wise or breeding-wise.

Scott
 
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