Is it suitable home?

B

berry

New member
Im not sure if this is in the right section, so feel free to move it.

I have this aquarium thats 5 gallons and for some reason i just cant keep fish. :? However I have had really good success with my leopard geckos so far and i love them so much, they are so cute!

So to avoid anymore fishy deaths, I will not be buying anymore. Now I have an empty 5 gal that looks like this http://s3.amazonaws.com/tc-photos/11442/product/standard/504161.jpg and the measurements are 10.5 x 15.5 x 14.5 (L,W,H). Is there any lizards that can live comfortably and happily in this? THANKS IN ADVANCE! :)

Im really sorry if this is stupid because im aware that 5 gallons is small, i just want to see if i could make it work. I think another issue may be the lighting. I dont think i could get anything very warm, as the max is a 15 watt incandescent. Not too hopeful here, but if there was a place to ask, this would be it.
 
thehotchik1000

thehotchik1000

New member
Nope that's much to small for anything like a Leo. Possibly a very small dwarf gecko or a baby crested for a short period of time. But leos need at least 10 gallons of space. 20 gallons would be the optimal space for a single Leo.
 
L

Lordoftheswarms

New member
That is also way to cold. You should use an under tank heater. 15 watt any kind of bulb hardly produces any heat. If you were to use a higher watt bulb on that small a tank, you run the risk of over heating a leo.

I suggest Stenodactylus petrii for that size of tank. You would still need an under tank heater though.
 
B

berry

New member
sorry if this was confusing, but i wasnt saying i wanted to put a leo in there. I should have made it clearer, i was looking for a species that could go in it. Ill look into dune geckos. Are they expensive or rare?
 
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Holly12

Holly12

Member
Hello you could put anoles but only 2 that is a very small cage I am not trying to tell you what to do but but if you have the money get a 10 gallon if anything. It will be more room for anoles and you can have a leopard gecko in there. But a 5 gallon in my oppinion is way to small even for anoles because they like to be in groups of 4 or more. :)
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
berry said:
Im not sure if this is in the right section, so feel free to move it.

I have this aquarium thats 5 gallons and for some reason i just cant keep fish. :? However I have had really good success with my leopard geckos so far and i love them so much, they are so cute!

So to avoid anymore fishy deaths, I will not be buying anymore. Now I have an empty 5 gal that looks like this http://s3.amazonaws.com/tc-photos/11442/product/standard/504161.jpg and the measurements are 10.5 x 15.5 x 14.5 (L,W,H). Is there any lizards that can live comfortably and happily in this? THANKS IN ADVANCE! :)

Im really sorry if this is stupid because im aware that 5 gallons is small, i just want to see if i could make it work. I think another issue may be the lighting. I dont think i could get anything very warm, as the max is a 15 watt incandescent. Not too hopeful here, but if there was a place to ask, this would be it.
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Best size for leos (one, two females, or a pair) is a 20 gallon long. One reason is that it is important to establish a thermal gradient from 90-95 F on the warm side to low 70s F on the cool side. This can't be done very easily in a 10 or a 15 gallon tank.

You could get just a couple of mourning geckos (Lepidodactylus lugubris) for that 5 gallon tank. They chirp, are cute, and quite prolific. However, you can recycle the eggs back to the moms. Excellent nutritious snack!! They go from $20-$30.
 
Holly12

Holly12

Member
Elizabeth Freer said:
Best size for leos (one, two females, or a pair) is a 20 gallon long. One reason is that it is important to establish a thermal gradient from 90-95 F on the warm side to low 70s F on the cool side. This can't be done very easily in a 10 or a 15 gallon tank.

You could get just a couple of mourning geckos (Lepidodactylus lugubris) for that 5 gallon tank. They chirp, are cute, and quite prolific. However, you can recycle the eggs back to the moms. Excellent nutritious snack!! They go from $20-$30.
Click to expand...

Good point there I agree. :)
 
B

berry

New member
As i said, not planning on another leo. there is no were near enough floor space.

Hmmm mourning geckos i could look at. They climb right? so like a taller space vs longer?
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
berry said:
As i said, not planning on another leo. there is no were near enough floor space.

Hmmm mourning geckos i could look at. They climb right? so like a taller space vs longer?
Click to expand...

Mourning geckos are NOT particular :D. Horizontal or vertical tanks are fine with them. Just make certain that their vivarium is escape-proof! If there is a way out, they will find it.

There is a care sheet of mine right on GU. I use cocopeat fiber for the substrate these days and Rep-Cal supplements. Keep them at room temperature, although they will appreciate heat in the mid-70s F to 80 F.

You will find GU threads on Lepidodactylus lugubris posted under Other Geckos.
 
B

berry

New member
Thanks guys! The tank has a full hood so i dont suspect theres any way out except for where the wires for the lights and filter go through. How small of a hole can they escape through? I would say this one is about 1 cm tall and .5 cm wide. Plus there is a cord through them.
 
G

GF_geckko

New member
I don't think you have to worry unless you'd be removing the cord. They're about 10 - 12 cm total length. But you could always patch it with tape
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Escape artists!

berry said:
Thanks guys! The tank has a full hood so i dont suspect theres any way out except for where the wires for the lights and filter go through. How small of a hole can they escape through? I would say this one is about 1 cm tall and .5 cm wide. Plus there is a cord through them.
Click to expand...

Even a mature mourning gecko (and other slender geckos) would just LOVE to escape via a 1 cm x .5 cm oval hole :D !!!

Once a crew of my juvies escaped just because their new screen top was slightly uneven just when I had to catch a train. Instead of being "caged" they were "walled".

Mourning geckos are about 3 inch and 3/4 inches when fully grown and slender. The hatchlings are 1 inch and 3/8 inch. I would totally recommend sealing ANY holes. The holes should be plugged. I would worry some about tape sticking to their feet, so if you use tape, you should tape both sides. Perhaps you could wrap something around the cord so that it is fatter?
 
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GF_geckko

New member
Your answer is 6.1 gallons rounded. The formula I used to get this answer is very simple. You must do length x width x height / 231 = gallons. I think this is correct, but if you already have the tank you'll probably know if it isn't by looking. Hope this helps!
 
J

Jasonp85

New member
You could allways go to a screen top and make sure there is no prison breaks possable with it lol or buy a sheet of plexy glass drill holes im it make sure ther small put a henge on it attach it to the top of the tank secure it so it cant be opened by the geckos.
just make sure no plastic from drilling is sharp to hurt your gecko
 
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