New Leo Owner! Help Please!

[dill911]

Leopard Gecko Django: Questions, and discussion, etc.

So I just got a 3 month old leopard gecko yesterday. It has not even been a complete day since I got it but I want to be sure it has an amazing life and I want it to thrive and be spoiled! Here is a picture of my current setup. The substrate is bark from exoterra I think, And then I have a plant with a small calcium plus (Repashy Superfood) dish. Then there is a thermometer on the ground. I have a humidity hide in the middle with moss in it that I spray to keep moist, and then a water dish and another big plant/rock on the far side. I feel like my setup is okay, as the people who sold me the gecko seemed very knowledgable, but the only thing is I am having trouble getting the terrarium to normal temps. I cant seem to get it to the high 80s on the hot side. the light I was given was a 40 watt night glo light from exo terra and I have already tried a 15 and 25 watt light. I am worried that maybe this light is not enough. I will take an advice please! Im not quite sure how big my tank is, but I was thinking of getting a heat pad?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Petco $1 per gallon sale: 26 Dec - 19 Jan 2013

So I just got a 3 month old leopard gecko yesterday. It has not even been a complete day since I got it but I want to be sure it has an amazing life and I want it to thrive and be spoiled! Here is a picture of my current setup. The substrate is bark from exoterra I think, And then I have a plant with a small calcium plus (Repashy Superfood) dish. Then there is a thermometer on the ground. I have a humidity hide in the middle with moss in it that I spray to keep moist, and then a water dish and another big plant/rock on the far side. I feel like my setup is okay, as the people who sold me the gecko seemed very knowledgable, but the only thing is I am having trouble getting the terrarium to normal temps. I cant seem to get it to the high 80s on the hot side. the light I was given was a 40 watt night glo light from exo terra and I have already tried a 15 and 25 watt light. I am worried that maybe this light is not enough. I will take an advice please! Im not quite sure how big my tank is, but I was thinking of getting a heat pad?

Hi ~

In case you've ended up with one of those starter kits and a 10 gallon tank, Petco is having their $1 per gallon sale which runs through January 19th.

If you start with a 20 gallon LONG (30 inches long), you'll be set for life for a single leo.

Any particulate substrate such as bark chips carries a high risk of impaction.

Change immediately to paper towels and consider ceramic or porcelain tile as a substrate. It is permanent and costs less than $10.

Just measure your tank and post here: length x width x height.

Good gut feeling: a 40 watt bulb is not enough . The main heat should come from an Under Tank Heater. Accessory heating via an overhead dome is important too. Leos depend upon belly heat to digest their food. If all one provides is belly heat the leo may stayed glued to the heat mat. You may still be able to use your Night-Glo Moonlight bulb in the overhead dome.

I am not a fan of a calcium supplement which includes protein.

If you start with a 20 gallon LONG (30 inches long), you'll be set for life for a single leo.

Here's an extremely thorough care sheet to get you started:

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...-demo-video-4-jan-2013-update.html#post302242

 

[dill911]

oh wow so you dont think the bark is okay at all? I mean it seemed like the guy at the shop was okay with it? they are big bark chips, and I think its from zilla terranium bark. thats not okay? because I have seen all the scary stories about impaction and I DEFINITELY do not want that to happen to my poor gecko and hmm the only problem with the heat mat is that it goes inside the terrarium right? and how would I plug it in because there is no holes in the tank?

 

[dill911]

Okay so I completely removed the bark, and I put some paper towels down, as flat as I possibly could. Where can I get the tile from? and do I just as them for as big as my tank is?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

oh wow so you dont think the bark is okay at all? I mean it seemed like the guy at the shop was okay with it? they are big bark chips, and I think its from zilla terranium bark. thats not okay? because I have seen all the scary stories about impaction and I DEFINITELY do not want that to happen to my poor gecko and hmm the only problem with the heat mat is that it goes inside the terrarium right? and how would I plug it in because there is no holes in the tank?

Nope the bark is a poor recommendation by the store.

In the Leo Guidelines you'll find three more scary stories about leos with sand impactions. However, mealworms can also cause impactions from the chitin in their exoskeletons. Loose crickets and mealworms will hide in the bark.

The heat mat goes underneath the tank. It should be plugged into a thermostat. Many heat pads come with sticky feet to elevate the corners of the tank. Definitely you gotta provide ventilation for the UTH. Also need a overhead dome.

Okay so I completely removed the bark, and I put some paper towels down, as flat as I possibly could. Where can I get the tile from? and do I just as them for as big as my tank is?

Excellent! You can get ceramic or porcelain tiles at a place like Home Depot.

 

[dill911]

Okay so I need to get a heat pad, an overhead dome, and then go to home depot and get tile? got it! will do all of that tomorrow! i think I am going to need to get a new terrarium tho because mine is covered on all sides. The tank has sliding glass windows on the front and thats it. so what should I do? do you think the night glo light and a heating pad would do the job?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Okay so I need to get a heat pad, an overhead dome, and then go to home depot and get tile? got it! will do all of that tomorrow! i think I am going to need to get a new terrarium tho because mine is covered on all sides. The tank has sliding glass windows on the front and thats it. so what should I do? do you think the night glo light and a heating pad would do the job?

First off read the Leo Guidelines and skim the posts which follow just so you know what's there.

Consider spending $20 for a 20 LONG from Petco. Their sale ends on Jan 19th. Exo Terra has a 36 x 18 x 12 tall tank for $200. That's nice too if you have big bucks :biggrin:.

The Leo Guidelines give you very specific details on just about eveything. Once you read them, then get back with us with question.

Some people get 6 x 6 tiles; others get 12 x 12s and cut the final one to size. At the very least watch the Leo Setup video at the beginning of the guidelines before you shop.

You also need a digital thermometer with a probe. Don't buy the analog types. If you have an aquarium thermometer that has been checked against a reliable source, that could work.

In post #36 following the LGs you'll find a setup checklist.

 

[dill911]

okay wow thank you so much!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

okay wow thank you so much!

You're welcome. Getting a bit bleary-eyed. Gotta crawl under the covers soon.

 

[dill911]

This may be a stupid question, but what dome can I get to use with a ceramic heat emitter? Because watching the video on the guidelines page, im trying to set it up like that. But all the domes I find say "not for use with ceramic heat emitters"

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

This may be a stupid question, but what dome can I get to use with a ceramic heat emitter? Because watching the video on the guidelines page, im trying to set it up like that. But all the domes I find say "not for use with ceramic heat emitters"

ALL questions are fair game in my book :idea:.

Yay for the video ! (Tony's domes are a bit smaller than 10 inches across.)

A 10 inch diameter dome is good. Fluker's males one that Petco sells. I like the domes to cover the tank from side to side. Smaller domes (5.5 inch, 8.5 inch) can even house the CHE, but I like the way the 10 inch domes contain and redirect the heat.

Scroll down the posts following the guidelines. Post #26 lists live links for all Tony's products :banana:.

 

[dill911]

Okay so i reallyl like the video in the guidelines and tried to mimic it! I just bought the 20 gallon Zilla critter tank, and I bought a heat mat, a thermostat for the heat mat, and then an 8.5 inch lamp with a 60 watt ceramic heat emitter, and I got a thermostat for that as well. I purchased the same calcium supplement as in the video, and as soon as everything comes in, I will get the tile from home depot! I figure ill understand when it all gets here, but how should I position the sensors for the heat mat thermostat and the ceramic heat emitter light? because I don't want my little Django to get too hot or burn I will follow the temp guidelines perfect however! and will make sure it stays those temps

 

[dill911]

sorry for so many questions but how much should I be feeding my little Django! he is only 3 months old but last night was the first time I have fed him. He was not interested in mealworms at all, but he loved the small crickets! He ate anywhere from 3-4 but is that okay? I feel bad if I don't feed him enough but I don't want to overfeed him either, and since I got my lamp with the heat emitter, I should be leaving that on for 12 hours during the day? If I bought a mini deep lamp and used a zoo med 40 watt moonlight bulb, would that be a good idea? because I feel weird having my gecko sleep with no lights/heat on other than the uth during the night. And I feel like the moonlight bulb would not heat up the tank so that it stays in the mid to high 70s during the night but would give it some light (moon) like in real life?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Leopard Gecko Django

Okay so i reallyl like the video in the guidelines and tried to mimic it! I just bought the 20 gallon Zilla critter tank, and I bought a heat mat, a thermostat for the heat mat, and then an 8.5 inch lamp with a 60 watt ceramic heat emitter, and I got a thermostat for that as well. I purchased the same calcium supplement as in the video, and as soon as everything comes in, I will get the tile from home depot! I figure ill understand when it all gets here, but how should I position the sensors for the heat mat thermostat and the ceramic heat emitter light? because I don't want my little Django to get too hot or burn I will follow the temp guidelines perfect however! and will make sure it stays those temps

sorry for so many questions but how much should I be feeding my little Django! he is only 3 months old but last night was the first time I have fed him. He was not interested in mealworms at all, but he loved the small crickets! He ate anywhere from 3-4 but is that okay? I feel bad if I don't feed him enough but I don't want to overfeed him either, and since I got my lamp with the heat emitter, I should be leaving that on for 12 hours during the day? If I bought a mini deep lamp and used a zoo med 40 watt moonlight bulb, would that be a good idea? because I feel weird having my gecko sleep with no lights/heat on other than the uth during the night. And I feel like the moonlight bulb would not heat up the tank so that it stays in the mid to high 70s during the night but would give it some light (moon) like in real life?

Good on getting these supplies for Django. He is a very lucky leo!

Have you set up the heat mat (should be sized up at the 30-40 gallon size and occupy 1/3 the length of the tank and be as close to the width as possible)?

The thermostat sensor for the tiles above the UTH can be placed right between the tiles if you decide to get the 6 x 6 tiles or a combo of tile sizes. To catch the warm air and cool air temps dangle the probe about 6 inches from the top. You could also check air temps with an aquarium type thermometer with a red indicator as long as it has been checked out with a reliable source. Heat guns are good for spot checking and for confirming your thermostat's setting.

The UTH should be left on 24/7.

The overhead dome with CHE can be set on a timer with the rheostat and turned off at the night. I like 10 inch diameter dome fixtures because of the way they contain and redistribute the heat.

Did you get a pure calcium carbonate as well as a multivitamin with D3? Brands and product names really appreciated.

Feed as much as Django will eat in about 20 minutes. While he is young, maybe till 1 yo, he should be fed nightly .

 

[dill911]

Good on getting these supplies for Django. He is a very lucky leo!

Have you set up the heat mat (should be sized up at the 30-40 gallon size and occupy 1/3 the length of the tank and be as close to the width as possible)?

The thermostat sensor for the tiles above the UTH can be placed right between the tiles if you decide to get the 6 x 6 tiles. To catch the warm air and cool air temps dangle the probe about 6 inches from the top. You could also check air temps with an aquarium type thermometer with a red indicator as long as it has been checked out with a reliable source. Heat guns are good for spot checking and for confirming your thermostat's setting.

The UTH should be left on 24/7.

The overhead dome with CHE can be set on a timer with the rheostat and turned off during the night.

Did you get a pure calcium carbonate as well as a multivitamin with D3? Brands and product names really appreciated.

Feed as much as Django will eat in about 20 minutes. While he is young, maybe till 1 yo, he should be fed nightly .

Okay so along with everything I told you, I also ordered a temperature gun (the one from the video) and I ordered the Calcium supplement from the video I think it was NOW nutrition? And then I have repashy calcium plus supplement to put on his food. Do i need anyother supplements? I paid for shipping to get here as soon as possible but sadly it could be february 1st before I have everything however when I get the heat mat, ill at least put it on the terrarium I have now because I plan on leaving him in my current setup until everything I ordered arrives. I will follow what you said exactly when everything arrives! if you need me to name anything else let me know! I also ordered two more hides for my little leo! I really loved the video, as you can tell ha It is about 8:44 pm here in California and he is still asleep in his humidity hide, where he has been all day, but he should be waking up soon, and then ill feed him! Thank you for the help and ill keep updating! The temp at least is 85-92 during the day on the hot side and low 80s to high 78 on the cool side. So I think everything is good temp wise, until I finally get all of the new stuff I ordered! I wish it was here tomorrow however! but soon enough, as I think my leo is doing well currently

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Repashy Calcium Plus supplement ++

Okay so along with everything I told you, I also ordered a temperature gun (the one from the video) and I ordered the Calcium supplement from the video I think it was NOW nutrition? And then I have repashy calcium plus supplement to put on his food. Do i need anyother supplements? I paid for shipping to get here as soon as possible but sadly it could be february 1st before I have everything however when I get the heat mat, ill at least put it on the terrarium I have now because I plan on leaving him in my current setup until everything I ordered arrives. I will follow what you said exactly when everything arrives! if you need me to name anything else let me know! I also ordered two more hides for my little leo! I really loved the video, as you can tell ha It is about 8:44 pm here in California and he is still asleep in his humidity hide, where he has been all day, but he should be waking up soon, and then ill feed him! Thank you for the help and ill keep updating! The temp at least is 85-92 during the day on the hot side and low 80s to high 78 on the cool side. So I think everything is good temp wise, until I finally get all of the new stuff I ordered! I wish it was here tomorrow however! but soon enough, as I think my leo is doing well currently

Good for you! You are very welcome. (I'm in Oregon.)

New tank measures 30 inches long? What size heat mat will you be getting? I would wait to stick it on the new tank! Those are stuck to the tank underneath the glass. If you need to restick it, you can use aluminum foil electricians' tape.

Not a fan of daily dusting or using a supplement containing protein. I would go with these instead of Repashy's, really:
NOW brand pure calcium carbonate
Zoo Med's phosphorus-free calcium with D3
Reptivite with D3

Use according to the LGs.

 

[dill911]

here is Django after feasting on 9 crickets! a hearty dinner id say

 

[dill911]

Good for you! You are very welcome. (I'm in Oregon.)

New tank measures 30 inches long? What size heat mat will you be getting? I would wait to stick it on the new tank! Those are stuck to the tank underneath the glass. If you need to restick it, you can use aluminum foil electricians' tape.

Not a fan of daily dusting or using a supplement containing protein. I would go with these instead of Repashy's, really:
NOW brand pure calcium carbonate
Zoo Med's phosphorus-free calcium with D3
Reptivite with D3

Use according to the LGs.

Oh a fellow west coast person! and the tank is the same one in the video so its 20 gallons and 30x12x12 The heat mat is a Zoo Med Under Tank Heater, Small so its 6x8 inches. It should be perfect because the climbable rock background I got will stick out a little so it should cover the hot side completely. If not I will get a bigger order a bigger one. Ill wait to stick it on the new tank then and just put the new tank together when everything is here! and okay the Now Brand pure calcium carbonate is what I got. So that is for the calcium dish 24/7 in the tank and then do I need to dust the insects with anything? I am already gutloading the crickets I feed him so I should be okay right? Also is it okay if after he eats, he usually explores a lot but then goes back into his humidity hide? Is that okay?

This is his enclosure now, ya i know its weak but when everything I ordered gets here it will be way better!!! He loves being in his hide right in the middle, loves going up in the tree on the left, and likes exploring! the substrate is paper towel for now after your advice on getting rid of the horrible bark! I know there is only one hide right now, but I have ordered two more! I will post an updated pic when I have all the new things and he has a better home, but I just wanted to let you know of his setup for right now. and I know this is weird, but I still have not seen him poop? Maybe there was some when I got rid of the bark or when I cleaned out his humidity hide today, but just wondering if thats okay for now

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Oh a fellow west coast person! and the tank is the same one in the video so its 20 gallons and 30x12x12 The heat mat is a Zoo Med Under Tank Heater, Small so its 6x8 inches. It should be perfect because the climbable rock background I got will stick out a little so it should cover the hot side completely. If not I will get a bigger order a bigger one. Ill wait to stick it on the new tank then and just put the new tank together when everything is here! and okay the Now Brand pure calcium carbonate is what I got. So that is for the calcium dish 24/7 in the tank and then do I need to dust the insects with anything? I am already gutloading the crickets I feed him so I should be okay right? Also is it okay if after he eats, he usually explores a lot but then goes back into his humidity hide? Is that okay?

This is his enclosure now, ya i know its weak but when everything I ordered gets here it will be way better!!! He loves being in his hide right in the middle, loves going up in the tree on the left, and likes exploring! the substrate is paper towel for now after your advice on getting rid of the horrible bark! I know there is only one hide right now, but I have ordered two more! I will post an updated pic when I have all the new things and he has a better home, but I just wanted to let you know of his setup for right now. and I know this is weird, but I still have not seen him poop? Maybe there was some when I got rid of the bark or when I cleaned out his humidity hide today, but just wondering if thats okay for now

Thanks for sharing your temporary setup.

The ZM UTH at 6 x 8 inches is too small. Because of the 30 inch length, size up to a mat recommended for 30-40 gallons. ~11 x 11 inches

NOW-brand CaCO3 goes in the tank 24/7.

Order Reptivite with D3 to lightly dust the crickets ONLY 2x per week.

Re gutloading prey: I feed crickets a gutload level diet 24/7 and call that good :banana:.

PS: Are you gutloading the crickets with Repashy Calcium Plus? I would not use that in addition to the calcium and vitamins I am recommending.

 

[dill911]

Thanks for sharing your temporary setup.

The ZM UTH at 6 x 8 inches is too small. Because of the 30 inch length, size up to a mat recommended for 30-40 gallons. ~11 x 11 inches

NOW-brand CaCO3 goes in the tank 24/7.

Order Reptivite with D3 to lightly dust the crickets ONLY 2x per week.

Re gutloading prey: I feed crickets a gutload level diet 24/7 and call that good :banana:.

PS: Are you gutloading the crickets with Repashy Calcium Plus? I would not use that in addition to the calcium and vitamins I am recommending.

Oh gosh, well ill at least try out the heat pad when I get it and let you know if it will work, if not I will overnight ship a new, and bigger one :biggrin: I do the same with my crickets in gutloading them every day so thats good! I will order the Reptivite asap as well, and definitely not! You have way better guidelines then that! I do not gutload them with the repashy, but rather put the crickets in a bag and then put the repashy on them. I gutload my crickets with these green looking things, can't remember the name but it is gutload food. I will stop using the repashy completely! I am so glad I found this website and I really hope my leo lives a long happy life. Its crazy to think I have only had it for 3 days but i Love it so very much! I hope its okay until all the things I ordered get here! and gosh I just read the Dear Peach thread about impaction and it was horribly sad thank god for you and everyone telling me no about bark!! anyways, thank you so much Elizabeth and I can already tell you do so much around here! I will keep you updated! right now he is in his humidity hide and has been for a while since he ate im guessing he is having a little nap after his hearty meal!

also elizabeth, one more question! my leo still has not pooped, or I have not found poop, is that okay? I have had him for 3 days. I have cleaned out his humidity hide and the terrarium so maybe the poop was somewhere in there but I just want to see what you think? I really wish I would have seen this site before I got my leo so I would have had the heat pad and proper habitat already! but I know leos are very hardy so Im not too worried about Django