Back in March my friend rescued a young leopard gecko who had been abused, and asked me to take care of the little guy as his apartment doesn't allow pets. I've been told that this leo had been kept on sand during his period of neglect but he refuses to set foot on sand since I've had him, he will stay on top of his hides and not move until I take him out. So I've switched him to reptile carpet and now he explores his tank and will sleep under his hides. I also upgraded him to a 12 gallon tank (he was in a small plastic container) with two hides, a water dish and a small dish full of calcium powder. I've seen a lot of heated debates on keeping Leopard geckos on substrates that they can burrow into and was wondering if shredded paper would be considered okay to use, if i need to put him on something else or can continue to use the reptile carpet?
New Leopard gecko- Substrates
- Thread starter Kfinch901
- Start date
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
A warm welcome to Geckos Unlimited! Thanks for rescuing this little guy and improving his life.
IF your young leo gets his teeth and/or claws stuck in reptile carpet, I'd switch to a textured ceramic tile. Place a folded square of paper towels in his poop place to facilitate clean up.
How long is your leo from snout to tail tip? A picture of his enclosure will help us out.
Are you interested in seeing a suggested Weekly Feeding/Supplementing Schedule?
Here's a temperature guide for all leopard geckos as measured by the probe of a digital thermometer
IF your young leo gets his teeth and/or claws stuck in reptile carpet, I'd switch to a textured ceramic tile. Place a folded square of paper towels in his poop place to facilitate clean up.
How long is your leo from snout to tail tip? A picture of his enclosure will help us out.
Are you interested in seeing a suggested Weekly Feeding/Supplementing Schedule?
Here's a temperature guide for all leopard geckos as measured by the probe of a digital thermometer
- 88-92 F (31.1-33.3 C) ground temperature right underneath a leo's warm dry hide
- no greater than 82ish F (27.8ish C) air temperature - 4 inches above ground on the warm end
- no greater than 75 F (23.9 C) air temperature - 4 inches above ground on the cool end
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The calcium in the small dish is calcium without d3. 
(I hope the photos show up) he gets calcium with d3 2 to three times a week on his crickets. The last time I measured him he was 15 inches snout to tail tip, I can't find a ruler in my house anywhere all of a sudden. A feeding and supplimenting schedule would be appreciated.
(I hope the photos show up) he gets calcium with d3 2 to three times a week on his crickets. The last time I measured him he was 15 inches snout to tail tip, I can't find a ruler in my house anywhere all of a sudden. A feeding and supplimenting schedule would be appreciated.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
I see 2 photos.
Do you really mean 15 inches? I have 3 separate schedules depending upon the size and age of your leo.
All supplements vary. A leopard gecko only needs D3 at 1 feeding per week. Vitamins A, D, E, & K are fat soluble. They stick around in a gecko's body.
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Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
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Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
#124--Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule for leopard geckos 12 months old & under
- Use Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 at 1 feeding per week. Lightly dust it on half the crickets or dubia, not every insect at that feeding.
- Use Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3 at 1 feeding per week. Lightly dust it on crickets or dubia. Maybe only lightly dust half the insects at that feeding.
- Use plain precipitated calcium carbonate at 1 feeding per week. Lightly dust it on crickets or dubia. Precipitated calcium carbonate is purer than oyster shell calcium. The NOW brand sold in health foods stores is ideal.
Nutritional Comparisons of Insects & Worms
Weekly Schedule for Leopard Geckos 12 months old & under
Crickets or dubia >> Monday - Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3Crickets or duba >> Tuesday
Mealworms >> Wednesday
Crickets or dubia >> Thursday - Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3
Crickets or dubia >> Friday
Mealworms >> Saturday - precipitated calcium carbonate
No food or free choice >> Sunday
Future weeks:
Continue on since all weeks are identical. . . . . .
Did you have any advice on getting a Leo to eat mealworms? We tried the first month we had him and he didn't want anything to do with them.
How many crickets should I be giving him? Yesterday he ate until he was full which was after 6 crickets but today he doesn't want to eat anything
How many crickets should I fed him? Yesterday he ate until he was full and today he hasn't wanted any crickets.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Each leo has different tastes. Sometimes it's only one feeder, then a leo tires of it, and he's on to a something different. Other leos eat a varied diet all the time.
Crickets are quite healthy! Make sure the crickets get a varied diet. Your leo is what he eats.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
#132---Why I recommend Zoo Med's Repti Calcium w/ D3 & Zoo Med's ReptiVite w/o D3
These are the supplements I use:
- Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3
- Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins without D3 (Both the Reptile Supply Company and Amazon carry ReptiVite.)
- NOW brand or Zoo Med's plain calcium carbonate
- Some vitamins (A, D, E, & K, for example) are fat soluble. They stick around a longer time and don't need to be taken daily/at every feeding.
- Vitamin C and the B vitamins are water soluble. They are excreted in urine.
- As your gecko grows, she will eat larger and larger crickets. Then, when you dust, she'll naturally be getting more and more supplements per cricket.
- Zoo Med's ReptiVite™ is highly recommended by Scott Stahl, DVM, the premiere reptile vet.
- My vet only recommends a wee pinch of Zoo Med's ReptiVite™ multivitamins at 1 feeding per week.
- Phosphorus negatively impacts calcium absorption. The more phosphorus a supplement has, the less any calcium is absorbed by the bones.
- Vitamin D3 needs to be taken with food.
- Calcium needs vitamin D3 in order to be absorbed. Dusting with plain calcium carbonate without giving D3 only helps if there is residual D3 inside your gecko.
- Excess calcium in the digestive tract can hinder absorption of vitamins A and D.
- Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 only contains 22,907 IU of D3 per pound. Repti Calcium contains "enough" D3.
- One schedule isn't good for life. There are actually 3 schedules: 124, 125, & 126.
- For geckos 12 months old and younger (and breeding females) there is one day of pure calcium.
- It's harmful to have D3 in both the multivitamin and the calcium powder.
Speaking of which, Dr. Scott Stahl, the premiere reptile vet, highly recommends the ZooMed product, ReptiVite™. Dr. Stahl states: "Originally formulated for zoos, it seems to work better than any other product I've tried including the Repashy supplements."
"My gutload mix includes paprika for Vitamin A. I also include carrot and dandelion greens for their moisture and other vitamins and nutrients. Plant-based is always more assimilable than manufactured supplements."
/\ Thanks to GU's billewicz (Michael) for sharing Dr. Stahl's feedback!
Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...rounds-drying-geckos-feetsies.html#post456690
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There are subtle reasons I do what I do.
- Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 actually contains significantly more calcium per "dose" than does ReptiVite with or without D3 per "dose".
- Repti Calcium with D3: 38-43% calcium per dose
- ReptiVite: 25-28% calcium per dose
- Your gecko gets weekly vitamin D3 without overdoing other multivitamins.
- ReptiVite contains phosphorus; Repti Calcium is phosphorus-free.
- My recommendations depend upon feeding your crickets a good diet.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Not really.
I'd love to see a photo of him. A video of him walking about would be marvelous! That will help us judge his condition.
Have you a scales to weigh him? You mention he's about 7 inches from snout to tail tip.
The last time I weighed him was at the end of April and he was at 41 grams. We are currently remolding our kitchen and i have no idea where my scale went. When I first got him in March he weighed 19 grams. 
The first one is him right after we put his carpet in in the beginning of April the second is from May 1st. I'll get a video of him walking once I get home. I've been told that he is an albino patternless but he doesn't have red eyes or anything.
The first one is him right after we put his carpet in in the beginning of April the second is from May 1st. I'll get a video of him walking once I get home. I've been told that he is an albino patternless but he doesn't have red eyes or anything.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
You've been doing very well with his feeding! He's puttin' on the grams!
Do you know whether he was getting any supplements before?