First Time Day Gecko Keeper

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Alduin

New member
Hey guys, I'm just looking to puchase a new Gold Dust day gecko. I've done a lot of research, but thought I would just check and see if there are any objections to what I have:

Enclosure: ExoTerra 18x18x24
Lighting/Heating: ZooMed Deep Dome w/ ZooMed 50w splashproof halogen lamp and a 50w infrared light during the night time (I've read in several places that they don't need night heat, but I live in Chicago and it's still pretty chilly so I figure in the colder months I'll have it on). I also have a ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 with a ZooMed 12" long reflector fixture.
Substrate: A mix of 4qt Zilla Jungle Mix and 4qt EcoEarth. For my drainage layer I have an 18x18 mesh w/ Zoomed Hydroballs underneath.
Decor/Plants: I have multiple fake plants, some sticks of bamboo, and a megnetic ledge food dish. I was going to purchase some live plants which are pothos, a philodendrom, and dieffienbachia. I also have a large piece of grapevine in there as well.
Diet: Waxworms, crickets, and Pangea repashy.

Is there anything I'm mising? I called a Reptile store near me and they said everything checked out fine, but I thought I would just swing this by some expierienced keepers. If anyone has any feedback please let me know! Thanks :)
 
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rtbaum

New member
Welcome to GU. I own a trio of lined-day geckos, which have similar needs. They are currently housed in a pair of 18x18x24 exo-terras.

I live in Minneapolis, so I can relate to the need of supplemental heat. I use 100 watt ceramic fixtures in DIY brackets, hooked up to programmable thermostat for heating. Daytime temps are 85F, nightime 72F.

ZM Reptisun 10.0 seems like a lot of UVB, I use 5.0 for my guys.

You have the substrate, why not ditch the fake plants and just go bioactive with live plants? You would probably want to invest in a Mistking system, but I definitely believe it worthwhile. Becoming bioactive opens up new possibilities for planting and, IMHO is more similar to native environments. I often find geckos liking nectar from flowers.

Of the plants listed; Pothos will work for a while, but will overtake the tank without frequent pruning; Dieffenbachia and Philodendron also will eventually out grow the tank. Oddly enough, polka dot plant can be found at any Lowes or Home depot and is found in the same environment as the geckos.

Grapevine will quickly decay at the humidity necessary to keep your gecko happy, I recommend cork, ghostwood, manzanita, or plain old driftwood. Unless Lake Michigan has changed drastically, the latter should be abundant. Just make sure that it is well sanitized.

Diet, my geckos get an alternating diet of crickets, fruit flies, and repashy. Fruit flies cultures are like sour dough, once your get the culture started, you can continue to make new cultures every 2-3 weeks. It is my understanding that waxworms are nice for a snack, but have a high fat content. One other dietary supplement that I introduced as decor is a weathered deer skull. It has become apparent that it is a ready source of calcium, as well as a favored basking site. My female has calcium sacs that make her look like a green hammerhead.DSC_1169.jpg
 
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Alduin

New member
Hi, sorry for the late reply. I actually have a 5.0 bulb, not sure why I said 10.0. Anyway, I decided to do some more research on wood suitable for moist environments and purchased a piece of Manzanita wood. As for the plants, if I wanted to invest in a Polka Dot plant from a department store like Home Depot, would I have to do anything to it to make it safe for the gecko? Also, as for the other plants, couldn't I just trim them every once in awhile? Also, as for humidifiers, I've read that most of them are cheaply made and break after a few months of use. Is there a particular one I should buy? I've already invested a lot of money into this, so at least until I get my next paycheck I'll probably just end up misting him manually. Thanks again for the help.
 
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acpart

Well-known member
I have a polka dot plant in my gold dust's enclosure and it's no problem. I don't think most plants are a problem for them. It's probably good idea to wash off the leaves. I don't bother with a humidifier. I mist every morning. I use the manual mister that has a latch so you don't have to keep spraying by hand to get the water out. It's not too much of a chore. I mist 13 cages every evening and 7 cages every morning.

Aliza
 
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rtbaum

New member
Any plant going into the terrarium, I wash as much substrate from the root system as possible....in the process the entire plant gets a thorough rinse to minimize any pesticide residue. Then just insert the plant into your substrate in the terrarium. You are correct, humidifiers are more of a mood thing I think, they don't really take care of irrigation. A Mistking system an automated irrigation system that can be set to spray a fine mist at scheduled intervals, it is pretty much the standard that other systems are compared to. Mine is a variant form that mists whenever the relative humidity falls below a certain point....Kinda a pain in reality, I should have just used the less expensive seconds timer. Hand-misting is an acceptable alternative, try to mist about twice a day to keep humidty about 70%, allow leaves to dry between misting. One thing that is inexpensive is a computer fan, rigged to provide air circulation. It really makes a difference. Just make sure the gecko can not get to blades, easily done with a home-made fan housing made from corrugated plastic, mosquito screen, and gorilla glue. I've been having a blast of late trying to design the 'perfect' fan duct to circulate cooler,humid rich air from the bottom to mix with the dryer, warmer air at the top. It is a terrible affliction :biggrin:
 
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