Leopard Gecko Owner – A Beginner Questions?

[Sakuraas]

Hey everyone,

I am new to the gecko world & got my first leopard gecko. He is about 3 months old and overall seems pretty healthy and active but I have got a few newbie questions I want help here.

He is been eating well but only seems interested in crickets. Also I tried offering mealworms but he totally ignored them normal for his age or just picky? Also, I have seen mixed info on how often to dust the insects with calcium—what is the sweet spot??

His tank is 20 gallons with a heat mat and thermostat setup, warm side stays around 90°F. Just want to make sure I am not missing anything major for his setup or diet.

I have check this https://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/threads/RPA-course still need help. If anyone have any advice it would be awesome.

Thanks in advance!

 

[acpart]

Congrats on your gecko. It's not unusual for a gecko to prefer one type of feeder over another, and even to switch favorites. It's probably worthwhile to feed crickets and try mealworms every few months. Make sure you have a humid hide. I supplement every other feeding. Everything else sounds OK to me, though you will likely hear from Elizabeth and she is more detail oriented than I am.

Aliza

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Welcome aboard, Sakuraas!

Please attach an image of your leo's enclosure.

It's not JUST plain calcium that leopard geckos need dusted upon their bugs and/or worms at regular intervals, it's specific multivitamins & vitamin D3 (IF there is no other D3 source).

Type of supplements depend upon whether you use a UVB linear tube overhead to provide vitamin D3..
However, a 20 inch long enclosure is really barebones now-a-days.
Many keepers now recommend 36 x 18 x 18 inch enclosures even for one leopard gecko.

My leopard gecko lived in a 20 long enclosure, She passed away summer 2024 at 19 years old.

100% Leopard Gecko Care Sheet - Geckos Unlimited

#120---Metabolic Bone Disease PDF: Improvement is Possible!!! . . . . . . Eric Klaphake, DVM -- 2010 1. PDF written in 2010: A Fresh Look at Metabolic Bone Diseases in Reptiles and Amphibians......Eric Klaphake, DVM...

www.geckosunlimited.com

Scroll through the link above for Schedules 124 through Schedule 126. Those 3 schedules show adequate lifelong weekly supplementation using Zoo Med supplements for a leopard gecko withOUT a UVB linear tube. Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins is an alternate supplement. The advantage of Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins is that this multivitamin contains BOTH pre-vitamin A (retinol) as well as pro-vitamin A (beta carotene).

I prefer Zoo Med supplements. Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins is manufactured with OR withOUT vitamin D3. Add sliced carrots several times weekly for beta carotene.

Schedules 154 through Schedule 156 show adequate lifelong weekly supplementation using Zoo Med supplements for a leopard gecko with a UVB linear tube overhead.

It's also important to feed your crickets a 24/7/365 diet like Repashy's Bug Grub.