I want Tips on Creating a Comfortable Habitat for My First Gecko

S

Sakuraas

New member
Hey everyone,

I am new here & got my very first gecko. It is a leopard gecko & I am super excited but also want to make sure I am doing everything right to keep it happy & healthy. I have a 20-gallon tank with a heat mat on one side & a basic hide on each end. I am using paper towel as substrate for now but wondering if that is the best choice or if I should switch to something else later on.

I also want to ask about lighting & humidity levels. Do I need a UVB light for a leopard gecko or is just the heat mat enough I have been reading mixed things.

Also i have check this https://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/threads/Blockchain Devel Course75118/ Any one have any suggestion for the best thermostat or any must-have items would help. I am trying to avoid rookie mistakes & learn from people who know their stuff.


Thank you..........:)
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Hi Sakuraas ~
Congratulations upon getting your first leopard gecko!

Here's a link for Zoo Med's Digital Combo Thermometer Humidity Gauge (TH-31).
You'll need this thermometer/humidity gauge to monitor your thermostat's temperature readings.
I bought one of these in February 2024. It's quite accurate. I compared it with another digital thermometer to verify it's readings.


I used Hydrofarm's Jump Start MTPRTC thermostat for my leopard gecko's thermostat. I purchased this thermostat from Amazon on 20 June 2013. To this day Amazon sells this trusty thermostat! 11 years later when my female leo Cha passed away in July 2024 @ 19 years old this thermostat was still going strong!

A leopard gecko needs 3 hides:
a warm dry hide,
a warm humid hide,
& a cool dry hide
spread out over the 30 inch length of your leo's enclosure.
Your leo needs some type of halogen bulb to provide lighting & heating, maybe instead of the heat mat.

***** How long is your leopard gecko's 20 gallon tank? *****
A 20 gallon long enclosure = 30 inches long. 30 inches might be long enough for a UVB 12 inch long tube light.
However, a 20 gallon regular enclosure = only 24 inches long. That's definitely too short for a UVB tube light.

Never use a compact fluorescent bulb! Compact fluorescent bulbs usually produce dangerous rays!

ALTERNATIVELY use a 50 watt or 75 watt Arcadia GoldenSun Basking Lamp to provide a 'patch of sunlight' for your leopard gecko instead of a heat mat. Our leo community is shying away from heat mats & into 36 x 18 x 18 inch enclosures with overhead heat as well as light. Use the closest wattage to that you actually need so your lamp does NOT need excessive dimming. Excessive dimming reduces UVA benefits.

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www.reptilebasics.com

50 Watt Arcadia GoldenSun Halogen Heat Lamp

The Arcadia GoldenSun Basking Halogen is expertly designed to emit a highly bioavailable, mid-beam for deep tissue warming within your reptiles
www.reptilebasics.com www.reptilebasics.com

Be sure to ask about other things.

It REALLY helps our communication to comment now & then.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Frances Baines (GU's Lilac Dragon), Reptile Lighting group Admin, replied:
24 May 2025

Update on heating/lighting bulbs producing purely white incandescent light

"Hi, Elizabeth,
No new Arcadia Solar Basking Flood bulbs with white light are being produced for the USA market at present, they are being replaced by the GoldenSun version, which circumvents any prohibition on the sale of "white light" incandescent lamps by adding a yellow filter on the front lens. PetSmart have ceased their contract for Arcadia lamps but still sell a few of the original white-light bulbs as remaindered stock.

"New Arcadia stock (including GoldenSun) are now being sold by PetCo; however the smaller online businesses like LightYourReptiles, Pangea, Reptile Basics etc., have continued to sell Arcadia products, too, often at better prices!"
 
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