How to care for a Leopard gecko

With that walnut substrate your lizard could swallow it and become impacted, would then need expensive surgery or die.

All of the foods he needs may become annoying then. I would suggest doing crickets more then just occasionally they are a part of a varied diet. Oh and usually for meal worms I have to ask and they get them from the back, so you may need to ask for those too.

Here are some links to different lizard foods that I have bought online before I started breeding my own:

Phoenix worms are pretty nutricious



This one has several different feeders.

https://flukerfarms.com/live-crickets/

 

Just wondering,
Is your LPS that you get these at either Petsmart or Petco? If not then what is yours?

 

I agree, the crushed walnut substrate is one of the absolute worst for causing impaction. Just stick with tile. You could add more large rocks or something if you want it to look more natural and less 'flat'.

I get most of my feeders at petsmart/petco, mostly crickets but the chain stores near me also have mealworms/superworms/waxworms/etc

edit: if you're lucky some petco stores are starting to carry roaches too, I saw some prepackaged live ones at my local store last time I went in

 

I can get crickets and meal worms from petsmart. They have also started to do horn worms, and flightless fruit flies. Reggie, my gecko, is kind of picky though and only likes freshly hatched cockroaches, meal worms, and crickets.

Actually now that I think about it I have also seen live crickets at ace, and I be you could find some lizard safe insects at bait shops too.

 

No loose substrate at all. Geckos really aren't good at spitting out non-food items. Tile is nice, it distributes heat very well. I hated cleaning it, though. I do shelf liner, with paper towel over top. Break up the "horizon" with decor. I'll take a picture of my tanks when I get a chance. Give you some inspiration

I get my feeders from a reptile shop if possible, or through PetCo. Timberline is the same company PetCo and PetSmart use. You can also order from websites like Rainbow Mealworms. They have deals all the time and everyone I know of that's ordered from them has been extremely happy. But you have to buy bulk, so that may not be the best option for a single gecko. Be careful buying feeders from bait shops. They may not be sourced very well. As for calcium worms/Phoenix worms, all mine hate them lol They tend to like them for a few times, then refuse to eat them ever again. Many people also experience the same thing. Just something you'll have to experiment with. Personally, I hate crickets. I use them vary rarely, and I get just enough for one or two nights. They smell and they're noisy, and they tend to just die, even when gutloaded. Sometimes I like to get canned grasshoppers. They're really big, though, and not all geckos will take dead prey. Luckily mine go after anything, so long as it's moving, so I can just wiggle them and my guys will scarf them down.

 

No loose substrate at all. Geckos really aren't good at spitting out non-food items. Tile is nice, it distributes heat very well. I hated cleaning it, though. I do shelf liner, with paper towel over top. Break up the "horizon" with decor. I'll take a picture of my tanks when I get a chance. Give you some inspiration

I get my feeders from a reptile shop if possible, or through PetCo. Timberline is the same company PetCo and PetSmart use. You can also order from websites like Rainbow Mealworms. They have deals all the time and everyone I know of that's ordered from them has been extremely happy. But you have to buy bulk, so that may not be the best option for a single gecko. Be careful buying feeders from bait shops. They may not be sourced very well. As for calcium worms/Phoenix worms, all mine hate them lol They tend to like them for a few times, then refuse to eat them ever again. Many people also experience the same thing. Just something you'll have to experiment with. Personally, I hate crickets. I use them vary rarely, and I get just enough for one or two nights. They smell and they're noisy, and they tend to just die, even when gutloaded. Sometimes I like to get canned grasshoppers. They're really big, though, and not all geckos will take dead prey. Luckily mine go after anything, so long as it's moving, so I can just wiggle them and my guys will scarf them down.

I am envious of your not picky lizard lol. My Reggie didn't like those phoenix worms at all. He in fact ended up puking them up the second time I tried when he got older.

 

Should I aI'm for a variety of food, or should I stick to 1-3 types?
I was thinking
Butterworms- Occasionally (once every 2-3 weeks)
Red earthworms- Occasionally (once every 1-2 weeks). *Can be removed
Flightless fruit flies- Twice a week. * Can be removed
Super worms - Main food (every day).
*And/Or* ( one can be removed)
Meal worms- Main food (every day).
Is there any other live foods that I could feed?
Suggestions on my planned live food?

 

That's a good variety but I don't feed my adults every day. Maybe 3 times a week at most. From what I understand adults shouldnt be fed everyday. Hatchlings and juvies are everyday, tthen as they get older gradually ween them down. Or you'll have a fat gecko.

I'm no pro but that's my understanding.

 

Oh, I didn't know that (obviously)
So it will probably be more like this then(?)
Butterworms- Every 3rd week
Red earthworms- every 2nd-3rd week
Flightless fruit flies- once a week
Superworms/mealworms- 3 times a week
Total feedings=4

 

I am envious of your not picky lizard lol. My Reggie didn't like those phoenix worms at all. He in fact ended up puking them up the second time I tried when he got older.

If its moving, as long as its not a calcium worm, they're gunna strike at it lol One even goes after my fingers. Everything in his tank gets done with 10 inch feeding tongs or with him removed lol They take canned insects whenever I offer, and they don't really seem to care as long as I jiggle the insects around.

Should I aI'm for a variety of food, or should I stick to 1-3 types?
I was thinking
Butterworms- Occasionally (once every 2-3 weeks)
Red earthworms- Occasionally (once every 1-2 weeks). *Can be removed
Flightless fruit flies- Twice a week. * Can be removed
Super worms - Main food (every day).
*And/Or* ( one can be removed)
Meal worms- Main food (every day).
Is there any other live foods that I could feed?
Suggestions on my planned live food?

Do as large of a variety as you can, if you can. Personally, I do a staple of supers, and every few months, I'll give them a couple meals of something else. But there's very little variety here now that the reptile shop is by appointment only, and I don't have time for that lol I don't think flightless fruitflies will work. They're the size of a pin head. Not really worth a meal for a leopard gecko.

Juveniles I feed daily, as much as they want (so long as they show restraint, and stop eating at a reasonable amount. My super giant had to be put on a diet when he was little because he'd eat until he regurg'd almost every night, so he was put on a strict number of worms every night lol). Adults I feed about every other night or so. Or you can reduce the number of prey items and feed nightly, if you'd like. For example, you can do one or two supers or crickets a night vs 3-5 every two or three nights.

You may find earthworms won't go over well. They were too flail-y for my geckos, and they are deceivingly long. You could probably cut them in half, but I'm not sure how well that would work out. Never hurts to try, though.

You can try horn worms. Get just a couple small ones. They grow quickly, and can get too big for even a large gecko in just a few days. Most geckos take them very well.

 

I might try horned worms then. Mines never had them and I'm sure my crestie would love them.

Great advice akari. Where have you been anyway? That's a lot of post to just "show up lol" never seen any of your posts until this thread. Srry I'm nosy.

 

I got really busy with school and work, and took a forum break

 

Just wanted to check again,
All of this information is the same if I choose to go with a super giant instead of a giant right?
(Except the tank size - 30long-40g right?)

 

I just use 20 longs for all my geckos. I have used a custom 30 gallon for my Super Giant, but he didn't use it all, so I booted him down to a 20 long. As long as you've got at least a 20 long for an adult, you'll be fine. I would suggest a 10 gallon for a hatching, though. They don't do well in large spaces.

 

Even if he/she doesn't use it all I might get a 40 gallon.. I just like to allow the space even if they don't use it
How big do the super giants get? Do they get to about the size of a bearded dragon?

 

Bearded dragons get a couple feet long, so no, they don't get that large. Mine is about 12 inches long. If he's sitting perfectly straight, his nose will touch the front of his 20 long and his tail will touch the back of it lol He's a big lazy lump, though, so I'm not worried about it. If he actually did stuff at night, he'd get a larger tank.

 

A few more questions,
1. How well (if at all) does he heat from the heat pad go through tile?

(2-4 are about the live feeders)

2. This is basically their Water.. (?)


3. I feed them this right?


4. Should they also be eating this?

 

1) The heat from the heat pad goes into the tile just fine.

2) You can use that for water for the crickets yes. I personally just put a paper towel over the crickets and mist it with water every day.

3) I actually like to use Reptivite with D3 and Reptivite without D3 to dust the insects with. I also don't dust Reggie's food every time before he eats too.

I dust with Reptivite with D3 two days, and Reptivite without D3 one day. Then any other days are dust free.

4) You can go that route yes. I prefer to feed the crickets Adult bearded dragon food, along with fresh green leafy vegetables.

 

The heat goes up to the tile pretty well, as long as its got good contact with the glass. This is why I like a light layer of sand, so that the sand conducts the heat up to the tile.

I prefer to just feed the crickets actual food. Veggies scraps are perfect. And they don't even care if its overly fresh. I use spring mix salad for most of my gut load, and whatever else is laying in the fridge not getting used quickly enough. I also use Repashy Grassland Grazers gel on occasion (made it for my Uromastyx, who of course hates it, so the supers get it every now and then). Fresh foods are much healthier, and much, much cheaper. You won't miss what little bit of veggies you use to gut load your feeders, so it's basically free, in that sense.

The Repashy Calcium Plus isn't a feed, its a multI vitamin that you "dust" your feeders with. For example, I put a few supers in my boys bowls, dump a little of the Repashy over them, and shake the bowl back and forth, until the supers are pretty well covered in it. I've also caught my super giant lapping at the left over powder in the bottom of his bowl.

 

clk89
You said you feed your feeders adult bearded dragon food, could I feed mine adult leopard gecko food?

 

There isn't a pelleted leopard gecko diet. And pelleted reptile diets aren't species appropriate or healthy in any way as it is (even for cats and dogs, kibbled diets aren't idea). As species that do not actively drink large amounts of water, feeding dried diets is in no way healthy-- that goes for feeders, as well. Honestly, a little bit of whatever you have in the fridge is much easier, safer, and cheaper.

 

@clk89
You said you feed your feeders adult bearded dragon food, could I feed mine adult leopard gecko food?

I feed them the adult bearded dragon food for the extra protein, but I also feed the insects veggis. Basically you can't do just the bearded dragon food, but combined with fresh food.

 

I forgot I told you I'd get you some pictures of my set ups! I'm on my phone, so hopefully this works ok.

I have an UTH that covers about 1/3 of the bottom of the tank-- in this case, a medium ZooMed UTH on a 20 long. Then I put down a layer of shelf liner (one roll from Dollar Tree fits perfectly, no cutting required).

Then there is a hide completely off of the heating pad (two in the case of this tank), one over the heating pad, and a wet hide, which is just a food storage container with a hole cut in the side and lined with paper towels wetted with dechlorinated spring water.

My super giants tank is much less exciting than my other geckos tanks. I have trouble finding him hides that work for his size, poor guy lol So he's only got a cool hide, a hot hide, and a wet hide. My snow has two hot hides, a wet hide and a cool hide. The position of the hot hides are placed so than one side has the heating pad under neath, and the other doesn't, so they can lay on the heating pad or off of it, but still be in the hide. They of course also have the option of laying on the heating pad outside of the hide as well.

Also included a pictuture of my jungle bell and super giant tangerine

*edit* wow, that worked. Let me get on my computer lol

*edit 2.0* Ok, lets try this again...

 

Awe you geckos are so cute Akari_32 ! My Reggie looks a lot like the second lizard in your pictures.

 

I am certain that all have been answered and covered by now....but I'll go ahead and add mine

1- Reptile carpet or tile for sure
2- Not sure
3- I like artificial for leos, my cresties, golden and climbing gecko species have live plants. I prefer tropical plants to live plants, but live plants can be a great addition. Just need desert species I think?
4- 3. A hot cave, a cool cave then a humid hide
5- I use pads undertank, cause they get on fine with just belly heat no basking spot light whatever.
6- Well for me I think the needs differ in one needs a laybox...the female...and females you can keep together...males should be housed alone.
7- I like just a dish. Waterfalls I wouldn't do in a leo tank, IIRC crickets or insects can get trapped in em?
8- Crickets, dubia roaches, or superworms I like best. Dusted in calcium w/D3 or multivitamin powder. For pure calcium I leave a dish inside the cage at all times. Some just use a capful regularly, I leave it in and doesn't hurt.

 

I missed the pics, wow. I love the leos here

Here are my two, had since January

 

Is your super gaint fully grown yet? Akari_32

 

Yes, he's 3 years old. I'm 5' 11", so you don't really get to appreciate how long he is on my long arms lol

 

Can I house 1SG Leo and 1 normal Leo together if they are both female? Or 2 SG Leo females?
Update: I got a 40 gallon breeder with a few accessories
Will post picture soon
(After I post picture) Can I use this wood? most of it is oak, I don't know what the root looking one is.. (It was a tree that we bought and it died)

 

Remember, this is a work in progress

 

Starting to look good so far.

 

Looking good so far! If you want to house two geckos in that tank, you'll want to divide it. They're solitary animals at heart, and don't tend to do well housed in groups.

Couldn't tell you if the wood is safe to use. I can say that you may want to add in a smaller cave along with that extra large one, just for some options. They seem to prefer being rather tight in their hiding places.

 

Ok
Also, in that empty corner I was going to try to find some kind of skull hide, also as a basking place (the tank came with a basking lamp)
Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll try to keep you updated

 

Can I house 1SG Leo and 1 normal Leo together if they are both female? Or 2 SG Leo females?
Update: I got a 40 gallon breeder with a few accessories 
Will post picture soon
(After I post picture) Can I use this wood? most of it is oak, I don't know what the root looking one is.. (It was a tree that we bought and it died)

The wood looks fine. Any type of cedar is not safe as when heated can release fumes that can be toxic to reptiles.

 

Ok 
Also, in that empty corner I was going to try to find some kind of skull hide, also as a basking place (the tank came with a basking lamp)
Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll try to keep you updated 

Leopard geckos don't need a basking lamp. They might need a ceramic heating lamp, but not for basking. They are two different things.

 

clk89
I know they don't need it, but it came with the tank.. I already have it (basking lamp)
I was basically just going to turn it on whenever I thought my Leo might get cold (fall/winter)
Its fine if he/she ends up not using it

 

I know this isn't talking about leopard geckos,
Sense this is now a 40 gallon breeder instead of a 20 gallon long, could I get a legless lizard? (I have not researched these much at all, so sorry if this is apsolutely unacceptable )

 

No idea! lol

I do know that rainbow skinks are really cool and can live in a 40 breeder. They're pretty cheap, too, if you can find them.

 

I'll look at them too, but I was asking about legless lizards because I want a snake but my mom won't let me get snake (she's ok with a legless lizard though ).

 

Because they're somehow vastly different in looks and movement? LOL