How to care for a Leopard gecko

Its me againSome of you may remember from my last post that I was trying to decide what to put in my 29 gallon (aquarium at the moment) and I've decided I'm getting a leopard gecko.
Anything you would like to give me advise on would be great.
I have a few questions. (More than a few really)
1- Is sand ok? What substrate is best?
2- Is it a good or bad idea to put a platform (not far from the ground)
3- Live or fake plants?
4- How many 'caves' does a leopard gecko need? is more better?
5- Heating lamp, and/or heating pad?
6- What is the difference between a male and female? Should I try to get a cirtain sex?
7- Would it be ok to put a small waterfall as his/her water source? (I can post a link to the one I want if needed)
8- What food is best to feed? Do I need to 'dust' the insects (if that's what I should be feeding)

If you could, please try to answer all questions (in order) before sending me a link..
Thank you
~Fallen

Any loose substrate is extremely hazardous to leopard geckos. Trust me when I say this. I have been working with leos for over 8 years and I can tell you that it is just the safest way to go and loose substrate will only give you problems. Reptile carpet or paper towel are the absolute best substrate options.

 

The thing is that a lot of people getting into leopard geckos over think their care which is natural, but it is a lot simpler than you'd think. And the fact is that a lot of people make big elaborate aesthetically pleasing leopard gecko enclosurea that are appealing to the eye and are very stressful to the gecko. All you need is a minimum of a 10 gallon tank for one adult gecko. Reptile carpet or paper towel. A food, calcium, and water dish, a moist hide, some dry hides, and an undertank heat mat.