When I added paintings from a calendar (by chagall, quite surreal flower paintings) and attached them to the walls my one leopard gecko just couldn't stop looking at them :D It was so cute to observe her trying to figure out whether she could interact with the background or not haha
Finally! A channel that actually mainly focuses on the actual care of these beautiful creatures. I see so many people doing “how to” videos and just chucking in sand with a hide and expecting it to thrive, thank you so much for the good information and recommendations on other channels! 😄
Had the scariest thing happen to me yesterday. Ordered a female adult leopard gecko off of morph market. Was sent on Wednesday through redline shipping. First delay was 24 hrs. Second one they tried was a 5 day delay. I got on the phone. My LeeLoo finally came. She was frozen and close to death. Had to hold her in my hands for over an hour before she was able to hold her head up on her own. Redline shipping said they saw my gecko was delivered safe and sound. Ya, frozen and hours away from death. Please do NOT use this shipping service, they use fed ex to ship your animal. They are not a shipping company and I will never back them
@@FATTERSONFATTYFATFAT not all of them do! They're a bit weird where every leo is a bit different. My leo will hide more and eat much less. Not full brumation but close
@@FATTERSONFATTYFATFAT you can definitely 'force' reptiles into brumation by lowering the temps but they also do it naturally as well. Every leo brumates differently
After doing a ton of reading, I've decided to go with the halogen & DHP heating. I have a DHP now, but since we are upgrading to a 40 gal, I think it can handle both with dimmers. Of course, that's in addition to the UVB light. Can't wait to see if it makes a difference with my "lazy" gecko. 🤣
@DoctorJT The reason I went for both is because I wanted to make sure I had backup heating at night and to supplement the ambient temperature since the Halogen has a tighter beam than the DHP. 😁👍
@the boss Reptizoo dimming thermostat on two of my tanks and the ZooMed Reptistat on the third for the halogens. I have plain dimmer switches on my DHP's.
I’m almost starting to think it’s an issue of parasite overload that leads to issues of impaction, like pinworms. This isn’t to discredit the fact that there are still inappropriate substrates like calci-sand but if we did more research we might be able to disprove the continued myth these animals can only be housed on repti-carpet.
I'd love to see you try hamster wheels! I've heard people use saucer wheels for leopard geckos, and I have a silent spinner for my crested! She uses it every night, it's fascinating and great exercise. Her weight condition has vastly improved
I sometimes collect wood branches outside to add to my reptile enclosures. They should be hardwoods (like oak, birch, apple, etc.) and can't be sprayed with pesticides or insecticides. A forest is your best bet as city parks are often sprayed. Some people like stripping the bark off the wood, but in my experience it isn't necessary. Then you can bake them at around 250°F for a couple hours to dry them out and kill any insects or fungus. Keep an eye on the stove because you don't want to start a fire.
I remember when I added some fishtank background to Sahyu's tank for her. She freaked the heck out for some reason. I didn't try again after that. Maybe I'll try to make a removable one once she's out of brumation, since she's mostly sleeping currently and isn't at all interested in her Christmas and Birthday presents. I spent considerable money on them, but apparently nothing beats cut Tupperware with Eco Earth in it to sleep in. XD
I accidentally killed my 9 year old daughter’s leopard gecko today. 💔💔💔 He choked on a cricket that I tried to force feed him. He was a juvenile. I’m pretty sure he had MBD, so I turned to your videos for advice. He wasn’t eating on his own. I changed his light to a UVB and gave him calcium daily to help heal him, and I was beginning to see improvement! He usually handled force feedings well, because he couldn’t catch his prey, but loved eating. If I didn’t force feed, he would’ve gotten stick tail from starving. I feel absolutely awful!! I wish I didn’t feed him that last cricket…. My heart hurts so bad today… R.I.P. Blizzard. 🥺😭💔💔💔 Thank you for your amazing videos. They are very informative and helpful. I wish I found you before he developed MBD. 🙏🥺💔
is there a way to make the background with the corks and sealants removable? i'm worried about the wood and how you can sterilize it when it's stuck to the enclosure and is covered with foam and colorings?
These are so cool! Can’t wait to do them for my boy Mochi. He’s weirdly smarter than the other geckos. Which is not saying a LOT but he appears to have object permanence which I haven’t seen in a reptile before?? Unfortunately my crestie Cheeto has to have surgery so goodbye savings. Tank upgrades are just gonna have to wait. I am curious how you deal with geckos getting into crevices when you need to do care for them like weighing or handling for health purposes. Do you just wait for them to come out?
Thank you so much!! Very helpful and easy things to improve the wellbeing of my geckos. Really trying my best as I now have 5, almost all rescue. Want each to be in the best set up possible and they do incredibly well on the Acadia supplements. Unfortunately being in South africa all the lighting for each set up, I have to save for quite a while - super expensive. But, it is my long term goal! Really love your content and have learned so much. Thanks again!
My house (parents) came with a bunch of slate, my mom sold a bunch but I was able to get and clean a lot and all of my animals have some, even my corn snake although he doesn't normally go there, he has a moss hide that he is almost always in or around, my my geckos love their slate, I also gave two of them jars, one with dirt siliconed on and one without as kind of an experiment, the one with dirt is used while the one without is pooped on, I think I'm going to get more silicone Although he does very occasionally use it but not often
I just got purple slate rocks from a local reptile/fish store it’s a little darker than the black slate thay had so I figured it will attract the heat from the protector more
is there going to be another one on crested geckos? normally I wouldn’t ask this but ever since my female crested gecko died my male has been very lethargic and barely moving around. He’s eating more which is great but I just wanna get him moving more
Does anyone know what that yellow grass kind of plant she has is? I would love to have some in my tank but I don’t know if that’s just decor or a live plant
Hi Rebecca I recently changed from UVB lighting and heating to UVA lighting and heating, should I go back to UVB or stick with what I've got for my leo
Do you think a mix of sand, dirt, gravel and bark will make a good ground? We don’t really have enough money to do anything else but we’ll collect outside stuff like sticks and stones. Do you think that could be enough?
Honestly, if you don’t have enough money to buy substrate, you most likely don’t have enough money to have a leopard gecko. What about vet bills? Don’t cut corners and sacrifice the wellbeing of an animal depending on you.
Me: is always told to add UVB and other over head heating sources to my tanks, so I do so for my Leo My albino Leo: Never comes out during the day since there is too much light yeah, I had to remove the light since my gecko loved to explore day and night I felt it was doing more harm than good to have visible light in their tank. So be aware of this if you have any light sensitive reptiles
How much time did you give your gecko to adjust to the change? It’s normal for them to need plenty of times to adjust to big changes. You also need to make sure you provide plenty of plant coverage (including around the basking spot) so they have cryptic basking opportunities. I hope you consider trying it again. Albinos benefit from UVB, you just need to put more thought into how you set it up and give them enough time to adjust.
@@nightinggale6470 I know im late to reply, it was on for 6-8 hours a day, did this for a good few weeks. The tank has lots of coverage with plant, rock and wood. I put a hella lot of thought into this before doing it, and no i wont be trying it again... My gecko is more active now and i don't see it benefiting her in the long run. I know my animals better than you...
With big naturalistic tanks like these how do you handle the poop situation? I know leopard geckos tend to do their business in the same place every time, mine just happens to do it in a cave and it's kind of a bother to clean regularly.
You could go bioactive with a cleanup crew, they’d handle the poop for you. I personally put paper towel in my girl’s bathroom spot (an elevated hide) for easy cleanup.
hi, I am upgrading my Gecko's enclosure and I am looking for a nice 3d background. I have checked the company you recommended in the link above but they do not deliver to the UK. Do you know of any alternatives on this side of the pond? thank you
Hi, I have a leopard gecko and was originally using sand but I want to change that and make a better habit for Darwin. I was curious where you buy your earth mix arid? Or if theirs anything else that works best on budget bc I can’t find it anywhere.
You can use a soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix. For the soil you can use manure-free top soil or zoo med’s Reptisoil, for the sand you can use playsand or reptile sand (NOT calcium sand). For clay you can use zoo med’s excavator clay or exo terra stone desert. I’ve also heard of bentonite clay being used as part of a mix. Terra Sahara from the bio dude is another option.
I had bought tree bark panels to use as background for my gecko tank but I had to remove it because he managed to climb it and was sitting on the top ledge which scared me bc I was scared he might manage to fall behind it or not get down/fall
Great video and wonderful tips! I have been considering adding substrate for some time now and am trying to decide between Earthmix arid or the Terra Sahara substrate that is included in your Leopard gecko kits. Have you ever personally used Terra sahara?
That’s a good substrate. You could mix it with soil if you wanted. Impaction is caused by improper husbandry, not loose substrate. As long as their husbandry is correct (temps/heating, hydration, etc.) a healthy animal will be able to pass loose sub no problem. They live on loose terrain in the wild, they’ve evolved to be able to handle it :)
Yes, air plants are safe to use. Many people sterilize things from outside just to be safe. You can do this by baking them in the oven (not rocks, though, as there’s a risk of them exploding).
hi hope you can answer my question i getting a 3x2x2 ft viv brought everything but i got the jungledawn 34watt led by mistake just wondered if it would be ok brightness wise or should i get the 22watt , love to know your opinion please cheers
3:07 I know you just said his name but I completely forgot it-- can you tell me the name of his morph?? I have a female leo that looks almost exactly like him. The only difference is full black eyes and the tail is less dark in the patterns. She's also a big gorl so I'm wondering if there's giant/super giant in her. I'm her 3rd owner so I have absolutely no idea. Thank you !!!!!!!
hey, I have an about 1 year old leopard gecko. He refuses to eat and we’ve tried everything we can think of. His tail is getting pretty skinny and I’m really scared for him. can anyone help?
Impaction is caused by improper husbandry and/or underlying health issues, not loose substrate. What heat source are you using? What’s the basking spot surface temperature and how is it being measured (analog thermometer, digital, or temperature gun)?
I was wondering if you half ever had the exo terra 40 gallon terrarium because I seen it has good reviews and videos but im a little nervous cause its a lot cheaper then the zoo med stuff but i think that’s cause the overprice stuff and I think you said you have a exo terra for Lyra I’m kinda on a budget I’m 15 and I want my leopard gecko Draco to be happy also he looks like identical to Maui
I’ve used the exo terra 24x18x12” enclosure in the past and have upgraded to a 40 gallon from an unknown brand. The exo terra 40 gallon is a good enclosure. Check secondhand sites for cheap used tanks, that’s how I got my tanks.
@@nightinggale6470 i already ordered it, and it will have a 3d background and i can then add much more decoration, hides, etc so he will be entertained all day
I just added a substrate to one of my leopard gecko hides and he does not seem interested in it. Maybe I just have to wait a few more days. Anything I should know about?
What type of substrate? I’d give him more time, it can sometimes take them awhile to adjust to big changes in their environment. A suitable loose substrate mix is definitely ideal and provides digging enrichment.
@@radicalgeckosuperstar9885 eco earth isn’t ideal, a soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix would be best. I would try half textured tile half soil mix for the substrate
Sorry if this is the wrong video to ask this but my leopard gecko hasn't been eating for around a month now and he also won't open his eyes. I'm getting really worried. Anyone know whats wrong with him?
I was told to have the UVB light off for 12 hours and on 12 hours so his tank doesn’t have any light at night is that okay? Or should he have a light? One of the things I have notice is he HATES the uvb light he does not come out at all when lights are on
Yes, 12 hours on and 12 hours off is fine. They shouldn’t have any lights on at night. Is he albino? When did you setup the UVB bulb? He most likely just needs time to adjust to the light. Make sure he has plenty of plant coverage and cryptic basking opportunities. Cryptic basking is when they only expose part of their body (such as their tail or leg) to the light, while keeping the rest of themselves hidden.
You don’t want any light at night, they need to have a proper photoperiod(day and night cycle). Since there’s little to no light after the sun goes down, there’s no need for a lamp overnight. If your house is very cold at night you can use a deep heat projector for heat at night since it doesn’t have light, but this is only needed if it gets below about 65F(18C) A temperature drop at night is actually good for them and helps with the day and night cycle, since it naturally gets cool at night in the wild. Most leo’s will not openly bask in the uvb like say a bearded dragon will, they will do what called cryptic basking and only stick a toe or part of the tail out and absorb uvb through that small part of the body. Make sure your uvb and heat lamp are on the same side of the tank to create a concentrated basking area(like the sun) and have plenty of plant coverage to get away from light if they please and they will absorb it how they feel fit
Is there anything wrong combining the red lights they sell as well as a UVB light? UVB light just during the day and the red light all day for head regulation?
Red lights shouldn't be used but uvb bars are good. UVB coils and UVB bulbs are not reliable. As a red light replacement, I would recommend either a deep heat projector or a halogen bulb
@@lemonlizard1 Thank you for the information I didn’t want to get the wrong bulb for heating.. what is the issue with using the red lights? Does it effect the leopard geckos eyesight? Or something else?
I don’t know I didn’t know you could do that but make it go away just fine she doesn’t get spooked easily and she’s not 99% of the time in our house like how I am 99% the time in my house she’s not in your house all day just in your house for a little bit and then comes out and then she doesn’t get spooked
Hello, I as of now own 1 leopard gecko(male) who’s 3 about to be 4 years old, and I am planning on getting another leopard gecko. I was wondering if it is okay to split the tank I now have(it is very large) cover up so they cannot see each other and keep them separate like that? Or are they to close to each other so that they can smell and become stressed by the other?
what's the enclosures dimensions in inches? its not at all advised to split tanks due to risk of barriers failing and aggression, but if the tanks dimensions halved are equal to 36x18 you should be fine?.. but its 100X better to just buy a separate tank, since you would have to quarantine the new reptile anyways
Definitely go with the Arcadia dhp & 7% uvb. Heat mats are quite out dated and they almost force your Leo to hide where it’s warm all the time - the ambient temps don’t get raised enough with a heat mat. You’ll see your baby much more if the ambient temps are warmer and uvb also prevents metabolic bone disease x
@@Katielomax7 just letting you know that halogen/incandescent bulbs are actually more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength) :)
That’s calcium sand, which is one of the worst substrates one could use. It’s unnatural and dangerous if ingested. A soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix (with regular sand, not calcium sand) would be best :)
@@nightinggale6470 I tried to include the website but TH-cam will not let me. This is not the bad calcium sand it was actually suggested to me by my local reptile store the brand is CaribSea.
@@act11girl I’ve looked into it, it is calcium sand. Not a suitable substrate. Unfortunately pet stores often give out misinformation, they just want to sell you things.
@@nightinggale6470 well now I am really confused. the store I talked to sells and breeds reptiles. Also when I went to the website it said it was safe and digestible if it gets in the mouth.
@@act11girl just because the store sells and breeds reptiles does not mean that you can trust everything they tell you. I used to co-op at (and briefly worked at) an exotic pet store that sells and breeds reptiles. Most of the reptiles being kept in the back room (not for sale, being kept permanently/long term) are in appalling setups, and I’ve heard the employees giving out misinformation. A pet store’s main goal is to make a profit. They may mean well when giving out information, but they often give out misinformation/outdated information. Calcium sand is very unnatural (leopard geckos don’t live on pure sand in the wild) and is not safe when ingested. Due to the high calcium content it can neutralize stomach acid, which is not a good thing. A mix of soil and regular sand (or soil/sand/clay) is ideal for leopard geckos.
Hi this is not related to the video at all, but my cat got a hold of my leopard gecko and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what I should do, I'm really worried about him also the cat got a hold of him in his mouth,and he got the top of my lizards head😔
Your gecko needs to be taken to an exotic vet ASAP. Cats have bacteria in their saliva that is dangerous to small animals (even to humans if you get bitten). How did your cat get ahold of the gecko?
@@nightinggale6470 I had friends over and one of them put him away but did not put the lid on so I did not know about it and my sister went up stairs and saw the cat in his tank😔
I'm sorry if this comes off as rude but why on earth are you posting about this on TH-cam??? This is something that should make you go to a vet immediately, that should be obvious! If I was attacked by a lion i would go to a doctor. Not ask online what people think I should do. I find it very strange that you felt you needed to ask about this. I hope your leopard gecko will be okay and that you have gone to a vet by now. And in the future your cat should NEVER have access to the same room as your reptile (especially not if you can't secure the enclosure). Good luck.
@@stuckinthelazycorneragain4016 i'm in a bad money position I talked to an exotic animal vet and he said that the exam alone would cost 82$ not including treatment etc. I feel really bad for not being able to take him to the vet, but I just cant😞
some, especially beginner, reptile keepers, can run into the issue of impaction, which means the gecko swallows loose substrate and can't digest it. this leads a lot of people to discourage or dislike loose substrate. but, improper heating can also cause impaction. as long as their heating set up is correct & you're being cautious when feeding, impaction shouldn't be an issue at all.
A soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix is best. I strongly recommend either using full loose substrate or half textured tile half loose, though. Dig boxes, while better than nothing, honestly don’t offer much enrichment. Nowhere near as much as full or half loose substrate. I’ve seen at least one case where someone tried giving their gecko a dig box and their gecko didn’t use it, but upon switching to loose sub, the gecko dug to their heart’s content.
Hey great video! I have a question. I've got a little clutter but I'm afraid of adding more just because my tank is not bio active and so I don't want the food(Aka crickets) to get in hard-to-catch places and die there without me even knowing.
can't find slate anywhere to buy in my country. Visited all the garden centers, pond shops, you name it... within an hour driving. They only have literally tiny pieces or just none at all and look at me like im insane when I ask for it. I do however have found another natural rock that kinda looks the same but is almost impossible to break apart. I bought some ok sized pieces. Now just hoping it will retain heat as efficiently. It's natural rock so I guess it would? Still have to try.
I dont know what country you're in but i was in the same situation (ireland) so i looked up a rock type map for my country and after i found a slate deposit nearby i just collected a ton of slate, washed and disinfected them a few times so I'll be suitable for my gecko's tank. Its way cheaper and its better than those massive bags of slate pepples
When I added paintings from a calendar (by chagall, quite surreal flower paintings) and attached them to the walls my one leopard gecko just couldn't stop looking at them :D It was so cute to observe her trying to figure out whether she could interact with the background or not haha
Finally! A channel that actually mainly focuses on the actual care of these beautiful creatures.
I see so many people doing “how to” videos and just chucking in sand with a hide and expecting it to thrive, thank you so much for the good information and recommendations on other channels! 😄
I would love a crested version of this. We love our boy and anything we can do to give him more enrichment would be amazing
You should be able to also do the same things, but using a different substrate and plants (for a more tropical environment)
I second this!!
fat
Had the scariest thing happen to me yesterday. Ordered a female adult leopard gecko off of morph market. Was sent on Wednesday through redline shipping. First delay was 24 hrs. Second one they tried was a 5 day delay. I got on the phone. My LeeLoo finally came. She was frozen and close to death. Had to hold her in my hands for over an hour before she was able to hold her head up on her own. Redline shipping said they saw my gecko was delivered safe and sound. Ya, frozen and hours away from death. Please do NOT use this shipping service, they use fed ex to ship your animal. They are not a shipping company and I will never back them
this is terrifying, i'm glad she arrived to you and you were able to help her out
😮Poor thing. I'm glad you got to her in time❤❤Hope she's happy and healthy now
Who else misses their geckos because of brumation? :,) The clips of your little dudes just made me miss my guy sm!! Cant wait for spring!
I do too. T-T
Your gecko goes into brumation?
@@FATTERSONFATTYFATFAT not all of them do! They're a bit weird where every leo is a bit different. My leo will hide more and eat much less. Not full brumation but close
@@lemonlizard1 I thought brumation was something you could force your gecko to do but otherwise they wouldn't do it.
@@FATTERSONFATTYFATFAT you can definitely 'force' reptiles into brumation by lowering the temps but they also do it naturally as well. Every leo brumates differently
So happy I found this channel and that it actually focus on Leopard geckos I’m just starting out with reptiles and this channel is helping so much ❤
After doing a ton of reading, I've decided to go with the halogen & DHP heating. I have a DHP now, but since we are upgrading to a 40 gal, I think it can handle both with dimmers. Of course, that's in addition to the UVB light. Can't wait to see if it makes a difference with my "lazy" gecko. 🤣
Halogen is considered better than dhp now since the heating type is more similar to the sun than dhp
@DoctorJT The reason I went for both is because I wanted to make sure I had backup heating at night and to supplement the ambient temperature since the Halogen has a tighter beam than the DHP. 😁👍
@the boss Reptizoo dimming thermostat on two of my tanks and the ZooMed Reptistat on the third for the halogens. I have plain dimmer switches on my DHP's.
I’m almost starting to think it’s an issue of parasite overload that leads to issues of impaction, like pinworms. This isn’t to discredit the fact that there are still inappropriate substrates like calci-sand but if we did more research we might be able to disprove the continued myth these animals can only be housed on repti-carpet.
Ooh what a fun collab. His tank is gorgeous!
Finally someone who cares for these little creatures. Thank you soo much
Loved this one ❤️ I’ll def be looking into this for my African fat tails , I’m getting them new leap enclosures !
Great video
My gecko loves your channel!🌺
I'm getting a second leopard gecko soon! Helps a lot, not only with my second ones tank, but my original ones tank to!
Your geckos are so healthy! Good for you. 👍 Theyre also adorable. Im seriously considering getting one. Pssst...Im 68 years young! 🌞
Lady ur too old.
I'd love to see you try hamster wheels! I've heard people use saucer wheels for leopard geckos, and I have a silent spinner for my crested! She uses it every night, it's fascinating and great exercise. Her weight condition has vastly improved
I have a saucer wheel! He isn’t used to it yet but I’ve seen him run on it!
These are actually terrible for leopard geckos they make the leo more stressed than happy. It's so sad that they even sell these ):
@@jgeery08 if it makes them stressed, wouldn't they just not use it? what's the harm in providing it?
Careful putting wood or wood like items inside. My leo had a little raw spot on her head, turns out under her tree a roach had made it’s way inside.
I sometimes collect wood branches outside to add to my reptile enclosures. They should be hardwoods (like oak, birch, apple, etc.) and can't be sprayed with pesticides or insecticides. A forest is your best bet as city parks are often sprayed. Some people like stripping the bark off the wood, but in my experience it isn't necessary. Then you can bake them at around 250°F for a couple hours to dry them out and kill any insects or fungus. Keep an eye on the stove because you don't want to start a fire.
I might get a leopard gecko because of you ☺️🦎
did u get one?!
My gecko runs to the front of her tank the second she hears my keys jingle to unlock it. It's adorable.
Tank Enrichment to Leopard Gecko
Nice video.
Amazing
im upgrading my baby leopard gecko to her adult enclosure tomorrow i already know she's going to love it
I have a fake mini alligator scull in my geckos tank and she loves it, I have even found her resting on top of it
Nah the glock for all line caught me off guard
Absolutely ✨AWESOME✨ Well done!!! 👍😊
I remember when I added some fishtank background to Sahyu's tank for her. She freaked the heck out for some reason. I didn't try again after that. Maybe I'll try to make a removable one once she's out of brumation, since she's mostly sleeping currently and isn't at all interested in her Christmas and Birthday presents. I spent considerable money on them, but apparently nothing beats cut Tupperware with Eco Earth in it to sleep in. XD
This is a gorgeous set up
will deffo be trying that last one!
thank you! I have been wanting to update my leopard gecko tank
Please let us know if you decide to combine the halogen and DHP! I am so curious to know if your geckos' behaviour changes.
Didn't get a notification! I'll be back for this one in the morning 🦎
Have you ever had one that bulldoze his plants. 😂 He landscapes
Kandang gecko yang indah
I accidentally killed my 9 year old daughter’s leopard gecko today. 💔💔💔 He choked on a cricket that I tried to force feed him. He was a juvenile. I’m pretty sure he had MBD, so I turned to your videos for advice. He wasn’t eating on his own. I changed his light to a UVB and gave him calcium daily to help heal him, and I was beginning to see improvement! He usually handled force feedings well, because he couldn’t catch his prey, but loved eating. If I didn’t force feed, he would’ve gotten stick tail from starving. I feel absolutely awful!! I wish I didn’t feed him that last cricket…. My heart hurts so bad today… R.I.P. Blizzard. 🥺😭💔💔💔
Thank you for your amazing videos. They are very informative and helpful. I wish I found you before he developed MBD. 🙏🥺💔
thank you for this!
What about the cleaning process?
Good video 🎉Please make a crested gecko version
is there a way to make the background with the corks and sealants removable? i'm worried about the wood and how you can sterilize it when it's stuck to the enclosure and is covered with foam and colorings?
Loved this vid your tanks are so good 😊✨
These are so cool! Can’t wait to do them for my boy Mochi. He’s weirdly smarter than the other geckos. Which is not saying a LOT but he appears to have object permanence which I haven’t seen in a reptile before??
Unfortunately my crestie Cheeto has to have surgery so goodbye savings. Tank upgrades are just gonna have to wait.
I am curious how you deal with geckos getting into crevices when you need to do care for them like weighing or handling for health purposes. Do you just wait for them to come out?
Hell yea … this video straight fire 🔥 helped my ass … Thankyou ma’am .. geckos look nice btw
Thank you so much!! Very helpful and easy things to improve the wellbeing of my geckos.
Really trying my best as I now have 5, almost all rescue.
Want each to be in the best set up possible and they do incredibly well on the Acadia supplements.
Unfortunately being in South africa all the lighting for each set up, I have to save for quite a while - super expensive.
But, it is my long term goal!
Really love your content and have learned so much.
Thanks again!
Excellent content 👍❤🦎😁
My house (parents) came with a bunch of slate, my mom sold a bunch but I was able to get and clean a lot and all of my animals have some, even my corn snake although he doesn't normally go there, he has a moss hide that he is almost always in or around, my my geckos love their slate, I also gave two of them jars, one with dirt siliconed on and one without as kind of an experiment, the one with dirt is used while the one without is pooped on, I think I'm going to get more silicone
Although he does very occasionally use it but not often
I just got purple slate rocks from a local reptile/fish store it’s a little darker than the black slate thay had so I figured it will attract the heat from the protector more
Love it
I love your videos❤
Awesome video ! Is this a 36 18 18 tank ?
is there going to be another one on crested geckos? normally I wouldn’t ask this but ever since my female crested gecko died my male has been very lethargic and barely moving around. He’s eating more which is great but I just wanna get him moving more
Have you taken him to a vet to make sure his calcium level is okay? Or to be sure he doesn't have parasites? Both can make a little guy sluggish
Does anyone know what that yellow grass kind of plant she has is? I would love to have some in my tank but I don’t know if that’s just decor or a live plant
Hi Rebecca I recently changed from UVB lighting and heating to UVA lighting and heating, should I go back to UVB or stick with what I've got for my leo
A tube UVB bulb (such as the Arcadia shadedweller) and a halogen or incandescent bulb would be the most natural and beneficial setup :)
@@nightinggale6470 thanks alot!
Do you think a mix of sand, dirt, gravel and bark will make a good ground? We don’t really have enough money to do anything else but we’ll collect outside stuff like sticks and stones. Do you think that could be enough?
Honestly, if you don’t have enough money to buy substrate, you most likely don’t have enough money to have a leopard gecko. What about vet bills? Don’t cut corners and sacrifice the wellbeing of an animal depending on you.
Me: is always told to add UVB and other over head heating sources to my tanks, so I do so for my Leo
My albino Leo: Never comes out during the day since there is too much light
yeah, I had to remove the light since my gecko loved to explore day and night I felt it was doing more harm than good to have visible light in their tank. So be aware of this if you have any light sensitive reptiles
How much time did you give your gecko to adjust to the change? It’s normal for them to need plenty of times to adjust to big changes. You also need to make sure you provide plenty of plant coverage (including around the basking spot) so they have cryptic basking opportunities. I hope you consider trying it again. Albinos benefit from UVB, you just need to put more thought into how you set it up and give them enough time to adjust.
I noticed my albino gecko also hid when I gave him UVB light
@@doxiebacon see my other reply.
@@nightinggale6470 I know im late to reply, it was on for 6-8 hours a day, did this for a good few weeks. The tank has lots of coverage with plant, rock and wood. I put a hella lot of thought into this before doing it, and no i wont be trying it again...
My gecko is more active now and i don't see it benefiting her in the long run. I know my animals better than you...
With big naturalistic tanks like these how do you handle the poop situation? I know leopard geckos tend to do their business in the same place every time, mine just happens to do it in a cave and it's kind of a bother to clean regularly.
You could go bioactive with a cleanup crew, they’d handle the poop for you. I personally put paper towel in my girl’s bathroom spot (an elevated hide) for easy cleanup.
What were those hollow rocks you were using during the backgrounds section?
hi, I am upgrading my Gecko's enclosure and I am looking for a nice 3d background. I have checked the company you recommended in the link above but they do not deliver to the UK. Do you know of any alternatives on this side of the pond? thank you
Hi, I have a leopard gecko and was originally using sand but I want to change that and make a better habit for Darwin. I was curious where you buy your earth mix arid? Or if theirs anything else that works best on budget bc I can’t find it anywhere.
You can use a soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix. For the soil you can use manure-free top soil or zoo med’s Reptisoil, for the sand you can use playsand or reptile sand (NOT calcium sand). For clay you can use zoo med’s excavator clay or exo terra stone desert. I’ve also heard of bentonite clay being used as part of a mix. Terra Sahara from the bio dude is another option.
I had bought tree bark panels to use as background for my gecko tank but I had to remove it because he managed to climb it and was sitting on the top ledge which scared me bc I was scared he might manage to fall behind it or not get down/fall
🦎👍👏🏼
question where did you get those rocks you glued
Great video and wonderful tips! I have been considering adding substrate for some time now and am trying to decide between Earthmix arid or the Terra Sahara substrate that is included in your Leopard gecko kits. Have you ever personally used Terra sahara?
You could make your own substrate mix for much cheaper. A soil/sand/clay mix would be ideal :)
I would recommend a 70/30 custom mix. 70% organic topsoil and 30% playsand. Make sure the topsoil doesn't have fertilizers though!
Can you make a fat tailed version of this PLEASE????
I used to use calcium sand. Are there any feeder bugs I could breed in the old sand? It's 40 lbs I don't want to just dump it
Aloe Vera is immortal 💪💪
How do you feed the gecko’s when there’s that much stuff in the tank? I’m afraid the feeders hide too much
You can tong/hand feed.
where did you get that giant cork round from?
Have you ever tried Pro Rep's Leo Life substrate? I want to try it but I'm a little scare it can cause impaction...
That’s a good substrate. You could mix it with soil if you wanted. Impaction is caused by improper husbandry, not loose substrate. As long as their husbandry is correct (temps/heating, hydration, etc.) a healthy animal will be able to pass loose sub no problem. They live on loose terrain in the wild, they’ve evolved to be able to handle it :)
@@nightinggale6470 thank you so much
Does any of the natural stuff need to be sanitized etc first? If so what is the best recommendation? Also would air plants be safe to use?
Yes, air plants are safe to use. Many people sterilize things from outside just to be safe. You can do this by baking them in the oven (not rocks, though, as there’s a risk of them exploding).
hi hope you can answer my question i getting a 3x2x2 ft viv brought everything but i got the jungledawn 34watt led by mistake just wondered if it would be ok brightness wise or should i get the 22watt , love to know your opinion please cheers
I got all sorts of stuff for my gecko to explore/climb on/hang out on. But his lazy fat ass just chills in like the same 3 spots lol
3:07 I know you just said his name but I completely forgot it-- can you tell me the name of his morph?? I have a female leo that looks almost exactly like him. The only difference is full black eyes and the tail is less dark in the patterns. She's also a big gorl so I'm wondering if there's giant/super giant in her. I'm her 3rd owner so I have absolutely no idea. Thank you !!!!!!!
hey, I have an about 1 year old leopard gecko. He refuses to eat and we’ve tried everything we can think of. His tail is getting pretty skinny and I’m really scared for him. can anyone help?
Significant weight loss is almost always a sign of underlying health issues such as parasites, he needs to be taken to an exotic vet ASAP. Good luck!
I added some dirt like yours but my 7yr old gecko got impacted.. shes too curious and kept licking the dirt. She survived but im afraid!!!
Impaction is caused by improper husbandry and/or underlying health issues, not loose substrate. What heat source are you using? What’s the basking spot surface temperature and how is it being measured (analog thermometer, digital, or temperature gun)?
What grasses are you using in the enclosure and is it safe for bearded dragons too?
I believe she uses carex grass but it may not be safe for beardies - depending on whether or not it's toxic
I was wondering if you half ever had the exo terra 40 gallon terrarium because I seen it has good reviews and videos but im a little nervous cause its a lot cheaper then the zoo med stuff but i think that’s cause the overprice stuff and I think you said you have a exo terra for Lyra I’m kinda on a budget I’m 15 and I want my leopard gecko Draco to be happy also he looks like identical to Maui
I’ve used the exo terra 24x18x12” enclosure in the past and have upgraded to a 40 gallon from an unknown brand. The exo terra 40 gallon is a good enclosure. Check secondhand sites for cheap used tanks, that’s how I got my tanks.
what size is your terrarium? I am thinking of switching from a 60x30x30 to a 120x40x40.
That would be a great upgrade, I would definitely go ahead with it!
@@nightinggale6470 i already ordered it, and it will have a 3d background and i can then add much more decoration, hides, etc so he will be entertained all day
I just added a substrate to one of my leopard gecko hides and he does not seem interested in it. Maybe I just have to wait a few more days. Anything I should know about?
What type of substrate? I’d give him more time, it can sometimes take them awhile to adjust to big changes in their environment. A suitable loose substrate mix is definitely ideal and provides digging enrichment.
Yea, I am using eco earth.
If he takes extremely long then I may have to do some more research.
@@radicalgeckosuperstar9885 eco earth isn’t ideal, a soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix would be best. I would try half textured tile half soil mix for the substrate
What do you think about terra Sahara?
I currently have my leopard gecko in a tank that is 35 long 18 inches deep and 12 inches high is this tank big enough for him
Yep!
Sorry if this is the wrong video to ask this but my leopard gecko hasn't been eating for around a month now and he also won't open his eyes. I'm getting really worried. Anyone know whats wrong with him?
I’d get him checked out at an exotic vet ASAP, not opening their eyes is not a good sign. Good luck!
What morph is Maui?
I believe he is some sort of baldy morph
I was told to have the UVB light off for 12 hours and on 12 hours so his tank doesn’t have any light at night is that okay? Or should he have a light? One of the things I have notice is he HATES the uvb light he does not come out at all when lights are on
Yes, 12 hours on and 12 hours off is fine. They shouldn’t have any lights on at night. Is he albino? When did you setup the UVB bulb? He most likely just needs time to adjust to the light. Make sure he has plenty of plant coverage and cryptic basking opportunities. Cryptic basking is when they only expose part of their body (such as their tail or leg) to the light, while keeping the rest of themselves hidden.
You don’t want any light at night, they need to have a proper photoperiod(day and night cycle). Since there’s little to no light after the sun goes down, there’s no need for a lamp overnight. If your house is very cold at night you can use a deep heat projector for heat at night since it doesn’t have light, but this is only needed if it gets below about 65F(18C) A temperature drop at night is actually good for them and helps with the day and night cycle, since it naturally gets cool at night in the wild.
Most leo’s will not openly bask in the uvb like say a bearded dragon will, they will do what called cryptic basking and only stick a toe or part of the tail out and absorb uvb through that small part of the body. Make sure your uvb and heat lamp are on the same side of the tank to create a concentrated basking area(like the sun) and have plenty of plant coverage to get away from light if they please and they will absorb it how they feel fit
Is there anything wrong combining the red lights they sell as well as a UVB light? UVB light just during the day and the red light all day for head regulation?
Red lights shouldn't be used but uvb bars are good. UVB coils and UVB bulbs are not reliable.
As a red light replacement, I would recommend either a deep heat projector or a halogen bulb
@@lemonlizard1 Thank you for the information I didn’t want to get the wrong bulb for heating.. what is the issue with using the red lights? Does it effect the leopard geckos eyesight? Or something else?
@@lougus7076 it hurts both their eyesight and their circadian rhythm. Unfortunately it's considered bad for almost all animals
@@lemonlizard1 okay sweet! Good to know 😇 thank you!
@@lougus7076 no problem! We all start somewhere
I don’t know I didn’t know you could do that but make it go away just fine she doesn’t get spooked easily and she’s not 99% of the time in our house like how I am 99% the time in my house she’s not in your house all day just in your house for a little bit and then comes out and then she doesn’t get spooked
Hello, I as of now own 1 leopard gecko(male) who’s 3 about to be 4 years old, and I am planning on getting another leopard gecko. I was wondering if it is okay to split the tank I now have(it is very large) cover up so they cannot see each other and keep them separate like that? Or are they to close to each other so that they can smell and become stressed by the other?
What’re the dimensions of the enclosure?
what's the enclosures dimensions in inches? its not at all advised to split tanks due to risk of barriers failing and aggression, but if the tanks dimensions halved are equal to 36x18 you should be fine?..
but its 100X better to just buy a separate tank, since you would have to quarantine the new reptile anyways
Im getting a leopard gecko juvenile tuesday, i made an ecosystem terrarium, 30.30.60 do you think i NEED uvb? Or can i just use led and a heat mat
Definitely go with the Arcadia dhp & 7% uvb. Heat mats are quite out dated and they almost force your Leo to hide where it’s warm all the time - the ambient temps don’t get raised enough with a heat mat. You’ll see your baby much more if the ambient temps are warmer and uvb also prevents metabolic bone disease x
@@Katielomax7 i have a heat lamp too
@@georgethemantis4251 ahh I see, that’s great!
Keep in mind that new reptiles should be quarantined on paper towel to monitor their health, ideally for three months.
@@Katielomax7 just letting you know that halogen/incandescent bulbs are actually more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength) :)
My comment keeps disappearing and I don't know why. Leopard Gecko can you tell me what you think about the Reptilite substrate?
Thanks
That’s calcium sand, which is one of the worst substrates one could use. It’s unnatural and dangerous if ingested. A soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix (with regular sand, not calcium sand) would be best :)
@@nightinggale6470 I tried to include the website but TH-cam will not let me. This is not the bad calcium sand it was actually suggested to me by my local reptile store the brand is CaribSea.
@@act11girl I’ve looked into it, it is calcium sand. Not a suitable substrate. Unfortunately pet stores often give out misinformation, they just want to sell you things.
@@nightinggale6470 well now I am really confused. the store I talked to sells and breeds reptiles. Also when I went to the website it said it was safe and digestible if it gets in the mouth.
@@act11girl just because the store sells and breeds reptiles does not mean that you can trust everything they tell you. I used to co-op at (and briefly worked at) an exotic pet store that sells and breeds reptiles. Most of the reptiles being kept in the back room (not for sale, being kept permanently/long term) are in appalling setups, and I’ve heard the employees giving out misinformation. A pet store’s main goal is to make a profit. They may mean well when giving out information, but they often give out misinformation/outdated information. Calcium sand is very unnatural (leopard geckos don’t live on pure sand in the wild) and is not safe when ingested. Due to the high calcium content it can neutralize stomach acid, which is not a good thing. A mix of soil and regular sand (or soil/sand/clay) is ideal for leopard geckos.
Hi this is not related to the video at all, but my cat got a hold of my leopard gecko and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what I should do, I'm really worried about him also the cat got a hold of him in his mouth,and he got the top of my lizards head😔
Your gecko needs to be taken to an exotic vet ASAP. Cats have bacteria in their saliva that is dangerous to small animals (even to humans if you get bitten). How did your cat get ahold of the gecko?
@@nightinggale6470 I had friends over and one of them put him away but did not put the lid on so I did not know about it and my sister went up stairs and saw the cat in his tank😔
@@nightinggale6470 its mt fault I should have made sure that the tank lid was on but I didnt
I'm sorry if this comes off as rude but why on earth are you posting about this on TH-cam??? This is something that should make you go to a vet immediately, that should be obvious! If I was attacked by a lion i would go to a doctor. Not ask online what people think I should do. I find it very strange that you felt you needed to ask about this.
I hope your leopard gecko will be okay and that you have gone to a vet by now. And in the future your cat should NEVER have access to the same room as your reptile (especially not if you can't secure the enclosure). Good luck.
@@stuckinthelazycorneragain4016 i'm in a bad money position I talked to an exotic animal vet and he said that the exam alone would cost 82$ not including treatment etc. I feel really bad for not being able to take him to the vet, but I just cant😞
Why is loose substrate controversial? Don't these guys live in the desert?
some, especially beginner, reptile keepers, can run into the issue of impaction, which means the gecko swallows loose substrate and can't digest it. this leads a lot of people to discourage or dislike loose substrate.
but, improper heating can also cause impaction. as long as their heating set up is correct & you're being cautious when feeding, impaction shouldn't be an issue at all.
@@ninetailskwami thx
They live in dry rocky grasslands.
@@PredictableEnigma ok. Thx. Persia?
@@jMerkyJJ Afghanistan, Iran, India, Nepal etc.
Any substrate recommendations for the US? I really wanna make a dog box for my son
A soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix is best. I strongly recommend either using full loose substrate or half textured tile half loose, though. Dig boxes, while better than nothing, honestly don’t offer much enrichment. Nowhere near as much as full or half loose substrate. I’ve seen at least one case where someone tried giving their gecko a dig box and their gecko didn’t use it, but upon switching to loose sub, the gecko dug to their heart’s content.
70% organic topsoil and 30%play sand you can get this stuff at Home Depot for like 10-20 dollars
Great video
the best gecko youtuber ❤️
Hey great video!
I have a question. I've got a little clutter but I'm afraid of adding more just because my tank is not bio active and so I don't want the food(Aka crickets) to get in hard-to-catch places and die there without me even knowing.
You could tong feed or hand feed the crickets :)
you can tong feed, feedings should always be supervised anyways so them hiding and dying shouldnt worry you too much.
Great video. Thank you. Some really good looking enclosures.
can't find slate anywhere to buy in my country. Visited all the garden centers, pond shops, you name it... within an hour driving. They only have literally tiny pieces or just none at all and look at me like im insane when I ask for it. I do however have found another natural rock that kinda looks the same but is almost impossible to break apart. I bought some ok sized pieces. Now just hoping it will retain heat as efficiently. It's natural rock so I guess it would? Still have to try.
I dont know what country you're in but i was in the same situation (ireland) so i looked up a rock type map for my country and after i found a slate deposit nearby i just collected a ton of slate, washed and disinfected them a few times so I'll be suitable for my gecko's tank.
Its way cheaper and its better than those massive bags of slate pepples