spiderman

Howdy. I've never had a reptile pet but after much research I've decided
that Leopard Geckos are the ideal pet for me. From what I've read, they're
virtually maintenance-free compared to most other types of pet. They're
nocturnal, clean, like to live alone and occasionally come out to play (just
like me!). Anyway, I have an old 20-gallon aquarium that I could convert,
but my google research indicates it would be better to get a more flat/open
habitat so I think I'll go with Herp Habitat by Lee's:
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441806434

I know I don't need any special lighting for LGs...so what would be the best
heating source to establish a temperature gradient for use with this
habitat? Would a red heat bulb be enough or is an undertank heat source
better?

I plan on feeding it mainly mealworms since they're less expensive and
easier to store/handle. They're also highly available (eBay).

Thanks. I'd love to see if this Gecko can really live 20 years!

blove

Use the 20 gallon aquarium instead of that stupid plastic death trap by
Lee's. You should use the under tank heating pad connected to a rheostat or
cheap light dimmer as a secondary heat source and use the heat lamp also.
The gecko wont live long on meal worms, infact its been shown that the
mealies will burrow their way out of the animal, its happened before. You
need to feed him a variety, crickets with vitamin dusting once a week, and
give him silkworms, butterworms, and when he is an adult a pink mouse would
be a good treat. Also any lizard less then 9 inches should be kept on
papertowels, newspaper, or liner as substrate as any loose substrate can
become easily impacted if swallowed. Moist hides are loved by the geckos
also, it aids in shedding. Get a tupperware container fill with moist
spaghnum moss and cut a lizard size hole in the side so the gecko can go in
when he wants.

It's been shown? I still have it ranked as urban legend.

However, mealworms do have alot of chitin which is hard to digest and
could lead to problems.

-M

jesse

20 gallon would be just fine.
A tank that large you should consider getting a pair.


Depends. If the tank is in a cold ba*****t, you will need a heating pad and
a heat lamp.
If the area is warm already, you might need just a bulb.
The idea is to have a part of the tank at 70-80 degrees or so, and another
at 75-90.
If no part of the tank gets to 70, your going to have some letharigic and unhealthy critters.


Don't plan on that.
For one, not all leps will eat them.
I got 2 leps, one munches them right down, the other won't touch them.
Their Ok for a little variety in diet between cricket feedings, but
certainly are not a staple food.

rev brian

Geckos can be moody eaters, mine would only eat crickets now they won't
touch them. and they only eat meal worms. be sure to gutload what ever you
use for a feeder. wax worms make a good treat but are high in fat. they are
also known by some as gecko crack. mine won't eat those any more either. and
once or twice a week powder with calcium powder.

spiderman

I really don't want to handle/store crickets so mealworms will have to do
it. I'm sure if they get hungry enough they'll eat anything...so I don't see
why mealworms wouldn't be enough (if they get bored I'll throw in some
spices!). Someone told me the trick to making them crave the mealworms is to
throw in a piece of fruit so that the mealworms will move around since the
leps are predators and like to hunt moving prey. I understand that leps can
go 2 weeks without eating since they store fat in their tail...so I'm sure
they'll eat when they get hungry enough....

jesse

your not understanding here - Mealworms, contrary to their name perhaps, do
not have enough nutricious value in the bodies to sustain a healthy lizard.
Anyone with more specifics correct me if I'm wrong.
Your starting out with the wrong attitude here.
Their [its] little life is in your hands, and here your worried about whats
convienient for you.
Bad. Boo.
How would you like it if you was boxed up in a tank, and all somebody
tossed you was cheeseits every day ?
Shoulda done the research before you got the critter.
My best advice would be to give it to someone who will treat it with
respect as one of Gods creatures, and not just some minor amu*****t to do
with as you wish.
And BTW - You don't have to 'handle' crickets at all.
Buy them from a pet shop whatever, the store clerk bags them for you.
Get yourself a cricket house, which is a plastic container with a lid and 4
holes in the upper sides.
Into these holes goes 4 tubes which reach to the bottom.
Crickets like to hide, and after they check around for food/water [which
you should supply the lowly crickets with] they crawl in the tubes.
You need only to pull out a tube and tap it over the lizards home.
Cricket[s] pops out, lizard eats it and everyones happy - Except the
cricket of course, whose life span is measured in weeks anyhow.
So nowhere in this process do you actually have to reach in and scoop up a
cricket.
It takes an investment of about $15 - Petsmart has them cricket cages.

And mealworms - You buy them in a little platic cup which you keep
refridgerated.
They basically stay dormant - Throw em in a warm cage, they start wiggling
around and the lizard, if it cares to, will eat them.
No fruit needed.

katra

Fruit dusted with a little reptile vitamin powder however is good for
gut loading for both mealworms and crickets... ;-)
I'm going to have to try that route with the crickets I feed my frogs
since dusting crickets with vitamin powder seems to kill the majority of
them before the frogs can eat them.

Only trouble is, fruit attracts fruit flies! :-P Is there another good
cricket food I can provide them with and add the vitamin dust to that
would work as well?

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada


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rev brian

I use sweet potatoes /yams, lots of vitamins & cali***. crickets and
mealworms seem to like them.

check out this link.

http://www.casadelgecko.com/how_to_make_moisture_munchies.htm

OR
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ nutritional
value of fruits and vegatibles

katra

Excellent idea... Yams are very rich in B and A vitamins I believe?

I could get Agar on line... but it can support bacterial growth so you'd
have to be careful. Looks like that would be fabulous for making a
"canned" iguana food tho'!

I need to find a good food for the crickets that I can dust and get them
to eat and not attract fruit flies. I like the yam idea a lot! <G> Water
is not a problem as froggies have to have water.

I no longer keep crickets in a separate cage. I just get enough for
Sigmund and the two leopard frogs to eat in a week to 10 days now and
put them all in the vivariums at once. Siggy normally eats 2 to 3
crickets per day and is growing like a fat little weed. He's tripled in
size now since the first part of January when he morphed.

The 2 leopard frogs are growing more slowly, but they are out in the
greenhouse with a lamp over the cages so get more varied temps than
Sigmund does. They won't eat when the temp. drops below 50 degrees, but
they are not getting emaciated or anything, just not putting on size as
quickly.

Many thanks for the hints! :-)

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra