Leopard Gecko Tank Setup

The leopard gecko tank setup involves several elements. Among them, we find the tank or the terrarium, the decoration, and the furniture, the substrate, the hiding places. Apart from this, it should not be forgotten that the leopard gecko lives in a desert habitat and requires a source of heat. This is all you need. A little maintenance, a water supply, live insects, and calcium supplement to prevent bone diseases

The enclosure for the Leopard Gecko Tank Setup

The leopard gecko can stay in small spaces for a long time, but to keep it healthy, it requires a minimum space to explore and exercise. According to the specialists in this type of reptile, a tank of 10 gallons would be needed at least. In the case that you intend to raise or have a leopard gecko pair, it is recommended that the cage be at least 20 gallons. This will guarantee the distribution of the hiding places, the feeders, drinkers, and the decoration in case you want to give a naturalistic appearance to the terrarium.

You can easily transform an aquarium tank simply buy one at the local pet store. Another option is to buy it online from Amazon. There are very good offers, some below 25 USD.

The substrate used in a leopard gecko tank setup

There is a wide variety of substrates available for terrariums that house leopard geckos. By no means use loose substrates. You should not use sand, since the leopard geckos will swallow it when they are chasing their insects, or instinctively when they need to ingest calcium. This will always cause health problems.

On the other hand, a good substrate should be easy to clean, affordable, and durable. Here are 4 example materials that can be used as a substrate when setup a leopard gecko enclosure

• Paper towels.
• Card Board
• Anti-slip ceramic tiles.
• Reptile carpets

Leopard Gecko Hides and Moist hides

The leopard geckos spend most of the day in their hiding places, which is why their cage contains at least two dens or hiding places. It is smart to place them in the area of ​​higher and lower temperatures, so the leopard gecko can choose which shelter according to their needs.

These hiding places can be easily constructed by making plastic plates or non-transparent deli cubes to which one or two openings have been made. If you intend to build hiding places yourself using rocks, make sure they are tightly bonded with silicone. Avoid any type of accident that could hurt your pet.

In the pet shops of your town and on the internet itself there is a wide variety of hiding places of multiple shapes, sizes, colors, and designs at a very good price, which apart from giving the protection that the reptile needs, brings realism to the decoration.

All the geckos shed their skin, you can tell because their body has a dark color. In the case of offspring and juveniles, they shed their skin several times a year. As an adult, they do it less often.
Breeders often help the skin to detach using a moist hide. They are easy and economical to make. They only need a plastic pot that will open a hole wide enough for the leopard gecko to enter. inside place wet towels (not saturated with water). Make sure the edges of the opening are not sharp to avoid damaging the leopard gecko.

Food dish and water bowls

In the case of feeders and bowls for water, we will not delve much. We will only point out that these must be heavy enough so that our reptile does not bolt it. If you want you can use some ceramic bowl or if you prefer to buy some in the form of rock or other design that harmonizes with your decoration.

Leopard Gecko Temperature and Light

An important factor to take into account, when it comes to adapting our tank for leopard geckos is the temperature. As we mentioned earlier in leopard geckos facts. These animals come from desert areas and are used to temperatures at a temperature range of 75 to 90 ° F.
Temperature plays an important role in the life of the leopard gecko, not only does it help it to digest food, it also intervenes in its life cycle, inducing it to hibernate and reproduce. Another incidence of temperature can be seen in the sex of the reptiles at the time of incubation.

To heat the terrarium properly, it is advisable to place a heater under one end of the tank, so that the temperature gradient decreases from one end to the other, guaranteeing the entire temperature range. Another method used is the use of special ultraviolet lamps for the same purpose. Like the heater, they must be located at one end of the tank. In my personal opinion, I prefer under tank mats heaters. They heat the bottom of the tank, where the heat is needed.

Leopard gecko temperature control

The temperature control must be constant. If temperatures drop, our fancy leopard gecko will go into hibernation. This does not have much danger, since it is a normal process. It will only decrease your physical activity and the amount of food you consume. All this is reversed when the temperature returns to its normal numbers of 75 to 90 ° F.

Another thing is when the temperature exceeds 94 ° F. In that case the health of our gecko is in danger of suffering burns.

To avoid this I suggest you integrate a thermostat into your heating system. This will control the temperature automatically and avoid any mishap. These devices are available at any pet store that specializes in reptiles. Another option would be to visit the pet supplements section of Amazon, where you can find different thermostats at a great price.

And finally, and this I leave to your consideration, it would be good to place a thermometer to check yourself the temperature at each point of your terrarium. So you will have a better idea of where to place the feeder, the hiding places, and the water source.

Leopard Gecko starter kit.

If it is your first incursion into the world of leopard geckos, a good option would be to buy a starter kit. This would save you time and money when setting up your first terrarium.
These kits have a pre-established design, although you can then upgrade it to your liking. They have the tank, the heater, the substrate a hiding place, a dish for water, and a temperature sensor. In short, the minimum requirements to accommodate your pet.

In the market, there are several kits for novices at a good price and excellent quality.

If you already have some experience and prefer to design yourself your pet’s habitat has many options. The limit is your imagination and budget.