Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone have their Leos on anything but towels? I was thinking of planting mine with some cactus and such, and I wasn't going to use sand because of the impaction problems. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does it work?

I have tile in mine the geckos like it which is the important part..lol..I was thinking about getting an aloe though I have seen it in beardie homes and they seem to like climbing up and laying on it....I know leo's arent supposed to be big climbers but I dont think mine got that memo because they are always on top of anything they can get on in their tanks...lol...you can get the slate tile at a harware store in our 20 gal tank it fits three pieces one in each end and one in the middle over lapping the other two they are so easy to keep clean just three pieces to wipe off and put back in. every couple months I bleach them and rinse them realllllllllyyyyyyy well then bake them in the oven for about 20 min and once they cool you can put them back in good as new..have fun..let us know what you decide to do i'm always interested in new ways to decorate the tanks dont want the leos getting bored...
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

The book by Ron Tremper "Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos" has a great chapter on naturalistic vivariums. He even gives some discussion on plant choices if I recall. It'd be worth a look if you get a chance. Book's a bit pricey but will be worth 10 books in information alone.

I'll pick that up when I get paid again. Haha, another book from a tiny idea of mine, greaaaat.

If you guys have Trader Joes, go look at the tiny cacti they have. They're sweet.

lol. Yea, I guess there's a reading list for every question asked these days. Still, buy the one book and you'll probably throw away all the other ones. Trust me, it's worth it as a reference.

Right on.

I don't know, my leo stays in his humid hide all day..have any of you ever tried a cage full of vermiculite? I think he kicks all the wet vermiculite out, because after I mist it, the next morning there is a ton outside. So, if he's not using it to be moist..why not just have the whole thing vermiculite altogether?

Sand is fine. your gecko will not get impacted at that size and it is rare in hatchling geckos. if you want sand but are worried there is a calcium based sand on the market that is easilly digested. cactus type plants are not a good idead but there are lots of desert plants that can be found at any home and garden store that do not have spines. Leos will climb and some seem to enjoy it. all vermiculite will keep your leo wet and will entice infection to set in. have 2 hide boxes one humid one not humid. put one at the warm end of the cage and one at the cool end. later switch and see if he stays with his previous choice are see if he selects by the temp of the hides. -phillip

From what I have heard, calcium sand is not digestable and is quite dangerous. I don't know from personal experience, however, because I refuse to put my geckos on sand. I will not take the risk. Some people use sand without problems though.

One option for a very nice looking terrarium is to make the "sand" out of a natural-looking yet solid medium, such as tiles. The plaster of paris method also looks nice and is very easy to clean, if you have an artistic flair (http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Geckos-Leopard/messages/882379.html). Thanks for the idea Geckohappy - I LOVE my plaster tanks!

Anyway, what you can do is put a small potted aloe vera or cactus (I'm sure any succulent would work nicely) on this substrate, and hide the pot with rocks or something that resembles a rock.

Good luck with whatever method you choose. The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos is a great resource if you have the money for it.
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-Kristin

0.2.2 Leopard Geckos
(Kumquat, Tamale, Jujube, and Nougat)

One of my questions with any substrate that is higher up, is if the UTH pad gets through adequately, or does the substrate hinder it? My snakes are fine because they burrow down, but when it's tile, how does that work?

I don't know about the tile because I use plaster, but I'm assuming it conducts the heat from the UTH well. I know that the plaster does a very fine job of this. My plaster is less than an inch thick and it warms up nicely.

I am able to get a "desert" look without having to risk my leos safety. I will take a few picture in a bit and post them.
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-Kristin

0.2.2 Leopard Geckos
(Kumquat, Tamale, Jujube, and Nougat)

the tiles transfer the heat very well it also helps keep the entire side close to the same temp I dont have any problems with hot spots that I was getting when we had them on sand
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

this is from:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=6502&N=2006 114035

Herp Tip
Some reptiles may be tempted to ingest sand substrates. In small amounts, this can be harmless, but in larger amounts, can possibly cause impaction. There are steps you can take to reduce this possibility without sacrificing your substrate choice or the beauty of your reptile's habitat. Try the following tips:

Monitor your pet reptile during feeding times.
Place food offerings in a feeding dish or use feeding tongs instead of placing food directly onto the habitat substrate. During mealtimes, place your reptile in a separate feeding environment.
Use a calcium dust on your reptile's food before feeding.
Remove any uneaten food from your reptile's environment.

Generaly consider this: if your gecko decides it wants to eat large amounts of substrate for whatever reason it can get impacted, that includes moist box sustrate too. If you want a cool looking setup and you have a large leo it is fine to put sand in there if you understand the risk. calcium sand is digestible especially since recent improvements but plant dont fair as well. Not feeding them active prey such as crickets will reduce this risk. If you want a desert tank then switch to mealworms in a dish. If not then a rubbermaid box with heat tape and paper towles works too. know the risk make a choice.

I thought I had better ones. The first is of the 10 gallon set up, the rest of of the 20, but not of the entire setup. The "rocks" are made of plaster as well. I am planning on draping the back with fabric and adding in a few shelves to increase surface area.

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-Kristin

0.2.2 Leopard Geckos
(Kumquat, Tamale, Jujube, and Nougat)