Reptile & Amphibian Forums

first thing would a sunlight heat bulb in the day and a night heatbulb which emits a small amount of light at ight for nocturnal viewing be ok? for heat and light

secondly would filterd water from a fliter tap be ok for the gecko because tap water is supposedto be bad.

and thirdly as htey live in rocky environments i wanted to make my leo a rocky viv with rock caves and then a higher shelp type thing to go onto how would i secur rocsk to stop them falling and urting my leo? should i jsut use rocks big enough so as it wont move them and then make sure they are stable?

I have (roughly) 40" by 16" tanks and use a heat mat strip light (the type used for exotic fish) in each tank and this provides adequate heat for my geckos. I have never used the bulbs as the leos generally like to climb and reach and i have been afraid of burns. For nocturnal viewing i simply turn the tank light off and the light in the room on. This allows enough light to view your geckos without disturbing them.
For water i boil up the water and allow it to cool, making more then you need can be handy and store it in a clean bottle.
To secure rocks just position the rocks so they cannot be moved. Experiment with the rocks - you have to find the best positions for doing this. In one of my tanks i have a deer antler and they love it! Use a little aquarium sealer if the rocks cannot be made completely secur and use it like superglue to 'glue' the rocks together.
Also - be careful with the higher shelf. Leopard Geckos are amazing Houdinis and can often find a way out if your tank lid is not completely secure!

I would use a Under Tank Heater for heat, Leopard geckos need belly heat to properly digest their food. If you are going to use anything from out doors in you tank, soak it first in a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water. Rinse, and let air dry at least 24 hours. Also any rocks should either be anchored or heavy enough for the gekos not to be able to move them. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask anything else you want to know. I will reply.