Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have recently being using a shed hide alongside a normal hide for my Leo. The problem is she spends no time in the shed hide at all and the Moss dries up rather quickly even though i spray it each day with water. I have a normal hide (Bottomless) and this sits on top of subtrate which is on top of the heat mat. This is obviously drying it out but it would still dry out in a day anyway. My question is would it be better to purchase a hide with a bottom on it so the Moss would stay moist a lot longer, or remove the normal hide so she has no option but to go into the shedding hide? She has had problems in the past with her shed on her toes and i dont want this to return. Im reluctent to use a tubberware box and would prefer to purchase a hide (With a bottom) that is decorative. Any suggestions/Types

Yes it would be better but I myself have had more than enough stubborn Leos that just sometimes need to be soaked instead.

I had the same problem. I purchased a zoomed 3 in 1 shelter. thinking it could double for a humid hide and a egg laying site. I filled it with damp spagnum moss. After that, my leo would never go in it. She ended up laying outside of the hide on the warm tile. My temps in the hide were dramatically lower and the moss dried up quickly. I now have a commercial hide with a piece of paper towel under it when she is shedding. She likes it better. You could try to take out the normal hide and see if your leo will seek shelter in the humid hide. If she doesnt then you may want to just try paper towel in your normal hide..
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1.1 Western Painted Turtle (Mougly, Scooter)
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko (Daphne)

Ok i think i will try the paper towel method. Wet obviously but how ofetn do i change it? Daily?

from the pics i've seen of your leo and his housing, it looks like your going for the natural look, and to me it looks great! mines a bit more basic than your's i have to admit. half a coconut which is his normal hide, a tub of mealworms, a small log (which he never climbs anyways) 2 bottle caps (1 at either end) filled with calcium, and a plastic tub i get my crix in as a humid hide. what i do is put about 10 layers all around the hide so it keeps the moisture in, and yes it has a bottom so i guess your's will be losing a lot of moisture from not having a bottom to it. you could always make a bottom for it, just a plain sheet of plastic that fits the outline of the hide as good as you can, that should keep alot of moisture in. if not, either buy a commerically made one, or go less natural. you could always PVA and sand your own plastic ihde, my bro made his whole set up for his beardy, and man it looks so damn sweet. i'll get pics when im next at his house for you all ^^

sorry i meant to say 10 layers of tissue paper, and all i do is change it when it becomes distorted from all the heating and condensing, which is usually every other week. hope it helps

could i suggest to use different color tiles for natural? some look really cool in like building layers .. rock formations .. too

we use rubermaid containers in both of our leo tanks they have a hole cut into the side of the bowl and sit upside down on their lids making a little dish under them i use either the moss or the papertowels which ever we have and spay throughly every other night making sure to spay all over it and having a little water in the bottom the moss or papertowels keeps you gecko from sitting in the water but having a little resivoir helps keep them from drying out If using the paper towels i change them once a week.
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.0.1 RTB
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

Had your substrate been something other than those chips, I'd suggest just spraying down the tank once you notice the shed process starting to begin.

I have hides in my leo setup, and rarely use "humid" hides unless I have hatchlings, and for some reason I think the humidty/warmth of the humid hides comfort them mentally.

If u had slate or a substrate that wouldn't retain the water as much as the chips a good spray down would be great. Soaking works fine and all, but I just can't imagine a leo chillin out in a puddle somewhere.lol.

Anyway, another thing I notice is that my leos (3 females by the way) are kinda social to each other. I've seen them assist in shedding for the others, and also use each other's tails for pillows.

Maybe a cagemate would be appropriate if the tank size permits it.
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Leopard Geckos
Sahara (Normal)
Ghost (Blizzard)
"The Baby" (year old Albino)

Bearded Dragons
Junior(hopefully male/unsexed)

Jipjap, I also was looking for something a little more natural looking than a ziploc container w/a hole in the side (which works great!). Finally at my local pet store I found a hide that wasn't too big. I put it on top of a cool whip lid, traced around it, cut the lid into the shape of the hide, and siliconed it to bottom side of the hide, so it has a bottom. I put long-fibered sphagnum in it and keep it moist by misting every day. She loves it in there! I do keep it over the heat mat, which dries it out quicker; but she uses it much more often than she did when it was on the unheated side of the tank.
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2.1 Pygmy leaf chameleons (R. brevicaudata)
0.1.0 Chinese firebellied newt (Flame)
0.0.1 grey tree frog (Mr. G)
0.0.1 White's tree frog (Whitey)
0.2.0 guinea pigs (Pepper and Baby)
1.0.0 dog (Scout)
Countless fish

our ziplock containers are quite well hid and cheaper to replace...lol..i have cork bark over one and tile and rocks surround the other so you cant really see them. whatever you choose to use is really a personal decision. but i really like teh ziplock because you can change size and such and they are sooo easy to clean
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.1.1 Boa C.
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

hello, i have a natural looking tank too, in mine i have

- water pot
- pot for meal worms
- bark to hide under
- a little house made out of wood, for hamsters, which is great to scrape against to get skin off. and too hide in
- a rock to sit on and scrape against.
- a terracota plant pot, to hide in and scrape against
- folliage to decorate, and to add for hidding .
- finially , this will soudn takey but works and looks fine, in england, they sell marshmellows in bit tubs, i cut a hoel in one of these at the front and i use that for a humid hide, i have vermiculite in it and i just give it a spray evryso often. my geckos sit in here till they all warm and ready to shed then they go to the rock, pot, house, bark to scrape the skin off, works fine for mine (will put a photo on here one day.