Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm a great animal enthusiast. I've been in kingsnake forums for a while, posted countless messages, but most of the time, I was around in the anole forum. I had experiences with herps for some years, and my anoles are getting really ancient, and they're reaching the end of their life. Since I bred anoles for a while, I decided to have experience with new herps, once all my anoles are gone. A leopard gecko suited me very well. I currently have an unoccupied 10 gallon tank, and would two leopard geckos be ok? Some care sheets say yes, but some say only one. Both of my anoles are 8 in. long, and they're also housed in 10 gallon aquarium, and they never had problems. Obviously, 2 males are no-no for leopards. Can all of you leopard gecko experts out there suggest me some great tips and great sites? It'll be really helpful. Thanks!

By the way, this is a rather dumb question, but can leopard geckos swim? I'm just curious.

Tim

Hi and welcome to the forum!!! I would only put one leo in a ten gal. Unless you get babies then you could put two. When they get older you can get them a bigger cage like a 20gal long. Anoles are different and leos get bigger
up to 10in so a ten gal can sometimes get crowded even for one leo. About swimming i don't think they can so use a water dish small enough for a leo to just soak in or drink from. Good luck and feel free to ask the forum any more Q's you like. Katie
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Owner of 1.2 Leopard Geckos, 3.0 Fire Belly Toads, 0.0.3 Treefrogs, 1.1 Bahaman Anoles, 1.0 Japanese Fire Belly Newt
and 0.0.1 Turtle

These are ADULT anoles? I'm guessing brown or green but it's wrong either way. Anoles are very active animals and take up very large territories in the wild.

Anyway, many books say you can put a FEW leos in a 10-gallon, but this is obviously bull. Unlike anoles they mostly only take up the ground, so that leaves them with nearly no space.

I have two juvenile leos and one is in a 10-gallon quarantine tank. She looks pretty cramped.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

They can be very happy in a shoebox of 14x8x6. You can easliy keep 2 geckos in a 10 gallon tank, you can house 6 geckos in a 22x16x6 shoebox. However there is a difference between keeping breeder animals and display animals. When keeping breeders you want to house them in the bare minimum to where they can live happily. When you want to display animals, you want to go for a bigger cage to have a more elaborate decrotive vivarium. If your keeping your geckos just to keep them, nothing too fancy, then you can easliy keep two in a 10 gallon with a large humid hide, a hide on the cold side if you want, a water and a food dish on a papertowel or newspaper substrate, its up to you how you want to keep your geckos.
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Bradley Baquial

I wouldn't call them quite happy in a 10, but I don't think it will harm them (leos).

And there's a difference between someone who keeps geckos to breed them and someone who keeps them as pets. Pets you're supposed to care for well more than anything, and they will do better in a larger tank in a few different ways. It's not necessary, no, but why cramp a pet? Why have a pet if it's better off somewhere else, either?
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

Yes, I do agree, but how do you know they're being cramped if 2 leos are kept in 10 gallon? Is there a way to find out? I mean, in anoles, you can guess by color changes, but how in leos? If there's a way to find out if they do are feeling cramped or not, that'll be cool.

Tim

You know, there's no way to know for sure... but when my gecko is trying to get out and explore, I feel pretty bad for her.

I think it's better to have a large cage with various geckos then a small one for each, in a sense, because it allows them to explore and a cage filled with things stimulates them. Then again, more geckos in one cage can lead to problems, so maybe not
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

I'm wrong about keeping 2 green anoles in a 10 gallon tank? No, this is fine. I may be wrong about guessing that 2 leos would be in 10 gallon tank, but not green or brown anoles. Actually, if anybody wants to save their money, having 2 green anoles in a 10 gallon is the best way. Everyone says so, even in most care sheets. 2 green or brown anoles can be kept in every 10 gallon tank, so therefore, 20 gallon can hold 4. Anoles are active, yes, but they don't get cramped unlike leos becaues they can go anywhere in the tank, the walls, the screen, you name it. I had my anoles in 10 gallon tanks for more than 3 years, and they're doing excellent, eating well, sheds like crazy, etc. Are you interested in keeping anoles? I can give you information if you like. Or do you already have them?

Tim

I've kept hundreds of anoles. Not everyone agrees with it and I think you need better books, because many books I have say to use a 20. The care sheet under kingsnake says the same.

Anoles, brown and green, take up pretty large territories in nature (males). It's pretty cruel to keep two adults, unless they're feeders, in a 10-gallon, because they really need more space than that. Do you realize how tiny a 10-gallon is?

Unlike leos they do not hide under a rock all day. They bask here, move way over there to hide, move way over to a different direction to feed, and that is the way they are meant to live.

You can keep them like that for some time, but it's only going to really stress them out. I don't recommend it at all, and neither would anyone who really knows and cares about them.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

Well, ok, it's just your opinion about having 20 gallon for at least 2 anoles, but I'm just saying that I had no problems with 2 anoles in 10 gallon tank. Yes, 20 gallon is great too, but my anoles never got stressed and I only lost one anole, because she was too old to live. They never had stressing problems, and they all drink and eat well. Look, don't worry about me. I'm only keeping two, ok? Not three. Well, 10 gallon may be too small compared to others like 20, but not THAT tiny. It's really going to stress them out? I mean, c'mon, I had them in this tank for at least 3 years, and they're completely happy with it. I clean their cage every few months, never handle them, remove uneaten food, etc. They're doing fine. The other care sheets say that 20 gallon tank with at least 2 anoles is better than 10 gallon tank with 2 anoles, but it didn't say 10 gallon with 2 anoles is a bad thing. It just says 20 gallon's better. I mean, I have green anoles, not knight anoles or some other larger kind. Yes, I do wish I have a 20 gallon tank with 4 anoles, but since I don't have much time with all the pressure of my work from elsewhere, I can't for right now.

Tim

Green anoles are arboreal animals, though. They spend their time high up in places (not common in shrubbery like browns) and it will stress them out to not be able to be high and safe... Just because they've lived three years doesn't mean they're not stressed.

It's nearly the same thing as those people who keep their dogs penned up, with only enough space for the dog to turn around in their cage a few times but not run or exercise. A dog is meant to run and a green anole is meant to climb up high and hide among leaves.

You can't perfectly mimic that in most captive environments, but it's the responsibility of any pet owner to try to provide their animals with adequate space, as well as nutritious food, clean water, appropriate conditions, etc. I mean, why take an animal from the wild to cramp it up? It's just a simple lizard, I know, but if it can live a better life outside I don't see why people will remove it from its environment. A 10-gallon not being adequate for two anoles is not my opinion.. what's my opinion is that it actually matters. To many people an animal that is used as feeders doesn't matter.

So, yeah they'll live. Animals live in cages too small for them for long times all the time. But, if you care about saving the $10 another 10-gallon costs more than the welfare of the anoles it's up to you. Few people will recommend it, but yeah, they'll live.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

Yes, and like I said earlier, I would like to have 20 gallon or maore rather than 10, only if I have enough cash right and time right now. But after I enter the college, I will get a 20 gallon tank with anoles, or geckos, etc.

Tim

I housed my first two leos in a 10 gallon just fine without any problems. But after moving them to a 20L, I can definitely say that more space is better. With the 20L, they poop in the farthest corner from their hides. In the 10 gallon, they didn't really get that option, so it was like they were literally living on their poop. Not only is that uncomfortable for them, but it poses health risks. It's not that they necessarily need the room to walk around. But in my 20L, I can fit three hides, two humid hides, and my two leos use ALL of them.
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Lovin' would be easy if your colors were like my dreams...

Thanks for all the great info!! You guys have been great help! But I have one more question. Unlike most small lizards (not including chameleons, which are obviously expensive) I have seen, why are leos so expensive compared to others, costing at least $20 while the other small lizards of same size mostly range from $4-$12?

Tim

I think there's more of a demand for leopard geckos because they're pretty, they're generally tame, they don't grow to a large size, they're receptive to handling, they're cute, they're not too difficult to maintain, and they're recommended for beginner herp owners. They also have a much longer life span than some other lizards. (Anoles, for example.)
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Lovin' would be easy if your colors were like my dreams...

Anoles are cheap because they live in the States and are readily available. Same with certain species of other geckos.

Few people spend their time and money breeding brown or green anoles like they do to leopard geckos. If they did that, another person would just say "Hey, this guy is selling anoles for $30 when I can make tons of money just selling the ones I find" and people know that.

I'm sure that in Pakistan, leopard geckos are nothing special (normal ones, of course). And in parts where chameleons live no one is going to pay for one, either, considering they can find one outside.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame