Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i see peoples sites talk about their facilities now granted i know some have actual facilities however in others you see pics of their set ups in their rooms LOL... this is my "facility" or how i have my geckos set up.... the other side of the room is where our two computers and desks are.... in the next couple of days i will be setting up the remaining babies in the open slots needless to say i am running out of space

if you look hard enough in these pics you can see my superworms my mealie colonies and my 3 auric set ups

in the next couple of months i will be switching all my rheostats out with ranco thermostats

well thats all for now see yall soon maybe i can get some baby pics up.
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-robin struck (new married name)
Geckoheads And Geeks

Nice set up. Once I finish the wall of my herp room - I'll snap a pix of my racks.

Robin, have you checked out Big Apple herps thermostat. I don't know about the Ranco - but I do know I've had really great luck with the Big Apple ones.

Let me know how your stuff works.

i see you built one of those stick racks. Pretty cool!!!!
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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos
Email

Mealworms . . . .you can't eat just one

ya russ made me the stick rack, it didnt hold any heat at first then russ got some peg board and enclosed it and now it holds heat very well. i havent used big apple but i have heard good things of em.. i have several friends that use the ranco's and swear by em.. i dont kow ill have to get russ to compair them. the racks on the left are from animal plastics and we just got em last week. i am VERY happy with them and look forward to more...especially some hatchling racks for next year LOL
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-robin struck (new married name)
Geckoheads And Geeks

Glad you like the AP racks Robin.. hint hint..

Looks like all is well with you, always happy to see that!
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I need to start conserving space, I'm running out quick. I literally have at least 3 habitats in each room of my home, even the kitchen. It's getting bad, but the cold-blooded crack keeps getting to me. I need to start a rack system should I become a fairly avid breeder and maybe attempt to get everything in one or two rooms of my home. Looks nice though!
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Ten million dollars on a losing campaign, Twenty million starving and writhing in pain, Big strong people unwilling to give, strong in vision and perspective, One in five kids below the poverty line, One population running out of time...

1.1.0 Ball Pythons
0.0.1 Rough Green Snake
1.5.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon
1.0.0 Viper Gecko
1.1.0 Pictus Geckos
0.0.1 Columbian Tegu
1.1.0 Collared Lizards
1.1.0 Blue Tongued Skink
1.0.0 Tokay Gecko
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Red-eyed Tree Frog

Where do you run the heat tape, underneath or on the bottom? Did you do those racks yourself or did you buy pre-done? I need to set up a wall as a rack system, as I am currently using a whole room and could consolidate, and use the rest of the space for something else.
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Sarah Stettler
StarGecko
Starling@stargecko.com

sarah,
the racks on the left i bought from animal plastics (www.wantapet.com) and are very affordable. these particular ones come with heat cable routered into the back.
now on the white rack at the bottom right it has three inch flexwatt heat tape running along the bottom under the belly. on the racks above that both have heat tape running down the back. i personally do not think leos needs belly heat, as long as they are getting the correct temps and temp gradiant. i think the heat helps aid in digestion not the heat on the belly and also naturally the sterilte warms up towards the back.
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-robin struck (new married name)
Geckoheads And Geeks

Is it maybe something close to what you posted? I would love to check them out. Thanks!
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Sarah Stettler
StarGecko
Starling@stargecko.com

here is the link
then at the upper right click on "animal plastics"
http://www.wantapet.com/

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-robin struck (new married name)
Geckoheads And Geeks

And I see that you can now get those racks with belly heat for just $15 more...nice to have the option for those of us that believe it is an advantage!
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Sarah Stettler
StarGecko
Starling@stargecko.com

I know Leopard geckos are bread to be sold and this creates interesting and brilliant coloured.. (or colourless as the case maybe) morphs.

I simply don't see how housing leopard geckos in racks like the above can provide them with any sense of a normal natural life fit for a pet.

If your in it for the breeding and the cash like battery hen farmers or pig farms then fine. Me personally I couldn't house animals I classed as pets in tiny plastic shoe boxes that have little or no resemblance of their natural lives.

A large area covered in sand a rock with things to climb, places to explore and hunt, social interactions. These are a few of the natural and interesting behaviours of a leopard gecko that can't be displayed in a 20 gallon rubbermaid, containing; tissue, a bowl and a plastic butter pot for cover.

I am not directly aiming this at roi3in. Many, many people have racks, so please don't take this personally. I just think its cruel to house these animals in such a way that they are no longer pets but more "Leo's, animals I keep in boxes and breed."

My point isn't that they live in captivity. More you wouldn't expect a cat to be kept in a cupboard. So why a gecko in a plastic shoe box?

Jil

I understand your concern, but i feel as though you are anthropromorphising your leos. They have very basic needs - a nice shelter which is made better when it touches their back - food on a regular basis - humidity and some water to drink.

They look great in a naturalistic habitat - but if you think they are unhappy in a rack with all the ammenities they need - well you are giving their brain way too much credit.

That's what makes leos so cool - they have few requirements to make them extremely content.

Now, if Robin were housing her new hubby in these containers, now that's another story . . .
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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos
Email

Mealworms . . . .you can't eat just one

I wasn't trying to compare the needs of a human to that of a lizard. And to be honest its not really the "are they happy."

Leos are lizards with very basic instincts and needs I totally agree. But none the less you have an animal that although tame to handle is still in its instincts wild. We then stick it in a shoebox with other geckos and turn on the machine that is, Gecko farming. I can see no difference between the breeding of rodents as feeder for reptiles/birds and that of leopard geckos. Apart from the fact it’s a lot more selective... because hay, at the end of the day people will pay big money for *NEW* morphs.

I just think of it as "free range" and "caged". Its deemed cruel to birds.

I guess my main beef would be the mass production of leopard geckos. How many baby leopard geckos do you think are killed by say every year because they are not (insert characteristic here) enough.

I'm not going to comment any more on this subject because its one you could debate forever. Its more just something to think about. I hope no body feels that I have attacked them because this isn't pointed at anyone person rather a method used to breed Leos.

Personally I prefer mine free range.

Jil.

I agree - free range animals taste much better. LOL

Sorry, I couldn't help it. Stupid and lame joke!!

You have a good point to make, and I'm glad you spoke out.

Take care and keep posting!!
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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos
Email

Mealworms . . . .you can't eat just one

Really?! I can never taste the diffrence. Battery, Free range. Eggs is eggs.

"How many baby leopard geckos do you think are killed by say every year because they are not (insert characteristic here) enough. "

I would say ZERO! THe real mass producers produce for the pet trade and ofen the morphs go for the same price as normals. While geckos do die in the pet trade, it is not because they aren't enough of any color, pattern, or genetic morph...it is the conditions of certain stores in big chains like Petco and Petsmart mainly.

And as for high end morph breeders and hobby breeders, I don't know of any who would even consider for a second culling an animal just because it wasn't "pretty" enough. To the contrary, many spend many extra hours taking care of animals with birth defects (whether they bred them or took them in as rescues) that can never be bred and may have a limited lifespan due to deformities or rehabbed illness like MBD, and require hand-feeding etc....
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Sarah Stettler
StarGecko
Starling@stargecko.com

. . . Robin, I've used those 4x8 sheets of foam insulation wrapped in tin foil (I can't remember what it's called, but they use it for wall insulation). I put that on the back of my rack - then put the peg board on the outside - then screwed it to the rack like a sandwich. The heat retention is really good - from top to bottom - and I have 6 foot racks.

Just an idea I'd thought I'd share.

take care sister. (Hopefully, in 2 days or so I will tell you about the outrageous deal I just got on a bunch of plastic racks!!)
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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos
Email

Mealworms . . . .you can't eat just one

j/k. Looks like you have quite the collection, but how do you get to the racks on top, since they are reaching the cieling? Do you have a ladder? Take care,
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Josh
My Email