Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, I am getting my leo soon. yay! I have read lots of care sheets and researched plenty so I think I am ready. I am going to get a set up like this...
http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.pl?photo=160133

I am starting a checklist of things to get. If you see something missing please tell me.

cage (see link)
human heat pad
food dish
shallow water dish
humid hide
dry hide
paper towels for subtrate (sp?)
mealworms
calcium powder
red light

I feel like I am forgeting something...

A dish for calcium and at least 2 dry hides.
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My Email

im sure you wont forget but remember to drill air holes

Reptile
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www.reptilefreaks.tk
4.7.2 leopard geckos (super hypo tangs, blizzards,albinos)
1.0.2 crested geckos (lite cream fire, buckskin, tiger)
1.2 golden geckos
1.1 texas collared lizards
1.1 veiled chameleons
1.0 Bearded dragon

WOW, I'm kinda flattered. Actually, very flattered. The setup you are using is mine
To answer any questions you may have about the actual tank, here goes...
It is a 90 QT sweater box from Walmart ($8.96), about 3 ft long, 18" wide and not quite 2ft tall. I use non-toxic self-sticking shelf liner from Dollar General ($2) as substrate. The bowls I got from Petco ($1.99 ea) for the mealworms and calcium, the water bowl also from Petco ($5.99). Fake plants on the back are also Walmart ($3 for more than I needed, found it at Dollar General for $1 later), humid hide is a large square plastic Gladware disposable container ($1.92 for 3) with a large hole cut and melted in the side, paper towels in the bottom. The large rock hide in the center is (big surprise) from Walmart ($13.97), and is one of the ones you can find at any pet store for about $20 or so. I did 3 rows of holes about 1" apart all along the front (about 15 in each row), 4 rows of about 5 holes on each side on the back, 3 rows of 5 on each short side, and 3 rows of holes all along the top of the lid. I don't really have a specific spacing for the holes, but did try to remember that the occasional cricket would be in there (Olina is lazy and mainly eats mealworms).
If anyone has any other questions, feel free to im me on AIM at kislooney10. This setup could easily house 3 or 4 geckos (reat for breeding sets). Again, thanks for the compliment, and I hope you enjoy the setup!

Human heat pads are not meant to be placed between two hard surfaces, they will melt into a dangrous, ugly, smelly mess! Trust me on this one, my brother tryed it on his (now mine for the previous reason...) gecko, and it really didnt work, it got too hot, then not hot enough, then all melted and smelly. it ruined the desk it was on, and the bottom of the tank. But other than that, you set up sounds perfect! you can look for a UTH on ebay if you are on a budget, its a great place to get reptile stuff!
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0.2.0. Leo
1.1.0. WTF
0.1.0. Irish Setter
2.2.0. Holland Lop Bunnies
1.1.0. House Cats
Too Many Fish!

Check out my site ~ www.freewebs.com/stephsgeckos

It's not about budget, it's about easy of use really. UTH's have to stick to the bottom of the tank, and it is not practical using plastic sweater boxes. I have known a few people that have had problems with them melting plastic. I don't have the heat pad directly on either hard surface, it is wrapped between a towel between both the shelf and the cage. Works great, had it set up this way for awhile. I guess it depends on the brand you get, and the type of temperature settings that come with the pad itself. Actually, these things can run even more than a UTH!

Kelly

I agree Human heat pads are cheaper and easier. Most of them come with 3 settings i never get passed medium.
I had a Flukers UTH that cost a freakishly large amount of money to only have it melt right back off the tank and start fritzing and putting my leo into hibernation within 3 years.
I've used human heat pads for about a year now with no problems,on plastic rubbermaid tubs, under glass and wood (just to show the wide variety of uses)
and for $16 CND i can save more money for vets, furnishings, etc

1. You don't need an actual dish for calcium. Just a small jar lid will work.

2. Don't forget to buy vitamin supplements. You only need to dust with this about once a week.

3. I don't recommend using a human heatpad. Using this to heat your gecko enclosure is a very risky fire hazard. If you get a heatpad designed for reptile use, it's VERY important that you also get a rheostat or thermostat.

4. I suggest more hides. At least three dry hides and maybe even two humid hides. If you're going to have a huge enclosure, you might as well make the most use of the space. Wide open floor space is nice, but they don't really need too much of it. Put hides all along the gradient so your leo can hide at whatever temp he feels like. A variety of hides would be nice, too--things that he can climb on, etc.

5. Don't forget gutload for the mealworms. You can make your own at home instead of buying the ones at the petstore.

6. Looks like you need a thermometer too. Don't go for the sticky tape thermometers or the ones that look like compasses. Digital thermometers are more reliable.
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chickabowwow

"Plenty of caresheets" = mediocre at best ...

Buy a good Leopard Gecko book, such as The Leopard Gecko Manual ... its 10$ and will provide more help then all the caresheets on the internet combined.

Joel

PS: A 10 or 15 gallon aquarium is inexpensive and a far better enclosure for a single leopard gecko, IMHO. That way you can also use a UTH rather than the human heating pad. Either way you need a rheostat or thermostat.
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2.5.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake
0.0.2 Crested Geckos

what do you mean a 10-15 gallon aquarium is better? It has much less space, and is more reflective (which is something most reptiles do not like...a hazier plastic provides a better visual barrier, and it's for that reason that most people don't use them). you can't put a heat pad on a plastic cage? If it gets that hot I would seriously consider using something else for heat. I think that's why people have suggested using human heat pads, though I don't know how safe those would be...I've always been a fan of overhead heating, but that doesn't seem as popular. I don't see why. If you put a night lamp over one side of the tank, and use flat slate as substrate on that side, it creates a much more natural environment for leos. In the wild, they get belly heat from rocks that were heated up in the sun that day, plus they can also get some overhead heat if you leave it only 24 hours. Leos aren't what I know most about, but I figured I'd lend some advice, and those that know more are free to dispute it.