Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking about buying a gecko and i wanted to ask some questions before i do so. I already have some past experience with reptiles and i currently own a ball python and african clawed frogs.

1. I am only planning to keep one gecko. Is this ok? Do they need to be kept with other geckos?

2. Is a 10 gallon tank big enough for one gecko?

3. How are they for handling? I would like to be able to handle it sometimes.

4. Are they active animals or does it sit still all day?

5. Are they generally easy feeders? I know some reptiles can be very difficult feeders.

Thanks for any responses.

Rob Woods

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>>1. I am only planning to keep one gecko. Is this ok? Do they need to be kept with other geckos? leopard geckos are solitary by nature, so it will be fine on it's own.
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>>2. Is a 10 gallon tank big enough for one gecko? ten gallon is fine, but a 20L is better.
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>>3. How are they for handling? I would like to be able to handle it sometimes. depends on the gecko. i'd say about 90% are great, gentle animals for handling, ive never had an aggressive one, but others have.
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>>4. Are they active animals or does it sit still all day? again, it depends. on average, i'd say you will see it lying around all day, and being relatively active at night.
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>>5. Are they generally easy feeders? I know some reptiles can be very difficult feeders. most are great feeders.
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>>Thanks for any responses.
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>>Rob Woods
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your head will collapse, but there's nothing in it, and you'll ask yourself, "where is my mind"

Reptiles in general do well by themselves so it's fine if you only want to get one but be warned, they are so cute you can't stop at one LOL

A 10 gallon works okay for 1 gecko but the only thing it's harder to give him/her a good temperature gradient in a small cage so a 20 gallon long would be better.

Leos are nocturnal so chances are you won't see too much of him during the day although some of mine do move around a little at daytime.

If you are planning to get a baby, he might not want to be held too much. I tried to handle mine for a few minutes each day so they get used to me. When they get older, they will calm down and not mind being held. I found my albinos are much more calmer than the others even when they are babies and would sit on my hand for a long period of time.

I don't have any feeding problems with mine. I feed mine mainly crix and mealworms with superworms & waxworms as treats.

Good luck!

You can keep only one gecko, they don't need friends.
A 10 gallon tank is fine for a single gecko.
The adults are great for handling...very calm, but the babies are defensive.
They are nocturnal, so they do hide all day, at night though, they are out and about exploring and hunting.
A healthy leo is a wonderful feeder and will eat many mealworms, crickets, waxworms, silkworms, or butterworms a night.

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)

1. I am only planning to keep one gecko. Is this ok? Do they need to be kept with other geckos?

It is ok to only have one gecko. It is also possible to house many geckos in a large terrarium.

2. Is a 10 gallon tank big enough for one gecko?

Yes.

3. How are they for handling? I would like to be able to handle it sometimes.

Become very tame, easy to handle

4. Are they active animals or does it sit still all day?

They are nocturnal, so they are most active during the night.

5. Are they generally easy feeders? I know some reptiles can be very difficult feeders.

Generally they are easy feeders.

n/p
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Just Another Herp Crazy Person

0.2.0 Leopard Geckos - Lea, Cleo [2 eggs cooking so could be 0.2.2])
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon - Loki
0.0.1 Fire Skink - Blaze

Wow thanks for all the responses! I just have one more question that i can think of for right now. Ive been doing a lot of research and i am seeing a lot of information about having a humid hide and a dry hide on opposite sides of the tank. I cannot seem to find a definite rule for this. Could someone tell me exactly what the humid hide dry hide rule is and what each of you use and what works best. Thanks again.

Rob Woods

As a rule a tank should have at least one humid hide and one dry hide. The humid hide is used to aid in shedding and is essential for a proper shed. Place the humid hide in the heated section so as to produce and adiquate amount of humidity. If the tank is big enough (20gallon long tank) you can actually fit a humid and ry hide in the heated section as well as a dry hide in the cool section. In a 10 gallon tank, it is really only possible to have one dry hide which should be on the cool side since the leo will want to feel secure there as well as on the warm side where it will have access to the humid hide.

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)

So i put the humid hide on the same side as the heat lamp and the UTH. And i put the normal hide on the cooler side. Now what kind of heat lamp should i buy? Another question, how exactly do i make the humid hide? Thanks

Rob Woods

For the heat lamp, I just use a Flukers lamp hood that I got from petco and a 60w bulb.
To make a humid hide, get something like a cool whip container and cut a door into it. Place some wet paper towels or damp bedding like Bed a Beast into it and put the lid on. That's all.

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)

You don't have to have a lamp if you have a UTH, but personally I like the combination of the two. Since you plan on having a UTH, a regular day light should work out pretty well. You don't need a high number of watts since you have a UTH too, but for a 10 gallon I would suggest a 75watt bulb. I like the infrared bulbs because they can be kept on all day and night, and it is easier to see the geckos. A black reptile light, works well also.

Here is how I make my humid hides, my geckos love them:
Get a margarine tub or a plastic container of similar size and cut a hole in the side. Cut the hole in the middle so that the opening is not touching the top edge of the tub's lid, or else the lid won't go back on properly. I fill my humid hides with spagnum moss substrate, but I used to use a peat moss mix that worked well too. Damp paper towel works but it dries out faster. Alsways keep the substarte damp enough so that a decent humidity is maintained inside of the hide. You can camoflauge (sp?) the hide by hot gluing leaves and what not to it, but it often doesn't make a difference.

Good luck
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~Andrea

2.8.1 Leopard geckos
0.0.1 Bearded dragon
0.0.2 Viper geckos
0.1.0 Rescued anole
2 dogs
hamsters

Check out my new website: DreamGecko.com

You can buy a lamp hood from Menards or other home improvement stores for much cheaper than they are sold at pet stores. I know Flukers sells a clamp lamp for $12 or so while the same thing can be found at menards for $4.49, in Minnesota at least.
The same thing often goes for heat bulbs, but sometimes the convenience of knowing it is a reptile bulb is worth the extra $. You also don't need a UV bulb since leopard geckos get their vitamin D3 from supplements.
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~Andrea

2.8.1 Leopard geckos
0.0.1 Bearded dragon
0.0.2 Viper geckos
0.1.0 Rescued anole
2 dogs
hamsters

Check out my new website: DreamGecko.com

I would suggest if you buy a dome reflector for a bulb get one with a ceramic top instead of the plastic. The ones I bought at Home Depot with the plastic aren't really much cheaper than the ceramic and the plastic melts after a while then the on/off switch stops working. It is also safer.

For humid hide I bought small Rubbermaid containers and cut out a hole on the lid and use damp paper towel inside. It does dry out so you might need to mist it twice a day to keep it moist or vermiculite is another option as substrate for the humid hide. I use paper towel because a few of my geckos decided they want to use their hide as their bathroom so it's easier for me to clean.

Could someone please post a picture of their humid hide so i can get some ideas on what to use. Thanks

Here is mine

photos.yahoo.com/bc/andrea1784/lst?.dir=/humid hide&.view=t
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~Andrea

2.8.1 Leopard geckos
0.0.1 Bearded dragon
0.0.2 Viper geckos
0.1.0 Rescued anole
2 dogs
hamsters

Check out my new website: DreamGecko.com

Thanks again guys. Would this light be good to use?
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile___amphibian/shopping/lighting___heating/lighting___light_strips/products/product_34014.shtml

And would this lamp be good?
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile___amphibian/shopping/lighting___heating/lighting___light_strips/products/product_33076.shtml

And for the humid hide, could i use a small rubermaid container?

thanks

Rob Woods

That dome reflector is perfect. I personally really don't think you need a light if you use the UTH but if you like to use one, that bulb should work fine.

Oh I forgot to say a retangular small Rubbermaid container with a snap lid will work fine for your humid hide and cut a hole on the lid, one big enough for your gecko to go in and out.

So the hole should be on the top of the container not the side? or does it not matter?

Sorry, i have another question.

I have been seeing many different pictures of different setups and in each one the water bowl is on a different side. is the water bowl supposed to be on the cool side, warm side or in the middle of the tank?

Rob Woods