Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am really thinking about getting a few more geckos and i have run into the problem that i am running low on room and i am going to college after next year. i have read how some big breeders use rack systems but i havent heard of too many people who dont really breed big time or just have them as pets using racks. i was just wondering if racks are ok to use. do they cause any stress on the animal because of their size or anything like that? i really love these animals and i know i wont be able to part with them so any help would be appreciated on this subject. if anyone has any suggestions or even any pictures of their setups that could help me i would be very grateful!

thanks

I'm in teh same situation, i have 16 leos and I breed them sometimes but not nearly enough to be called a breeder. I use a rack system and find that actully my leos seem to perfer it to the old glass tanks. I find it easier to have a rack system anyway for 1.) its easier to clean 2.)heating is alot easier and humidity is alot easier to contole 3.) the animals seem less streed as the plastic doesnt allow alot of light in.
There are more reasons like space and what not but those are the three big ones that made me rethink my whole set up.

Unfortuntly i dont have pics but i took an old storage rack that we were going to trough out, bought some flex wire heating tape and walla a rack system that hold about 24 boxs so about 48 geckos and one big twenty gallon on top, all in less than then a 4"x 4" space.
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Leo Gex
1:3 noramls or hi-yellows
1:0 Giant normal phase het for temper albino
1:1 Temper albinos
2? Tangerine
0:1 Blizzared
1:0 patternless
Others:
1 giant day gecko
1 Giant plated lizard
1:1 dogs
and 2:0 chinchillas

hey thanks for the info. i have a few questions though. if i am going to get serious and go about doing this i want to do it right. how do i hook up a light system? do i need lights for each individual box or just for each row of boxes. how do i run the heat tape, or cord (what is best) and what kind of box like what size and all? thanks

I don't run lights to the boxes i have because leo geckos do not need a light sourse so i don't know how you would set up a light if u needed one. For Leo geckos i use a 3" heat tape and set it up like it says on the flex tape site also peopl have posted how to best set it up on here a few times, its not too difficult. As for the size of teh containers I use a 15qt plastic contaires with holes drilled in the side, these typically hold one pair, unless its the giants i have, i've taken one shelf and used two 36qt containers in stead to house a giant and his two mates. i'm still a novic myself but i cant tell u from personal experance that heat cable really doesnt help much.
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Leo Gex
1:3 noramls or hi-yellows
1:0 Giant normal phase het for temper albino
1:1 Temper albinos
2? Tangerine
0:1 Blizzared
1:0 patternless
Others:
1 giant day gecko
1 Giant plated lizard
1:1 dogs
and 2:0 chinchillas

do you put the tape on the boxes, like on the back or front, or not at all on the boxes? and do you leave the lids on the boxes? and also what do you use for substrate in your boxes? sorry i know im asking a lot of questions but if i am going to do this i really want to get it right and have a good setup that will make me happy and my geckos. thanks again

josiah

I put the tape on the self and then covered it with a sheet of temp resitant plastice to keep the friction down between the sliding boxs and the tape its self. For subterrain i use paper towles, fast and easy to clean the cages and i dont have to worry about impaction, also they like to tunnle under the paper towles sometimes dispite the hide they are offered.
-----
Leo Gex
1:3 noramls or hi-yellows
1:0 Giant normal phase het for temper albino
1:1 Temper albinos
2? Tangerine
0:1 Blizzared
1:0 patternless
Others:
1 giant day gecko
1 Giant plated lizard
1:1 dogs
and 2:0 chinchillas