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i just bought 1 juvi leopard gecko at petsmart (yes, i felt sorry for it)...i have it in a 20 long, with paper towels as substrate, a UVB reptisun 5.0, sticks and driftwood, and fake plants. It also has a basking light, with basking spot at about 100. I never see him basking, just hiding. He wont eat. He has a fairly fat tail, so waht should i do? thanks
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~David - KDRKreatures
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1.2 Bearded dragons (Ralph, Artemis, Cheech)
1.0 Veiled Chameleon (Chiquito)
1.0 Black Racer Snake (Chong)
2.2 Eastern Box Turtles (Athena, Mercury, Gizmo, Galapago)

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Leos are nocturnal animals therefore seldom you will see them bask. I also wouldn't use a Reptisun 5.0 on him either because it's too bright. Zoomed recommends Reptisun 2.0 for leopard geckos but I don't know whether that is even necessary because in the wild they slepp during the day so they don't see the sun much. Do you have a humid & a dry hide for him? I think your temperature is a little too hot. Warm end of the cage should be ~84-88 degrees. Paper towel as substrate is good, leave a water dish out for him and calcium on a shallow dish for him to lick. I personally don't use a basking light at all, UTH or heat strips work well since leos get their heat through their tummy. Let us know if you have more questions.

Leos are nocturnal animals therefore seldom you will see them bask. I also wouldn't use a Reptisun 5.0 on him either because it's too bright. Zoomed recommends Reptisun 2.0 for leopard geckos but I don't know whether that is even necessary because in the wild they sleep during the day so they don't see the sun much. Do you have a humid & a dry hide for him? I think your temperature is a little too hot. Warm end of the cage should be ~84-88 degrees. Paper towel as substrate is good, leave a water dish out for him and calcium on a shallow dish for him to lick. I personally don't use a basking light at all, UTH or heat strips work well since leos get their heat through their tummy. Let us know if you have more questions.

Lizards bask, Leopard geckos don't. They are nocturnal and don't typically bask. Too many pet store workers are oblivious to this fact and lump geckos along with lizards and assume the care is the same. 100F is definitely too hot for leopard geckos which is probably why it's hiding. Ditch the Repti-Sun and get a UTH and some Rep-Cal D3 supplement to either dust the crix or offer a small dish in the tank. They will eat it when they need it, always be sure to have fresh water available for them. There are plenty of good care sheets available at breeder sites linked to Kingsnake as well as those available on Kingsnake.

Good Luck

Well first i would get rid of the basking lambs and lamp and go with an UTH, for a leo the temps should be 88 degrees on the warm side and 78 or room temp on the cool side. Also get some good vitamins and calcium and dust his food ever feeding to give him a boost, do the calcium every time and the vitamins oncve or twice a week. Also I would highly recomend getting a fecal done at your local reptile vet to check for any parasites or worms. Good luck with the little guy.

As others here have said, 100 is too hot for a leo. Do get rid of the basking light - go with an UTH (under tank heater). I have a 20 long tank and use a T-Rex Cobra heat mat in the 10-20 suze with perfect results. With it, I need no thermostat or rheostat - warm side is 90 and cool side is 80. The leos use all areas of the tank, but prefer to stay in the humid hide for most part. My humid hide is half on the warm & half on the cool side. Use a calcium and vitamin supplement. Feed mealies or crix daily and dust them with vitamins& calcium every other day. Leo care is actually very simple. Do research and take good care of your new buddy and you will have him/her for years. Good luck. RR