Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, Well I'm new to gecko's but in the past I've had turtles,iguana's and my last venture for 2-3 years was saltwater reef tanks. Well I want to just do one thing now..something with a hell of a lot less $ and not as hard to keep care of. I've decided on possible a pair of Gold Dust Day Gecko's. Maybe just one to start and if that goes good add a second...would adding one at a later time cause a problem? I have a 75gallon tank that I'm drawing plans for. I'm guessing the 75 is way more then enough space..yes? So I think I can do a lot with it. I have a hood of PC (Power compact lights), is this alrite if I change the bulbs to fit a herp? I also have a reg flor. light strip..the PC's just give off a lot more light. Also I see some setups with sand, while I've read sand is a no no...dirt on the bottom them moss. I've also heard pebbles. I could probably do a mixture of just about everything in my tank. Any other advice you want to give, I'm willing to take. I'm still in the stages of getting everything setup and buying my gecko's will be the last thing to do. Thank to all in advace.
Jeff

Well in your research I am sure you have come across several phelsuma species you would find suitable as "show tank" residents. Which from the size of your tank sounds like what you will be aiming towards. Phelsuma Laticauda is a great choice in my experience as a hearty species. I have just sold a trio of adults 1.2 I had for about a year and they were very prolific. I had a lot of success running two ten gallon tanks with the locking lids on top(as with most smaller phelsuma species they are escape artists) So make sure you have a lid that closes snugglly. I would recomend a screen top so that you can set your lights on top. You are going to need a good u.v. light and will need to replace it about every six months.The u.v. light will help the day gecko's produce vitamin D3 naturally which in turn helps the day gecko absorb the calcium essential for good health. I also run a normal flourescent for light intensity. As far as substrate I use paper towells or newspaper on the bottom as it is readily available and cheap. But i have also used the astroturf with paper towells under it to retain some of the moisture from the spray downs and maintain a higher humidity which laticauda definately enjoy. And in my experience bamboo is a great decoration that can be split in half or chunks taken out to provide hiding places also places to hide eggs if a pair is aquired. Also live plants are a nice addition. Different varities of "Sansaveria" plant are one of phelsumas favorites. I would recomend having a cleanable surface at the bottom of your tank and then potted plants with good potting soil for the roots and a bit of the shredded cocunut on top to keep the styrofoam balls from being ingested that is usually found in most potting soils.As far as using a 75g. tank for two laticauda I do not think it will stress the animals out from having to much territory however as they are small-you may have a hard time viewing your inhabitants. I would not recomend keeping more then a male and a female together of this species as I have found as I'm sure many other have that Laticauda are very territorial. Even as babies. Currently I have 9 baby Laticauda and they are all in seperate containers as they seem to get territorial at a very young age. Give the tank a good misting at least twice a day. and depending on how dry your climate is you may need to cover parts of the screen to maintain some airflow but slow the evaporation. Hope this helps. this is my opinion on the subject and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that have had a lot of success with different setups but this has worked for me. I would also advise you to get a book dedicated to day geckos. As there is a lot more to learn and knowledge is the best gift you can give your gecko for a healthy life. Hope this help and good luck - Dan

Definately. "dbaker" just gave you the recipe for the perfect Gold Dust setup. 75 gallons is way too much though. Try a 20 or 30 gallon tall. If you get a male/female pair you will have a lot of fun with them.

- Joe

hey there- please contact me if u still have any gold dusts available. thanks

Joseph
joseph7787@yahoo.com

The Naturalistic Vivarium