Leopard Gecko Setup

Bought a leopard gecko today and a tank. Went home and set up its new home.
instagram @luisarroyo3000

[@slymer7950]

Alright, you at least have to have 3 hides, a cool hide, a hot hide and a moist hide for shedding. You can not use a heat lamp or it will burn the geckos skin, instead us a heat pad. Put the most and hot hide on the heat pad side and spray the moist hide with water. You also need to put your food in calcium powder.

[@luisarroyo8867]

Thank you !

[@Brea2.0]

@@luisarroyo8867 You can use overhead heating elements, like a ceramic heat emitter, a halogen bulb, or deep heat projector. The thing with any heating element is that it needs to be controlled with a thermostat. As long as the distance from the basking area is at least 12 inches from the gecko, then they will not burn their skin. Do NOT use a heat rock - those will cause burns on your gecko. Also analog temperature gauges are poor at reading the floor temperature, if you decide to use a heat mat then you'll need a digital thermometer with a probe. Please do not take the advice from Petsmart - most of the information in that pamflette is outdated or wrong. Leopard geckos need an enclosure at least 30 inches long by 12 inches high. Supplements are also required, they need calcium and vitamins (I recommend Rephasy's calcium plus, its an all in one that you can use on every other feeding). If there is a red bulb in that kit, do not bother using it as it produces visible light to them and will keep them awake all day and night, they are crepuscular animals meaning they are active just before the sun rises and just after it falls so a red light will disrupt that cycle.

[@luisarroyo8867]

Thank you for your feedback appreciate it

[@keatonherring9328]

You don’t need 3 hides I say 1 or 2

[@MrRod317]

@@Brea2.0 did fiona taught you these stuff? She was rude to me.

[@baryzilla5875]

Dang this is one of the most educated comments sections I've ever seen

[@jaredmarcum5758]

lmao fr fr

[@llove-electrical]

Never use calcium sand.

[@charmin5703]

When he gets a little bigger upgrade to a 20 gal. Also try a heat mat instead of the light because leopard geckos are sensitive to the light. Last thing, don’t forget to dust the crickets with calcium powder! Best of luck with your gecko!

[@Stylespreneur]

Agreed^ I’d recommend getting calcium and vitamin D3 (separate). Also he should have three hides in total: One cool hide, one warm hide, and one humid hide (to help with shedding). Try feeding super worms or meal worms or even dubia roaches (juveniles) since they have a soft shell and dust them with calcium. Crickets can be hard to catch and they do bite therefore is your Leo doesn’t catch them it can cause him stress. You can also get a small cap and fill it up with a little bit of calcium so if he needs more calcium he can get it in his enclosure.

[@toxic._.spaghetti4431]

He can still use the lights it just have to be at A low wattage

[@ya_girl_brooklynplayz7061]

Nah lights are better in my opinion

[@Cataklixxx]

@@Stylespreneur im also new to reptiles in general considering i got my first one yesterday but why separate?

[@Toobluejzs147]

@@Cataklixxx i use repashy d3 and vitamins, i dust the food with that and i put calcium in dish for them to lick, they can overdose on d3 thats why i dont put it in for them to lick just on the food, hope this helped

[@richardtonkin7587]

This is exactly like my cage and lizard

[@user-jm3ob3hl2t]

He's so cuteeee!!! Make sure to upgrade to a 20 gal like other people said and look into heating mats

[@luisarroyo8867]

K10 r I did it’s my second most recent video recommend you check it out thanks for the support

[@stopit15]

K10 btw u only need a 20 if u have a 2 in a tank

[@luisarroyo8867]

Thank you 🙏

[@user-jm3ob3hl2t]

@@stopit15 you should definitely do some research

[@user-jm3ob3hl2t]

@@stopit15 check out GoHerping on KZbin

[@KatieNoelle13]

You probably won’t read this, when you first get the gecko please please don’t handle it immediately. They are shy and need time to get used to their new enclosure. Go watch videos from the turtle girl to see more.

[@RlverGamez]

Ye

[@toxic._.spaghetti4431]

Or leopard gecko

[@insxnlty]

I would recommend leopard gecko

[@pjnyz]

in this tank, you need at least 3 hides, hot hide, cool hide, and a moist hide for shedding, also get an undertank heating pad. also a thermostat for both sides as well. upgrade to a 20 gallon tank as it grows.

[@luisarroyo8867]

Awesome will do thank you for your feedback 😃

[@pjnyz]

@@luisarroyo8867 no problem bro. ive got 3 leos myself. dm me if you need any help with anything, ill always answer

[@luisarroyo8867]

Thank you 😊 will do

[@jrsalazar24]

@@pjnyzhey there ! I know its late but im planning on getting a juvenile gecko this week for my niece, im 23 and had one when i was like 10 so just had a question on a tank setup, would the Zoo Med 10 gallon leopard gecko starter kit be fine ? I know the sand inside is a no go , but would you recommend getting anything else that isn’t included or things i would need , or would it be best to get things individually? Thanks !

[@pjnyz]

@@jrsalazar24 definitely not. they need at least and i mean at least a 20 gallon to start. i unfortunately don’t have my geckos anymore because im in college plus i work so i did the right thing and gave them to a veterinarian with kids so they can take care of them. best substrate to use is either paper towel or newspaper as their claws wont get caught. i find that my geckos loved the sand mat. it used to help with shedding because it was kind of rough. give them a lot of places to hide/options. mine loved to climb so i got them a climbing wall with some branches and bridges to satisfy their needs.

[@nyaminx6482]

I got the same tank, I will say this- The humidity gauge don’t work- The light bulbs too bright- The rock hide to big for baby Leo- Your tank is too small I got the 20 g Screen lid is loud and gets stuck Doesn’t come with enough hides. Overall just get a vivarium and get everything separate.

[@lwray0311]

This is a beginner set up meaning it's only to begin set up to get started & help save a few bucks. It doesn't mean that's all you need. With the bare minimum habitat necessities, unless he's finally done the research & added to the gecko's living environment, I'm wondering if this gecko is still alive?

[@kaylareynolds2927]

When it grows it will need at least a 20 gallon long and the digital thermostats and thermometers work better but that look good for a baby

[@luisarroyo8867]

Yes they have been getting so big I did a video on upgrading it to a 20 Recommend you check it out thanks for the support

[@jerryjones6307]

I went to a petco about 7 months ago and was so sad at they way they were kept I bought both of them went back a week later and seen them new ones there again wrong heat wrong humidity and bought all 8 of them once again they were small tails missing and a mess today all of them are double the size have new tails and are doing amazing I hate petco!!! They don’t know shit about leopard geckos! And not to mention the ball pythons are all kept wrong I have 13 of them and I know the ones they have are way to small . Great video by the way and good luck

[@luisarroyo8867]

Thank you for the support .... luck with your lizard as well

[@MrRod317]

@Sophia Sirota yep petsmart Way better

[@alisonrose8911]

@Sophia Sirota it’s really all about the staff you have; some stores are good others not so much. In general though petsmart does out beat petco every time.

[@aresberry8525]

I got that same tank and the stuff in there I don’t use I got a baby. I use the water and food bowls. When it’s older definitely get a bigger tank and do not use the carpet because there is a chance it’s claws will get stuck.

[@poppiesandredwoods]

Bad purchase. Bad place to support. Bad people to listen to about care. Bad set up. I hope you’ve learned from all the comments.

[@duhkbored]

Depends on the establishment

[@GeekyGeckoCreations]

right on

[@Cataklixxx]

Member benefits are awesome man like $50 off of my 20 gal tank got it down to $150 ended up spending like $320 total I do still need a couple of things but i got everything i NEED, mines also similar size and identical :3

[@captainstu]

Lot of people saying “calcium dish” and forgetting to remember you actually need multivitamin supplements for your Leo too, and D3 as well from UVB.

[@JenniferDziuvenis]

You need to get a heating mat and you need to have some more height do you need to have 3 hide a hot hide a humid hide and a cold hide

[@produde1239]

your gonna want a 20 gallon tank when they are an adult or an 40 gallon

[@valeriaencerradouno9529]

You should not actually get sand because they can actually be harmful for the leopard geckos I read in the book I think I read a little bit too much I guess so because my dream pet so

[@Hky.17]

Lepord geckos need at least 2 to 3 hides a heating pad calcium pounder and a uvb lamp

[@shylasaldana28]

Um u need 3 hides and a heating mat and upgrade the cage and u will be all good

[@si-uc8mo]

Yo man don't get another one of those if it's a male cause they fight to the death so please dont try to get another especially if it's an impulse buy Edit: also try and get him a bigger enclosure

[@BRUNO-ec2kr]

you also need a thermostat

[@BRUNO-ec2kr]

to control the temps

[@kieranaughton7637]

you need at least 3 hides, hot hide, cool hide, and a moist hide for shedding, also get an undertank heating pad. also a thermostat for both sides as well. upgrade to a 20 gallon tank as it grows.

[@bentontrains2076]

you need a moost hide and a cool side and a worm side

[@MrRod317]

You can use a heat bulb it's actually the best heating for reptiles It's just people use heat mats

[@rosiehaycock332]

No it can burn a leopard geckos slin

[@MrRod317]

@@rosiehaycock332 No, it cant idk who told you that.

[@MrRod317]

@@rosiehaycock332 kzbin.info/www/bejne/moati2NqqNabrs0

[@caisenreesegameing7231]

I got my gecko on Saturday so happy

[@luisarroyo8867]

Nice that is exiting 👍

[@A_freaking_idiot__]

One other hide and it would be great

[@madisonm4378]

Don’t get the little guys sand they are so small if they eat it it can clog them up :(

[@R54IFUH]

oh no no no never buy from petsmart when it comes to any kind of reptile they dont know what the fuck they are doing

[@jasonthompson2059]

I know you mean well, but honestly this video should be how not to get a leopard gecko. Tank is too small and you should get it first and make sure your temps are good beforehand. They need a gradient from 90ish on the hot side to mid 70s on cool side (pretty much impossible to do with a 10 gallon). All heat sources should be on a thermostat and you should have digital temp/hygrom as the ones in those kits get stuck all the time and aren't accurate. Day basking light or deep heat projector. A deep heat projector would require a dimming dome (cheaper) or dimming thermostat (better, more expensive). If you want uvb (and you should) the linear bulbs like shade dweller or reptisun are good, coil type are questionable. They are crepuscular, active at dawn and dusk so don't need or like super bright light. Heating mats and/or ceramic heat emitters are ok as supplemental heat. 3 hides, 2 sides and the middle , middle one should be moist with paper towel or moss etc. Substrate is controversial - but reptile carpet is not good , calcium sand is the worst. Safest is paper towel or non adhesive shelf liner,. More natural would be a 70/30 mix of soil (unenriched) and play sand (like Quikrete which is super cheap). Exo Terra makes desert stone which is good , biodude Terra Sahara, excavator clay are all ok. Stay away from coco coir or sand, crushed walnuts etc. Look up 'impaction' to learn about the risks. Dont use colored bulbs at all (red lights are bad for their eyes). So much misinformation or outdated info online, I suggest jointing some groups and learning from actual pros. Never keep more than one together unless you're advanced care and breeding, which you shouldn't do if you didn't already know everything I've written here. Little cap of calcium without d3 available all the time. Dusting with calcium and d3 every third feeding (if using uvb) and multivitamin every 5/6 feeding. Or get repashy calcium plus then you don't need a separate multivitamin. If you have a uvb light then get the repashy calcium plus loD as the uvb also provides vitamin d3. This was a cool unboxing video, but for actual proper care there are others I would watch. A lizard is a pet like a cat or dog , they are a commitment and shouldn't be bought on a whim without doing your homework. All the best

[@thatssjaay]

Cool vid

[@just1jordan147]

I wouldn’t use habitat carpet it harbors bacteria and is hard to clean

[@christophermichael.w.7577]

I could not believe that you got him for 20 dollars. That was a steal. That set-up is not that bad,but front doors are very important to me and it doesn't have them.

[@marshacampbell341]

I got my leopard gecko for 14 dollars

[@bearbear-hf7cn]

Here’s what I don’t get. You’re getting a whole live animal a whole life and you don’t do research and see how they survive best and how to take care of them?

[@ttvkineticsb2637]

THEY SHOULD TELL HIM THAT AT THE PET STORE ANYWAYS ...THAT THE TANK IS NOT BIG ENOUGHT ETC WHY WOULD HE HAVE TO DO THE REASEARCH THE WHOLE POINT OF GOING TO THE PET STORE IS CAUSE YOU THINK THEY ARE GONNA LEAN YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR YOUR PET THERE THE ONES WITH KNOWLEGE THEY COULD EASLIY OF TOLD YOU IT WAS TO SMALL AND ABOUT THE HIDES AND TEMPS NOT REALLY SOMETHING YOU SHOULD HAVE TO REASEARCH PET STORES SHOULD BE PROVIDING THIS INFO .

[@bearbear-hf7cn]

@@ttvkineticsb2637 most petco and petsmart employees know nothing about most animals. Some do and that’s great. Most do not. Also you shouldn’t just get an animal and as you are purchasing an animal learn to take care of it

[@Elena-jj6eb]

@@ttvkineticsb2637 stupid comment. If you are going to get a LIVING CREATURE, please understand it will depend solely on you, therefore it is your responsibility before you buy it to make sure you learn everything you can to give him/her the best life. You cannot depend on store workers to tell you everything, just because they work at a pet store doesn’t mean they know anything about the animals they’re selling 🤦‍♀️

[@ThuyPham-cl4wk]

ok. Be prepared to have to switch to a 20 gallon kit when the gecko gets older. Dust food with calcium and d3 powder, as well as multivitamin. Never ever use sand. It can cause impactions. You might need to buy another hide and thermometer for humidity and temperature. Also, you must not forget to have a uvb lamp. Your gecko could get an illness.

[@Axtacy]

Leopard geckos are nocturnal so they don’t come out during the day but come out at dusk

[@Elena-jj6eb]

They’re actually crepuscular btw

[@BRUNO-ec2kr]

poor things all cramped up yet they are solitary

[@danasteimann502]

Supporting pet smart and buying their live animals is actually terrible and shouldn’t be promoted here on KZbin The pet stores get their animals from terrible breeding mills. The conditions there are horrific and no one cares about the geckos genetics or health

[@GabAKADEE]

You need 3 hides and one humid hide

[@danasteimann502]

40gal front opening is a better option and a calcium dish is needed

[@user-bj3xz4gk9y]

You can feed meal worms and super worms

[@thatssjaay]

You just earned a sub

[@Hewbrry496]

😮

[@elizabethdenny7442]

hey!! always be sure not to use loose substrate for young leopard geckos because they can invest it and become impacted, have three hides. One for warm, cool, and a moist hide. And leopard geckos need the majority of their heat on their belly’s to help digest food. But i think she’s gonna love it!

[@Whyestweten]

HE HAS REPTILE CARPET PLUS I ALWAYS TLK IN CAPS IM NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE

[@cassizook298]

Tell your wife that if you house more than 1 gecko together they will Start fighting each other sometimes 2 males will end up killing wonder of the other and 2 females will do the same thing Cause she didn't say she wanted another 1I'm not trying to be mean I'm just saying a fact

[@MrRod317]

....

[@gemmahowell6011]

Shit hide and it needs 2 hides and a moss hide

[@luisarroyo8867]

Check out my upgraded video thanks for the support

[@xiscotorres4251]

Ey bro any update on any things you change on the tank? Or can you send me a dm witht he info i need to take care of my gecko ? Im gettin my first one tomorrow & i got the same tank you bought & i need advices i never haded a gecko & im exited to raise my first one

[@dllusion2059]

Thanks bra

[@kotu4thawrld51]

U will need a. Heat mat

[@colbybritton5262]

Make sure you did research and get the heating right

[@chiquilinflyfishing6115]

Great vid👍🏾🐐

[@randomuser2212]

I wish you did more research on them.

[@ia4533]

Pet store people don’t know much

[@avatarroku1532]

Cool gecko!

[@Everly6018]

Cool

[@ashleymargeta6203]

Buy meal worms they are better for leopard geckos and easier for them to hunt

[@Elena-jj6eb]

You’re wrong. Mealworms aren’t good. They’re not very nutritious at all. A healthy leo should have a variety of insects, mainly crickets, locusts and roaches and some types of worm. And the whole hunting thing doesn’t really make sense either, leopard geckos are meant to hunt, it’s their natural behaviour. Putting in something slow that hardly moves won’t really give them that enrichment.

[@unprankable921]

Don't use reptile carpet

[@meganslyrics2275]

i did not like how the store man pick up the baby

[@anthonybarb9729]

Carpet sold a lot of bacteria so it might be better to do paper towel they need at least three hides one needs to be the hot hide what needs to be the cool hide and what needs to be a moist tide they do need the heating pad and it needs a bigger tank Also never listen to anything the people at the pet store tell you they just live so they can get more money

[@tinasoper5962]

You would need mail Williams Not crickets

[@youropinionmeansnothing2825]

I feel sorry for whoever is mail williams lol 😉

[@nicholasblue4583]

I have the same leopard gecko and they are way more better than petco's geckos

[@JenniferDziuvenis]

You also need for a Upgrade to a 20 long tank and make sure you have a heating pad

[@MrRod317]

Ok, I don't get why everyone saying this stuff It's a bad setup and everything. It's a good one but it would need modifications

[@jasonthompson2059]

Like selling it and getting a 20 gallon long lol, that would be a start.

[@cr6539]

you should switch the carpet to exo earth but never get sand cause it is bad for its stomach, but anyway you should switch the carpet out for eco earth

[@BoomingStudios1]

What tank kit was that

[@jacobthielbar3708]

Leper geckos do need heating mats

[@luisarroyo8867]

Thanks for the support

[@mosesgrier3210]

Bro i got the same tank

[@mosesgrier3210]

And i got them at pet smart

[@luketheg9581]

Get another house

[@Cutiscook]

Just do your research pls

[@Sofia-ur4dj]

Never ever use a light. The light is super bad for them and is normally used for bearded dragons so please don't use the light. heat pad is better. They need three hides. A warm hide (with the heat pad) A cool hide, And a moist hide for when they shed. that tank is WAY too small. 1 leopard gecko should have at least a 20 gallon tank NEVER 10 gallon. If you can get a bigger tank then 20 gallon that is better. The carpet you are using is not good. Personally I think you should use the dirt or soil that they sell at the store for the bedding. I think its good to use Moss because it keeps the tank moist and clean when you spray it down. But Please never ever use Sand! its really bad. For feeding you will definitely need more then just crickets. You should look into buying Meal worms, Dubia roaches, and Horn worms. And please buy Calcium powder to sprinkle on ever meal. And always have a clean water bowl in their tank. Definitely look into buying plants NOT fake plants because they can accidentally swallow and a fake leaf or stem and unfortunately pass away. (it happened to a friend) Find fun little things they can hide under or play around in because they can get bored really easily. Another thing is they like to dig so that's another reason you should get dirt. They don't like being pet on the back so just pet the head or the chin. And when you handle them do it with your hand flat open, never squeeze or hold them with your hand closed it can easily stress them out. Follow this information for a happy gecko

[@Elena-jj6eb]

I agree with all of this, except “lights are bad, heat pads are better”. Heat pads/mats are unnatural and outdated. A heat lamp is always better. If you want your gecko to thrive, you should have a heat lamp and a full spectrum UV light.

[@jasonthompson2059]

@@Elena-jj6eb true, but don't want too powerd of a uvb, Arcadia shade dweller is the way to go. Heat mat is ok for supplemental, but ideally a a basking light and/or deep heat projector if you need night heat, though it's ok for temp to drop to as low as 70

[@redneckashell7380]

A 10 gallon is just fine

[@Elena-jj6eb]

No, not really. The very bare minimum for an adult on its own is 20, but anyone who owns a leopard gecko should go for 40 or bigger.

[@jaxbarnettprice]

@@Elena-jj6eb I mean preferably it’s around 20-30 gallon for an adult leopard gecko. 40 would be fine, buuut it’s not exactly that important or mandatory for them to be living in something that big and a lot of leo owners don’t have 40 gallon homes for them. They don’t get big like bearded dragons for example and those need a 40-75 gallon tank. My female beardie is currently living in her 40 gallon at 5 months old. Not sure how big she’ll be when she gets full adult, but if it’ll have to be a 75, then oh boy lmao