Frankenstein Exotics
Specializing Quality Captive Bred Reptiles
Leopard Gecko Care
Bedding: As far a substrate goes never use sand. I don't care what the people say at Petco ect. they are just trying to push an expensive product that will kill your geckos. I have lost geckos that I bought from people that use sand due to impaction's its a real mess to fix the problem. I suggest paper towels unprinted newspaper and Eco Earth. Never use crushed corn cob bedding, walnut shell, pine, millet seed ect. I cant stress enough the biggest problems almost always arises from impaction's. It can cause bacterial infections which can cause a low immune system. Bad bacteria forming in their gut can cause an opening for parasitic infection. I can go on and on about this, but to keep it plane and simple just don't use those products as substrates.
The always Items: Always keep calcium in a small dish in the tank with them. They eat the extra calcium they need that they don't get from your dusted crickets. I don't suggest calcium with vitamin D3 since they are nocturnal. I use coral calcium. I can buy it by the pound for $25 and its a much more available form of calcium than calcium carbonate. I also dust the food items with it. I use Herptivite and Reptolife as well as calcium when I dust the food at every feeding for growing babies and juvies. Adults get calcium and the other two twice a week, because they don't eat as much.
Cage Temps: For heat I suggest dome lights and an under-tank heater under half the length of the enclosure. I like to keep the hot side of the tank at about 95 degrees and the cool at around 75-80 degrees. You will not need to cool them for breeding the first year, but after that you will need to cool them for around two to three weeks. They usually breed around thanksgiving, but it is possible year round. I don't suggest feeding during cooling since the heat is off and they are unable to properly digest their food. If they are fat and healthy enough to breed then they will survive a couple weeks without food. I don't breed females until they are at least 55 grams in weight 9 months or so and males usually mature at 1.5 years and 55+ grams.
Dens: It is important that they have a place to get away as well as a place to shed. For dens I suggest a den on the hot and cool side of the tank and enough dens for each gecko, on each end, if they are small dens. I use a shoe box tub from Walmart for my breeder dens. Just cut a hole in the top add some moist eco earth and you are good to go. It is important that you give them access to a moist hide this will help them shed and it provides comfort for them.
Water: Always have a dish of water available for your geckos. If you add a piece of a small fake plant to the dish it will keep your crickets from drowning. Leopard geckos don't enjoy being misted.
Lighting: Don't buy expensive UVA UVB bulbs you will not need them to keep leopard geckos. Instead get a good under tank heater and a dome light from a hardware store. You can use a regular 60-40 watt bulb for day and a red party bulb at night unless your house gets pretty cold at night. If your house gets pretty cold at night I would get a good inferred bulb or ceramic heat emitter. If you use a high wattage bulb or a heat emitter make sure to get a rheostat or a good thermostat so it don't get too hot and kill your geckos.
Feeder Insects: I use a variety of feeders I use crickets and meal worms for a staple diet. Make sure to gut load your crickets and worms before offering them to your geckos otherwise its about the same nutrition as eating a piece of paper. Keep your crickets clean they are cannibalistic and will eat their dead if you let them. This can bring on parasites which is why crickets are not my favorite feeder. If your geckos are looking a bit on the thin side you can give them some wax worms, but don't feed these to often they are very high in fat and are like candy to your gecko. I do not suggest feeding live pinkie mice to your breeders, because they are an extra risk of spreading parasites to your geckos. Instead I feed frozen thawed pinkies which I feel are a much better alternative they have a reduced risk of parasites since they are frozen.
Let me know if you have more questions about care.
Thanks Brett
