Thank you for sharing. Our son abandoned his leopard geckco with us. I had been asking him questions and he kept saying no. My intuition was spot on and also confirmed with what you said too. We just upgraded his tank to 40 gallon and you can see the smile on his face. Thanks again.
You are one of fhe first people ive seen admit that they get all their decor outside and i applaud you because thats what ive done for YEARS with no issues
@ChiefSweetsUniverse i don't have a single tank that isn't full of random rocks or sticks from outside. I'm in Appalachia so I find all kinds of good rocks by just looking through ditches. I've put those rocks in aquariums and my fish were fine so they are definitely reptile safe. They don't have sanitized or store bought decor in the wild
@@ChiefSweetsUniverseyou might not be seeing this but how hot should the mat be for heating? I’m not fully though the video yet so if it says later sorry
My juvenile gecko has a 50 gallon he explores at night i think he really likes the extra space. Keeps him busy. Love the videos dude really hoping to get the tank build started soon.
I've been getting ready for a leopard gecko and this is super helpful! Thank you! I feel like I'm going to be slightly more prepared for my new friend!
Thank you for this video! I had done research on leopard geckos about a month ago but didn't end up getting one and got a bearded dragon instead. I work at a pet store and they had one that was surrendered to them a couple months back and didn't think anybody would adopt him since he had some infections and so his eyes became sensitive to light. I adopted him. They took him to the vet and all the infections are gone. But like I said, he's now sensitive to light so he needs a special heating lamp that doesn't produce any light. Right now he's in a 15 gallon that they gave me only for now. He doesn't come out much of his hide bc of his sensitivity to light so I'm not in a super crazy rush. I'm currently building a bigger enclosure for my bearded dragon and so Philburt, my new leopard gecko is going to take over my young bearded dragons 40gallon tank once I get that built :)
Yesterday I randomly got a leopard gecko from a friend, was doing my research and I’m glad I found this video! I breed snakes but geckos are really new to me, thanks!!!
My boyfriend’s mother bought a juvie leopard gecko for her grandkids since they are at her house almost the entire summer. I’ve never owned a reptile, but I’ve had a feeling that this gecko doesn’t have everything it needs. I was right! She pretty much just listened to the person at Petsmart and an old book to get her info. It’s more of an entertainment for the kids. I can’t handle watching a creature not have a quality of life it deserves so today I said to the gecko “I’ll take care of you. I promise I’ll make your life comfortable.” So that’s why I’m here. To care for leopard Gecko Moria(grandkids named him Stripe but that’s lame so he’s Gecko Moria to me). Thanks for your advice! Super easy to follow and I’ve already got a list of things that need to be changed. Wish me luck, I’ll make sure he can live for a long time.
Thank you so much for making these videos. I followed your advice for my bearded dragon and my big guy is so much happier. He loves his 120 gallon Dubia roaches enclosure. I’m thinking about getting a leopard gecko and anyone watching this guy knows his stuff. Your pets will thank you for it!
I am from karachi Pakistan and i own a leopard gecko for myself, and it's safe to say that the natural weather here is the best for her. Thankyou for the information it's really helpful.
Hey I’m getting a Leopard Gecko this weekend!! Thanks for this, I made a shopping list based off of the information in this video and other research I’ve done :)
I recently got a leopard gecko from a friend that wasn’t taking the best care of it. Every source I checked said to use reptile carpet to prevent impaction. And to keep humidity around household level all the time. I’ll definitely be upgrading her setup soon
My Leo is about 6 months old and I currently have him in a 20 gallon long aquarium with paper towels on the floor of the tank that I change once a week. I have been told not to use anything other than paper towels because he may ingest any "natural" types of bedding when he eats worms or crickets. At what age would I be ok to use bedding such as the bedding in this video. I love the look of the tanks in this video with the natural looking bedding, sticks and rocks.
@@Mikyla2930 funny you say that, Petco had them on sale so I got a 40 gallon tank for my Leo. I never see him go on one side of the tank but I believe he roams the tank at night since they’re nocturnal
@@PatrickKend crepuscular* it’s a small difference but really cool, definitely look into it. I bet they love it, just make sure you have proper heating and lighting and after a while they should be more used to the new space
Thank you so much for all your information. I enjoyed your video. So I have had my leopard gecko for almost a year. She will be a year in april. I feel like I got all the wrong info. I was told I must have a moonlight bulb and keep it on all day and night and to use the carpet for easy cleaning and not to use dirt/ sand because the gecko would eat it and get impacted. My gecko has been very happy and comes out every night same time to eat. She has been active at night and lets me hold her. I was just going to add a friend but think I will just get another tank. My current one is in a 30 long tank. I will be switching over to the substrate you use and adding some branches. We have plenty of oaks around.
Hi there i have 3 leopard geckos and a beardie and ive been using your top soil peat moss and play sand mix and it honestly works wonders i was torn between substrate for the longest time before i saw your video i tried it and have been using it for the past year highly recommend
The lighting took me a minute to understand. I don't have a red and blue bulb but more or a moonlight sort of resemblance color that gives off some heat.
I just adopted an adult leopard gecko that was in a 10 gallon his owner was rehoming him hes in a 20 long till just after Christmas when i can afford to upgrade him
Im currently trying to rehab a male leopard gecko that my brother neglected and abused, i will have to slowly upgrade his enclosure but i was wondering if anyone here had some advice, he’s superr skinny and im trying to get him to gain weight currently
I am a bit confused 1. can you use just a heat light or do you need other lights 2. if you need multiple lights, do you turn off all the lights at night and leave the heat lamp on or do you turn the heat lamp off at night?
We just got a leo and the tank was one if the start kit things so it came with the carpet. Switching it out kater after my sister brings over the substrate she has still
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse quick question! I'm planning on getting a leo soon and was wondering if i could use a heat mat and heat bulb? my house gets down in the 60s at night
@@Avabaxter3920 you can use both, but a heat mat isn’t necessary. All you need is a halogen or incandescent bulb. They can handle a night drop as low as 60F :)
Heh... Gex the Gecko. Now, people are going to expect the lizard to act weird or make quips about TV shows... Interesting looking animal. Still expect to hear them speak with an accent.
I'm just starting to look into getting a Leo buddy, thanks for all the info! Do you happen to have an Amazon list with all this kinda stuff? That would be ultra helpful
So I have 3 African giant snails in my 4ft long bioactive vivarium, i plan on keeping a leopard gecko, can they live together? i could change my misting schedule for less humidity, and add some playsand
Also for lighting, would it be similar to my crested gecko my crystal gecko has an LED grow light for her plants in her enclosure and then she has a heat source because my house doesn’t get super cold but in the winter time it does stay like around 68 to 72° and I noticed her kind of slow down in her enclosure and then once I provided her some heat she started to be really active againso I do have an Arcadia heat bulb that I used to have for my Cuban false chameleon that I’m no longer using as she has recently passed away and then I wanted to get an LED grow light for enclosure for the leopard gecko. Would that be OK for lighting?
Thank you for this video I have a girl leopard gecko she’s a couple years old and just a little petite size but I have her in a 20 gallon size right now but I think it’s time i upgraded her to a 40 gallon and I’m gonna try to make it bio active lol
What times should i expect my leopard gecko to be active i know there nocturnal but would they be awake at pre midnight times also would white room leds be healthy for them
They’re thought to be crepuscular (primarily active during dawn and dusk), although there’s evidence that they may be cathemeral (active periodically throughout day and night). And yes, white LEDs are fine, as long as lights are turned off at night.
Getting a gecko next week from my friend who couldn’t take care of it anymore. I’ve understand majority of things that I’ve read and only think I can’t fully get is the humid hide. How would I check the humidity and know what the humidity be for leopard geckos?
Hi thanks for the advice but just had a quick question. If im using a deep heat projector(dhp) as my main source of heat day and night do i turn it off at night or leave it on as they are nocturnal?
I'm going to make a 4x2x2 enclosure for mine and I live in ny so it gets cold here would u recommend a 100watt halogen the uvb the daylight led and a ceramic heat emitter for nights that get low in temp
Yeah you can use the ceramic heat emitter for nights that’ll probably be good and for a 4x2x2 a 100watt is what you probably have to get. If it does get too hot you can go 75 watt
Please don't come at me. I've had a gecko for about 5 years, it was a family friend's and they were moving so they couldn't take care of her anymore so I took it in and I've never changed the tank set up. I have learned a lot from this video so thank you. I have a heating pad but not a heat lamp because I thought I had to use the bulbs at pet smart but they are so expensive. She's 22 and going strong but I want to give her the best enclosure that I can. I'd love to learn how to breed crickets or something.
I’ve been recently starting to save my money for a leopard gecko, and I had one main question. How do I make a humidity hide? And how do I make the tank more humid?
Get a hide with a bottom (either buy one or DIY one using an opaque container with a hole cut into it). Put damp soil inside. The enclosure humidity should be in the range of 35-65%, as measured by a digital hygrometer.
What do I do if my leopard gecko eats it’s substrate it’s a mix of topsoil and reptile sand i don’t know how old he is but a couple months I’m guessing he’s still small. This was the first time introducing him to the substrate and he ate about three mouth fulls. Will he be okay?
Did he eat it by accident? Usually they will poop it out but if he’s doing it on purpose he has a bad vitamin deficiency and you would want to give him calcium with d3 and reptivite without d3. But if not just hydrate with some water droplets and he’ll poop it out
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse I’ve been giving him calcium without d3 but I just bought with d3 so I’m going to start giving that to him. I don’t know if he did it because of the lack of d3 but it looked like he was trying to eat the substrate. He did it 3 times. I thought at first he was just curious because the substrate is new to him but I’m not sure. he had reptile carpet before
I feel like this is the most comprehensive care guide I’ve seen so far. I really enjoyed it and have applied all the advice given, although I do have one question. I’ve done a bioactive set up in a 36X18x12 and have used reptisoil, there isn’t much information on this as a substrate for leopard geckos. Would you say this is a safe substrate? I’ve been using it for the last few months and find it the most natural I can find premade.
Yes I think it is the most natural premade reptile brand substrate you can find at petsmart and petco. The other best option I can think of is biodudes substrate. You can get the terra saharan and it’s a pretty good arid substrate mix.
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse thank you! There is so much conflicting information with these guys, i agree with keeping the enclosure as natural as possible. I subscribed and look forward to more info.
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse I do have another question, with bioactive enclosures for the leopard gecko do you use a drainage layer? I didn’t and I’m wondering if that’s ok with the reptisoil.
what about the light fixer ? I have heard people say you dant have to use a reptail one. If i use the house lights like you have soon do they need the fixer for heat ?
That’s great temps where they live in the wild temps get fairly low at night so it’s good for them to experience a cool down at night. As they have evolved to live in it. I use no extra heating at night unless it’s below 60f inside the tank. Then I use a ceramic heat emitter
I have a question so I have a baby Mac snow leopard gecko , I’m confused still a little on the supplements. My baby sleeps alot during the day so I don’t think it’s getting as much uvb , should I still give it d3 everyday ? And also when is it ok to use just the pure calcium with out the d3 also does the multivitamin have to be d3?
@@prettygurldani3100 I have questions as well but from what I understand you should supplement d3 like 2-3 times a week if you dont use uvb and calcuim 5 times a week seeing as you feed everyday and cut back to d3 like once a week and calcuim twice a week if you feed every other day. DO NOT TAKE THIS AS LIKE PERFECT ADVICE I HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL AND HAVE DONE A GOOD AMOUNT OF RESEARCH BUT DO NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT BABYS.
What size heating dome would be ideal for that exo terra 36x18x18 screen top? I feel like an 8” may be too large due to the plastic in the middle of the top
Amazing geckos…❤ I went to a pet store earlier and seen one of their leopard geckos..I have a pet iguana before and I wanted to have another pet and I can’t decide if I am going to get a geckos or a hamsters..😊😊😊
My daughter wants to get a leopard gecko. For the substrate we have topsoil, peat moss and sand. In other videos about bioactive tanks you have added some types of bugs to the soil... should we do that for the leopard gecks or will he eat them?
With albinos really you just want to use extremely low uvb the lights will only hurt if he doesn’t have a good hide. Make sure the hide is like a cave and dark enough so it doenst bother him. But using a low wattage heat lamp and a low uvb bulb will not hurt him. You can skip the led
Just got my leopard gecko!! Named him Spyro 😆😇 just wanted to ask if i need to take him/ her to a vet, considering the paper from where i got it recommended me to take then 14 days after purchase!
So I used the Arcadia jungle dawn led bar for my albino leopard geckos 20g tank, I don’t use any uvb because I don’t want it to hurt his skin so I used calcium with D3, is that okay?
hi im looking into buying a leoparad gecko but im still heavily considering because as a student, i often travel back to my hometown once a month and that invloves taking the train and other means of public transport, are these geckos okay with travelling ? or do i have to leave them in my room with enough food and water for a weekend. Another question is that i live in Malaysia, a tropical country where temperatures area a constant 28-35C , do i still need a heat source for my gecko ?
Leopard geckos will be fine for a weekend as long as you fill up there water bowl. If the inside tank is getting appropriate temps you don’t need a heat source.
Leopard geckos need a temperature gradient, a warm side and a cool side so they can thermoregulate. The cool side should be 21-25C, and the basking spot surface temperature should be 33-36C during the day. You can use air conditioning/fans if necessary to get the cool side cool enough. I would use a low wattage heat lamp over the warm side during the day, connected to a dimmer or dimming thermostat to control the temperature.
@@ChiefSweetsUniversethat isn’t true, leopard geckos do need a heat source, they are an animal that basks. They also can’t absorb heat without the proper IR and you can only get that with a DHP or halogen
@@Mikyla2930 yes I agree this was new territory for me since then I have consulted with people who live in climates that have appropriate temps normally and they said they just have the basking bulb on a thermostat. So if it ever drops below it will kick on but it’s not on most of the time.
Ceramic heat emitters are not a good primary heat source. A halogen bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary heat source, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively. Whereas ceramic bulbs only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
Will your lepord gecko eat the isopods if you go bioactive?(I realy don't want to Invest in anothor animal to eat all the isopods if they breed and get out of control)
I just got a gecko today and the tank i had purchased came with reptile carpet. I figured id use it like once and probably toss it because i didnt want to waste 'waste' it? Does that make sense???
That’s not good, I know your comment is old but please know it is bad regardless of how long it’s used due to risk of ripping out nails and teeth. Paper towel or slate rock is the best flat substrates but loose substrates are best for Leo’s:) I know you probably have learned all this since leaving your comment but I wanted to say something incase
In another video you said you should give them calcium with d3 2-3 times a week but in here you said every feeding. Is this newer video more accurate? Should I really use it every feeding? I wanna make sure I’m doing everything right my leopard gecko.
hiya, my leo has a behavior where she'll climb the vent on either side of her enclosure, the vent sorta looks like 1 of those old fan brackets you find on desktops with the metal x with metal o's getting smaller towards the center, i'm just wondering/concerned if it's normal/safe?, she climbs up and will pull on it ect, just worried that she'll pull a finger/nail off or get her foot stuck and fall, bending her foot around, or something that results in a deformity, cheers for any info
I need help with my gecko. I have a two year old Leopard and he developed what looks like an eye infection. He’s been to the vet twice and it’s been two and a half months and he’s not getting better. Is there a way I can dm someone for more help? If I can’t get him better soon I’ll have to give him up.
Thank for thuis explanation ! But i’m not an native english speaker And i can’t find how big a 40gallon tank is in centimeters. Do you have Some measurents ?
Hey great video! I had a question about my bearded dragon setup, when it comes to uvb bulbs, i have a 46 inch uvb bulb, I recently saw some 46 inch uvb t10.0 bulbs at homedepot for alot cheaper and my question was can i use those instead of reptile branded ones?
Assuming you’ve got a 4ft enclosure, a 46” long UVB bulb is too long. It shouldn’t span the whole enclosure, only half of it. When it comes to heat bulbs, they don’t have to be branded for reptiles, and ones from hardware stores tend to be cheaper and last longer. When it comes to UVB bulbs, however, they should be branded for reptiles. Arcadia and zoo med are the best brands.
Thank you for sharing. Our son abandoned his leopard geckco with us. I had been asking him questions and he kept saying no. My intuition was spot on and also confirmed with what you said too. We just upgraded his tank to 40 gallon and you can see the smile on his face. Thanks again.
That’s awesome! I’m so happy
You are one of fhe first people ive seen admit that they get all their decor outside and i applaud you because thats what ive done for YEARS with no issues
Haha I do get tons of backlash but I’ve done it over a decade never had one issue
@ChiefSweetsUniverse i don't have a single tank that isn't full of random rocks or sticks from outside. I'm in Appalachia so I find all kinds of good rocks by just looking through ditches. I've put those rocks in aquariums and my fish were fine so they are definitely reptile safe. They don't have sanitized or store bought decor in the wild
@@powerhouseexotics same exact scenario here. Plush animals absolutely love the tree limbs and rocks from outside
Not me taking notes to prove to my parents I do research..........
Haha let’s go!
Same lol
this worked for me
@@taylorgillgren5443 ty
Me taking notes trying to convince my husband 😆
I love how he actually checks his comments every now and then
Haha always
See only a couple ours later and he already replied what a W
@@ChiefSweetsUniverseyou might not be seeing this but how hot should the mat be for heating? I’m not fully though the video yet so if it says later sorry
My juvenile gecko has a 50 gallon he explores at night i think he really likes the extra space. Keeps him busy. Love the videos dude really hoping to get the tank build started soon.
Yes I love to sit up at night with the lights down real low and just watch them walk around. Thank you so much 😊
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse they are very curious and attentive creatures 🦎🦎🦎
@@HumilityListens they are
I've been getting ready for a leopard gecko and this is super helpful! Thank you! I feel like I'm going to be slightly more prepared for my new friend!
Happy to help!
Thank you for this video! I had done research on leopard geckos about a month ago but didn't end up getting one and got a bearded dragon instead. I work at a pet store and they had one that was surrendered to them a couple months back and didn't think anybody would adopt him since he had some infections and so his eyes became sensitive to light. I adopted him. They took him to the vet and all the infections are gone. But like I said, he's now sensitive to light so he needs a special heating lamp that doesn't produce any light. Right now he's in a 15 gallon that they gave me only for now. He doesn't come out much of his hide bc of his sensitivity to light so I'm not in a super crazy rush. I'm currently building a bigger enclosure for my bearded dragon and so Philburt, my new leopard gecko is going to take over my young bearded dragons 40gallon tank once I get that built :)
That so sweet you took him in. That’s awesome he’s getting the 40!
Yesterday I randomly got a leopard gecko from a friend, was doing my research and I’m glad I found this video! I breed snakes but geckos are really new to me, thanks!!!
My boyfriend’s mother bought a juvie leopard gecko for her grandkids since they are at her house almost the entire summer. I’ve never owned a reptile, but I’ve had a feeling that this gecko doesn’t have everything it needs. I was right! She pretty much just listened to the person at Petsmart and an old book to get her info. It’s more of an entertainment for the kids. I can’t handle watching a creature not have a quality of life it deserves so today I said to the gecko “I’ll take care of you. I promise I’ll make your life comfortable.” So that’s why I’m here. To care for leopard Gecko Moria(grandkids named him Stripe but that’s lame so he’s Gecko Moria to me). Thanks for your advice! Super easy to follow and I’ve already got a list of things that need to be changed. Wish me luck, I’ll make sure he can live for a long time.
Haha, I was also thinking of naming my gecko “Moria”
@@ManMan-jz9ke do ittttt! He definitely won’t steal your shadow 😈
Thank you so much for making these videos. I followed your advice for my bearded dragon and my big guy is so much happier. He loves his 120 gallon Dubia roaches enclosure. I’m thinking about getting a leopard gecko and anyone watching this guy knows his stuff. Your pets will thank you for it!
I am from karachi Pakistan and i own a leopard gecko for myself, and it's safe to say that the natural weather here is the best for her. Thankyou for the information it's really helpful.
Happy to help!
Hey I’m getting a Leopard Gecko this weekend!! Thanks for this, I made a shopping list based off of the information in this video and other research I’ve done :)
No problem glad to help!
They have the most beautiful eyes! It’s like looking up at the stars and seeing a galaxy. They are such a precious gift from up above!
Very true
LOVE YOU. Thanks for explaining this so clearly. I saw a million videos and none explained the temp info as well as you did.
Happy to help!
This has helped I have been researching because heating is scary because it is so important and there are so many options
I recently got a leopard gecko from a friend that wasn’t taking the best care of it. Every source I checked said to use reptile carpet to prevent impaction. And to keep humidity around household level all the time.
I’ll definitely be upgrading her setup soon
My Leo is about 6 months old and I currently have him in a 20 gallon long aquarium with paper towels on the floor of the tank that I change once a week. I have been told not to use anything other than paper towels because he may ingest any "natural" types of bedding when he eats worms or crickets. At what age would I be ok to use bedding such as the bedding in this video. I love the look of the tanks in this video with the natural looking bedding, sticks and rocks.
8 months
I have tile for mine rn
Hey just wanted to say, make sure to get a 40 gallon tank
@@Mikyla2930 funny you say that, Petco had them on sale so I got a 40 gallon tank for my Leo. I never see him go on one side of the tank but I believe he roams the tank at night since they’re nocturnal
@@PatrickKend crepuscular* it’s a small difference but really cool, definitely look into it. I bet they love it, just make sure you have proper heating and lighting and after a while they should be more used to the new space
He seems like a chill guy
Super In depth and kept my attention the whole time!
Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for all your information. I enjoyed your video. So I have had my leopard gecko for almost a year. She will be a year in april. I feel like I got all the wrong info. I was told I must have a moonlight bulb and keep it on all day and night and to use the carpet for easy cleaning and not to use dirt/ sand because the gecko would eat it and get impacted. My gecko has been very happy and comes out every night same time to eat. She has been active at night and lets me hold her. I was just going to add a friend but think I will just get another tank. My current one is in a 30 long tank. I will be switching over to the substrate you use and adding some branches. We have plenty of oaks around.
Thank you. My step son left his Leopard Gecko with me to look after, so looking for all the help I can get.
Understandable!
Have just rescued a leopard! Have got chameleons and cresties but have never had experience with these little fellas
Thank you for sharing ! I’m so stoked I got my first baby leopard gecko! I had iguanas growing up so I’m excited to try a gecko
Happy to help!
Hi there i have 3 leopard geckos and a beardie and ive been using your top soil peat moss and play sand mix and it honestly works wonders i was torn between substrate for the longest time before i saw your video i tried it and have been using it for the past year highly recommend
That’s amazing! I’m happy to see results people are happy with!
I’m so glad you talked about the bedding. I’m using the carpet right now and had no idea about the bacteria. How often do you clean your bedding?
So my leopard geckos tanks are bioactive so I don’t clean it too often. Maybe just spot clean some areas once a week
Amazon has a dimmer/ thermostat where you can set to an exact temp that works with heat bulbs
These are insanely good tips and information
Thank you so much for the terrific information.
I bought one staight up on impulse cause i love animals, period. This was seriously belpful.... boweser is CHILLEN
Happy to be of some help
The lighting took me a minute to understand. I don't have a red and blue bulb but more or a moonlight sort of resemblance color that gives off some heat.
Impulse buying an animal that can live 15 years old is kinda crazy 😭😭
I just adopted an adult leopard gecko that was in a 10 gallon his owner was rehoming him hes in a 20 long till just after Christmas when i can afford to upgrade him
That’s still a great upgrade very nice! 10 is so small
Can I keep my adult female in a 20 gallon tank? PLEASE ANSWER
Tons of fantastic information, thank you dude!
Appreciate that! Happy to help
Im currently trying to rehab a male leopard gecko that my brother neglected and abused, i will have to slowly upgrade his enclosure but i was wondering if anyone here had some advice, he’s superr skinny and im trying to get him to gain weight currently
I am a bit confused
1. can you use just a heat light or do you need other lights
2. if you need multiple lights, do you turn off all the lights at night and leave the heat lamp on or do you turn the heat lamp off at night?
You definitely need at least two lights. Uvb and halogen heat lamp. Turn off at night time for sure.
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse alright thank you :)
I inherited a juvenile. It is mostly white but has a yellowish tiny on parts of him, does that mean he is albino
We just got a leo and the tank was one if the start kit things so it came with the carpet. Switching it out kater after my sister brings over the substrate she has still
Very nice! Yes leopard geckos love loose substrate
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse we found out after that it's just the soil type so we're going to have to add some sand or clay to it
How often should the soil/substrate be changed?
im here for the gecko, but fell in love with your shirt instead
Nice channel!
Thank you 😊
Just found your page and I love your content bro
appreciate that!
Perfect timing for this video, I just got my leopard gecko!
Let’s go! Congratulations
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse quick question! I'm planning on getting a leo soon and was wondering if i could use a heat mat and heat bulb? my house gets down in the 60s at night
@@Avabaxter3920 you can use both, but a heat mat isn’t necessary. All you need is a halogen or incandescent bulb. They can handle a night drop as low as 60F :)
Very good and informative video!
Thank you happy to help
Thanks for the great info! I was wondering, is there any point to using a heat mat if you use a bioactive dirt substrate?
Not really, just use a heat lamp.
Heh...
Gex the Gecko.
Now, people are going to expect the lizard to act weird or make quips about TV shows...
Interesting looking animal. Still expect to hear them speak with an accent.
Haha I know what you mean
I'm just starting to look into getting a Leo buddy, thanks for all the info! Do you happen to have an Amazon list with all this kinda stuff? That would be ultra helpful
I just added a Amazon list of things I use in the description
So I have 3 African giant snails in my 4ft long bioactive vivarium, i plan on keeping a leopard gecko, can they live together? i could change my misting schedule for less humidity, and add some playsand
So informative. Thank you!
Happy to help
Thanks this helped a ton!
Glad I could help!
Also for lighting, would it be similar to my crested gecko my crystal gecko has an LED grow light for her plants in her enclosure and then she has a heat source because my house doesn’t get super cold but in the winter time it does stay like around 68 to 72° and I noticed her kind of slow down in her enclosure and then once I provided her some heat she started to be really active againso I do have an Arcadia heat bulb that I used to have for my Cuban false chameleon that I’m no longer using as she has recently passed away and then I wanted to get an LED grow light for enclosure for the leopard gecko. Would that be OK for lighting?
Thank you for this video
I have a girl leopard gecko she’s a couple years old and just a little petite size but I have her in a 20 gallon size right now but I think it’s time i upgraded her to a 40 gallon and I’m gonna try to make it bio active lol
Excellent thank you for sharing knowledge with us!🦎😀
Happy to help
What times should i expect my leopard gecko to be active i know there nocturnal but would they be awake at pre midnight times also would white room leds be healthy for them
They’re thought to be crepuscular (primarily active during dawn and dusk), although there’s evidence that they may be cathemeral (active periodically throughout day and night). And yes, white LEDs are fine, as long as lights are turned off at night.
20 gal is just fine for an adult. yeah bigger is better but its not the end of the world if its not 30-40 gallon
Yeah it’s definitely not the end of the world. But just provides more room for decor and walking around.
Getting a gecko next week from my friend who couldn’t take care of it anymore. I’ve understand majority of things that I’ve read and only think I can’t fully get is the humid hide. How would I check the humidity and know what the humidity be for leopard geckos?
Can I do play sand mixed with reptisoil? I like to do bioactive enclosures for my reptiles
Hi thanks for the advice but just had a quick question. If im using a deep heat projector(dhp) as my main source of heat day and night do i turn it off at night or leave it on as they are nocturnal?
I liked this when you said reptile carpet, I'm going to change that asap
Happy to help!
I'm going to make a 4x2x2 enclosure for mine and I live in ny so it gets cold here would u recommend a 100watt halogen the uvb the daylight led and a ceramic heat emitter for nights that get low in temp
Yeah you can use the ceramic heat emitter for nights that’ll probably be good and for a 4x2x2 a 100watt is what you probably have to get. If it does get too hot you can go 75 watt
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse oh ok I have a thermostat gun just trying to figure best way to regulate the 3 different temp ranges for them lol
To be more convenient, how can I breed the crickets and any food that they like? That’s my big question I would like to breed the food.
Please don't come at me. I've had a gecko for about 5 years, it was a family friend's and they were moving so they couldn't take care of her anymore so I took it in and I've never changed the tank set up. I have learned a lot from this video so thank you. I have a heating pad but not a heat lamp because I thought I had to use the bulbs at pet smart but they are so expensive. She's 22 and going strong but I want to give her the best enclosure that I can. I'd love to learn how to breed crickets or something.
I would never come at anyone I just like providing the info. I’m happy that I was able to help.
Arcadia has the best bulbs available:)
I live in Canada and in summer it gets to 35 Celsius
I’ve been recently starting to save my money for a leopard gecko, and I had one main question. How do I make a humidity hide? And how do I make the tank more humid?
Get a hide with a bottom (either buy one or DIY one using an opaque container with a hole cut into it). Put damp soil inside. The enclosure humidity should be in the range of 35-65%, as measured by a digital hygrometer.
What do I do if my leopard gecko eats it’s substrate it’s a mix of topsoil and reptile sand i don’t know how old he is but a couple months I’m guessing he’s still small. This was the first time introducing him to the substrate and he ate about three mouth fulls. Will he be okay?
Did he eat it by accident? Usually they will poop it out but if he’s doing it on purpose he has a bad vitamin deficiency and you would want to give him calcium with d3 and reptivite without d3. But if not just hydrate with some water droplets and he’ll poop it out
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse I’ve been giving him calcium without d3 but I just bought with d3 so I’m going to start giving that to him. I don’t know if he did it because of the lack of d3 but it looked like he was trying to eat the substrate. He did it 3 times. I thought at first he was just curious because the substrate is new to him but I’m not sure. he had reptile carpet before
I do live in Canada and in the winter, inside my room the temperature is around 64. Which wattage buld should I use for my 36x18 tank?
probably 75w
I feel like this is the most comprehensive care guide I’ve seen so far. I really enjoyed it and have applied all the advice given, although I do have one question. I’ve done a bioactive set up in a 36X18x12 and have used reptisoil, there isn’t much information on this as a substrate for leopard geckos. Would you say this is a safe substrate? I’ve been using it for the last few months and find it the most natural I can find premade.
Yes I think it is the most natural premade reptile brand substrate you can find at petsmart and petco. The other best option I can think of is biodudes substrate. You can get the terra saharan and it’s a pretty good arid substrate mix.
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse thank you! There is so much conflicting information with these guys, i agree with keeping the enclosure as natural as possible. I subscribed and look forward to more info.
@@davidarden6942 yes there is a lot of conflicting info haha which makes it hard to know what’s right
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse I do have another question, with bioactive enclosures for the leopard gecko do you use a drainage layer? I didn’t and I’m wondering if that’s ok with the reptisoil.
What UVB light should I use if I do decide to use uvb? Any recommendations?
Arcadia shadedweller is good. Also the mini coil 10.0 uvb would actually work great for leopard geckos.
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse thanks dude I really appreciate it 🙏🏽
what about the light fixer ? I have heard people say you dant have to use a reptail one. If i use the house lights like you have soon do they need the fixer for heat ?
Yeah you can use one from a hardware store just make sure it’s a ceramic base not plastic
@ChiefSweetsUniverse ok thank you so much dude
What do you do about heat at night if all you have are bulbs not mats? I keep my a.c. at night on 68°
That’s great temps where they live in the wild temps get fairly low at night so it’s good for them to experience a cool down at night. As they have evolved to live in it. I use no extra heating at night unless it’s below 60f inside the tank. Then I use a ceramic heat emitter
I have a question so I have a baby Mac snow leopard gecko , I’m confused still a little on the supplements. My baby sleeps alot during the day so I don’t think it’s getting as much uvb , should I still give it d3 everyday ? And also when is it ok to use just the pure calcium with out the d3 also does the multivitamin have to be d3?
I have so many questions , just not enough answers atm.
@@prettygurldani3100 I have questions as well but from what I understand you should supplement d3 like 2-3 times a week if you dont use uvb and calcuim 5 times a week seeing as you feed everyday and cut back to d3 like once a week and calcuim twice a week if you feed every other day. DO NOT TAKE THIS AS LIKE PERFECT ADVICE I HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL AND HAVE DONE A GOOD AMOUNT OF RESEARCH BUT DO NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT BABYS.
What size heating dome would be ideal for that exo terra 36x18x18 screen top? I feel like an 8” may be too large due to the plastic in the middle of the top
Im hoping to get a leopard gecko for my birth day and thx for this video all the facts i need to convince my dad to let me get one
Amazing geckos…❤ I went to a pet store earlier and seen one of their leopard geckos..I have a pet iguana before and I wanted to have another pet and I can’t decide if I am going to get a geckos or a hamsters..😊😊😊
Thank you. I am a reptile person myself but don’t get me wrong I do love me some hamsters haha. Flip a coin maybe to decide
is it common for them not to eat for awhile after they've been in a car, like travelled ?
Do you need to leave a bowl of calcium in the terrarium ? Some people say yes and some say no so im not sure..
You can if you want. I don’t because I dust my insects and mine get pretty good calcium from that.
So did you say at night no lights.. not even heat?
3 days new owning a leopard gecko!
Yeah unless your room is super cold like below 60f then you can use a ceramic heat emitter
Is it okay to use coconut fiber as the substrate? Im thinking of getting a leopard gecko for my birthday.
You could. I personally hate coco fiber. It gets dry quickly and is dusty. But others like it
My daughter wants to get a leopard gecko. For the substrate we have topsoil, peat moss and sand. In other videos about bioactive tanks you have added some types of bugs to the soil... should we do that for the leopard gecks or will he eat them?
Very nice! You can do that as well because I have those in my leopard geckos tank as well 😁
I just got a albino gecko who is super light sensitive what should i use besides the bright lights, my room is usually super dark
With albinos really you just want to use extremely low uvb the lights will only hurt if he doesn’t have a good hide. Make sure the hide is like a cave and dark enough so it doenst bother him. But using a low wattage heat lamp and a low uvb bulb will not hurt him. You can skip the led
You use the same types of lights but add more clutter, just make sure to have lots of shaded spots so the leopard gecko an cryptic bask
Just got my leopard gecko!! Named him Spyro 😆😇 just wanted to ask if i need to take him/ her to a vet, considering the paper from where i got it recommended me to take then 14 days after purchase!
So I used the Arcadia jungle dawn led bar for my albino leopard geckos 20g tank, I don’t use any uvb because I don’t want it to hurt his skin so I used calcium with D3, is that okay?
That is ok
hi im looking into buying a leoparad gecko but im still heavily considering because as a student, i often travel back to my hometown once a month and that invloves taking the train and other means of public transport, are these geckos okay with travelling ? or do i have to leave them in my room with enough food and water for a weekend. Another question is that i live in Malaysia, a tropical country where temperatures area a constant 28-35C , do i still need a heat source for my gecko ?
Leopard geckos will be fine for a weekend as long as you fill up there water bowl. If the inside tank is getting appropriate temps you don’t need a heat source.
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse I see, thank you for the advice !
Leopard geckos need a temperature gradient, a warm side and a cool side so they can thermoregulate. The cool side should be 21-25C, and the basking spot surface temperature should be 33-36C during the day. You can use air conditioning/fans if necessary to get the cool side cool enough. I would use a low wattage heat lamp over the warm side during the day, connected to a dimmer or dimming thermostat to control the temperature.
@@ChiefSweetsUniversethat isn’t true, leopard geckos do need a heat source, they are an animal that basks. They also can’t absorb heat without the proper IR and you can only get that with a DHP or halogen
@@Mikyla2930 yes I agree this was new territory for me since then I have consulted with people who live in climates that have appropriate temps normally and they said they just have the basking bulb on a thermostat. So if it ever drops below it will kick on but it’s not on most of the time.
hey ik this might be a dumb question but about the bedding if i do use loose substrate, do ever change it out and if so how often?
Yes you can change it out once a year
@@ChiefSweetsUniverse alrighty thank you
So if I’m using a ceramic bulb, is that wrong? And also, do they use the heat for digestion?
No you can use a ceramic bulb that’s fine. Yes the heat is for digestion
Ceramic heat emitters are not a good primary heat source. A halogen bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary heat source, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively. Whereas ceramic bulbs only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
@@nightinggale6470 this is 100% true. Ceramic heat emitters are good for night use if it’s very cold in the house. Agree the absolute best is halogen.
What kind of live plants can you put with leopard geicos and crested geicos?
Will your lepord gecko eat the isopods if you go bioactive?(I realy don't want to Invest in anothor animal to eat all the isopods if they breed and get out of control)
Yes, they will likely eat at least some of the isopods (less likely with dwarf species).
I love this channel!!
Thank you
I just got a gecko today and the tank i had purchased came with reptile carpet. I figured id use it like once and probably toss it because i didnt want to waste 'waste' it? Does that make sense???
Yeah I got you. You can do that
That’s not good, I know your comment is old but please know it is bad regardless of how long it’s used due to risk of ripping out nails and teeth. Paper towel or slate rock is the best flat substrates but loose substrates are best for Leo’s:) I know you probably have learned all this since leaving your comment but I wanted to say something incase
In another video you said you should give them calcium with d3 2-3 times a week but in here you said every feeding. Is this newer video more accurate? Should I really use it every feeding? I wanna make sure I’m doing everything right my leopard gecko.
Yes newest video is most accurate
hiya, my leo has a behavior where she'll climb the vent on either side of her enclosure, the vent sorta looks like 1 of those old fan brackets you find on desktops with the metal x with metal o's getting smaller towards the center, i'm just wondering/concerned if it's normal/safe?, she climbs up and will pull on it ect, just worried that she'll pull a finger/nail off or get her foot stuck and fall, bending her foot around, or something that results in a deformity, cheers for any info
I am going with a large tank 75 gallons. Do you think that is too big because I also want to build a giant terrarium build environment for it.
Nope that’s awesome!
Can you take the geckos out of the tank and hold them? I assume it’s not recommended…
Yes, you can. Don’t overdo it, though, it can be stressful for them.
Thank you have had mines like 2 so I need to upgrade his soon!!!
No problem glad I could help
How will I be able to get my leopard gecko to get on my hand?
Very Very Informative Video Thanks For It All😊
Happy to help
Thanks for the info!
Happy to help
I need help with my gecko. I have a two year old Leopard and he developed what looks like an eye infection. He’s been to the vet twice and it’s been two and a half months and he’s not getting better. Is there a way I can dm someone for more help? If I can’t get him better soon I’ll have to give him up.
I’m stressed. I need your guises help.😢 with my leopard gecko lizard
Thank for thuis explanation ! But i’m not an native english speaker And i can’t find how big a 40gallon tank is in centimeters. Do you have Some measurents ?
90cm x 45cm x 45cm
Ok I didn’t watch the whole video let but what solid can u put in there tank like dirt or sand like that what can I put in there?
could u put there enclosure right by the window
Hey great video! I had a question about my bearded dragon setup, when it comes to uvb bulbs, i have a 46 inch uvb bulb, I recently saw some 46 inch uvb t10.0 bulbs at homedepot for alot cheaper and my question was can i use those instead of reptile branded ones?
I’m not sure I wouldn’t chance it myself since no one has tested to see if they produce enough uvb or any at all.
Alright, thanks man!
Assuming you’ve got a 4ft enclosure, a 46” long UVB bulb is too long. It shouldn’t span the whole enclosure, only half of it.
When it comes to heat bulbs, they don’t have to be branded for reptiles, and ones from hardware stores tend to be cheaper and last longer. When it comes to UVB bulbs, however, they should be branded for reptiles. Arcadia and zoo med are the best brands.