Should I? Or Nahhh?

[Brylee1233]

Alright guys, I'm asking for your opinion right now.... Should I get a Leopard Gecko or not?

Pros:
-I can buy gecko, tank and everything needed for it, except UTH, for $15
-Expanding my collection is always a plus (Only have a BRB)
-They are a cool little animal
-I'll probably never get a deal like this again
-I can hold it and, its only a baby


Cons:
-I don't know if feeding it live meal worms, or crickets, would be a problem for me (not because they're alive, just keeping them alive... (is that hard?)
-I don't know how I feel about feeding them everyday or every other (?)
-Going off to college, my animals may be a problem (But not for sure)
-I have to spend a lot of $$$ here soon because I'm converting a china cabinet to a tank for my BRB


Also I don't know much about these little guys, so if there is anything you think I need to know, go right ahead.

[Minkness]

Eee! Gecko enthusiast here!

I have kept them for years now and I think they are a great little animal! You can keep a full adult in a 10 gallon tank with a screen top since they do not require much humidity at all. A bit of moss or paper towels under their hides and a spritz once or twice a week is fine. Please make sure you do get a UTH though. Please do NOT use a uvb light on them. (It can lead to blindness). Please do not use sand. They aren't from sandy places so lack the proper digestive tract to always be able to push it though. While not every gecko may die from compaction, enough do that I'd stay clear of it. Sand PAPER however is ok so long as it's a fine grit and their hides have an extra bottom. My personal favorite however is rubber shelving liner. It will help prevent hot spots from the uth, easy to clean, and antibacterial! And, cheap enough that if you don't want to clean it, just throw it out!

As far as feeding goes, meal worms are very easy because you can keep them in the refrigerator. Crickets are aweful...don't bother with them unless you have no other choice. You can add wax worms to their diet for variation, but never too much as they are like a human eating all potato chips and are addictive. I personally will feed waxies once a month and make sure to offer a few other worms first, then the waxie is like desert. Once older (about a year or so) you can feed every 3-5 days depending on your individual gecko. (Activity level, fat retention, picky eater, ect). When older however it is best to switch them to super worms for the same reason you up feeder sizes for snakes. These however cannot be refrigerated. The BEST feeder for geckos however are roaches. Not most people's preference, but I'm telling you anyway just so you know. Their nutrition, fiber, and chitten content are best for adding/keeping weight, easily digested, easy to care fore and breed if you so choose. (I have a colony of my own and love it, though before I got into roaches as feeders, I'd scream like a school girl if I saw them lol). Also cannot be refrigerated. (The most common feeder roaches are Dubia if you want to look them up)

Missing a feeding or two (or more) is not usually detrimental, even to a baby. However for best health and growth rate, a few worms every day is best. However if you skip a feeding it does not cause any other issues like it may with some snakes.

Shedding, don't expect to see much. They eat their own shed. While some are a bit grumpy around shed times, you can still safely handle them.


My over all opinion is that they make GREAT pets, especially for college people due to the size of enclosure and ease of care. Also, they have some of the quarkiest behavior! I have some that chase lazer pointers! Also, some may even seek out attention much like a bearded dragon might. Not all, but I have a few that 'greet' me every time I walk into my room. =)

I may have given you too much info and if I said something you all ready one, I'm sorry, just got all excited to share my knowledge with a (hopefully) soon to be gecko fan!

[Brylee1233]

Awesome info!! So when they are adults you cannot (or shouldn't) feed them meal worms anymore? And are any of the food items hard to keep? The food issue (if it is even an issue) is the main part that is holding me back from this deal...

[Minkness]

You can feed mealies to an adult, however the chitten is higher in say 10 mealies than in 3 supers. Chitten is what makes the worms skins hard and 'can' cause compaction. However there are many cases where it's not an issue. Just 'better' to feed supers when they get bigger. It's also cheaper to feed 3 worms a feeding instead of 12+.

To me, keeping the worms is a total non-issue. I have many geckos to feed so I make a monthly trip and spend about 20-25 bucks for about 200+ suppers (and this was when I had 14 leos and 6 cresities which got supers once a week). I keep mine in a solid colored rubbermade that has locking handles and drilled holes in the top. I mist them once a week and feed them carrots and other veggies. They also have a longer shelf life because they will not pupate when kept in a group, where as if you leave mealies out of the frige for a week, they will mostly pupate and turn into beetles. This makes mealies SUPER easy to breed but supers a bit difficult.

So, for just one adult gecko, you can get a cup of 50 supers for about 5-6 bucks and it will last you a month or better.

This is only when they are adults though. When they are babies, 5 mealies is a great meal for them.

Waxies also go in the frige but don't last as long. I get mine in counts of 25. They are a great treat though! They will also pupate if left out and will turn into moths.

Feeding feeders is also important. Worms should be kept on bran instead of oatmeal (though I have used oatmeal in a pinch more than a few times lol) and veggies. Carrots are the best as they have the best nutrition for them but also offer a good amount of moisture which is even better for your gecko! Wax worms do not eat. They are kept in small wood chips. They also do not require any moisture as this can l kill them.

Supers can be canabalistic as well, so don't let they surprise you. Even more so if they don't have enough moisture. They are more likely to each other when too dry, not due to lack of space. So, if you get supers down the line and they are in the same cup you bought them in (which is totally fine btw, and usually comes with enough bran for a few weeks) drop a few carrots (i use baby carrots for convenience )and you should be fine. =)

[Kuamata]

Haha, I was about to say, what about compaction from the chitin?

Yeah, crickets are pretty awful. They die fairly easily, are cannibalistic, and just forget breeding them. They smell awful and die easily, as far as breeding goes. It's an uphill battle.

Mealworms are fairly easy to breed. Mink's info about the bran and oats is accurate, though I keep mine in a mixture of chicken pellets/crumble feed and calcium. Slice in some veggies. You'll want ones that aren't too moist, like tomatoes, as it may facilitate mold which is unhealthy for your reptiles and for your feeders. Things like lettuce, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. You'll often find your mealworms/beetles under the slices, latched onto them as they chew the vegetable. Do be sure to keep adults away from the eggs, as they will eat them. Rotating your adults, larvae, and pupa is key to continuously producing them, as they will eat the eggs and halt production if you allow them to. I use a plastic shelfing system/organizer for this.

PS: I'd offer Leo info, but Mink got all of it. :)

[Minkness]

Yes on the 'too juicy' things! Mold is bad.

But for your smaller need, a few carrots or sweet potatoes are best. =)

[Jrich]

I would definitely try and figure out if your college you will be attending allows animals inside the dorms, assuming you'll live on campus. The college I went to did not allow anything besides fully aquatic animals that could fit in a 5 gallon tank. However there are also a lot of colleges that allow animals that can reside in tanks. Getting the gecko and then finding out your college dorm doesn't allow pets will be a headache because you'll have to find another home for it and heaven forbid have a family member take care of it. I know a lot of people do secretly keep small animals in their room but that is also a headache and not to mention a risk. However that is a deal.

[Minkness]

Very good point. I have only known the dorms that allow animals in a tank, so didn't even think of that.

[Kuamata]

Yeah, very true.

There is one thing I forgot to mention in my above post. A good graphic way to warn people of the dangers of sand is to show them one of Magical Geckos' Facebook albums. Poor lil gecko was on sand for a long time, and over that course of time he ate enough to kill him. Edit: My bad, the former owner brought the leo in to a local rescue(local for the fella that runs MG) after becoming concerned about an abnormally large abdomen. The leo later died and they did an autopsy.

[Brylee1233]

I'm not to worried about housing for my animals for college, it will most likely be only for a year (9 months or so) then I'll be able to take care of them.----- I just looked up the college I may be going to, YES YOU CAN KEEP PETS! (YESSSSSSS) So housing isn't a problem! Okay............ I know you guys have given me a lot of info, and its going to be a little bit before I can let that sink in... Okay so what about the trips I'm going to have to make the pet store? (I probably wont be breeding the food until I get use to all this) How many of the feeders am I able to buy before they either die, 'grow up', or get eaten, to where I can take the less amount of trips... If that makes any sense (I don't live very close to a shop of some sort)

[Kuamata]

Ok, I found it. WARNING: Graphic content of a leopard gecko dissection post mortem.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.940775562617358.1073741912.207897745905147&type=3

In response to the pet store, mealies generally don't pupate for a while, at least, not mine. I don't refrigerate them, and they usually take a month or more to pupate at room temp. Just be sure to give them food(like mentioned earlier, carrots, potatoes, etc) and some substrate like bran, oats, etc. A baby leo should really be eating meal worms, rather than super worms, as Supers may contain more chitin than a small mealworm larvae would, which would be harder for a baby leo to pass. Correct me if I'm wrong Mink. Babies should, ideally, be fed daily, but, as Mink said, missing a meal or two won't hurt, just may not be the best for its growth. :/ They are very hardy and robust lil' bubs, so missing a meal or two won't hurt it, just may affect growth. I'd say... maybe an order of 150 small/medium(depending on the leo's size) should be more than enough to last you a month.

As I said, crickets are awful. You could buy a whole bunch and chances are they'll be dead in a matter of days. I've always had horrible horrible experiences with them, so don't waste your money on them.

[Jrich]

I'm not to worried about housing for my animals for college, it will most likely be only for a year (9 months or so) then I'll be able to take care of them.----- I just looked up the college I may be going to, YES YOU CAN KEEP PETS! (YESSSSSSS) So housing isn't a problem! Okay............ I know you guys have given me a lot of info, and its going to be a little bit before I can let that sink in... Okay so what about the trips I'm going to have to make the pet store? (I probably wont be breeding the food until I get use to all this) How many of the feeders am I able to buy before they either die, 'grow up', or get eaten, to where I can take the less amount of trips... If that makes any sense (I don't live very close to a shop of some sort)

Good deal!! :))

[Minkness]

You are right about mealies for the young. I was giving both young and grown info.

150 mealies should be good for 1 month if you feed 5-7 per day. If you get the giant mealies, then 3-5 per day is good. There is controversy over giants but I have never had an issue with them. The controversy is in the hormones used to over grow them. However in my experience they are fine when used for a while. I only used them as a between size from mealies to supers for maybe a few months.

Another reason to stay away from crickets is that they actually can cultivate and spread parasites, bacteria, and diseases. Again, maybe not every cricket will be bad, but it's a risk I have never taken. The breeders I got some of my higher end leos from were in a strict roach/worm diet, and I have kept to that. The only exceptions have been my very first geckos which I git from pet stores, so they didn't stay on them very long because even mass breeders that supply chain petstores feed only worms for cost purposes.

And yes, daily feeding is a 'should' but sometimes (especially this time of year) don't fret if they don't eat much.

Oh! And their calcium powder! I ALWAYS recommend repashy calcium plus as it has extra vitamins and minerals, including D which helps them absorb the calcium since they do not use UVB like other lizards such as beardies. You can usually find it in chain petstores for about 10 bucks but it will last you FOREVER. I personally do not leave the calcium in the tank like some suggest you do as mine tend to spill it, but I dust every meal, and if I see one having a tough time shedding will actually just drop some right on the floor or on them so they lick it off themselves. I do not use substrate for my leos so I don't have to worry about that, and I keep them clean, so no worry about that. =)

[Kuamata]

I used to use that carpet for reptiles until I learned it retained bacteria even after washing, so I switched to paper towels for my leo. Not as aesthetic, but I didn't want to risk anything.

[Minkness]

Break down of your 1st pet store visit.

-150 mealies (of appropriate size)
-UTH that covers about 1/3 the bottom of the tank. I go buy the actual size not what is actually on the packaging. Example is, I have a 20 gal labeled UTH on one tank because of the size.
-at least 1 hide that is roughly 1.5-2 times the size of the gecko (larger is fine) Alot of people say to have 2 hides, I have 1 in all my tanks except my special needs boy who has 2. Leos aren't as shy as some and I have had NO ill effects from having just 1 hide, though 2 is recomended. The way I do it is 1 hide for every 10 galls per gecko. The ones I have in 10 gallon tanks alone have one hide right over their UTH. I have a 20 gallon long with 2 females and it has a total of 4 hides and 2 spaces they can use as hides.
-Repashy calcium plus

Once you have this, then 150 count of whatever you're feeding once a month should be fine, and if you really wanted to, you could get more to make a bimonthly visit. But don't freeze them. That kills them.

If you use substrate that should be picked through once every day or two and completely changed every 2-3 weeks (sometimes sooner depending on the gecko). Or, just use the rubber shelf liner and do a quick wash with hot water and dawn once a week. Economical and cleaner and since leos don't really burrow unless breeding/laying eggs, they don't have to have substrate like other lizards or snakes might. Do not be hooked into repticarpet. The fibers tend to hold onto bacteria longer, and if you wash them in the laundry as advertised, it also holds onto the chemicals and scent of the soap, which is no bueno.

[Minkness]

Lol I was typing this up when you posted what else I wanted to say XD

Also, if you, or anyone for that matter, would like to talk about geckos or just have questions, I have skype, kik, and yim I am happy to give you upon request. =)

[Kuamata]

Yeah I had poor Ryu on repticarpet for maybe 2 years before someone told me that. :(

[Minkness]

It was a good idea, but a bad practice. I swear by shelving liner though lol.

[Brylee1233]

Okay... I am going to sleep on this information. Thank you guys for some wonderful information. I'm sure I'm going to have more questions tomorrow! :)

[Minkness]

Sleep well and dream of geckos! Lol

[Brylee1233]

Okay so I figured out that I would need to buy an UTH and a regulator thing (whatever you call it). I would also need to buy its food.... Where can I get live mealworms and what not? Because I searched online and it looked like Petco had dead mealworms but not live ones...?

[Kuamata]

Yeah, often times at pet stores they've cannibalized some of their 'cup mates'. They do also have the crappy little pre-killed in a can/bottle, but I personally feel they lack all the nutrition of a live or fresh killed one. They're all dried and stuff... Pet stores usually sell live ones in a cup, but, as I mentioned above, they've normally cannibalized some of the others. You could certainly order them off of online, however, from someone that sells feeders. I had a very nice experience with Perfect Prey, and they also sell insects, however they only sell mealworms at a minimum of 500 and only start at the medium size... On the plus side, though, it's a very good deal. :) 500 for $15, not including shipping. You really won't find that at a pet store, they usually sell them for $5 for a cup of 50.

Mealworms - PerfectPrey.com (http://www.perfectprey.com/mealworms/)

Uhmm... LLL Reptile is another one I know of, but they're quite a bit more expensive, however they do offer 'mini' sized meal worms.. once again, minimum order is 500. They sell 500 minis for ~$25, not including shipping.

Worms - LLL Reptile (http://www.lllreptile.com/catalog/41-worms)

PS: If you're ever interested in feeding dubias, dubiaroaches.com is a good supplier of them, along with some other roach varieties and phoenix worms.

[Minkness]

The petco and petsmart sites do not reflect all their stock. Go to a store and see for yourself. Feeding the canned kind is no bueno so live is the way to go. If they do not carry any for some reason, you can check out smaller local petstores, look on Craigslist, or order online as Kuamata has suggested. However, online is not very practical for just one gecko because while the price is cheaper, they won't last long enough for you to use them all. That is my experience anyway.