Soon To be Getting Leopards

[NennaMeerkat]

Me and my husband decided that within the next year we are going to be getting leopard geckos. We had one that we got from CL a while back and rehabbed for a few weeks before adopting it out to another family. Besides that my experience is VERY limited...but I have heard they are generally easy to take care of and handle. I generally know how to take care of them, such as what they eat, how to house them, and such like that. What I am unsure about are the following questions and am looking for experienced individuals to help me out with.

We want to get 2 and I have heard that with reptiles it can be stressful to have them housed together. Does the same go for Leopards and should we get 2 males or 2 females? Second question to go with this is a 40 gallon "long" aquarium be okay for housing the both of them once they are full grown? If it is not okay to house them together could we build a separator and divide the aquarium into two equal parts (about 20 gallons apiece more or less)?

Since Leopards are tropical species do they have to be kept humid or can they generally be in a dry environment with access to water? If they do have to be in a humid environment what is the best way to keep it humid? What happens if an environment is to humid or to dry?

Would aspen be an okay substrate to use or should I go more for reptile carpet (which I do not like) or that coconut stuff (which I also do not like)? What are the reasons for using something else other than aspen if I should use something else?

I have heard that Leopards can have trouble shedding especially on their little toes. Also heard that they can lose the tips of their toes due to multiple bad sheddings. Is this true, and if so what can I do to avoid this?

Does a fat tail mean that they are healthy? How can you tell if they are overeating? I have seen some fat Leopards out there and am unsure if this is just normal or true fatness. Also can you "powerfeed" a Leopard or will they generally not be "chow hounds" when they eat? And when they do eat do their food have to be covered in that calcium powder?

What do you think is the prettiest kind out there? I have seen so many different morphs and such that I honestly am torn on what to get. My husband can get whatever he wants but when I get the one for me I want to get others opinions.

Thanks everyone! And sorry for all these questions...especially if they seem obvious or stupid. Want to be a competent owner.

[emilybier]

Wonderful :) Leos are great and you will definitely enjoy working with them. Not only are they the perfect beginner (gateway :P) lizard, but they are great for genetics practice with the INCREDIBLY varied morphs out there today.

To answer your first question, there are very few circumstances where you can house leos together. 2 males absolutely will not work, and 2 females of the SAME size maaay work. It depends on the personality. You want to keep your new leos quarantined for 6 weeks after your purchase. You will be able to tell if they are aggressive by this point. You can try housing them together, watch them, and if they seem fine it will work. I would recommend getting 2 males and housing them separately to start off (unless you plan to breed some day). The reason I say this is because females sometimes lay infertile clutches seasonally, and they can become egg bound.
If you have the funds to take them to the vet in this event, females are less aggressive and a bit more heavy-bodied than males.

If you start off with adults, a 40 long split with a divider will work well. I split a 40 in half with cardboard once and it worked really well. They are too lazy to be Houdinis. If you start off with lil guys, you should house them in 10 longs each, then move to the 40 split.

Leopard geckos are from clay deserts in the Middle East. They do not really have any special requirements for humidity, I only misted sparsely if they were having trouble with shed. You should keep a dish of water in there that just big enough for them to soak. If the environment is too humid, they can develop respiratory problems, if it is too dry, they have trouble with shed. You can just soak them for 20 min in a shallow dish of water though.
To answer your question farther down, leos are notorious for shed problems with their toes. They can lose their toes in severe situations. Monitor their sheds and if the toes stay on, just soak them and vveerrry gently roll the toe shed off with a wet q-tip. They have very fragile digits, so just be patient and careful. To avoid this, a soak when they start looking like its time to shed is always a good idea.

I would not use Aspen because it is not at all natural for them. Particles in aspen can give them impaction if they eat on it. They can also just go and eat it on their own because they aren't all that bright. I used paper towels starting out. They make it easy to do routine spot cleaning. If you don't like this, you can use playsand, which is not recommended. There is a high risk of impaction when you use playsand. When I used it, I made sure to feed them out of a dish. If you want to be true to their origins, a lot of people use tile. Just lay slate tile in there and pour a liiitle bit of sand between the cracks to seal it.
*NEVER USE CALCIUM SAND*. People in the pet stores will try to get you to buy it. Leos become impacted on it. It is a big no no.

A fat tail is an indicator of good health. I've never fed so much that they got too fat... and I'm not sure what it would take to get them that way. If you feed them a lot of wax worms they can get overweight, but I would just stick to mealworms and crickets. Some do tend to eat a lot. I would let them eat til they stop. If someone else can help answer just how much would be too much for an adult that would be great. My leos never gave me issues. I always fed mealworms. Just keep mealworms in a critter keeper in oatmeal with potatoes and apples.
Before feeding, it is recommended to throw them in a baggie of herptivite
Rep-Cal Rep-Cal Herptivite 3.2oz (http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=29)
and calcium powder with NO D3. Shake em up, and just pick them out and put them in with your leo.
These are healthy-bodied leos:
Beautiful Leopard Geckos and Fat Tail Geckos For Sale - $100 or Less - Awesome Leopard Geckos and Fat Tail Geckos! (http://geckosetc.com/available_150orless.html#females)
Beautiful Leopard Geckos and Fat Tail Geckos For Sale - $100 or Less - Awesome Leopard Geckos and Fat Tail Geckos! (http://geckosetc.com/available_150orless.html#males)
I also recommend this as the place you actually get your leos, if you are looking for a serious breeder. I have had nothing but great experiences with Debra and Steve. They are very knowledgeable.
Leopard geckos that are too skinny or dehydrated have folds running down the middle of their tail. The tail should be plump and a little taut.

For females, leave a bottle cap full of calcium dust in the cage so that they can lick when they feel the need.

Prettiest?? Wow I dunno. The link I provided lists all the adult geckos that are under $150. If you are asking what is hot to breed right now, I think that would be enigmas. I've been out of that game for a couple years though so I'm not sure. They have some gorgeous RAPTORS on that page, they were ALL the rage when I was breeding :P just take your pick :D

Don't be afraid to ask questions!!! That is what we are here for :)

[Sapphyr]

Well seems like Emily always got everything, even who I was going to recommend for your geckos. xD I'd say they're the best breeders on the internet, great place to get your geckos! Tons of variety at a good price.

I'm personally a fan of their Diablo Blancos.

[NennaMeerkat]

Thanks for the advice I will read over it in depth later.