Long story short, I'd been planning on getting a leopard gecko for most of this year. I had the tank ready and was prepared to get one at my city's reptile expo.

...Then I held a bp and I fell in love. I knew the basics of bp husbandry, and when I got home with my little one I made the necessary changes to the tank (that I could on such short notice) and went online to make sure I had the right ideas for temps, enclosure setup, etc.

First off, here's a photo of Viago's enclosure:
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Here are the details:
24 x 18 x 12 exo terra (I've read he'll likely need a size upgrade as he grows, open to suggestions and opinions on that!)
Exo terra heat mat controlled by a jumpstart thermostat set to 91. The thermostat probe reads 91 and the in-tank digital thermometer (zoo-med brand) reads 89-91 as the thermostat adjusts.
Ambient temp around 80
Cool side around 80-81
Red light 75w over the tank as I live in a basement in Canada . I was kind of coerced into buying this over a che by the petstore guy :/
Two hides
Water bowl (about as big as Viago when he balls up)
All sides (except the front) are covered to ensure security. I have styrofoam and tinfoil covering most of the screen top to maintain humidity. Currently using an exo terra hygrometer which reads at about 50-60% with twice daily spraying (where I live is quite dry)


There are definitely things that need some changing. The substrate is currently a half-inch or so of aspen shavings overtop of zoo--med exacavator clay. As this was intended for a leo, the clay was already in place. I will be replacing this once Viago settles in as I know the clay is not at all necessary or useful to a bp. I'm thinking cypress mulch over aspen, as, like I said, my house/location is generally quite dry. Will the clay be a problem until he's more comfortable in his new tank, or will it be alright to leave in for a few weeks?

His hides are more or less first and foremost for me in terms of what needs to go. That half-log thing is waay too big for him at his size and too open. At the moment, he curls up under the fake flowers and between a few decorative rocks. I plan to get two identical hides that will give him a much more snug place to curl up on his hot and cool sides. I'm thinking the overturned plant pots mentioned in the stickies on this forum. Any other recs?

I havent handled him at all save for transporting him into his enclosure from the expo and weighing him. He comes in at 84g. The breeder was feeding f/t rat pups, which seem to align with the width of the largest part of his body rule. I'm seeing here that at this size a lot of keepers feed mice instead, would it be worth trying to switch or should I keep him on what the breeders fed? I haven't fed him yet as it's only been about five days since I purchased him.

I appreciate all advice and constructive criticism. I know this sounds like an impulse buy because...well, it kind of was. But I did know the basics of bp care beforehand and I've done nothing but research it in the five days since. I want the best for this little one and I'm open to changing just about everything to make sure he lives a full, healthy life with me