Just got my first leo

Hello everyone I haven't been on here in awhile since my balls have been healthy and happy so all is good.... anyways I decided to get a leopard gecko and I have been looking at quite a few online care sheets and can't seem to find anything about humidity besides having a humid hide when they shed but even still there aren't any specific percents... so I ask all of you what should it be?

A humid hide is the answer ;)
You don't really need to worry about all over tank humidity, "regular" room humidity is fine really. Just pop a humid hide on the warm side and it'll be fine. I use Tupperware bowls (I think they are 3 cup?) with paper towel, sooo easy to just pop a new towel in and it's always clean with no mold yuck...and no kicking moss around!

do you put a lid on the the hide or is it just an open bowl? and I also have a question about substrate I have heard conflicting reports that sand is the best thing for them or that it can cause impactions and is really horrible... can I use the same aspen bedding that I use for my balls or no?

oh and I forgot to mention that her name is Pebbles

Congrats on your new leo... I would recommend either shelf liner or paper towels to start. Sand can cause impaction and no on the aspen bedding. If your looking for something asthetically appealing i would try slate tile, that is what I use for my display tank. All the rest of my geckos are on paper towel or self liner(no chances of impaction). Humidity not a big issue as long as you have a humid hide when they start shedding. How about some pics of pebbles?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JUNKyardHOE

do you put a lid on the the hide or is it just an open bowl?

---

Yes, leave the lid on. Cut an opening in the side of the bowl and smooth the rough edges out. Line it with paper towel and dampen it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JUNKyardHOE

and I also have a question about substrate I have heard conflicting reports that sand is the best thing for them or that it can cause impactions and is really horrible... can I use the same aspen bedding that I use for my balls or no?

---

Leo's (IMHO) do much better on a solid substrate. I use ceramic floor tile on my warm ends (not glued, just lay one over the UTH) and paper towel for the cool side. It doesn't look bad by the time you get the "stuff" in there and it's safe and easy to clean. Leo's are very curious and lick everything, repeatedly, so it's just best to have something they can't ingest.
You should have three hides (minimum); the humid, one on the warm and one on the cool side. I also use a log hide in the middle. My guys also really love their hammocks!
Also put a little milk cap of pure calcium in the tank, they do lick it. That is in addition to dusting the bugs.

Let's see a pic!

Mine won't use a humid hide. My reptile room stays about 40% and they don't seem to have a problem shedding. On a rare occasion, they will have a stuck piece on a toe which will come off in a bath.

Don't sweat it too much right now, but what Clementine 3 says is spot on. That's what I use to do.

Don't use aspen. Go to Home Depot/Lowes and get a few tiles (not sure how big your tank is). I use a thin layer of sand on the bottom to dissipate the heat, works very well.

and I guess I forgot to mention one last thing I got it from a teacher that used her as a classroom pet so she is around 5 years old... and she took pebbles to the vet right before I picked her up and she has some stuck shed in her eyes so I have been putting non-medicated eye drops on a few times a day as the vet told the previous owner to do... but I will post pictures a little later today

here are some pictures... the last one is kind of hard to see but hopefully you can see what it is


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...e/P5110021.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...e/P5110022.jpg

Nice length! Now fatten it up! Does pebbles seem to be able to hunt just fine with the eye issue?