Hide question?

[Crowley136]

So I'm going to be getting a leopard gecko soon, and I'll have 3 hides for him: hot hide, cool, and moist. First question is, should all the hides look the same so he doesn't like one more than the others or can I have 3 different looking hides. I know snakes can be like that. Second question, is a 20g long big enough for 1 adult male. Do I need to worry about ambient temperatures at all. And is it true that males get bigger than females. Thanks, other than that I know everything else I need to know.

[Kirks_Herps]

in the most basic set ups 1 hide is all thats needed.
the gecko will choose its hide if there is more that 1 based on comfort
and where ever its most comfortable its less stressed and happy.

same or different hides? doesnt matter imo
if it chooses one hide over another could be based on the hide itself
or environmental conditions / needs

a 10 gallon is perfect for 1 adult leo
hide box, water bowl, food bowl and paper towel as a substrate
small compact easy to maintain
if you want to do the vivarium thing a 20L would be ok too and there is room for expansion

a uth will raise the temps aprox 10 degrees above ambient
if needed a heat lamp can help maintain proper temps
keep away from drafts and direct sunlight

males do get bigger that females
not so much that it really matters though

Kirk

[Sybilestial]

So I'm going to be getting a leopard gecko soon, and I'll have 3 hides for him: hot hide, cool, and moist. First question is, should all the hides look the same so he doesn't like one more than the others or can I have 3 different looking hides. I know snakes can be like that. Second question, is a 20g long big enough for 1 adult male. Do I need to worry about ambient temperatures at all. And is it true that males get bigger than females. Thanks, other than that I know everything else I need to know.

Honestly, Leos tend to prefer hides that are log like.

For my leopard gecko, I want her to THRIVE so her setup is a 36"L x 18"W x 12"H (33 gallon) terrarium. It's an Exo Terra, so it has doors on the front of the tank. For substrate I'm using paper towels, but I will be finding 3/8" tile, which helps distribute the heat nicely. For hides, her warm hide is a fake log with three entry/exit points, her warm moist hide is a moss cave (one entry/exit point), the cool hide is a small cave with two entry/exit points, and then I have a fourth hide that is hollow bamboo. Then I have a bowl of water and a calcium dish.

She does go in all of them, but usually prefers the log when sleeping. Honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. If they don't have options, you don't know what they like or dislike. Plus if they don't have diversity in general, they get bored.

For heating I have a 39' heating cable, a thermostat to control the heat, and then a little yellow thermometer to monitor the heat as well.

Below is an image of the tank before I got the moss cave and removed the 3D background. The other images are of Fii enjoying her log hide. Sorry about the quality.

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