New leopard gecko owner !

[bambam1313]

tonight im gettin a leopard gecko (not even a year old yet) for $1oo with tank and all, the guys son has lost intrest so they are selling it too me .. any advice for this newbe ?

i was told to TAKE THE SAND outta the tank as soon as i get it cuz the sand builds up in there stomachs after a while ... what should i put down ?coconut husk i was told is good ? and they need 12 hours of light .. but right away i can't get a small heat pad til i get paid in two weeks .. it comes with a heat bulb and whatnot... will be be okay to just use that til i get paid ?
what would be better for me to buy ... i tub of the mealworms .. or crickets?

how often should i feed him ? and handle him ? its 12:30pm here now im going to get him around 5pm so im hopeing to get some feed back befor ei go pick him up for i can go pick up a few things..

Tips,Advice and anything else you can tell me please

[Herp Hugger]

Here's my $.02 worth. My son has been keeping Leopards for a few years now. We have never had a problem with the repti-sand that they are on. They will eat either meal worms or crickets but I think crickets are more nutritious for them. Make sure you have cricket food and cricket water if you're buying them in larger quantities to save money. The better you take care of your feeders the better they will be for your gecko. Also, although belly heat is more often recommended for leopard geckos, and overhead heat light will be fine until you get paid.

Have fun with your new friend and do lots of research! Find a good caresheet on Leopards.

[bassistjon112]

Personally i wouldn't spend that much money. I keep my geckos in tubs which are only $10 also I use a UTH. Ive kept my geckos on sand for years and never had any problem but I am very cautious about it. Ive also tried coco fiber which is pretty good just a little harder to clean(I spot clean it instead of using a scooper). I feed my geckos every few days live crickets and some times canned crickets.

[bambam1313]

Okay well I got him and he ate 5 crickets (buddy didny feed him in 3 OT 4 days ) what do crickets eat? I have the water stuff but not cricket food ? Pet stores have him in garbage tubs with egg cartens

[Dabonus]

I just go my leo a few days ago, but I've been feeding my crickets slices of sweet potato, carrots and colored greens. For water I've just been using a damp paper towel.

[Herp Hugger]

You can buy "cricket food" in small jars at almost any pet store. It's pretty cheap. A slice of potato or something similar will provide both food and moisture if cost is a problem. What you're going to feed the crickets also depends on how you're buying them. If you're only buying a dozen at a time then you may not have to worry about it too much because they'll be gone quickly. If you're going to buy them in groups of 100, 500, or 1000 to save money then you'll have to be able to keep the crickets alive for up to a couple weeks so you need keep them well. Poorly kept feeders means poor nutrition for your gecko.

[bambam1313]

Okay right now I paying $5.00 for 25 crickets, the leopard gecko ate 5 today .. So I'm thinkin judt gonna buy 25 for $5.00 every week ..

[Dabonus]

That price sounds pretty high. I picked up 40 crickets today, from Petco, for 4 bucks.

[bambam1313]

well see im in newfoundland we only have pet city and pets unlimited, we are gettin petsmart in a couple months i think .. but its all so expensive ..

Also that cricket food is 15$ for a tub down here .... asnd u can only buy one size tub .. and its its about the size of a beer glass but a little bit bigger. haha!

my gecko don't eat the dried meal worms and will eat maybe 2-3 crickets a day maybe or 4 every second day .. the gecko is about 8 or 9 months old id say ..

[Teclis]

On the topic of cheap crickets, go to Premium Circkets. They also offer a cricket "beginners pack" that comes with calcium, food for the crickets (which looks like chicken scratch to me), and cricket water (Its a powder that "gels" up the water so they don't drown).