Getting a Tank

[Jay_Bunny]

Well humidifier won't do me any good. My grandmother said it takes humidity out of the air.

Well I have some more of my supplies. Here is an updated list.

1 20g Long Tank
1 Tough Screen Lid
1 Half Circle wood hide
1 Small package of Sphagnum Moss
1 Shallow water dish
1 piece of tank carpet

[ReptileMan27]

Sounds good so far, you still will need

UTH(under tank heater)
small dish for calcium dish

otherwise then that looks like you got everything, Also If your planning on using the moss for the humid hide, I would reccomend rapping it in paper towels, I know some that lost a leo to impaction from moss . I use paper towels.

[Jay_Bunny]

I have an under the tank heater. There is just one problem. The tank is going on a wood endtable, and the tank is not raised. The heater would be touching the wood constantly and I know that isn't good for the table. I will be using a heating lamp. I forgot to add that to the list. I have a 50w basking bulb.

The temp in my room averages at around 70. Zim has a 75w heating bulb and it raises his warm side temp to around 80. Should I have a higher wattage bulb for the leopard gecko tank since the one I have is only a 50w?

[Swoof]

A De-humidifier takes water out of the air. A humidifier adds humidity by turning water to mist. Just trying to be helpful. The UTH should be fine, just raise the bottom of the tank about 1/4" at the end of the tank with the UTH. I don't know if the basking bulb would be too hot or not. The substrate temp shouldn't be over around 88. http://www.leopardgecko.com/emcare.html This is one of the best care sheets around. Also check out Albey's site http://www.albeysreptiles.com/default.htm . I use a combination of vermiculite on the bottom and some sphagnum moss on top of it. It makes it easier for the females to burry their eggs under the moss.

[ReptileMan27]

I have an under the tank heater. There is just one problem. The tank is going on a wood endtable, and the tank is not raised. The heater would be touching the wood constantly and I know that isn't good for the table. I will be using a heating lamp. I forgot to add that to the list. I have a 50w basking bulb.

The temp in my room averages at around 70. Zim has a 75w heating bulb and it raises his warm side temp to around 80. Should I have a higher wattage bulb for the leopard gecko tank since the one I have is only a 50w?

You could either raise the side of the tank up that the UTH is on just a little or put a piece of glass under it. The UTH is the most important for heating leos, belly heat is most important, it helps with digestion etc.. If you want to use a light, make sure its not a bright light, go with infared or other nocturnal lights, bright lights can stress leos.

[Jay_Bunny]

I think I'll raise the tank slightly. Maybe I could find some lego pieces to put under the tank. Thats how we held my old bedframe up when I was little. LOL. The power of legos.

I don't have a thermostat, so will the UTH be ok without one?

[ReptileMan27]

I think I'll raise the tank slightly. Maybe I could find some lego pieces to put under the tank. Thats how we held my old bedframe up when I was little. LOL. The power of legos.

I don't have a thermostat, so will the UTH be ok without one?

Alot of people say you need one but I have been using lots of UTHs for 12+ years without a thermostat/rheostat and never once had a problem with them. My opinion is to place the UTH heater on the cage, turn in on and give it several hourse to warm up, and them come back and place your hand on the bottom of the cage,above the UTH. If it feels to hot then you may need to get a thermostat, personally in 12+ years of using tons of them,never had that prob.

[Jay_Bunny]

Its a small UTH. I believe it is appropriatly sized for a 20g tank. The woman at work used it with her bearded dragons, and I don't believe she had a problem with it. I just wanted to make sure I didn't start using it and have it burn the geckos' bellies.

And I'm taking the gecko number down to one for now. I'll be ready to get one by the end of this month or beginning of April. I am not getting one from a petstore. I went to the Petsmart a few days ago and 2/4 of their baby geckos had lost thier tails and I understand that leopard geckos lose thier tails easily and they do grow back, but I'm wanting an already grown lizard with a tail. Possibly a male to start off with.

Are males particularly nippy? Or are leopard geckos even biters?

[mlededee]

at the very least you need to measure the temperatures in your enclosure with a digital thermometer. an accurite (which is available at walmart for about $15) works well for this. it allows you to measure temps on both the warm end and the cool end. measuring the temps by feeling the bottom of the cage isn't accurate at all--reptiles are much more sensitive to heat than humans are and what feels warm, or okay to us could burn a gecko that lays on the same spot.

using a uth without a thermostat will not provide consistent temperatures and you have no way to keep the temperatures from spiking too high or too low. at least get a dimmer that you can hook up to the uth, that way, if you see on your accurite that the temps are too high or too low you can adjust. this is the cheap way to go and does require a lot of monitoring. better to just get a thermostat, set it and you are good to go--no worries that your temps are all over the place.

i personally wouldn't even consider using any kind of heating element on a reptile's enclosure without a thermostat--why would your risk injury to your animal(s)? it's just one of the things you have to factor into the initial cost of your setup. if you can't afford it, then you need to wait until you can. here's a link to some great thermostats: http://www.reptilebasics.com/store/home.php?cat=250. the johnson or the ranco (pre-wired) will work fine for a leo setup.

[mlededee]

Are males particularly nippy? Or are leopard geckos even biters?

males in general are not nippy. leos are usually quite tame and easily handled. the only exception is adults that have not been handled--if not handled some from the time they are little they can become aggressive.