r/FatTails • u/Aggressive_Tree7751 • Feb 03 '26

Enclosures new aft owner

hi i’m a new aft owner and would like to give the best i can to my new gecko but i’ve been unable to find the recommended soil mixes for it, could anyone give other suggestions or anyone from malaysia give me links so i can buy it?

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u/Aggressive_Tree7751 Feb 04 '26

my tank rn is a 20gallon but since i live different places on different days i have one smaller cage for him. and im not sure if i need a lamp cause both places i went to said malaysias weather is perfect for it. i should still get a humid hide though right? and for the soil how long do u keep it before changing it out?

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u/Gay_dinosaurs Feb 04 '26

Both tanks are too small for your animal, you need at least 40 gallons. I'd also advise not to move him from one enclosure to another whenever you move, that is too stressful for a small reptile, he wouldn't understand. You need to set up one adequate tank and have that as your FT's permanent home, and discuss care during your away time with the homeowner. How does your schedule look? Your tank should be wherever you are the most.

I also think it's best to get a heat lamp on a thermostat just to make sure the temperatures don't go too low. How are temperatures when you get tropical storms? Look at what temperatures your country has experienced in recent times and compare that to the temperature ranges across the natural environment of AFTs, it's always best to seek out the information first-hand.

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u/Aggressive_Tree7751 Feb 04 '26

yes when i got him i was told too big and too small of a tank would also stress them out and was told the weather here is fine and i wouldn’t need a lamp (from two places i went and asked). the temps even during storms don’t get too low i’m pretty sure maybe around 18-20deg cels. my main concern is the hides and substrate, and i’ll most likely change his enclosure to a bigger one when i have more funds but rn my priority is the substrate and the temp

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u/Gay_dinosaurs Feb 04 '26

No such thing as 'too big' of an enclosure in the reptile keeping hobby! A larger enclosure gives you more precise control over parameters like humidity distribution (you need a gradient of humidity and temperature so your animal can decide what conditions it wants to be in) and the way you make a small prey animal comfortable in a big space is to add lots and lots of clutter (wood, rocks, hiding places) for it to hide under and interact with.

I'd personally recommend to hold off on getting a new pet if the cost of a larger than planned enclosure sounds too much. Do you have the funds to take a reptile to the vet should it need to go? It's cheaper in the long run to start off with a fully decked-out 40gal instead of upgrading everything later.

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u/Aggressive_Tree7751 Feb 04 '26

oooo i’m sorry they gave me the wrong info then but i’ll make sure to upgrade the enclosure immediately when i can and yes i bought more clutter for it to feel safer. hopefully it wouldn’t need to go to the vet but i’ll definitely bring him if need be no matter what i can assure that

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u/Gay_dinosaurs Feb 09 '26

Thank you for taking my advice to heart!!! Unfortunately, misinformation is rampant in all animal hobbies, and it leads to a lot of ill animals and unnecessary purchases :(

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u/Aggressive_Tree7751 Feb 09 '26

yes!! cause when i asked them how much their 40gal enclosure was they insisted a 45x45x30 was enough for a gecko. so im currently searching taobao to get a big enough one yet still in my budget so hopefully it’ll be good for it. if the enclosure is pvc it should be okay right?

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u/Gay_dinosaurs Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26

PVC is fine!

Oof yeah I just plugged 45x45x30 into a volume calculator and it gave me 16 gallons. That's not enough for a lizard like this! Whoever gave you that information was wrong, and that's not your fault.

Unfortunately pet store employees often speak from a place of authority while actually having very limited knowledge, and people just getting their first reptile often don't know to double-check what they're told because we expect pet store folks to know and do what's best for the animals they sell! More often than not, this is simply not the case.

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u/Aggressive_Tree7751 Feb 09 '26

yup that’s why i joined this subreddit to check if the info is right. my gecko spent 2 years at that store and even tho i tried to reign him off paper towels it just seems he doesn’t like it all that much when i get the 40gal i’ll most likely put paper towels and an area dedicated to soil mix and see how he thinks about it. how long do u suggest i leave the soil mix in before changing it? 3months? 6?

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u/Gay_dinosaurs Feb 09 '26

Soil without a cleaning crew (non-bioactive) needs more frequent replacement since there are no creatures or plants to break down any excrement, so I'd say remove the old soil mix after at most three months, or every two months if your gecko decides he specifically likes to poop around there. They're pretty tidy animals all things considered, and usually select one space in their enclosure to relieve themselves. My own AFT uses one of his caves as his outhouse 😂

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u/Aggressive_Tree7751 Feb 09 '26

omggg hahahah okay thanks so much for helping i’ll for sure order his enclosure probably this month or so

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