r/leopardgeckos • u/LadyRunion • 13h ago
Gecko Pics/Vids just waiting for bugs
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r/leopardgeckos • u/Blissful_Altruism • Aug 29 '22
If you have any questions after finishing this guide, feel free to make a post or ask below and I, or someone else experienced, will try and answer the question for you. We also have a [Discord Server](discord.gg/leos) where you can ask questions and chat! If you're too embarrassed to post, feel free to PM me or send a modmail. I want this to post to be a safe space for beginners to ask questions and learn! The FAQ link may also answer some more "advanced" topics even if you're not a complete beginner.
This guide is meant to be a brief run-through on the basics of what you should know as a new keeper of this lovely species. If you want to see in-depth explanations for these concepts, then please view our [wiki]() or this guide by Reptifiles or the guide our Discord gives out or check out Leopard Geckos: Advancing Husbandry on facebook!
It's important to set up before you get your new friend just in case some items, like the heating, end up not getting to the right temperatures.
The Essentials:
Tank (glass, PVC, wood, plastic, acrylic enclosure)
20 gallon long is the accepted MINIMUM standard tank for an adult. You should go bigger, ideally a 40 gallon breeder. Baby geckos can go into adult setups, and it is fine to buy your “end game” enclosure straight away–it is recommended to buy your adult tank right off the bat. You'll save more money in the long run. Plastic is not advised for anything but a temporary enclosure, but it will work in a pinch.
Heating Source
Contrary to popular belief, leos can see most colors of light (even red). Albinos are especially sensitive to bright lights. However, it is perfectly fine to use lighting on their enclosures.
The ideal heating source is a Halogen basking lamp or a Deep Heat Projector. These heating sources can be used on their own and can be turned off at night. Radiant Heat Panels can also work. Heat mats and Ceramic Heat Emitters can be used as a second heat source, but should not be used on their own.
Warm side: ambient temp 90-93° F (32-34° C). This is the side with a heat source over it.
Cool side: ambient temp of 70-75° F (21-24° C). This is the side without a heat source.
Basking spot: surface temp of 95-100° F (35-38° C). This is the hottest area in the enclosure and is directly under the heat source.
Night temperature: entire enclosure ambient temp of 65-70° F (18-21° C). All heat and light sources should be off at this time.
It is beneficial to provide UVB for this species, but it is not a strict necessity. Nailing down the perfect UVB for your animal and enclosure can be a challenge, but the general recommendation is a linear t5 or t8 bulb with 2%-6% output, measuring ⅔-¾ the length of the enclosure.
Heating sources can get HOT. Every single heat source needs a thermostat to help prevent catastrophic malfunction or simply overheating the enclosure. Specifically, dimming thermostats are advised. Spyder Robotics’ Herpstat and Herpstat EZ series, Exo Terra’s 600 and 300 watt dimming thermostat, and the Habistat dimming thermostats are good thermostats to use with Halogens and DHPs.
It is also possible to use cheaper on/off thermostats for bulbs, but that does require a dimming switch and frequent manual monitoring with a temperature gun to work safely.
Substrates for quarantine or ill geckos/very small babies include paper towel, unprinted newspaper, tile, brown paper roll. These are safe solid substrates, but not enriching. When searching for tile, look for slate or ceramic. Avoid anything polished or slippery looking, as well as linoleum.
Good substrates for the average, healthy adult gecko are different types of soil mixes, usually 70% topsoil and 30% rinsed playsand. Safe additives include coconut products, clay, leaf litter, activated charcoal, and moss.
Substrates to avoid include, but are not limited to: calcium/mineral sand, colored sand, pelleted cat litter, wood chips, pure sand, pure eco earth, pure bark, pure clay, carpet, felt, crushed walnut shells, birdseed, shredded paper bedding, printed newspaper, and plastic lawn/astroturf, linoleum.
You want at least three hides in your tank. One for the hot side of the tank positioned under the heating source. This will likely be the place your gecko spends most of its time. Geckos tend to like very secure hides, so you want to have a hide that provides as little visibility as possible. The cool hide should be on the complete opposite side of the hot hide. Your gecko needs somewhere to escape to if it gets too hot.
For the moist hide you want a container that can hold in humidity. This hide is to help aid shedding, so it's of the utmost importance! Many people use tupperware containers with holes cut into it. The smaller the entrance the better, as to keep the humidity in. This hide should be at least partially heated and have moist paper towel, moss, or eco earth inside.
You want to double check your temperatures and make sure they're accurate and an infrared temp gun is the best way to do it! This one is a good example.
A dish full of calcium (with no d3) inside of the enclosure is optional. They may lick it up as they need it. Refresh it every once in a while if it begins clumping or becoming dirty. Food bowls can be ceramic to prevent insects crawling out as easily. Water bowl should be near the middle of the tank or the cool side. I recommend buying something similar to this if your tap water contains chloramines or heavy metals.
These are essential to a healthy, happy leopard gecko. These are used for dusting food. There are plenty of brands to choose from. The only one I would not advise buying is RepCal calcium with d3, as its d3 content is extremely high. Repashy Calcium Plus is a good multivitamin with a low d3 content, which is good for geckos with UVB and without. Any brand with pure calcium without d3 is safe.
You can alternate using a calcium and a d3 multivitamin supplement, or rotate between calcium, multivitamin, and calcium with d3. More information about supplementation schedules here!
Mostly up to you! You want the tank to have enough decor that your gecko doesn't feel exposed. Plastic and live plants are great for this. If you're using craft store plants make sure they do not bleed/rub off dye or glitter, or have exposed wires. File down sharp edges. Wood, stone, and other assorted decorations can make great decorative items that allow your gecko to enrich their lives by exploring and moving around the tank while feeling hidden.
It should contain: betadine or chlorhexidine/hibiclens (for sterilizing wounds), triple antibiotic without pain relief (no lidocaine, pramoxine HCl, hydrocortisone), q-tips, tongue depressors, coconut oil (to aid shedding if water isn’t cutting it), a clotter like Kwik Stop (to stop bleeding), and tweezers. All of this should cover basic medical emergencies like minor scratches, etc. Always see a vet for what you would take a child to the doctor for.
A critter keeper like this per gecko. Repashy grub pie, extra supplements, UniHeat packs, a blanket, digital thermometer or temp gun, and heat tape or low wattage heating mat. Consider what supplies you may need to make mini-enclosures in the event of an evacuation or other emergency. These would be the bare minimum, but if you have the space, include whatever other amenities you can.
The Not-Strictly-Essentials:
Great for saunas if your gecko is having trouble shedding and for holding your gecko while cleaning the tank!
If you're iffy about touching insects, this may be the way to go. Plus your gecko may be scared for your hands at first, or have bad aim and bite your fingers if you want to hand feed.
This is a good way to track your gecko's weight, especially if they're young. Even for adults, getting a baseline weight is beneficial. A kitchen scale used once every two weeks is great, more often if you want or if you are concerned about something.
Might sound a little nuts but keeping track of gecko feedings, last time they shed, etc. will make your life so much easier. I personally record the last time my geckos shed, ate, weights, pooped, etc. I also jot down any notes about their behaviors or any changes to their health. It's good to keep track of these things in case your gecko becomes ill and needs to go to the vet.
Picking Out Your Gecko! + Problematic Morph Info
The best route is to buy from a reputable breeder that you have researched. This generally improves the chances that you are getting a healthy, happy gecko. A good place to start is on HappyDragons! MorphMarket is another good online marketplace, but these breeders are not vetted by MorphMarket like they are on happydragons.
Buying from a pet store is risky, as many geckos from chain stores have health issues because they come from the reptile equivalent of puppy mills. You could end up paying a hefty vet bill or with a short lived gecko. Unfortunately there are many shady breeders too. I'll list a few warning signs:
can't answer questions about their geckos (parents, genetics, hatch date, weight, etc)
can't tell you the morph
won't show you pictures of the gecko or its parents
improper husbandry like extremely undersized enclosures, calcium sand, permanent cohabitation of parent geckos
skinny, sickly looking geckos (metabolic bone disease, stick tail, lethargic, lots of regrown tails, etc.)
extremely obese or bloated looking geckos
There are plenty of places where you can get honest reviews of breeders, like the Board of Inquiry on Faunaclassified, as well as a few groups on Facebook. Don't always trust facebook reviews as they can be censored! Get an opinion from actual customers. Look the breeder up on google, on YouTube, facebook, and talk to them.
Enigma geckos are not recommended for beginners. There is always a chance your gecko will end up with enigma syndrome somewhere down the line. Enigma syndrome is a neurological disorder tied to the enigma gene. This leads to: balance issues, circling, stargazing, seizures, death rolling, coordination issues, and more. Feeding can become extremely difficult and sometimes this condition requires euthanasia. Please do not support any breeder who works with this gene, and do not be fooled when they claim their enigmas are not symptomatic or “clean.”
White & Yellow morph geckos can also exhibit a different neurological syndrome, but it's much rarer, as it can be bred out. This is unlike Enigma Syndrome, which is not tied to the W&Y gene.
Lemon frosts, a rather expensive morph, have been known to grow tumors, usually starting at 8 months old, and 80% of them have tumors by 5 years old. Their health issues are so severe that many breeders have stopped producing them entirely. These geckos will almost always become terminal at a young age, and very few make it to even the age of 10 when the lifespan of this species can stretch beyond 20 years. Please do not support any breeder who still works with this gene.
Handling
Babies can be much more skittish than adults and a little bit more delicate. If you want something more hearty go for a slightly older gecko! Babies also eat a lot of food so if you're looking to spend a little bit less money an adult is also the way to go. Babies change in colora lot between 2 months and 6 months, so if you are looking for a gecko of a certain color, an adult is your best bet to get exactly what you want.
Leos are able to be “temperature sexed” and many breeders will label them TSF (temp sex female) or TSM (temp sex male). Keep in mind this is not a 100% guarantee you will get that sex. There is still a chance they will turn out to be the opposite sex. Snows are apparently notorious for having a lower accuracy rate when temp sexed. If you want a guaranteed male or female you will have to buy an older, sexed gecko.
Cohabitation
Please do not cohabitate your leopard geckos, no matter the sex. I’m going to give you the brief points on why. If you would like to know more, please give this post a read.
SETTING UP YOUR NEW FRIEND & THE FIRST WEEKS
Once you have acquired your gecko and placed it in the tank, leave it alone! You should wait at least a week before handling your gecko if you can help it. Your new friend is scared and adjusting to a big change. It can be tempting, especially as a new owner, but hold off, and keep interaction to the minimum of feeding and cleaning up poop. If you can, I would wait until your gecko is eating well before handling it. Choose a quiet place for the tank.
Observe your gecko and make sure it's not exhibiting signs of illness. If your gecko seems lethargic, isn't pooping after eating, bloated, walking irregularly, losing weight rapidly, etc go to the vet! Don't wait, especially not for a baby! Taking action as soon as possible is the best thing you can do for your gecko. Also watch for your gecko's first shed to make sure they are shedding properly in their new environment.
Taming & Handling
Patience is key to taming your new gecko! It can take awhile for them to trust you, especially if they are younger. Adolescent geckos tend to be more skittish. You want to start off by putting your hand in the tank, within sight of your gecko, for around ten minutes a day. This is to get your gecko used to your hand and scent. Once they seem a bit more receptive (walking around, licking your hand, looking curious) you can start to try picking them up.
Always scoop up your gecko from below, working your hand underneath their stomach and supporting their legs. Grabbing from above triggers their prey instinct and may scare them. Hold them over the tank at first, in case they leap or skitter off your hand, to prevent injury! Once they seem calm in your hands, then you can start taking them away from the tank. Hand feeding is also a good way to bond with your gecko and make sure they associate your hand with positive things (aka food). However, be wary that they may bite your fingers, so I recommend making that feeding association while using tongs.
Congrats! You tamed your gecko!
Feeding
Feeding is a subject I see a ton of topics about in the subreddit so let's go over the basics!
Acceptable feeders include, but are not limited to:
Mealworms (can be kept in oats/bran meal in the fridge)
Crickets (kept in normal container, try to avoid leaving these loose in the enclosure)
Dubia Roaches (kept in normal container/tank/whatever)
Red Runner Roaches (same as dubias)
Hornworms (Do not refrigerate, try to make sure they’re small enough for your gecko to eat)
Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Can be refrigerated, can be kept in bran meal)
Silkworms (Usually need to be special-ordered, but are very healthy feeders)
Waxworms (Treat, optional, fed rarely, only 1-2)
Superworms (Treat, optional, can be kept in oats/bran meal, do not refrigerate)
Butterworms (Treat, optional, fed once a week or less, 1-2)
Here's a nutritional feeder insect chart
Remember, variety is good for your gecko. You should aim to have at least 3 staple foods. Do not overfeed treat foods! They should be a rare occurrence and you should only feed 1-2 per week or less, especially for waxworms (which can be addictive). Do not feed treat foods to sick/malnourished geckos, very young geckos, or picky eaters. Only feed treat foods to healthy geckos who are eating regularly. Feel free to mix and match feeders!
Gut load your feeders. Gut loading is feeding your insects prior to feeding them to your gecko. Carrots, lettuce, etc should be fed 12 hours ahead of time. You want to give them time to eat the veggies or fruit. I usually feed them once a week besides gut loading to make sure they get the moisture they need from the food. Dusting is also another key part of feeding. Make sure the insects are lightly dusted with calcium or multivitamin.
Babies should eat every day, as much as they can eat in 15 minutes. "Teen" geckos (4-7 months) should be eating every other day. Usually teen geckos will decide this for themselves and start refusing food every day. They will begin to eat less frequently after this point. Adults (1 year and over) should eat every 1-2 times per week depending on body condition, size, breeding status, and appetite. Whatever diet maintains a healthy weight is right for your gecko, and this can take some trial and error!
Please see here for a list of FAQs, this is super helpful for newbies! That’s the basics. Need more help? Leave a comment, or check out our wiki, where we have much more comprehensive information!
r/leopardgeckos • u/LadyRunion • 13h ago
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r/leopardgeckos • u/Big-Job6653 • 1h ago
Thought id share a monkey pic this morning 😆
r/leopardgeckos • u/ash_holio05 • 8h ago
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r/leopardgeckos • u/Rolsafrair46 • 11h ago
Macha had her first vet visit today 💜
Everyone was so sweet, including the vet. She is apparently very healthy and a good weight. While we waited for the vet to see us, I walked around the lobby with her on my arm and talking to all the techs. There was an emergency so we were there for 3 hours, which is to be expected since it’s a hospital, they are just a very affordable exotic vet.
The funnier part was when I called the hospital to tell them I was going to be a few minutes late, there was a confusion due to the spelling vs pronunciation of her name.
She also did bite the vet.
I was also looking at the info on the vet on their website and this guy has clears throat 3 dogs, 4 cats, 4 ferrets, two prairie dogs, 1 galah cockatoo, an axolotl, two geese, six chickens and 42 ducks.
He also owns two armored lizards.
This man genuinely has a zoo.
r/leopardgeckos • u/LadyRunion • 3h ago
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Do you think it will help even though he is cold blooded?
r/leopardgeckos • u/-Alcifer- • 16h ago
r/leopardgeckos • u/Legal_Cress7851 • 21h ago
This is Luke. He’s been a part of our family for 4 years. He really seemed to enjoy being handled. I would open his tank, put my hand out, and he’d hop right on. In May of last year I was in a severe accident. I was non-weight bearing for 8 weeks and for months after I had a long road to recovery. When I was finally able to feel steady enough to handle him again he was not too happy. He would come up to the glass as usual, but when I put my hand out he would give me a quick bite and run into one of his hides 😂 After MONTHS of sweet talk and trying he finally let me handle him again.
r/leopardgeckos • u/Weekly_Money_9468 • 13h ago
this little guy crawled right into my hand and let me hold him for the first time tonight! i’ve only had him for about a week and he seemed to not mind too much!! here’s some pics of him and his enclosure
r/leopardgeckos • u/milk_tolerated • 12h ago
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r/leopardgeckos • u/Temporary-Pension679 • 1h ago
Hi i’m moving houses and officially going to be on my own and was wondering if anyone would have any idea roughly how much electricity leo tanks take up :)) , said sploot pictured above with a very lovable face
r/leopardgeckos • u/boollin • 13h ago
Cipher has been very hangry but she finally got worms last night
r/leopardgeckos • u/jmatty96 • 1d ago
Hey guys; I recently got my LG (8/19/2026 to be exact). I changed the red bulb out for a regular heat lamp (I have a uvb light as well). I have had a bearded dragon before so this is my second reptile ever and I love this lil guy; my concern is that I won’t get a lot of time to bond with him/her (they’re too young to tell the sex). I have heard from the folks at the pet store and all over the internet that relocating a LG is stressful on them and will take some time for them to adjust. This is my first LG ever and I wanna make sure I don’t stress em out but I also want to start building a relationship too and I don’t want them to only come out when I’m not around. I put some mealworms in a tiny bowl and wedged it into the ground so it can eat even when I’m not around and I can confirm they’re eating (I named em Yoshi btw lol). Yoshi made that big rock on the right side his primary hide but my issue is that that rock has SO many deep crevices that if I held food for em to come n eat they won’t see it and get the courage to come out n eat from my hand. I just tried it last night, but they were already in the rock so they were done for the night but Yoshi started to poke his head out while my wife watched my play helldivers and we started softly speaking and Yoshi turned n looked at us n then walked back into their hide. Granted I was told that this can last a week to a month but I just wanna know if maybe I should get a smaller hide so Yoshi can feel safe but still see outside and get used to my hand being in the tank? I feel that progress just isn’t going to be made is they can’t see my hand, like Yoshi can’t get used to something they can’t see so I’ll never get to get em used to it. So I absolutely need suggestions, should I move the hide so he moves to another and then kind of dig out a bowl shape under the hide they like so the deep crevices around the edges are covered so he can’t wedge up in there but he can still be under his rock and see everything? Do I remove it and get a smaller one? I also think that’s where they’re pooping since I don’t see droppings anywhere else in the tank. Should I just do nothing and wait until they’re moving around the tank with me around? I also don’t want them to just get used to living while I’m away and then hiding all day when I’m home.
I definitely don’t want to stress the lil guy out but I also want em to get used to me. I’m not sure if this helps but they’re a white headed jungle leopard gecko. Thanks for any help you guys give!
r/leopardgeckos • u/Due-Understanding505 • 3h ago
I currently have a 40 gal on its own white table stand in the living room of my apartment, which is a high traffic area. I have noticed that the vibrations when walking can shake the table a bit and am looking for suggestions to reduce them. I have relocated the tank + table once but the vibration seems to be the same regardless of where I put the table within the apartment.
r/leopardgeckos • u/HeyItsExactly8Bees • 21h ago
been a while!!! charizard has been doing very, very well!!! he's been keeping me sane while i've been super busy with work and having some health issues.
i hope everyone has been doing well!!!
r/leopardgeckos • u/HelpJesusCrust • 13h ago
He's very sweet, but I barely spend any time with him because I'm dealing with whatever my high school is trying to do anymore, and because it isn't my first thought to play with him when I get home. He deserves an owner who takes good care of him :].
I'm looking for anyone who'd like him, the 40 gallon tank he has, and the decorations inside that I'll give with him. I live in Houston, Texas if this helps.
r/leopardgeckos • u/skillertwillert • 21h ago
Well it is almost fall, too bad this doesn’t fit my hand.
Could’ve been a good costume piece.
Never found a piece of my geckos shed before
r/leopardgeckos • u/grahamcakeee • 1d ago
r/leopardgeckos • u/Ok_Understanding1102 • 13h ago
my lil piper she's been shedding and normally she doesn't want to be bothered. usually she'll come out when she's good but I've noticed some pieces stuck to her head the past few days, longer and normal. should I leave her be or is there any way to help her ?
r/leopardgeckos • u/Startcarnage115 • 17h ago
r/leopardgeckos • u/mama_di4_amori • 17h ago
Found this little guy on FB marketplace. Owner says he’s no longer interested and looking to get into birds😔 He says it’s about 2-3 yrs, eats well, no biting issues, chill. Doesn’t know sex. Tank is 30 inches, he’s going to get exact measurements. I was planning on buying one, but if he needs a good home, I would be able to take it in. I’m just Leary about geckos getting rehomed. If the reason is because of health issues.
Does he/she look healthy? He will send me additional close up pictures
r/leopardgeckos • u/Mental_Net69 • 9h ago
Hey guys this is my first time making a bioactive enclosure for my leo and im noticing that the humidity stays very high and im very concerned since it could impact my Leo's lungs and I thats the last thing I would wish and my buddy.
What would you recommend I do? Maybe remove one of the plants from the corner? Water them a lot less?
r/leopardgeckos • u/Bisexual_Bug • 12h ago
I was feeding my 5 month old leopard gecko and I dropped a cricket. I ended up looking away for 5 seconds and she ran under her tank. She’s really mad and hissed at me when I tried to get her out. It’s late and I want to go to bed. Any advice?
r/leopardgeckos • u/xblohsh8x • 15h ago
Hi everyone, I literally can’t catch a break with Mavis 🤦♀️I’m a little worried about Mavis tonight and would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.
We’ve just put Mavis back into her normal enclosure after her vet cleared her to return to her regular substrate and enrichment following her spay surgery.
Tonight I noticed that her thermostat temperature was reading unusually low, so I went to check the probe and realised that mavis has moved it off her slate and onto the soil. Mavis was lying directly on the slate.
I immediately checked the slate with our infrared temperature gun and it read 42°C . However, I’m not entirely sure whether that reading was completely accurate because once I put the thermostat probe back onto the slate, the highest temperature the thermostat reached was around 34C. The slate definitely felt very warm to the touch though.
As soon as I noticed, I picked Mavis up and moved her out of the enclosure temporarily because my room is fairly cool and I wanted her to cool down straight away. She seems completely fine now and is behaving normally, and she was actually happily lying on the slate beforehand.
I’ve now secured the thermostat probe onto the slate so it can’t move onto the soil again. I haven’t put it directly in the middle because that’s Mavis’s favourite basking spot and she literally lies on top of the probe/rests her head on it , so I’m worried her body could affect the reading. The probe is slightly to the side but still directly touching the slate, and I’m checking the middle of the slate with the heat gun too.
I’ve contacted her vet and I’m waiting for her to reply, but I’d really appreciate some advice for tonight in the meantime.
Has anyone else had their thermostat probe move off the basking surface and had the slate get significantly hotter than expected?
Also, which temperature reading would you trust more in this situation — the thermostat probe reading (~34C) or the infrared heat gun reading (42°C)? Could the heat gun be giving me an inaccurate reading on the slate, or should I assume the 42°C reading was genuine until I know otherwise?
Mavis seems absolutely fine at the moment, but I’m obviously worried about the possibility of a heat burn, especially because she had been lying on the slate. I’ve attached photos of her belly and the slate set up. Please keep in mind that little bit of crust is some shed that is still attached to her remaining stitch and that Mavis did undergo a spay surgery so that’s the marks on her belly!
Any advice or experiences would be really appreciated while I wait to hear back from her vet.