Newbie preparing for leo ownership

[gregs14a]

Hi all, 1st post on RFUK

Ive recently purchased a 2nd hand vivexotics 48 x 18 x18 with several accessories, the viv was previously used for 2 beardies so im a little unsure if its got everything I need to keep two leopard geckos

Any advice/tips will be greatly appreciated

I currently have:

habistat moon switch
habistat dimming thermostat
arcadia fluorescent lighting controller
42" 12% uvb tube
lucky reptile digital thermometer with 2 probes
exo terra 100w basking spot lamp x 2
exo terra 75w infrared heat lamp
lamp guard currently guarding basking lamp
exo terra dial thermometer
food and water dish
cool and hot hides ( i know ill have to get a moist hide for shedding etc )
cricket feed
cricket dust
calcium supplement
reptoboost
reptiwound healing aid
sand substrate

Im looking to get two adult leos... I'd prefer both females as ive been told by a reptile shop owner near me two males may, if not will fight

Today is the 1st day ive set everything up so I can monitor temperatures ready for getting the geckos this weekend if everything goes to plan

I dont think i'll use the basking spot as I think the infrared bulb will be on 24/7, so i wont have to get additional timers. the fluro tube is on a 12 hour cycle (will i need more daylight time or not? ) Ground temp on the hot side is currently at 30.7,the dimming stat is set to 32 so shouldnt take long to get to temp.. The exo terra dial on the hot side is reading 35??? this is closer to the infrared bulb by about 2 inches.. is this anything to be concerned about? , cool side just above ground level is 24.1, this may go up a little when hot side is up to temperature

Is there any thing that I havent got that is essential to keep leos?? And once again, Any advice or tips will be really appreciated

I will upload some pics soon, got a few things to do this afternoon but will get them uploaded soon as

Looking forward to hearing from you all
Greg

[Ophexis]

I'd ignore the dial thermometer. It is a completely useless piece of equipment and can be as much as 10 degrees inaccurate. Follow the digital temps and you should be fine.
Also, although you probably already know this... but please be aware that there is no guarantee that 2 leopard geckos will get along for life so a spare set-up would be a good idea in case they do start fighting. Also it'll do well for quarantine in case one should become unwell.
The UVB could be a little too strong for a crepuscular animal, but I may be wrong.

[gregs14a]

Thanks for the reply, just had a quick google and it seems that a lot of people are saying that they do not need uvb lighting... could i use a normal fluro tube so the geckos can determine between day and night.

As for keeping two together, have females been known to be territorial or known to fight or is it just a male thing

[gregs14a]

oh, is a heat mat needed too?

[Ophexis]

If you have a basking lamp then you don't need a heat mat As long as the floor gets up to the right temperature then it's fine... ambient temps aren't as important as floor temps.

There can be a chance of competition in both genders unfortunately... if they feel the need to dominate one another for food, space, hides, etc. then there could be problems. This isn't always the case but just be aware it could happen at any time, so you'll always have to keep a close eye on them both for signs of dominance. With a 4ft vivarium the chances are lessened as they have more space to escape each other, but it doesn't kill the possibility of competition entirely

With regards the UV and determining day/night cycles, as long as they are in a well-lit room then they can determine the day/night times fine 2 of my 4 geckos (different species but the concept is the same) have no light source other than the daylight through my bedroom window to tell them when it's day or night If you'd like to introduce a light source then that's fine as long as they don't compromise the existing temperatures.

[Mikroberts]

you've got more than you need for a leopard gecko lol check the care sheet on this forum so you see what is needed and what you don't a basic set up can be achieved with a heat mat uv light and the 3 hides mentioned. water dish of course substrate is your choice im a firm believer of calci sand ( and wont take criticism on this matter) but what ever you wanna use. a water dish. thermometer the hot side should be 32 deg and cool side 27-28 this is surface area temp. and during the night both temps should lower by 3-4 deg. your food should be gut loaded (crickets fed calcium dust) and dusted with calcium to offer as much suppliments as you can. its your choice but some people like to add a little dish with calcium. best of luck with your little guys

[Ophexis]

Originally Posted by Mikroberts

you've got more than you need for a leopard gecko lol check the care sheet on this forum so you see what is needed and what you don't a basic set up can be achieved with a heat mat uv light and the 3 hides mentioned. water dish of course substrate is your choice im a firm believer of calci sand ( and wont take criticism on this matter) but what ever you wanna use. a water dish. thermometer the hot side should be 32 deg and cool side 27-28 this is surface area temp. and during the night both temps should lower by 3-4 deg. your food should be gut loaded (crickets fed calcium dust) and dusted with calcium to offer as much suppliments as you can. its your choice but some people like to add a little dish with calcium. best of luck with your little guys

I won't pick up on the calci sand as you have requested, but you don't necessarily NEED a temperature drop at night I have my heat mat on 24-7 with no night-time drop and there have been absolutely no issues in the viv or its inhabitant. Personally, I love lino. It's easily removed, holds heat very well, looks very smart, is safe and wipes clean!
Crickets (or any live food for that matter!) won't eat calcium dust on its own I don't think, but they may eat it if you dust their food with it... but you're right they need dusting (I would strongly advise Repashy Calcium Plus as it contains all the multivitamins they need as well as calcium) and gut loading before being fed to the geckos. This maximises their nutritional content.
I offer calcium in the viv in a bottle cap as well just in case what I am providing is not quite enough... but this is personal choice as you say. I'd rather it was there and never got used, instead of it not being there and it being needed at some time in the future. At present, my girl just likes to finger-paint with hers and drag it across the viv

SleepyD (a member on here) has a great caresheet to look at. You can't go wrong with it!
http://sleepydeegeckos.webs.com/care.htm

[Mikroberts]

yer calcium sand is a touchy subject on these forums so I won't get into it I said its ur choice, I meant dusting the crickets food aka gut loading my bad, the temperature drop isn't major like U said no problems without changing i mean they come from Pakistan and places which has 40 deg but i wouldn't set my thermostat to that lol the care sheet on leopard geckos on these forums are very helpful make sure U read all of it other than breeding and shit if that's not ur plans but it covers all ur housing requirements and best of Luck

[mrduff13]

be careful with bright lights because albinos have sensitve eyes,

and ive heard of people using 12% uv with leos, i would suggest a heat matt attatched to the inside of one end of the tank ok the wall, and the uv stip along the top. pluss be careful how old they are, because babys wont be able to find food in a 48inch tank, thats very big for young leos.

[Ophexis]

Originally Posted by mrduff13

be careful with bright lights because albinos have sensitve eyes,

and ive heard of people using 12% uv with leos, i would suggest a heat matt attatched to the inside of one end of the tank ok the wall, and the uv stip along the top. pluss be careful how old they are, because babys wont be able to find food in a 48inch tank, thats very big for young leos.

The OP has said that they would be looking at adults mate

I'm sure I've read somewhere that because they are crepuscular, leos can utilise much, much less UV in a shorter space of time than a diurnal reptile could because they're typically out when the sun is just going down... perhaps even 5% would be sufficient? Would be an idea to consider if one or both of the adults were albino