What size space do you have to keep the vivarium in/on?

 

I found my old 36" x 14.5" vivarium so was wondering if that'd be ok for a leopard gecko or would it be too big? I'm a beginner with reptiles and heard some can get stressed out in too big an environment.

 

I wouldn't recommend using anything much smaller than a 36"x18"x18" vivarium for a single leopard gecko. So I would say the viv you have would be minimum sized.

You can't really provide too large an enclosure. After all they seem to do pretty well in the wild which is quite big... The issues arise in larger vivs when there is too much open space, not enough feeding locations, inadequate thermal and humidity gradients, etc.

 

Hi I used to use a 2foot by 1.2 x 1.2, by time you have your 3 hides all practically lined up on back wall, then your water bowl and food bowl... there is very limited space left
I now use 3foot x 1.5 x 1.5 and it makes a big difference, i would recommend this size

 

Easier to see with pictures, so the first one was the 2 foot vivarium. Was not much more I could do due to lack of space, the second one is the 3 foot vivarium, with 2 of the same hides so that extra foot makes a world of difference

 

A wooden vivarium, with basking lamp over stone(s) not a heat mat, UV on half the viv over the basking side and a minimum size of 3ft long by 1.5 deep/high.

Think scrubland/grit and rocky ground as your setting, Look at the kind of environment in Pakistan, 36 if too small in my opinion. They are active animals and will use the whole of a 3ft viv, even more. The issue with size is they prefer being near cover and they stray from the basking spot, some people say its like they forget where the basking spot is (ive a feeling that heatmats might be part of that).

Personally i think 3ft is a suitable and decent size, 4 would be a luxury and maybe look at providing a larger basking area in 4ft or more.