!44: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing Leopard Gecko Tanks

!±8± Everything You Need to Know About Choosing Leopard Gecko Tanks

Before you even buy your first leopard gecko, you need to spend some time setting up the tank. A happy, healthy pet all begins with good leopard gecko tanks so you want be sure you pick the right one.

There are a variety of choices of tanks out there, everything from specialty terrariums to fish tanks, there are even special ones that come with rocks built into the back. So which one is best choice for you?

This article will help you explore all your options regarding your tank.

For starters, you'll notice I keep on saying 'leopard gecko tanks' not 'leopard gecko cage'. That's because a Leo, should never be put in a wire cage. It's uncomfortable, hard to heat, and the wires are much too sharp for his delicate feet.

Glass aquariums or terrariums really do work best as leopard gecko tanks. You can go with either one of these, but the main difference is usually the length.

While most 10-20 gallon traditional aquariums are very long, some modern ones are not. Since the gecko cannot climb glass, you don't want the tank to be taller than it is in length. A leopard only has the floors of the tank to explore.

You want to give them as much room as possible. However, if you only have one gecko, I would recommend choosing one that is 20 gallons or less. Although there's a saying that 'bigger is always better' in the case of leopard gecko tanks, it's not.

Oversized gecko tanks can really stress out your leopard gecko. He can become confused as to where he is, unable to find his basking spot, his favorite hiding place or where the food goes. This could lead to a much stressed out Leo making him prone to disease and loss of appetite.

The lid on the tank should really be a wire type, standard with terrariums, but they have to be purchased separately for aquariums. This enables your leopard to get the fresh air he needs. Other things leopard gecko tanks need are lights, heaters, and decorations.

Despite the fact that they are called 'decorations,' they're not really in leopard gecko tanks to be decorative. Leopard geckos are used to things that look like logs, plants, and rocks. That's what would make them the happiest with their new home.

Man-made rocks, logs and plants are actually preferred because real rocks to scratch a leopard geckos sensitive skin while real plants and logs can be quite toxic. It's important that you have enough of them in their so that your Leo can run and play and hide.

Now the flooring of leopard gecko tanks, often called substrate, is also part of 'decoration'. After all, who wants to walk around on glass? This decoration is very specific. You can't just use something like woods shavings or kitty litter; it has to be something dustless that a gecko can't eat. (this kind leaves out sand as well because leopard gecko's can eat it and become very ill when they do.)

The best kind of flooring decoration for leopard gecko tanks is actually artificial turf. Also called reptile mats, these can be purchased in any pet store or even online.

Here are some other things to consider when setting up your pets new home.

It's important that your tanks stay a constant temperature and that the lights go dim and bright at regular times. This is best accomplished by use of a timer. You should also have special reptile lamps over the tank to keep them all warm and toasty, around 80- 87.

There are also special heaters you can buy. It's important that there be one spot in tank that is slightly warmer than the rest of the tank. It should be above 90 but below 100.

This is known as the 'basking spot' and if there's a decoration here it should be a smooth flat thing, like a rock, allowing the gecko to really stretch out and enjoy.

Now that you know the basics of setting up leopard gecko tanks, you can be sure to have it perfect before you add the most important part, your leopard.

Nothing says 'welcome home' to your new pet like the perfect tank.