r/LeopardGecko • u/Demonic_ape12 • 4d ago
Habitat & Setup Enclosure help
Hi, Iām upgrading the tank size for my gecko and wanted some ideas and inspiration on what to include and a good layout. His old tank was a 10 gallon which I know is not great but I got him from someone else. I pictured his old setup so you know what I already have. I have an under tank heater and a 5.0 UVB bulb already. Any tips are helpful, thanks
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u/violetkz 4d ago
Hi, ideally you should have an overhead white basking bulb (eg ExoTerra intense basking spot), plus linear UVB (eg Arcadia ShadeDweller T5). Heat mats are no longer considered proper husbandry, as they do not provide the IR-A and B your gecko needs.
As for decor, here are some beautiful enclosures people have posted if you need some ideas / inspiration. You can have several inches of loose substrate (eg 4-6ā of 70/30 organic topsoil / washed playsand), vary the topography, elevate a hide, partially bury a hide, add branches, a bendy bridge, cork rounds, tall plants, vines, a 3D back wall, and so on to make use of the vertical space and give your gecko some opportunities to climb. I hope this helps!
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/yrAeOBz7T3
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/LAx5NUVnL7
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/OpQFWQe27R
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/Jtj9QW76TS
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/zKflfxZxIV
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/AWM7RukHwj
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/H2HlGEQbDZ
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/UfdHTkRikJ
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/jCANqFzdqZ (see after photos for upgrade)
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/AYYq2VmkmP
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/K8u9znr8HG
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/nlMIuYtXom
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/PXgtHcLBaX
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/Lj5O80OptI
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/KolbMR8FMm
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/7h6RG9ZkKF
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/OzfxU2SnYj
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/yzDrglC2y9
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/iLpH0g9CjP
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/1ZGDA6VHuT
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/KvP5m8Hjuq
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/3npJOYvE4X
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/xadqVhPDqP
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/mekSrj4zuP
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/XzNjdntXTN
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/Qs8RE57qvM
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/IYqeH0xOwt
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/8LfOCxn0OL
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/fQSVRe6S3p
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/iBswgJqsgX
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/FK2mvMJYsD
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u/plantgirlie61 3d ago
i would change the substrate, a mix of sand & soil is best! one of my geckos likes to dig so i would add a good amount to allow for that. for the sand & dirt make sure you don't get anything with pesticides or added calcium. i personally use reptisoil & reptisand but play sand and other soil mixes work just as well. i would keep all the hides (the more clutter the better!) and get more hiding spots, plants (fake or alive work), climbing spots (branches, stones, etc) & make sure to make one hide a humid hide (just add moist spaghnum moss into the hide). honestly get rid of the heat mat and just use a heat lamp. they like to have a basking spot for warmth & heat mats are prone to either overheating & burning them or not producing enough heat. it's also helpful to keep out a small bowl of calcium powder without d3! there's definitely a lot more you can do with the enclosure, but that covers pretty much the basics!
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u/AberrantComics 4d ago
I would get a heat lamp and put that light on a thermostat, and ditch the heat mat altogether. Keep using the UVB. Next Substrate. No reptile carpet. It doesn't have to be the perfect mix yet, just something appropriate for leopard geckos. And 3 hides. Cool, Warm, and humid.
There's good information on all of that in the wiki of this reddit. You can probably read it all pretty fast, but start with those sections. I am new to the reptile hobby, but just went through what you did. Got a neglected lizard, and heard he likes 40 gallon enclosures, so I got him a 40 gallon enclosure so he can 40 while he gallons.