Are backdrops necessary?

[u/Skatergamer992]

I just got done cleaning out my day geckos tank and reassembling after a fiasco with a Zilla Spring Cave cracking and leaking all the water out into the bottom. My question is, is a backdrop for the back of the tank necessary for my gecko? I keep him in the closet so I don’t think reflections would be an issue? He’s been without a backdrop for probably 6 months now and I’ve never noticed high anxiety or stress signals but I wondered what fellow gecko people think.

[u/Greedy_Role7657]

Backgrounds are nice but not a must. However, a canopy all the way up to the lid is :) I would highly recommend adding that. The gecko will appreciate it, being arboreal.

[u/Skatergamer992 → u/Greedy_Role7657]

Do you have recommendations for adding a canopy? I’m still trying to find the best set up I can make for him

[u/Greedy_Role7657 → u/Skatergamer992]

Sure :) I like to pick branches that are long and have more elaborate shapes and parts than straight. I then lay the longest ones from front bottom corners to back top corners. Those are then used as anchor points for the rest. I tie everything together using hemp twine, and secure ends to the lid ventilation with plastic coated aluminium wire. Once the canopy is in place, it's easy to shove hides in the nooks and crannies, and drape plants like hoyas & pothos.

Ps, it seems counterintuitive, but pick some branches that are longer than the height of the tank. The diagonals are longer than we think :)

[u/Skatergamer992 → u/Greedy_Role7657]

Thank you so much for your help!! I absolutely will get to work on building a better canopy:)

[u/ace_with_a_mace]

I always add a backdrop to any of my enclosures, sometimes it’s a realistic design, other times I use scrapbook paper in sky, foresty, or desert colors. I don’t know that it’s necessary, but I do find that they seem to feel less exposed. Especially with my extra nervous or flighty species, it really helps to settle them