What size vivarium do i need for a leopard gecko ?

Question

hi i don't know if a 5ft viv will be to big and if not what do i need to put in it for him

oh can you think of a cool name for a male leopard gecko

thanks for helping

Answer 1

One about the size of Pakistan.

Cool name?  Freedom.

Answer 2

5ft - would be wasted on a leopard gecko.

I'd house a Bearded Dragon in that viv, purchase a 24" long for the gecko.

Answer 3

5 foot might be bit big for a baby but superb for an adult it give it loads of room. you could fit 2 girls and a guy in there if u wanted to. (never house males together and a 1 gir to 1 guy thing runs the risk of the guy is constantly trying to mate with the female and stress her out or make her ill) but for 1 adult its probably the best home u could give it

people are probably gonna say its too big it wont be able to find food but this isnt the case. these people also tend to confuse the words minimum and recommended and think will probably say 2x1x1 foot is the recommended when i is in fact the minimum for a leo.

in otherwords a 5 foot viv for 1 male is great it will give it loads of room to roam run about and generally have a good life

Answer 4

That will be one very, very happy gecko.  The minimum suggested size for a single Leo is a 20 gal. long reptile tank.  So, he'll definitely have room to grow.

As for the other poster's suggestion of giving your male two females for company - make sure you thoroughly research breeding Leos and know what you're getting yourself into.  Leos can be quite prolific and two females could give you 40 babies every season.

That's a lot of incubating, a lot of habitats for young, a lot heating, watering, and a lot of hungry mouths to feed.  You get the idea.  Always make sure you have an outlet for your babies before you breed.

The theory about two females, so the male doesn't aggravate one too much doesn't take into account that the females need a breather from constant breeding.  If you're housing them together 24/7 - that won't happen.

Also, a female needs to be at least a year old before she is bred (males can start at approx. 6 mo.), have excellent body weight & fat reserves in her tail, and be in excellent health.  Egg producing is very taxing on a female Leo.

So, unless you buy adult animals - you shouldn't house females with a male because they will breed too young.

In a tank that size, I would also recommend moving your gecko to a smaller tank for feeding.  Make sure his insects are gut loaded 1-2 days before offering them to him.  Always remove any uneaten insects after 1-2 hr.  They can aggravate you pet and cause cessation of eating altogether.  Also, they will not be gut loaded by the next day and won't be nutritious when he eats them later.

Basic equipment is:

Screen tank top

UTH heat pad for under the tank

Basking light

Basking perch

Rheostat to control the temperature on light/pad

Digital probe thermometer or therm. gun (strip therms. are inaccurate up to 20 degrees)

Shallow water bowl

Small cricket mini-cage for gut loading crickets before feeding

A hide

A moisture hide (you can make one easily http://www.leopardgeckowiki.com/wiki/ind... )

Reptile Vitamins (keep refrigerated)

Calcium with D3 (keep refrigerated)

-Substrate - if you decided on reptile carpet (make sure this has a very short nap so delicate toes aren't snagged, and you will need two pieces - one to use while the other is being washed and dried), or you can use plain brown wrapping paper; aged newspaper (at least a week), paper towels; or plain white paper (please NEVER use sand or a loose substrate).

-Use of UVB light for nocturnal Leos is controversial, so you'll want to check into that before you make your decision (I use it for mine).

As with any pet, I always recommend that you take it to the vet to have it checked for general health, disease, and parasites.  This way, if there IS anything wrong, you can return the animal for a refund while the guarantee is in effect (I never recommend doing an exchange.  If that animal was sick; the rest are likely to be too).  If you don't know of a qualified exotics/reptile vet in your area, you can Google: “Herpetological Society” –OR- click http://www.herpvetconnection.com/  for the one closest to you.

An informed owner is a happy one who has a healthy and content pet.

Most of all enjoy your new pet!

I hope this has been helpful.

You can email me at [e-mail] if you have further questions.