Giant Madagascar Day Gecko Advice

[kamrank22]

Hello guys so I'm getting big into the reptile keeping hobby an as of right now I have a Jacksons Chameleon and I already decided that my next reptile will be a Giant Madagascar Day Gecko. I was wondering which light bulbs and UVB is best for them I have a 18x18x32 Screen cage that I intend on housing it in. Also which plants work best I was planning on adding live plants. I have read multiple care sheets but I want to be extra prepared before I get him because I believe in asking experienced keepers what works best before purchasing an animal. Thank you all for your help!!!

 

[Josh]

Hey and welcome to the forum!
A nice ficus would look really cool. Maybe even a big pothos if you can zip tie it to a branch or something!

 

[kamrank22]

Thank you so much Josh, I was also thinking about a Lacy Tree Philodendron or are those poisonous for Day Geckos?

 

[kamrank22]

Also what substrate works best should I use Coco Fiber or something different like Repti Bark?

 

[sunfighter]

Hello Kamrank22. I too am new to this forum and it looks like you're no getting much help. I too am looking to set up a 48x18x24 aquarium as a planted vivarium for a pair of Giant Day Geckos. I have been thinking that I would need to use my glass canopy to maintain enough humidity, but you are using screen? Are you able to keep in humid enough? Screen would have advantages in terms of UVB light.

 

[acpart]

Sorry, I must have missed this. I think you're going to need a glass enclosure in order, as mentioned above, to maintain humidity. The Exoterra or Zoomed front-opening enclosures are wonderful for this and come in fairly large sizes (e.g. 18x18x24, 18x18x36). I don't have any giant day geckos, though I'd like to, but it's not going to happen. I do have a gold dust day gecko in a planted tank. I'm using coco fiber as a substrate, but now there are a lot of places selling ABG soil mixture. In addition, Josh's frogs has a mixture that they say doesn't require the drainage layer. I got some for my latest gargoyle enclosure and it works pretty well. Here's a Gecko Time article that talks about it:

Interview with Zach Brink of Josh's Frogs - Gecko Time

Gecko Time recently had an opportunity to interview Zach Brink, the Fauna Curator of Josh's Frogs

www.geckotime.com

As far as what plants to use, it's mostly a question of what's going to do well depending not the light and the moisture. My failsafe plant is usually pothos and it's growing well in nearly all my enclosures, except, ironically, not in the gold dust enclosure. I've used pothos successfully with rainforest geckos before with no problem. This enclosure just doesn't seem to like pothos. In planting, I recommend you come up with a few hardy choices and then experiment with some others with the understanding that they may or may not make it.

Aliza

 

[Hannibal]

Mine enjoy sleeping on their Sansevieria trifasciata (snake plant).

 

[kamrank22]

Thank you guys so much and okay I will get a vertical glass enclosure. I have a chameleon and he got too big and out grew his old screen cage so I thought to use it for the Gecko but I'm gonna get a glass cage now thank you guys.