Let's get a little info

[NakedSun]

Hey all,

I'm new to the site, I'm here to really educate myself (and perhaps gain a new reptilian friend). I actually head up a petcare department and in general like to make sure I know what the heck I'm talking about when I find animals homes. In my quest to gain info about the reptiles we house I have fallen in love with the African Fat Tailed Gecko we have. He's a darling and literally scurries up to me every time I go near his housing.

ANYWAY, before I bring him home I want all the information I can get.
What's the minimum tank they can be in. There's a ton of taller tanks out there and I'm having difficulty finding one that fits. I've heard whispers they need 20G and I just wanted to clarify. I would LOVE to make the housing look interesting, but I do know that a lot of substrate that is loose can be harmful.

Basically - pump me full of info if you have the time

 

[fl_orchidslave]

http://geckoforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=139

 

[acpart]

In general, your best bet would be to google "african fat tail care" and read care sheets. Also, read throught the fat tail posts in the forums here. Here's the short version: minimum size for 1 fat tail 10 gallons. I feel they're a little more likely to do well in a smaller space than leopard geckos because they are more retiring and seem to prefer to spend most of their time in their hides. I keep mine in lightly planted tanks (haworthia and aloe seem to do best as plants) with coco fiber substrate. I use expanded clay balls (hydroton) and mesh for drainage (check out blackjungle.com for specific instructions) in 3/4 of the enclosure. I put the heat pad on the other side and use ceramic hides (that I make) with ceramic bottoms so the geckos don't burrow down on top of the heat pad and burn themselves. I have had no problems with substrate ingestion.

Aliza