new here!! any advice would be great

[reesanne]

hi all! I am new here and i just am in need of any advice i can get, this is my first leo & there name is turnip! They lives in a 40 gallon exoterra tank and has this purple/blue light that i keep on always (which i dont know if is good for them?) and a heat emitting bulb, the tank is always around 77-86°. Right now they’re eating 13-14 mealworms a day because i am unaware of the age of my leo and don’t know when i should switch to a every other day schedule? I also am unaware of the sex of my leo yet, I have had them for about 5-6 months now and they were extremely small when i got them.

Any advice on the tank, my leo, feeding habits, would be so appreciated!

-Rees & Turnip

 

[acpart]

Your gecko is big enough to eat every other day. The lights aren't necessary as long as there's light in the room during the day, but you can have it if you want. I recommend turning off the light at night so the gecko experiences real night. If the air in the tank is 77-86, it is a little warm for the gecko. The floor should be in the low 90's and it would be good to have it a little cooler if possible. Are you using calcium and vitamin D3 with the mealworms?

Aliza

 

[reesanne]

Your gecko is big enough to eat every other day. The lights aren't necessary as long as there's light in the room during the day, but you can have it if you want. I recommend turning off the light at night so the gecko experiences real night. If the air in the tank is 77-86, it is a little warm for the gecko. The floor should be in the low 90's and it would be good to have it a little cooler if possible. Are you using calcium and vitamin D3 with the mealworms?

Aliza

Yes, i was using calcium with D3 on the mealworms and it is in a dish in the tank, but i recently stopped because they started to grow the calcium bubbles underneath their arms.

Also it wont get too cold with just the heat emitting light on? Would you recommend a heat pad for underneath a certain side of the tank?

 

[acpart]

I would definitely recommend a heat pad on one side instead of the light. Then the gecko can choose whether to be on the hot side or the cool side. You will need a thermostat with the heat pad. Don't bother with a dish of calcium in the cage, but do sprinkle the mealworms with calcium and D3 every other feeding. That way it will get then supplementation it needs and not get too much.

Aliza

 

[reesanne]

I would definitely recommend a heat pad on one side instead of the light. Then the gecko can choose whether to be on the hot side or the cool side. You will need a thermostat with the heat pad. Don't bother with a dish of calcium in the cage, but do sprinkle the mealworms with calcium and D3 every other feeding. That way it will get then supplementation it needs and not get too much.

Aliza

thanks you so much for all of your advice! its much appreciated!