Terrarium and Setup
For your gecko, you should have a 10-20 gallon terrarium but some larger geckos will need a 20 gallon. There should be a hide on each end of the terrarium. One hide should be humid. The hottest part of the terrarium should be over the humid hide. The other hide should stay dry. You should have a water dish on the cool end of the terrarium. Food dishes are optional. See why in feeding. You can have decoration too.
Feeding and Nutrition
You should feed your gecko 5-6 mealworms, waxworms or crickets 3-4 times a week.
I recommend gut loading the food. If you use sand NEVER feed them inside their terrarium. If you do they will get impacted. Young geckos have a higher chance of getting impacted. Just feed them in a separate container. Two times a week you should dust their food in calcium with added vitamin D3.
That will keep their bones strong. If your gecko has trouble catching the food, hold it with your fingers or place it in your hand. If you gecko goes long periods of time without an appetite, take it to the vet to get a vitamin D shot.
Heating and Lighting
For heating you should have a heat lamp or heat mat. Whatever keeps the Terrarium at 75-85 degrees fahrenheit.
I recommend using Fluker's 5.5 inch heat lamp with dimmer and an Exo Terra 75 watt infrared basking spot bulb. The source of heat should be one end of the terrarium to provide a temperature gradient. The basking spot should be 85-90 degrees fahrenheit. and the cool end should be 75. To keep track of the heat put a thermometer either by the basking spot or in the center. UV lighting is not needed.
Substrate and Cleaning
There are a variety of things can make good substrates. There is paper towel, reptile carpet, sand, and many others. If you use paper towel or reptile carpet you should change the substrate once a week and if you use sand you should clean out the droppings once every two weeks and change the substrate once a month.
Health and Veterinary Care
Before you get your gecko, you should make sure you know of a good vet. Once you get your gecko, take it for a checkup. There are certain things you should keep an eye out for like cloudy eyes, skinniness, and an unusually large bulge in the hemipenal area. If your gecko displays any of these things, call the vet immediately. The bulge could be an impaction, however, on males there are two small bulges. The hemipenal area is their private area wich is located at the base of the tail.
Shedding
When a gecko is going into shed, they will become very pale. Once you notice this, raise the humidity to help them shed. If they have trouble shedding, try soaking them in warm water a little less than a centimeter deep. They eat their shed.
You should feed your gecko 5-6 mealworms, waxworms or crickets 3-4 times a week.
I recommend gut loading the food. If you use sand NEVER feed them inside their terrarium. If you do they will get impacted. Young geckos have a higher chance of getting impacted. Just feed them in a separate container. Two times a week you should dust their food in calcium with added vitamin D3.
That will keep their bones strong. If your gecko has trouble catching the food, hold it with your fingers or place it in your hand. If you gecko goes long periods of time without an appetite, take it to the vet to get a vitamin D shot.
Heating and Lighting
For heating you should have a heat lamp or heat mat. Whatever keeps the Terrarium at 75-85 degrees fahrenheit.
I recommend using Fluker's 5.5 inch heat lamp with dimmer and an Exo Terra 75 watt infrared basking spot bulb. The source of heat should be one end of the terrarium to provide a temperature gradient. The basking spot should be 85-90 degrees fahrenheit. and the cool end should be 75. To keep track of the heat put a thermometer either by the basking spot or in the center. UV lighting is not needed.
Substrate and Cleaning
There are a variety of things can make good substrates. There is paper towel, reptile carpet, sand, and many others. If you use paper towel or reptile carpet you should change the substrate once a week and if you use sand you should clean out the droppings once every two weeks and change the substrate once a month.
Health and Veterinary Care
Before you get your gecko, you should make sure you know of a good vet. Once you get your gecko, take it for a checkup. There are certain things you should keep an eye out for like cloudy eyes, skinniness, and an unusually large bulge in the hemipenal area. If your gecko displays any of these things, call the vet immediately. The bulge could be an impaction, however, on males there are two small bulges. The hemipenal area is their private area wich is located at the base of the tail.
Shedding
When a gecko is going into shed, they will become very pale. Once you notice this, raise the humidity to help them shed. If they have trouble shedding, try soaking them in warm water a little less than a centimeter deep. They eat their shed.
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