Leopard gecko is an amazing pet and you can also pet more than one leopard gecko together without any hassle, only the size of the terrarium should be large enough.
The leopard geckos are nocturnal in nature and have a good sense of smell and visibility.
Though you can easily pet a leopard gecko, do not be careless with the leopard gecko as it can even be harmful to their life. So setting up a terrarium for the leopard gecko in the right manner is a must and one should know about all the essentials that are needed inside the terrarium. We will discuss how to set up the terrarium for a leopard gecko.
Contents
What is a terrarium of a leopard gecko?
If you are petting a leopard gecko, you need a proper space at your home where you can let your leopard gecko stay.
The terrarium is a tank or a cage of a leopard gecko that can be used as a living space for them. It can be placed anywhere around your house and there are lots of features that help in regulating the temperature and the humidity inside the terrarium.
A terrarium is an artificial home for a leopard gecko that resembles their natural home out in the wild. In a terrarium, you can also add stuff like plants, branches, etc. that gives quite a similar resemblance to the leopard gecko’s natural habitat.
What factors need to be kept in mind while setting up a terrarium for a leopard gecko?
The following factors are very important that are needed to be kept in mind while setting up a terrarium for the leopard gecko:
The choosing of perfect terrarium for the leopard gecko as that will be the home of the leopard gecko for rest of its life, so it has to be the best one.
- Heating equipment should be installed inside the terrarium to provide the leopard gecko with the warmth that they need.
- The UV lamp, infrared heat lamp and basking lamp is needed by the leopard gecko for various reasons should also be provided inside the terrarium.
- Installation of hygrometer should be there inside the terrarium in order to check the humidity and one can regulate the humidity if they know the level of humidity inside the terrarium.
- You also have to install the thermometer inside the tank or terrarium as you can check the temperature and regulate it accordingly inside the tank.
- Substrate: Another important factor that needs to be kept in mind is using the correct type of substrate and the hide for the leopard gecko that is non-allergic, non-toxic and non-corrosive for the leopard gecko, so you should be quite careful while choosing the substrates and hide for a leopard gecko.
All these factors need to be kept in mind while setting up a terrarium for the leopard gecko and none of the points should be skipped as all these are very important factors.
How to set up a terrarium for the Leopard Gecko?
The leopard gecko’s terrarium can be set up by following the steps that are given below:
The apt terrarium
The first and foremost step is to choose a perfect terrarium for your leopard gecko. The terrarium should be long and wide so that it has enough space for your leopard gecko, so select the apt size of the terrarium is a must for the owner.
Usually, it is best to prefer a terrarium that is made up of glass so that the leopard gecko is not able to climb the tank and escape from it. Avoid using a mesh or a wire cage as the leopard gecko can easily escape from such type of cage, also they do not hold much heat and your leopard gecko can also get hurt in such types of cages.
The size of the tank should be quite big so that there is plenty of space for your leopard gecko to move inside the terrarium and usually it is recommended to have a tank of the capacity of 10 gallons and should be expanded by 5 gallons if you want to add another.
Also, you should cover the lid of the tank with a lid that is made of wire or mesh in order to keep out the insects and also another reason is the passage of fresh air. As we know that the leopard gecko will not be able to climb the glass tank so they will not reach the lid of the tank.
The heating and lighting equipment
It is recommended to keep a heating pad at the bottom of the terrarium or the tank that you are using for the leopard gecko. Make sure that your leopard gecko’s terrarium is slightly mounted from the bottom so that there is space for the installation of the heating pad.
The heating pad has a thermostat that can easily regulate and change the temperature inside the tank or the terrarium.
After this, you have to make a basking spot for the leopard gecko which has a temperature of around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use spectrum lamps that help in adding heat and also the UVA and UVB light inside the tank as the leopard gecko also needs these lights as it provides them with Vitamin D. So be particular about their basking spot as it is very necessary for the leopard gecko.
As we know that the leopard gecko comes from the dry region and that area are colder at night so you need to even decrease the temperature to around 70 to 75 degree Fahrenheit during the night time. As they are used to the cooler temperature at night time and you can decrease the temperature either by adjusting the heating pad or regulating the thermostat accordingly.
- You have to also maintain a regular cycle for day and night. This means that during the day time lit the tank for around 14 hours in summers and 12 hours in winters. And then turn off the lights at night. You can also use the automatic timer in order to control the lights without any hassle.
- It is recommended to avoid the sun rays if they are falling on the tank as they may overheat the tank as the material of the tank is made up of glass.
The right substrate
After you are done with the major part of the setting you have to add the substrates inside the tank. You can use the soil but make sure it is dried properly. The substrate is basically used in the flooring of the terrarium.
You can use any substrate that is non-allergic, non-irritating and non-toxic to the leopard gecko, so you have to be very careful while choosing a substrate for the leopard gecko’s terrarium.
Sand should never be used as a substrate as it can be consumed by the leopard gecko and due to this digestion problems can occur.
You can use substrate such as newspaper, shelf lining, tiles, flat stones, butcher paper, etc. as these substrates are gentle on the skin of the leopard gecko and they do not cause much threat to the leopard gecko.
The need for hides
You need to create a hide for your leopard gecko that is warm and also a hide that is cool in nature. The reason behind these hides is that the leopard gecko can use it as shelter from heat, light or hide from some other pets or if they are threatened by someone or something.
- It is recommended to create a hide in the warm and the cool parts of the tank in order to provide the leopard gecko with the maximum comfort.
- The hide should be warm and also moist that helps in maintaining a temperature that is balanced for the body and also they can have excess to higher humidity levels. Also, the moist hide is used for the shedding of the skin by the leopard gecko.
The decors and other items to be added
Now you need to place water bowl and the food bowl inside the terrarium either you can go for a combined bowl or a separate one depending upon your preferences. The depth of the bowls should not be too deep.
For decorating the terrarium and make it resemble it more like the natural habitat you can add plants, rocks and even branches inside the terrarium. But do remember that add plants that are not poisonous for the leopard gecko as they can sometimes eat plants.
- You need to put all the items that you have kept there for decoration purpose properly and also they should be sturdy in nature so that they will not fall or move from their location as this may hurt the leopard gecko.
- The decoration items should not be pointy or edgy as they may also hurt the leopard gecko and may even cause death if they penetrate quite deep inside the body of your lizard.
Maintenance and Cleanliness
Another thing that you need to remember that all the things that you will be using for the setting up of the terrarium should be disinfected first so that if any sort of parasite or bacteria is present on the surface it would be killed with the help of disinfection.
- Also, there should be proper and regular cleaning inside the terrarium so that the health of your leopard gecko is maintained and they live a healthy and stress-free life.
- If there will not be any cleanliness then the chances of infection increases and that lead to the diseases and which may even cause death in leopard geckos.
All these steps need to be followed for setting up of the terrarium of the leopard gecko and this set up would be a very important part as this is where you will keep your pet so you cannot be careless while setting up the terrarium. Everything should be kept in mind as a perfect terrarium will lead to a healthy leopard gecko. The terrarium is a very essential part of the life of a pet as it is the home and there should be everything inside the terrarium so that the leopard gecko feels comfortable in this new environment and feels like home.
Final Verdict
Leopard gecko is a very popular pet from the family of lizards as it is easy to raise and there are not many complications in raising them. Also, the nature of leopard gecko is quite friendly which means they can easily adjust to the new environment and they are comfortable with humans.
The leopard geckos are small in size which makes them very easy to handle and also keeping them as a pet has never been an issue. You will always enjoy the company of the leopard gecko.
The terrarium of the leopard gecko is the place which the leopard gecko will treat as home so the setting up of the terrarium that is perfect for the leopard gecko is a must and also an easy job. You have to be aware of all the things that need to be there in the terrarium and then set it accordingly.
The temperature and the humidity should be regulated inside the terrarium that is apt for the leopard gecko. Otherwise, the leopard gecko will feel uncomfortable if they do not get the perfect temperature and the humidity inside the terrarium.
You can make the terrarium a perfect abode for your leopard gecko by adding all sort of important stuff and decorative items that are essential for them. The resemblance of the terrarium to the natural habitat of the leopard gecko may make them feel more like home and they will be happy and comfortable in such an environment.
