gecko question

[soad]

hi all, is this a good set up for a n. levis please add if u think i need more.
2 foot tank, desert sand,heat mat,water bowl,cave,shrubs and one of those lights u put the coloured globes in

 

[Spike14]

crickets when its hungry :roll:

 

[kel]

washed beach sand is courser so i have been told its better then the finer sand from crushed rocks like youd get at a pet shop, a heat light is better then a mat if you plan on breeding them, i would recommend a thermostat hooked to what ever heat source you decide on, and just a personal preference get a tunnel hide rock if you want to look at it without disturbing it to much like in the picture of "my new baby" as the front of the rock is outside the tank checkout ebay for these they're the cheapest ive seen. I am by no means an expert far from it actually but this is what i have been told about them

 

[waruikazi]

A lid.

 

[soad]

thanks

 

[Spike14]

IMO those glass things are bad, the geckos toes could get caught between glass and the part of the actual cave

 

[Magpie]

You don't need a lid, you don't need the shrubs, you don't need the cave and you only need one heat source.
You can use a thermostat or a timer to regulate the heat, mine the light comes on for about 1 hour at about 8pm and warms a rock up. I don't need much heating here though.
Make the sand deep enough and the right type and they will create their own burrows, it sucks for watching them but makes for happier gex.

 

[Pyror]

I agree with Magpie - simplicity is the key.

I use a couple of up turned ceramic pot bases with an entry hole cut into the side of them. These i place on top of the deepest part of their sand, which is at the cool end of their tank, and is kept moist. From within these pot bases they usually start their tunnels. Occasionally they just bury the entrance and sleep directly under the pot base.

I use a heat mat under ~1/3 their enclosure - the dry end. At night they come out and thermoregulate on the warm sand. During the warmer part of the year this is on 24 hrs a day. At the moment they are on reduced temps during the night, as i have stopped them from breeding.

Of course if your going to only keep one enclosure with gex, you can make it as elaborate as you want in terms of aesthetics. Fake plants, rocks, pieces of wood all look great. Personally though, i find them a quick hiding place for feed insects.

 

[Pyror]

Also, i use sieved red desert sand. I have found that as long as it is kept moistish, it tunnels just as well as courser sand.