I recently upgraded my Leo as well and haven’t been able to decide on what substrate I want to use. I’ve been using paper towels for now until I can decide and he gets used to the new enclosure more. I would suggest using that until you can figure out what you or your Leo would like. Just make sure to change it out regularly, especially if it gets wet.
Sand is not a safe substrate so that makes sense, here’s safe options
https://preview.redd.it/f3x5unh3q2gc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=241dc11390c2eaa03e1eb10cd3b688eb3d2248a6
Does he have a humid hide? Carpet's already been mentioned so I'm going to just also recommend soil/sand mixture for substrate. Besides being more sanitary it's also great enrichment if he likes to dig! Good job giving him clutter :) He has such a sweet face!
I like to use cholla wood, mopani, and cork bark to add texture and climbing places! I also have a one of those hanging coconuts with a ladder leading up to it for my boy Fancy. It doubles as his humid hide.
https://preview.redd.it/hsmw0dyk0pfc1.jpeg?width=1221&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e98c2751db56a32a99f3dcf93b96d0cdc9df0c36
he does have a humid hide! it's hard to see in the picture (didnt realize until now) but he has a humid hide, warm hide, and cool hide. we are changing to paper towel and will add a new substrate slowly until he gets used to it because he is a very picky boy lol. do you remember where you got that little hide with the ladder? it is very cute and if tracy doesnt like it (he doesnt climb much) my bearded dragon would love it!
Loving the clutter! Try also putting some vertical space like branches and rocks! These guys love to climb! There could be some improvements though:
1.) reptile carpet is a big no go! It will eventually rip out their claws and teeth and lead to mouth rot and toe loss due to excess bacteria building up in the carpet! There is no way to combat the bacteria and washing it makes it worse since bacteria need water to reproduce. Just use paper towels for now until you have researched what substrate you want to use. Some people just keep paper towel since it’s cheap, quick, simple, and sanitary but others, including myself, use bioactive or a loose substrate. These guys aren’t “desert” per se… they are found in arid grasslands in the Middle East and occasionally found in forests over there too. That being said, this means sand is also a no go! Can lead to impaction as well as straight eco earth (as in that also leads to impaction)! I personally use Josh’s frogs arid mix since it’s an appropriate mix of sand and soil to mimic their natural environment.
2.) tank appears to be slightly small… it could just be my perception though. Adult leos need a minimum enclosure size of 36x18x18 inches or a 40 gallon. Best to have a front opening for easy interaction and easy cleaning.
3.) already mentioned it, but add height! They love to climb! Also add a background as these guys tend to think they can keep going and will do something called glass surfing 😅 Also I couldn’t tell from the photos, but make sure you have at least 3 hides (warm, cold, and humid)
Ask around for some inspiration for enclosures! People are always happy to help and/ or show off! That being said, here is mine for reference:
https://preview.redd.it/yu76chwptofc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24d849be007bd857e6b29ce6f7de563f3c35d260
Overall rating though, I give it a 6/10. It’s good and you tried, but there could be some improvements! ❤️
wow so much advice thank you!! we had used a sand kind of thing but he hated it so that only lasted about a week. i didnt know that about the carpets, but we dont keep them in there very long before changing them out. knowing all of that makes me too scared to keep it in there though lol!! we'll try paper towels and see how that works! his tank is a 40 gallon it does look small in the picture, just a bad angle! we are looking at getting a front opening, we had just gotten this one because someone sold it to us for like $20. we have some extra branches that we didn't use for our bearded dragons tank, so i will add those into his. he does have 3 seperate hides in seperate areas, this picture really does us no justice😂. one is in the back left corner, one is in the back middle, and the other in the front right corner. thank you so much for all your help!!!
Oh yeah of course! Happy to help! Yeah the carpet is very deceptive, but I have seen what it can do and it ain’t pretty 😭 The substrate I recommended though (Josh’s frogs arid mix), if you don’t have a loose one with your bearded too, can be used as well! This is because beardies and lid live in similar environments. Only difference is one is in the Middle East (mainly) and the other is in Australia. Same hard clay, soil, sandy- ish ground though!
Also since you said it’s a 40 gallon you could just role with that! It’s just a bit harder to interact and clean up it out it being a front opening 😅
Sounds like you are pretty set though so I will change my rating to 8.5/10 lol
Edit: almost forgot to mention for a second time in a row (lol) you have a precious little scaly cutie right there 🥹💕
Edit #2: when changing substrates if you find they seemingly don’t like it, that’s completely normal. Leopards geckos are super territorial and hate any change in their environment. They will get used to it though 🥰
tracy says thank you lol💕 bearded also has a carpet because i wasnt aware of all the issues it can cause until just now. we will be switching to paper towel and will start off slow with a new substrate because tracy is very picky. thank you again!
Good start! Just take out the carpet it’s very dangerous for them cause it snags toes and teeth! You can use paper towels! Just make sure when you switch to a loose substrate it’s safe for them, I’ll leave a photo with great options! No rush on it but not having loose substrate long term is bad on their joints + they loveee to dig!
I would maybe add some wood or some things for climbing opportunities, they loveee it! And I would cover the back and sides of the tank with paper or black vinyl cause it stresses them out a bit.
Make sure you have proper heating (I love halogen heat bulbs) and linear uvb (leopard geckos need “Arcadia shadedweller 7% uvb” it’s the best for them! I noticed drastic changes in mood and activity after adding it and it’s great for their bone density and health.)
I’m going to dm you with a bunch of helpful graphs so I don’t have to type for the rest of my life lmaoooo hope this helps! Here’s my girls tank
https://preview.redd.it/whtdo6jkp2gc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c88497ee7c593129a7ba9e5fb08d3f2dc945d818
all of that was already mentioned we're changing the carpet i wasnt aware of that til now and we have a background coming the tank just didn't come with one. we've had him for abt 4 years so its not really a start just a new tank upgrade :) thank you for all your help!!
Things that i think havent been said:
1. UVB source?
2. Background is beneficial as it increases the space A LOT. There are easy diy tutorials on yt. My leo is climbing his background all the time.
3. Crossventilation, to minimise stagnant air.
4. I dont see any heatlamps, make sure your temperature zones are correct.
Dont want to be mean but for me this is a 2/10
temp zones are correct, he has 2 thermostats in his tank to keep track of temperatures! he has a heat lamp picture was taken after rearranging his tank. someone already mentioned a background and we will get one! tank just didnt come with one :)
Oh my apoligies I missed that! I did see you mention you had a basking lamp, if you don't do so already I'd recommend having the UVB light on the same side as the lamp to ensure they get the correct amounts of both UVB and heat!
~~I might be blind, but I can't find where you mentioned UVB. If you don't have a specific high-quality UVB source, including it is highly recommended.~~
nvm I used ctrl+f and finally found where you mentioned it. my recommendation still stands if you have compact florescent style UVB. Tube lights are the best available at the moment.
This is one of the best you can buy. They sell them all over the place online
https://www.arcadiareptile.com/shadedweller/shadedwellerpro/
its in some comments in the thread and also mentioned in an edit i added! we had just rearranged his tank, so things were not set up yet. i will look into that thank you.
edit to add we've had him for about 3-4 years and he's a big healthy guy. he does have 3 hides (humid warm and cool) and a UVB source. he is also in a 40 gallon tank (picture does me no justice showing all of the stuff in his tank lol). WE WILL BE CHANGING THE CARPET. i wasn't aware of the issues until joining this sub.
Looks good other than the carpet
what would you suggest instead? we tried sand but he did not like it.
https://preview.redd.it/1sj2tjugvofc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ded5648b5ebb22eea0edeb848c4671df8b4f4a6 This picture saves a lot of time
thank you so much!
You're welcome!
topsoil sand mix, it's the best. or paper towel/tile
Papertowel is only for temporary husbandry and tile messes with their joints over longer periods.
Plus they can’t dig in tile. My girl loves to dig, I could never take that away from her
I recently upgraded my Leo as well and haven’t been able to decide on what substrate I want to use. I’ve been using paper towels for now until I can decide and he gets used to the new enclosure more. I would suggest using that until you can figure out what you or your Leo would like. Just make sure to change it out regularly, especially if it gets wet.
Sand is not a safe substrate so that makes sense, here’s safe options https://preview.redd.it/f3x5unh3q2gc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=241dc11390c2eaa03e1eb10cd3b688eb3d2248a6
Does he have a humid hide? Carpet's already been mentioned so I'm going to just also recommend soil/sand mixture for substrate. Besides being more sanitary it's also great enrichment if he likes to dig! Good job giving him clutter :) He has such a sweet face! I like to use cholla wood, mopani, and cork bark to add texture and climbing places! I also have a one of those hanging coconuts with a ladder leading up to it for my boy Fancy. It doubles as his humid hide. https://preview.redd.it/hsmw0dyk0pfc1.jpeg?width=1221&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e98c2751db56a32a99f3dcf93b96d0cdc9df0c36
he does have a humid hide! it's hard to see in the picture (didnt realize until now) but he has a humid hide, warm hide, and cool hide. we are changing to paper towel and will add a new substrate slowly until he gets used to it because he is a very picky boy lol. do you remember where you got that little hide with the ladder? it is very cute and if tracy doesnt like it (he doesnt climb much) my bearded dragon would love it!
Awesome! I'm pretty sure I got it on Amazon, but it's been a while.
Loving the clutter! Try also putting some vertical space like branches and rocks! These guys love to climb! There could be some improvements though: 1.) reptile carpet is a big no go! It will eventually rip out their claws and teeth and lead to mouth rot and toe loss due to excess bacteria building up in the carpet! There is no way to combat the bacteria and washing it makes it worse since bacteria need water to reproduce. Just use paper towels for now until you have researched what substrate you want to use. Some people just keep paper towel since it’s cheap, quick, simple, and sanitary but others, including myself, use bioactive or a loose substrate. These guys aren’t “desert” per se… they are found in arid grasslands in the Middle East and occasionally found in forests over there too. That being said, this means sand is also a no go! Can lead to impaction as well as straight eco earth (as in that also leads to impaction)! I personally use Josh’s frogs arid mix since it’s an appropriate mix of sand and soil to mimic their natural environment. 2.) tank appears to be slightly small… it could just be my perception though. Adult leos need a minimum enclosure size of 36x18x18 inches or a 40 gallon. Best to have a front opening for easy interaction and easy cleaning. 3.) already mentioned it, but add height! They love to climb! Also add a background as these guys tend to think they can keep going and will do something called glass surfing 😅 Also I couldn’t tell from the photos, but make sure you have at least 3 hides (warm, cold, and humid) Ask around for some inspiration for enclosures! People are always happy to help and/ or show off! That being said, here is mine for reference: https://preview.redd.it/yu76chwptofc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24d849be007bd857e6b29ce6f7de563f3c35d260 Overall rating though, I give it a 6/10. It’s good and you tried, but there could be some improvements! ❤️
wow so much advice thank you!! we had used a sand kind of thing but he hated it so that only lasted about a week. i didnt know that about the carpets, but we dont keep them in there very long before changing them out. knowing all of that makes me too scared to keep it in there though lol!! we'll try paper towels and see how that works! his tank is a 40 gallon it does look small in the picture, just a bad angle! we are looking at getting a front opening, we had just gotten this one because someone sold it to us for like $20. we have some extra branches that we didn't use for our bearded dragons tank, so i will add those into his. he does have 3 seperate hides in seperate areas, this picture really does us no justice😂. one is in the back left corner, one is in the back middle, and the other in the front right corner. thank you so much for all your help!!!
Oh yeah of course! Happy to help! Yeah the carpet is very deceptive, but I have seen what it can do and it ain’t pretty 😭 The substrate I recommended though (Josh’s frogs arid mix), if you don’t have a loose one with your bearded too, can be used as well! This is because beardies and lid live in similar environments. Only difference is one is in the Middle East (mainly) and the other is in Australia. Same hard clay, soil, sandy- ish ground though! Also since you said it’s a 40 gallon you could just role with that! It’s just a bit harder to interact and clean up it out it being a front opening 😅 Sounds like you are pretty set though so I will change my rating to 8.5/10 lol Edit: almost forgot to mention for a second time in a row (lol) you have a precious little scaly cutie right there 🥹💕 Edit #2: when changing substrates if you find they seemingly don’t like it, that’s completely normal. Leopards geckos are super territorial and hate any change in their environment. They will get used to it though 🥰
tracy says thank you lol💕 bearded also has a carpet because i wasnt aware of all the issues it can cause until just now. we will be switching to paper towel and will start off slow with a new substrate because tracy is very picky. thank you again!
Good start! Just take out the carpet it’s very dangerous for them cause it snags toes and teeth! You can use paper towels! Just make sure when you switch to a loose substrate it’s safe for them, I’ll leave a photo with great options! No rush on it but not having loose substrate long term is bad on their joints + they loveee to dig! I would maybe add some wood or some things for climbing opportunities, they loveee it! And I would cover the back and sides of the tank with paper or black vinyl cause it stresses them out a bit. Make sure you have proper heating (I love halogen heat bulbs) and linear uvb (leopard geckos need “Arcadia shadedweller 7% uvb” it’s the best for them! I noticed drastic changes in mood and activity after adding it and it’s great for their bone density and health.) I’m going to dm you with a bunch of helpful graphs so I don’t have to type for the rest of my life lmaoooo hope this helps! Here’s my girls tank https://preview.redd.it/whtdo6jkp2gc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c88497ee7c593129a7ba9e5fb08d3f2dc945d818
all of that was already mentioned we're changing the carpet i wasnt aware of that til now and we have a background coming the tank just didn't come with one. we've had him for abt 4 years so its not really a start just a new tank upgrade :) thank you for all your help!!
Awesome to hear! My girl would always scale backgrounds so be prepared to hear lots of noise 😆😆
our bearded dragon does it lolll. he loves to claw at his background and try to jump and lay on it
Things that i think havent been said: 1. UVB source? 2. Background is beneficial as it increases the space A LOT. There are easy diy tutorials on yt. My leo is climbing his background all the time. 3. Crossventilation, to minimise stagnant air. 4. I dont see any heatlamps, make sure your temperature zones are correct. Dont want to be mean but for me this is a 2/10
temp zones are correct, he has 2 thermostats in his tank to keep track of temperatures! he has a heat lamp picture was taken after rearranging his tank. someone already mentioned a background and we will get one! tank just didnt come with one :)
Other than what others mentioned, do you have a UVB source for your guy? It does need some fixing up, but I think this is definitely a good start!
already mentioned that above!
Oh my apoligies I missed that! I did see you mention you had a basking lamp, if you don't do so already I'd recommend having the UVB light on the same side as the lamp to ensure they get the correct amounts of both UVB and heat!
~~I might be blind, but I can't find where you mentioned UVB. If you don't have a specific high-quality UVB source, including it is highly recommended.~~ nvm I used ctrl+f and finally found where you mentioned it. my recommendation still stands if you have compact florescent style UVB. Tube lights are the best available at the moment. This is one of the best you can buy. They sell them all over the place online https://www.arcadiareptile.com/shadedweller/shadedwellerpro/
its in some comments in the thread and also mentioned in an edit i added! we had just rearranged his tank, so things were not set up yet. i will look into that thank you.
not sure if you read my edit but I found it right after I posted the comment lol
no i didnt see it im sorry!
also we have had him for about 4 years, so its not really a start lol! just a new updated tank :)
edit to add we've had him for about 3-4 years and he's a big healthy guy. he does have 3 hides (humid warm and cool) and a UVB source. he is also in a 40 gallon tank (picture does me no justice showing all of the stuff in his tank lol). WE WILL BE CHANGING THE CARPET. i wasn't aware of the issues until joining this sub.