Question about substrate | Leopard Geckos | Page 1

fair zenith Feb 4, 2026, 4:34 AM

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I think I've decided to get a leopard gecko! For reference, I have never owned a reptile.
I've been doing research about everything required (heat, UVB, food, hides, etc.), and I'm going for a 50-60 gal tank. I just have a question about substrate.

I've decided I want to go the bio-rout, probably the 70/30 split of soil and sand, but I want to get a baby. I'm a little confused on the different accomodations needed for one. It seems that babies should not be on bio-substrate, is this true?

Assuming it is true and paper towels are the way to go, can I set up the tank in every other way (hides, decor, heating, water bowl, etc) the exact same EXCEPT have paper towels instead of substrate for ~6 months? Or should I have a smaller temporary enclosure? Some of the videos I see have babies in a small tupperware type thing, this doesn't seem right to me, but I wouldn't know.

elfin knoll Feb 4, 2026, 4:35 AM

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fair zenith I think I've decided to get a leopard gecko! For reference, I have never owned a...

so no. the whole "babies shouldn't be on loose substrate" is not true.

every gecko needs to be quarantined for 2-3 months prior to being introduced to loose substrate in which you provide paper towels during this time. You also want to ensure that husbandry is fully correct and up to date before introducing loose substrate. but it's not related to age at all.

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it's husbandry and health related.

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i'll pop the server careguide for you so you have another resource to use for research! we keep it up to date with information backed by scientific data! !guide

ripe robinBOT Feb 4, 2026, 4:36 AM

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Server Care Guide

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SKbLFeeE4pxPQdi4EP3-elTuvVSfAw3L/view?usp=share_link

elfin knoll Feb 4, 2026, 4:36 AM

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we also have a shopping list with a checklist that has multiple different options for different budgets and different countries as well C:

things like uvb and such will vary per enclosure so make sure to get the enclosure first before getting uvb!

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sadly videos and such also are not a great source of information. most are out of date or just simply wrong.

fair zenith Feb 4, 2026, 4:42 AM

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Okay, I saved that careguide and skimmed through the quarantine section. It seems like I should be able to set up the permanent (50-60) gallon tank I plan on getting, with the only alteration being to hold back on the bio-substrate for a few months, using paper towels instead. Is this correct?

elfin knoll Feb 4, 2026, 4:42 AM

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yep!

#Question about substrate