#IM A NEW GECKO OWNER! help!

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

gaunt haven
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i want a non bioactive tank first

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is this a good mixture?
Topsoil 50% + Playsand 30% + Cocopeat 20%

brisk bridge
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Nta so i will start by mentioning that they will all need their separate enclosure as we do not recommend cohabbing even AFTs, like leopard geckos there are no proven benefits of cohabbing and only proven risks/concerns that can impact the animals living.

As for sure substrate i would not worry about that right now and instead do a quarantine period, each of them in seperate tanks which means using paper towels instead of substrate so you can monitor health especially since they have been kept in less the ideal conditions

Plus lose substrate shouldn't be used until everything else is up to date and safe!

gaunt haven
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okay thanks!
currently they have been living in a below minimum small tank, and substrate is just paper with one hide only thats a humid one.

how can i monitor their health?

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the ones im planning to keep, the AFT’s have been eating really well, they eat alot, especially my leopard gecko has also been eating alot and loves choice handling

brisk bridge
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So, are you keeping afts and leos together? I am a tad confused my apologies

gaunt haven
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nope, they all live alone

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i definetly dont keep them together and never had

brisk bridge
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Okay awesome, that's more relieving lol i just wanted to clear it up :3

You can use plastic bins as a temporary setup if you cannot get properly sized tanks for them all! Thriving minimum is the same for leos and AFTs, which is 36x18x18 :3

As for monitoring their health, put paper towels/napkins or clean paper down. This will make it easier to monitor their bathroom trips, and monitor for potential concerns, odd behavior, as most health issues can go unnoticed at first which is why quarantine is super important nta

gaunt haven
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great thanks! i actuslly have a breif monitoring of them

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so basically

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ill just name them for better clarification:
AFT albino
AFT oreo
and toothless

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for all of them, their bathroom trips are random, and they arent pooping in one spot normally

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some even pooped in their own water tank

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AFT oreo has already shown high stress, he glass climbs alot and his tail vibrates rapidly

brisk bridge
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Tis another reason to monitor. They generally pick bathroom spots, plus if they are being kept in below surviving minimum tanks this can create improper temperature gradients which prevents thermoregulation

It can also lead to overheating as it is very easy to overheat small tanks.

I would honestly leave them alone until you upgrade the tanks, i wouldn't hold any of them. Just let em chill unless feeding until you get things switched over because it sounds like they aren't in the best moods and adding more unnecessary stress can be risky. Only time we say adding stress is okay is if its for their health so example switching tanks or weighing them, ect. Nta

gaunt haven
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.
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AFT oreo and AFT albino bites only as a feeding response
toothless never so bites and choice handles alot

gaunt haven
brisk bridge
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Nta so, i will also say the repeated handling could be because the tank toothless is in isn't meeting his needs, which can cause them to want to get out.

As handling isn't something they actually like, and they only tolorate it at best.

gaunt haven
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ive also added more decor in AFT oreos tank, i was just trying to help as google said more decor can help them, or should i just remove them again?

brisk bridge
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I would also avoid google

gaunt haven
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so should i just not handle them at all? unless for feeding time

brisk bridge
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Nta yeah i would personally leave them alone for now aside from when you feed, and if its absolutely necessary

gaunt haven
gaunt haven
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i also have a question

brisk bridge
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i will go ahead and give you the server careguide which has up to date care on leos backed by standing science with resources provided.

Leos are semi similar to AFTs with some differences.

!guide

full escarpBOT
brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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is their minimum really 40 gallons? its expensive here in my country, but ill def find cheaper options for a 40 gallon tank.

And if i DID finish their new tank, do i instantly get them in the new tank? or do i have to make like a transitioning transfer (im sorry if my explaining is bad)

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like.. uh do they need to get used to the big tank size change.l before adding more stuff in?

gaunt haven
brisk bridge
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nts yes, unfortunately for long term living a 40 gallon is thriving minimum and we always say bigger is better.

It is this way because a 40 gallon is because it provides proper temperature ambients and uvb gradients as well as the enrichment they need as it is challenging to provide proper clutter and coverage in smaller tanks

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nta you can always buy second hand tanks :3 they just need to be cleaned

And its also good to use measurements instead of gallons as gallons can have different kinds of measurements

Like you have a 40gal long and a 40 gal tall version. So that's why the best way to measure for reptiles is actually measurements so make sure the tank is 36x18x18

gaunt haven
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thank you so much! youve been so helpful, ill be researching on my own now and is it ok to come back for more questions?

brisk bridge
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Ofc!!! We're more then happy to help and have plenty of resources! ❤️

gaunt haven
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hello, im a bit confused in this area.. im quite a slow person at understanding some things, so do i basically buy all of these?

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brisk bridge
# gaunt haven hello, im a bit confused in this area.. im quite a slow person at understanding ...

Nta no! Supplemental heating are bulbs you would only use if temperatures are dropping too low at night like below 65°F

Primary heating are the basking bulb, you can buy either of the examples provided or a different brand those are just the recommended! Your only use em during the day

Thermostats are to regulate your heat source for safety to prevent potential fire hazards and to keep the bulb from over heating.

Fixtures are what your basking bulb goes in! :3

gaunt haven
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ty!

acoustic crater
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im not home rn but the r/leopardgeckos wiki has a "budget enclosure" page that might help in your scenario

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big notes are if you can't hit "thriving minimum" then do what you can

if you have to use plastic housing, don't use UVB

if it's as good as you can do, it's already better than what you got

gaunt haven
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thank you very much!!

gaunt haven
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oh wait nvm inches

brisk bridge
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No inches

gaunt haven
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so inches right?

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btw how high should substrate be for geckos

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guys i found this its basically 30$

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100x50x50 cm

brisk bridge
brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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also may i ask whats that nta term youve been using? hehe

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also the top is completely sealed so how do i do the basking lamps

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or do i have to drill a hole myself

brisk bridge
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Nta do in that case it might be tricky since you'd have to internally mount stuff and with the height.. Its pretty close to 20inches i think its 19 and a half inches

So its possible to internally mount t however if you can cut the top and replace it with metal mesh that would be better.

But either way can technically be done :3

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also nta means not trusted adviser, our server runs on a TA/Nta system! We ntas are allowed to give advice, we just have to disclaim it in case we are wrong :3 and for responsibility reasons while TAs do not have too

gaunt haven
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ooo thanks!

gaunt haven
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is it basically to make it feel cluttered

brisk bridge
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Nta no mounting means attaching the lights to the top of the tank with nails and a bulb cage lol

We just say clutter and coverage when referring to filling the tank with cork bark, sticks, fake plants ect

gaunt haven
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ok ok ! thanks

brisk bridge
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Your welcome!!

gaunt haven
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guys when a gecko poops, is it true it might give toxins in their substrate? (if they poop on the substrate)

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because idk.. my uncle (he might mostly be wrong) the main reason why we switched to paper is because said that the poo will make the substrate toxic

brisk bridge
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Nta no that is not true lmfao, the general rule is to switch out your substrate every 6months if its not bioactive but honestly most of us only switch it when it starts smelling bad.

Plus the gecko isn't going to shit something that's toxic to itself. So it is completely safe lmfao

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Plus you'd be cleaning it out so its not like its going to stay in there forever

gaunt haven
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haha xD thanks lol

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also can i do this? after letting the gecko find its bathroom spor, i can just place a plastic tray there so i just meed to pick up the tray and wash it

brisk bridge
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Nta yes you can :3

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Nta most don't do that but it is something you can do. Some people use paper towels while others just let em use the dirt XD

gaunt haven
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yayyy! also asking for a friend, if they rlly couldnt afford a 40gal, is a 80x30x30cm tank ok?

brisk bridge
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Nta the thriving minimum is what it is for reasons :3

Reasons that are needed for the animal to thrive, not just survive. These little guys are luxuries, and can be costly.

gaunt haven
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oo okay ty!

gaunt haven
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guys help.. ive realized maybe keeping 2-3 geckos is pricey for a proper cage. but i cant choose.. im bonded with atleast 3

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well tbh im bonded mostly with my AFT albino and toothless, i just feel bad for my AFT oreo cuz he has been showing high levels of stress

hushed stag
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At the end of the day you have to make the best decision for yourself and your animals. I took in 2 rehomes at the same time and was offered a 3rd just 2 months later that I had to turn down in order to focus on the ones I'd already committed to. Getting everything properly set up for 2 animals at the same time was overwhelming enough imo.

In my opinion, stretching your resources thin across more animals only increases the chance of them remaining stressed. Sure big moves are stressful too, but if you could find a home for him with the resources and ability to give him the care he deserves, would he not ultimately become less stressed? NQA

gaunt haven
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thankss, yeah that really reassures me alot.. i guess ill just find someone that can take care of my AFT oreo well

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so i guess ill just focus on these 2

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im just scared,, if a careless gecko owner would wanna buy my oreo, im afraid he will stay stress again

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thats just what im worried about

hushed stag
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Do you know of any reputable rescues that could take him in? I fully understand that concern, as I feel the same- that so many people out there dont care to put the time and energy into reptiles that they need. I can only recommend vetting people really well- asking lots of questions, asking to see the tank theyd keep him in, etc NQA

gaunt haven
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im not sure, i think ill have to talk this with my uncle

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ill try to find him a good home

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thanks ! youve reassured me alot!

gaunt haven
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hey guys what is this behaviour?
i was holding my AFT albino, choice handling, he did come to my hand but it looked like his head kept wanting to dig down? his snout was pushing into my hand..

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i mean probably also to what hes been living in for a long time now

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but i dont know what it means, like when we came onto my hand, his snout keeps pushing downward to my hands

gaunt haven
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also guys
im planning to do a custom made tank and they are only available to do all glass, if the basking bulb were to be ontop of the glass its ok right

brisk bridge
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Nta no, you don't want a glass top because 1# you can't internally mount with glass cause you can't drill holes into glass

2# If you put the heat bulb on top of the glass that is extremely risky and plausible the glass will crack. Plus uvb can't go through glass.

brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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btw i need help on this tank im getting

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so, i have been scrolling through many tanks so far, ive been trying to find an affordable one. I did! but the side opening like doesnt have room for like susbtrate height if you get what i mean

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so if i open it the substrate can literally like fall out

brisk bridge
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Nta uhh do you have pictures because unfortunately i don't know what your talking about

The only thing i can think of are mammal cages which are a big no no

gaunt haven
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is it okay if i draw it? atm

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ill draw it the best i can

brisk bridge
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Uhm sure ig?

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Nta i will say since you mentioned budget, each setup is typically 300-500$ USD on a budget per setup.

Not counting what needs set aside for vet bills, we typically recommend 300$ per animal for vet funds. So your looking at almost 800-1000$USD for one animal.

gaunt haven
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its basically like this

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i mean ill try to find another

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what im saying is like you did say the substrate should be a few inches, this cage doesnt give any height for thT

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that*

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so it’ll just spill

brisk bridge
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Nta yeah, i would recommend a different tank since it has a solid top, it would have to be at least 2feet tall to safety internally mount bulbs.

You can always use a substrate tray to keep it in. But the risk is with internally mounting the heating and uvb

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Have you checked the shopping list by chance yet? It has all the equipment you need on there and i believe most get shipped internationally?

gaunt haven
brisk bridge
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!Shoppinglist

full escarpBOT
brisk bridge
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Yes, we have a shopping list with all the equipment needed for setups.

Tanks, hides, substrate, shelving, heating/lighting and safety equipment

gaunt haven
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i love the suggestion, but shipping prices will be hellish

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since its from the US

brisk bridge
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Not everything is from the US.

Plus, it can help give you ideas for which products to buy

gaunt haven
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hm, ill look into it then!

brisk bridge
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We are a large server, and the list was made by a canadian with the different countries in mind

gaunt haven
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so wait substrate height should be how much again?

brisk bridge
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We recommend 4-6inches

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i would honestly focus on getting the setup built first before introducing lose substrate since you only want to use substrate when everything else is ready to go and safe.

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I can show you my thriving minimum tanks if you'd like for example

gaunt haven
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how does that work?

gaunt haven
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btw is powersoil okay for them?

brisk bridge
# gaunt haven how does that work?

So, get everything setup. Get the tank first, Make sure the temperatures are where they need to be and that everything is working smoothly

They need proper heating to digest things, without proper heating you risk them not being able to digest things including the substrate which is typically where the inaccurate impaction information comes from nta

brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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decor and like hides and enrichment stuff

brisk bridge
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Nta yes get everything done and quarantine the animals for 2-3 months just to be on the safe side.

Then you can switch them onto Substrate, which is yes beneficial after quarantine because it provides them with digging and natural texture

gaunt haven
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will paper towels be ok for the substrate then before switching them to the loose substrate ?

brisk bridge
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Nta yes, that is what we all use for quarantine

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Picture of my two girls setup. To give you a good idea, although there is plenty morw inspiration and the enclosure ispo channel

Snapchat-1814814563.jpg Snapchat-1289929089.jpg Snapchat-1920376522.jpg Snapchat-1098116635.jpg Snapchat-1364928396.jpg Snapchat-700391857.jpg
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Ignore the purple lighting that is from the other tanks

gaunt haven
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thank you!!!!

brisk bridge
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Your welcome

gaunt haven
brisk bridge
# gaunt haven btw you did say it needed to be 2feet to safely mount bulbs, but if i remember t...

Yes 36x18x18 inch is thriving minimum, however majority of this size have mesh lids where the bulb can be places on the top of the tank outside. This allows safe heat and uvb to go through from a appropriate distance since TOO MUCH heat and uvb, or it being too close inside the tank can cause potential burns.

Which is why we generally only recommend internally mounting in 4x2x2s and above which are tall enough to provide such safely

gaunt haven
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ooohhh!! okay i get it now, thanks again

brisk bridge
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Your welcome lol

gaunt haven
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guys help i cant seem to find exotera stone sand only desert sand, and not sure how to find play sand and im afraid it might be the wrong type of sand

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is this okay?

IMG_4467.png
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aquarium samd

brisk bridge
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Nta apologies, we will help when we can as most of us have jobs and or things to do during the day.

No aquarium sand is not okay, and the desert sand should be fine to mix with proper soil as long as it is not calcium sand.

gaunt haven
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and no worries i understand

brisk bridge
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No, unfortunately not all sand is safe

gaunt haven
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so this sand is ok then?

brisk bridge
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Nta yes that should be fine for the mixture, your was a 70% soil / 30% sand mixture

gaunt haven
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okk!

gaunt haven
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ive been struggling to find safe soil for my gecko… is flake soil okay?

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i search reptisoil.. they give me plantation soil reptile and its all just cocopeat

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this is the closest i could get basically

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translation :

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soil with high nutrition and ideal for plants, animal cages, insect habitat. BlackGold layer soil contains organic material. essential minerals and strong moisture retention and plant growth

brisk bridge
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Nta as long as it doesn't have any fertilizer or animal Manuar then it should be fine

gaunt haven
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hey may i ask why is manuer and fertilizer bad for them? is it gonna make them sick?

brisk bridge
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Nta yes, fertilizers can be toxic and manuer is well, animal shit which can also be toxic to them.

gaunt haven
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guys what does sunken eyes look like in leopard or aft? i cant tell the difference and im afraid if my gecko has it

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and maybe tips on how to help it?

brisk bridge
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That would help a lot.

gaunt haven
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ill try to take a photo of them cuz idk if its sunken or not

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give me a moment

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but may i ask is sunken eyes caused cuz of stress?

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or maybe sick

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aft oreo

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brisk bridge
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Nta typically sickness and or vitamin deficiency issues if i remember correctly.

It honestly wouldn't be a bad idea to take the three your keeping to a vet for a general checkup overall just since they've been kept in less then ideal circumstances

brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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how should i get a clear photo?

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uh like directly at its eye

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sorry 😭

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brisk bridge
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Nta you can wait until it comes our for a better photo.

Ideally yes if you can get a clear shot of its eye that would help especially with lighting.

gaunt haven
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uhmm hes kiinda winking

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now

brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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minus skin quality? what does that mean

brisk bridge
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Nta the little one has some rough looking skin areas especially near its eye. Could be dried skin or small injury.

gaunt haven
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oh should i try to get it off then?

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i heard damp cotton buds maybe

brisk bridge
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Nta no, not on your own. You can try a sauna to see if it helps soften it up and take a soft damp Q-tip to it and see

However if it doesn't budge i would be cautious because if it is a little injury it may be a scab

gaunt haven
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how does a sauna work

brisk bridge
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Nta Afts require higher humidity then leos, as their more tropical.

Saunas you get a tupperware container, put in luke warm, damp NOT WET, but damp paper towels in there. Poke some holes in the side and place your little one inside it with the lid closed for 15 minutes.

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Nta but again, i would honestly recommend overall general checkups for them just to make sure there isn't anything underlying and no concerns.

gaunt haven
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oo i see, thanks! also, my geckos has been living in these for like a year plus, im afraid how much longer they can be in there until i get their bigger tanks.
i know most likely asap

gaunt haven
brisk bridge
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Nta yes, as soon a physically possible i would get them new setups.

And yeah, in this situations a cautionary vet checkup doesn't hurt especially to make sure there isn't anything going on inside that we can't see

gaunt haven
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also for quarantining, im sorry i still dont fully understand, i know you should quarantine them before putting them in their new tanks, so im a bit confused like, do i quarantine them in the same place they have been living in the whole time and monitor for like 2 months?

brisk bridge
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Nta no, you can quarantine in their new tanks.

Quarantine just means paper towels for 2-3 three months to monitor their health. This can be done in their new tank and after the quarantine period is done, then you can take the paper towels out and put in substrate

gaunt haven
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ok tyy

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guys is linear uvb exoterra 2.0 good

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the 5.0 is sold out

hushed stag
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Probably not nta, theyre very specific and dependent on many factors. Improper uvb can be ineffective if too weak and burn your leo if too strong NQA

gaunt haven
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ok!!

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guys for this im a bit confused, so i found an incandescent bulb but it is shown in watt instead

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im confused abt this 38% infrared and stuff

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it has 25, 50, 75, 100, 120 watt

hushed stag
# gaunt haven it has 25, 50, 75, 100, 120 watt

Nta i typically start with 75 watt. Those just describe the types of light/heat those bulbs produce- i can try to find the graphics that describe it better but the packaging may not be saying all that since its there for our educational purposes (like to say "these 2 bulbs produce these things others wont necessarily produce as well") NQA

gaunt haven
gaunt haven
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guys is there any other alternatives for arcadia uvb?

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they are very pricey in my area

hushed stag
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Nta the ones on the shopping list are the ones tested and trusted by people from this server iirc. I also had to bargain hunt for a lot of my supplies but uvb was something I didn't cheap out on as trusting the output to consistently be what you expect it to be is important, especially if you dont have a solarmeter to measure it yourself NQA

I personally use the arcadia for one of my tanks and the reptisun t5 h0 for my other one, as its mesh blocks a lot more so needs a slightly stronger bulb. Both were the brands/outputs listed on the shopping list and decided through the !uvichart NQA

full escarpBOT
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What affects UVI? Enclosure mesh type and distance to basking spot. To find what bulb you need— find an appropriate UV chart, such as the one in this server or ones in the Reptile Lighting Facebook group files. These have been tested with a Solarmeter to show the UVI at different distances and with different percentage mesh blockages. Most popular enclosure mesh choices can range from 25-60% blockage.

Links:
https://i.imgur.com/mNIauXu.png

Imgur
brisk bridge
gaunt haven
gaunt haven
hushed stag
gaunt haven
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is exoterra uvb 30w 90cm good? i cant find like a 7% uvb or smth like with the oercentage symbol

paper flare
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a uvb i've been recommended is shade dweller arcadia 7%

brisk bridge
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It depends on the mesh of your tank, If the 7% is what you were recommended i would continue looking for that one

gaunt haven
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aaa…. okay ill keep finding, its just hard to find the one with percentage

acoustic crater
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Can you find zoomed reptisuns or arcadia uvb?

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Shadedwellers, etc?

gaunt haven
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all the arcadias only have 12% avail

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i found zoomed reptisuns but it will take me a while to save up for

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i just dont know what reptisun to buy cuz its all watts

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it doesnt say percentage or anything

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can sum1 maybe send a photo for it?

gaunt haven
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guys also i think my gecko has sunken eyes

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one of them

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tbh idk.. this is him 2 years ago this is him now

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brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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uhh yeah he is overweight.. 😭

brisk bridge
gaunt haven
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guys im kinda confused, so for quarantine tank you’ll need to switch out the paper towels right when the gecko poops

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but how, cuz ill be putting alot of like stuff on top of it

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like the hides, the wood, the plants etc, will i have to take everything out just to change it

brisk bridge
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Nta not really, most tend to pick a certain poop spot so ince you find that spot you can change only that spot instead of taking them all out

gaunt haven
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as in change only that spot, what does that mean

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uh what i mean is

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i understand what you mean but

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wait idk how to explain give me a sec