Best Pets for 10 gallon tanks that aren’t snakes or mourning geckos

[cold orchid]

So..A leopard geckos minimum reccomended size is a 40g or 36x18x18, or greater if you're able to.

For the 10g, there's really not any non-inverts that can live in it long term. It's generally a baby tank for a majority of species.

It could possibly be used to hold feeder insects for your leo perhaps. As long as it's disinfected well!

Also, for further questions and advice this server does have multiple helpers that you can ask questions to in the #『❓』reptile-questions channel! I see you're new, so welcome! :D

[twin warren]

I have heard from many sources including wickens that a 20 gallon is the minimum

And its all my room can hold rn

Unless i have tanks on the floor

[cold orchid]

Unfortunately, while that is still prevalent from many sources, it is pretty outdated for them. They can and definitely will use 40 gallons and greater.

[twin warren]

Its the same with garters they use it but its not necessary

[cold orchid]

As an animal that can get 6-8 or so inches, 20 gallons are really relatively small

Since 20s tend to be barely a foot wide anyways. It's just overall pretty small.

[twin warren]

I mean he’s the size of the water dish rn

[cold orchid]

Well..Garters are very active. But with leos even, a minimum is in place so that they can have plentiful space to explore. When provided more area, they can surely be more active and more curious because there's opportunity for physical and mental stimulation.

[twin warren]

Yes

[cold orchid]

So I would say things being not necessary would be like bioactive, but appropriate size is the foundation and shouldn't be compromised. They can live a good life with naturalistic substrate or even some slate and a big area for digging, without the initial worry and set up of what goes into a bioactive.

[twin warren]

Ok

[cold orchid]

How long have you had the baby? :0

[twin warren]

2 weeks

His name is Gabriel

[cold orchid]

Aww, nice tho, fun to have a baby

[twin warren]

Yeah

My cats love him

[cold orchid]

I would say it can be helpful to have at least 3 hides, one being a moist hide to help with sheds. Leos are unfortunately prone to getting stuck shed on toes and this can really make a difference for them.

[twin warren]

Oh yeah he has some stuck shed on his nose that he can’t get off any recommendations

[cold orchid]

Also be very careful with cats, is that a very secure lid?

[twin warren]

Yes

But my cat knocked down a cricket container and release a few crickets into my room

[cold orchid]

Oh noo

[twin warren]

He has also potty trained him self and poops in a corner every day

[cold orchid]

Usually if it's already stuck you may have to use a wet qtip and help rub/roll it off. I would watch the toes too because sometimes it can get stuck on the teeny claws

Ahaha yep they're pretty clean in that way

[twin warren]

His feet are fine its just he’s shy and doesn’t like getting touched

[cold orchid]

Yeah, it can take time for them to settle in and trust you.

[twin warren]

Yeah

[cold orchid]

Would you be alright with enclosure advice for the time being for this baby set up?

[twin warren]

Yes

We use reptile carpet as substrate as it is easy to clean

[cold orchid]

I will brb

[twin warren]

K

I have to go have school in the morning

Repticarpet is also not a great substrate

There’s been multiple instances of it pulling out the nails of geckos

[paper marsh]

10 gallon doesnt really work for any reptiles or amphibians for beginners, and like alex mentioned a leopard gecko requires 36x18x18 inches as a minimum, in addition this is very bare, theres only one hide currently acting as a hide, id recommend adding 2 more hides rather than that large one, one on the cool side and one on the warm with wet spagnum moss in it, and adding more plants and climbing opportunity in the form of branches, reptile carpet is also not a good substrate, their claws can snag ripping them out and even if cleaned it harnesses the power of every bacteria in its fibers, also dial thermometers are not a accurate way of measuring temperatures, digital thermometers are what is best, we tend to recommend govee as they are high quality and fairly cheap for what they are

[paper marsh]

also that appears to be a screen lid so ehhh, if the cat stands on it, it is likely to fall into the enclosure, its happened before to multiple people in this server and their gecko has ended up injured because of it

i believe thats everything

for reference also a better substrate if they are new would be paper towels, in long term a loose substrate mix of 60% fertilizer free topsoil 40% playsand is preferable

[twin warren]

K

Can you send me a picture of what to look for as i go to petco once every few days to get more crickets

[paper marsh]

also i cant tell if its the case but if it is the lamp should rlly be off at night, due to sleep cycle

also is there a thermostat?

[paper marsh]

tbh most of the stuff i normally recommend isnt rlly found at petco

[twin warren]

Yes there is a thermostat

Getting a better one soon

[twin warren]

They are nocturnal

[paper marsh]

only thing is rlly hides but you can just choose some generic plastic ones or caves like this

[paper marsh]

theyre not, theyre closer to crescupular

also even nocturnal species would still rather the light be off at night in order to simulate their natural environment

and in order to give them a idea of the time of day

[twin warren]

I have heard almost every youtube and every breeder say that they are nocturnal i know he’s nocturnal because he’s only out at night

[paper marsh]

if its bright at night and bright during the day they have no clue when to sleep

[paper marsh]

Leopard geckos are often thought of as nocturnal because they sleep during daylight hours. Leopard geckos are crepuscular, not nocturnal. This means leopard geckos are most active in the twilight hours between dusk and dawn.

the first google search result for "are leopard geckos crepuscular"

[twin warren]

Between dusk and dawn sunset and sunrise night

[paper marsh]

its a pretty outdated belief that theyre nocturnal

[paper marsh]

"most active in the twilight hours"

[cold orchid]

Alright I'm back but gotta catch up

[twin warren]

Also i have two different lights for him one that simulates night and one that simulates day

[paper marsh]

im assuming u mean either a night bulb or a red bulb

[twin warren]

Yes

[paper marsh]

those are not as advertised

they dont actually simulate night

we have a chart in #『❓』reptile-questions that measures the light they give off and pins them against a full moon

theyre both significantly brighter than a full moon

and still mess with their sleep cycles and in the longrun are believed to cause loss of eyesight in reptiles

[cold orchid]

#『❓』reptile-questions message

Here's the message on light

[paper marsh]

also just for clarification im not saying this as like, being rude or anything, these are rlly common mistakes unless youve been integrated in this community

theres a lot of products in petstores that are advertised as good but rlly arent

[twin warren]

I saw

[cold orchid]

"Night lights" are often a lot more like trying to sleep with a football stadium or stage light on you as you're trying to sleep. They unfortunately market it them to not be visible to reptiles, but they indeed are.

In general a lot of companies try to get us to buy their products and aren't actually thinking of what's for the best of an animal

Even breeders and youtubers sometimes are ill-informed

[paper marsh]

theres a solid amount of products still sold that are harmful to reptiles but theyre just so integrated that we cant get rid of them, reptile carpet, sandmats, night bulbs, red bulbs, calcisand, heat rocks, halflog hides, and mercury vapor bulbs
i made this list a while ago of actually harmful things petstores still sell

[cold orchid]

Or believe things that were commonly thought to be accepted 20-30 years ago, but with time and research things have changed and improved for the best.

I try to think of these topics like phones and other devices. In the 80s and 90s they were bricks, massive and clunky and no internet. Now we literally have thin screens with access to communication and information across the world.

[twin warren]

I have a gecko specialist at my petco which helps me with lighting he explained it as the rays from the light are what hurts the gecko’s eyes and causes them to not see i will be adding a humidity box and adding a new substate

[cold orchid]

I worked at a pet store for over a year too. Unfortunately certain stores want employees to sell products more than others.

[twin warren]

But can we stop talking about this and focus about what i started this question for

[cold orchid]

That question was answered

But what about not being able to see?

[twin warren]

The light rays emitting from the bulb if its like a heat sensing ray it hurts the geckos eyes and the bulb i use if a 50 watt mini bulb from exo terra and there bulbs don’t incorporate that ray

Something on the lines of that

[paper marsh]

As mentioned, theres not rlly anything I'd recommended for a beginner that fits into a enclosure of that size

[twin warren]

I am fine with anything from tree frogs pacman frog, salamander and i am even open to pixie frogs

[cold orchid]

..does it light up the enclosure or is the enclosure dark when the bulb is on?

pacmans get chonky

[twin warren]

It lights up the enclosure

[cold orchid]

and pixies are units ahah

[cold orchid]

yeeahh, so if you and I can see the light, your gecko can too.

[paper marsh]

salamanders I wouldnt recommend to a beginner due to lack of info, pacmans the smaller males alone need a 20 gal, tree frogs need a more arboreally oriented enclosure

[cold orchid]

They may not see color the same as us, but they do see light.

[twin warren]

Pixie’s are the guy’s your girlfriend tells you not to worry about

[paper marsh]

pixies get absolutely massive so thats a definitely not xD

[twin warren]

Or we sell the tank and just buy 2 twentys

Or sell some of my stuff and the tank

Also about the day night thing is i have a timer on the plug in i use so it switch automatically

[cold orchid]

that could be a helpful start but with any species i would look at multiple sources and then confirm general info here with appropriate helpers, to make sure to avoid misinformation

[twin warren]

K

[cold orchid]

thats helpful. if the dome base is ceramic, you should be able to swap the night one for something like a ceramic heat emitter, which produces heat but not light.

also, sorry to ask another question- but to clarify- do you have both a thermometer and thermostat?

[paper marsh]

if you get a 20 a male pacman frog might work, but id make sure to fully concentrate on first kitting out the leo

the leos situation is what admittedly needs the focus rn

[twin warren]

Just a thermostat getting a better one

[twin warren]

Yes i know

It is now 10:30 and i have school in the morning i gtg

[cold orchid]

this thing?

[twin warren]

Yes i am getting a better one oh wait is that a thermostat and not a thermometer or the opposite

[cold orchid]

alright well anyways nice to meet you though! hopefully things work out well for your gecko and future ideas, i'd love to see more gecko pictures in the future!

!thermo

[hushed gulch]

You need both a thermostat and a thermometer to allow your herps to thrive!

A thermostat and a thermometer are two necessities to keep herps. You can get thermometer/hygrometer combinations with probes, and then get a thermostat separately. The difference between the two is the following:

Thermometer: only measures the temperature, much like a temperature gun will do (¹which is like a hand held thermometer that can be pointed towards something to show the temperature). It shows how hot it is in Fahrenheit or Celsius

Thermostat: controls the temperature of the heatsource with a probe, and makes sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold; can also display temperatures in Fahrenheit or Celsius

How does a thermostat work?
A thermostat works with a relais; the probe is placed where you want the basking/hot spot to be, and you then set the thermostat to the desired temperature. The probe will measure the temperature (like a thermometer!) and tell the thermostat whether it's too hot or too cold. If the probe senses it's too cold, it will tell the thermostat to turn on. The relais will switch on and create an electric current, activating the heatsource. On the other end, if it's too hot, the probe will tell the thermostat to turn off. This causes the switch to go off, and it breaks the current, essentially shutting down the heatsource. This way a temperature can be maintained in the enclosure that has a margin of around 2 degrees too hot and too cold.

This is why it's extremely important you have a thermostat connected to your heatsource! Not just because it will regulate the temperature in your enclosure accordingly, but it will also prevent your heatsource from overheating and becoming a firehazard!

Burns from unregulated heatsources are unfortunately too common, and can be avoided with a thermostat. Don't take the risk, get a thermostat and keep your animals safe!

¹don't point a temperature gun at a living being unless the gun specifies you can, and especially keep the laser away from someone's eyes!

[cold orchid]

you don't have to read this now but

should be a good read for later

[twin warren]

I also don’t have 40 dollars to spend

[twin warren]

A twenty and a 40 you mean?

[twin warren]

Or just a 40

I know how big a twenty is my sister has one for her mice

To reiterate, leos need at least a 40

[paper marsh]

I'm gonna be honest, its going to cost a solid amount for this animal to have what it needs, if i had to estimate probably like 100 minimum

[twin warren]

I am also young

[twin warren]

Yes, but you’ve still taken on the responsibility of a live animal

[paper marsh]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0872X4H4J/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0872X4H4J&linkCode=as2&tag=wickenswick02-20&linkId=56af15df811cbc1af9949509936547c6
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wickenswick02-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000NZZG3S&linkId=c7037b2110da26d1a56887da8657bd5c

[twin warren]

We’re treating you like we’d treat any adult

[cold orchid]

i'm pretty sure this looks to have been like...zillas or zoo med's leopard gecko kit :/ they unfortunately market stuff like that to be cheaper and have "all you need" but then costs you a lot more to get essentials for your animal

[paper marsh]

we normally recommend these thermometers and that thermostat

a dimmer thermostat is better but those get more expensive

[cold orchid]

for now though sleeping sure is important so i would save this products and try to get them asap

[twin warren]

I know that i am doing better than my sister who had to take one mice back because it was hurting the other one and the other one died because it was depressed all within 2 week

[cold orchid]

yeahhhh, animals are a lot more difficult than we give them credit for

[twin warren]

I found a thermostat from one of wickens videos for 10 dollars

[paper marsh]

i believe that is likely the one i sent because the one i sent is his affiliate

[fathom narwhal]

ants

[twin warren]

https://a.co/d/25WG7CO

Govee Bluetooth Thermometer Hygrometer Digital Temperature Humidity Monitor for Home, Wireless Temperature Humidity Sensor for Greenhouse, Humidor, Room, Notification Alert, 2-Year Data Storage https://a.co/d/25WG7CO

[twin warren]

I

[onyx timber]

If you’re looking for an animal for the ten gallon, maybe something like a small day gecko. 10 gal is pretty small and would mostly work as either a fish tank (if water proof) for tetras or a betta, or as a baby enclosure before you move reptiles to their permanent enclosure

Besides the 10 gallon, at lot of the things said above shouldn’t be taken lightly. Giving your animals the absolute best is the goal and its worth listening to the folks here where they have the knowledge and expertise to help you along your way 💚

[cold orchid]

thats the right one one! usually best to buy their double pack, for the hot side and the cool side.

cool side should generally average the upper 70's to low 80s, and the hot side should be around the upper 80s and the heat sources can be set to around 90

Fahrenheit btw

[still jewel]

For a 10 gallon a pictus gecko would work

[paper marsh]

ehhhhh, id recommend against it

if ur going to have a pictus you might aswell have a communal setup since they benefit from it

and seeing as they can max out at 6 inches, id say probably 20 for one, 36x18x18 for multiple

[cloud wharf]

10 gallon is good for a chubby frog or a pacman frog I believe.

[paper marsh]

a adult male pacman needs at least 20, female at least 40 iirc, id imagine chubbies are also at least 20

had to correct the female size cause i went back for it

[cloud wharf]

As far as i know chubby is 10. I don't own a pacman personally was just told 10-20 is what I would need. I think a 40 would be huge for a pacman but idk.

[paper marsh]

female pacmans get pretty massive

and yeah, 20 is the most up to date for the males ive seen

[onyx timber]

I remember hearing 20 as a good size, at least for males. I mean, maybe a 10 gal could do a small species of dart frog?

[paper marsh]

i considered darts but i dont think id recommend them in this case

[onyx timber]

Yeah, fair. I think some sort of small toad/frog, maybe like a small gecko of some sort, or a really tiny snake but otherwise a 10 gal is best for fish at that point I feel

[paper marsh]

I just like, think itd be best to sell the 10, kit out the leo, and then maybe when ready get a 20 and get a pacman or sum

[onyx timber]

^ This

[paper marsh]

pretty much anything id comfortably recommend to a beginner doesnt rlly do 10 gal

[onyx timber]

Or if you can't find a buyer, use it to grow out young animals but even then ehhh

[paper marsh]

except for fish and invertebrates ofc

[onyx timber]

Yea. 10 gallon would be perfect for a betta or some tetras

[paper marsh]

ye

[cloud wharf]

Dang that's big. Yeah chubby frogs don't get that big.

It never hurts to have a spare small tank either for hospital bin/emergency bin

[hexed crystal]

Wouldn't recommend a reptile but a Rhino Beetle might be a good option