i had an old one that didn't fit too well. currently making a new one for her. She just shed a week ago, so working on a new one. also thanks to the pics here i'm going to change the sand out for tile.
Oh wow, she's a cute little chubber! Just out of curiosity... do you have or put in a moist hide when she is shedding?
you could also use oats if you don't want to use tile. or you can use paper towels. Either way... but if you use tile, make sure they fit snug and that no feeder bugs can get under them I had a slick roach slip under my tiles, but i'm switching to oats now anyway
i do have a moist hide for her. but i'm making a new one for her. just not sure how i want it to look just yet. i'm hoping to change over to the tile this weekend. any suggestions for the hides. thinking as well of doing a 2nd level. just wondering how to place the hides. as it is. the rock cave is the warm side.
I would actually recommend against using oats; grain product have a tendency of being fantastic bacteria and mold activators... makes for a prime media when things get a little damp from defecation. It may be slightly safer on a particulate substrate level in terms of impaction, but you increase the chances of mold and bacterial manifestation. All substrates have their pros and cons, just wanted to make you aware of an often overlooked con in using things like oats, alfalfa, etc. Substrate in general is a heated topic of discussion; and I think what it boils down to is thoroughly understanding the risks and having the ability to compensate for any flaws and know what to look for in the hazards. Personally, I've always liked following idea of "its better to be safe than sorry." Many safe substrates look great and work effectvely - and while some particulate substrates have a aesthetic appeal in naturalistic vivaria and can be used safely, its best left to those willing to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their pet (ie. feeding in dishes, closely monitoring bowel movements and feeding, etc). lilpup - Firstly, I'd like to welcome you to our forum = ) Your leo looks great, and your setup looks quite nice; although I am in agreeance with what has been suggested on some minor changes. I'm excited to see what the finished product will look like as well! Please understand our concern for using certain substrates, particularly with new members we are unfamiliar with. Some of us have been here a long time and have seen leo's become very ill first-hand from misinformed owners. Furthermore, we like to re-iterate safe substrate use for the heavy traffic of guest that frequent our site.
thanks for the info. i've received conflicting reports on what to use for substrate. seeing and reading what you have all been using has given me the right info on what i should use. i'm still pretty new to owning geckos. Sally is my first. i just want to do what's best for her. and thanks to the posts from everyone here, i have some ideas on what she needs.
Jeffreh: so I'll have to monitor the pooping closely... And will I need to take them out to feed them on oats? My thing now is I have already switched out from tile to oats, and now I'm worried about mold. I spent $14 (which i understand in comparison isn't really that much) but 14 worth of oatmeal is kind of a lot (though i only used about $5 of it) and it was my mom's money because i don't have a lot right now. I can take one box back but after setting up the enclosure, I don't look forward to redoing it. (again) but if it is what's best for my girls, then i will do it. I just don't really quite like the tile, but i don't know what else to use. I don't want to use sand (i have a baby gecko still) and i don't want to use paper towel or newspaper because they are unappealing and not very absorbent and while easy to replace, i'd have to move the rocks around to replace them
Precisely; you can certainly give it a go and see how things work out - just keep a close eye on it. If things start to look funy, you can always utilize the excess as a base insect gutload so it isn't wasted = ) I've always like non-adhesive shelf liner as an option, the kind that has a "rubbery" feel to it. It s dirt cheap, cleans up nicely with baby wipes or damp paper towel, and you can get it in a variety of colors. Here's and old...OLD leo setup I had back in the 2001ish? LOL! I'm using shelf liner for the substrtate: Also, I didn't thoroughly read to see if you or anyone had tried it, but you can fill in gaps created from tile with sand... much easier to control and limit the ability to intake the substrate if its just in the cracks. This shelf liner was from walmart or some similar store, maybe like $4 for a roll that could do about five 15 gallons like this.
i just laid down the tiles in Sally's tank. it's not quite complete yet. still have to add the second level, but here she is exploring again. the moist hide you see is just temporary for now till i can make it look better.
that's A LOT of oatmeal for 35 ish meal worms... and i use cheap cat food for the roaches. (since i feed them to my T too, i got the one with lowest amount of calcium, but i dust the roaches) I'm just worried about mold... and people tanks with tiles always look better than mine XD but on my i had to flip them over because the top was glazed so it didn't give a grip. They're leftover tiles from my parents' bathroom reno several years ago. XD
Lilpup, the tile looks awesome. =D I know you said it's just temporary, but the moist hide doesn't look that bad, honestly. I would just cover the edges of the doorway with some neatly folded over duct or electrical tape to eliminate the sharp edges and neaten it up a little. Make sure there aren't any sticky parts of the tape left open.
thanks. added the tape around the hide. i just got a digital thermometer for her tank. put it in and omg. the temp hit 105F. how can i turn that down. will a dimmer drop it enough and will it work with the Exo Terra heat pad. for now i've added 2 layers of carpet down till i can get out and get a dimmer. ( hope it works and hope i can find one at home depot or something... canadian shops being what they are and all ) i really don't want to burn my baby's belly.
Yep, you can use a simple Lamp Dimmer (rheostat), they sell them at places like Lowe's and Home Depot for about $8-10 bucks. All you have to do is dim it down a little,and monitor temps until things are perfect and keep the dimmer at that setting = )
thanks. what's the ideal i should set it for. mid 80s? also. it's an 8 inch by 8 inch (small exo terra ) in a 30 gal tank.
ok. it was my one light that was making the temp so high on me. changed to a different one and it's stitting at around 91F now.
Excellent = ) Yep, a 91 degree warm end/hot spot is ideal... you generally want it between 88-92 ish or so, and the cool end of the viv can sit lower into the room temp range: upper 70's is usually recommended as a base point.
