What substrate can i use for my leopard gecko

They are a great combination. Now that you know the best substrates, let me suggest a few more alternatives and some valuable tips on what you should be looking for substrate when your Leo is laying eggs or if you plan to incubate their eggs and much more.

While it is true that leopard geckos are from the desert, it does not necessarily mean that there is sand all over the place. In fact, they can be found in Asia, Iran or even Iraq. Their actual living habitats in these countries are deserts that have rocks.

In between these rocks, there are lots of places to hide away from the blistering heat. You find in the winter that the temperature goes up to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. And in the summer up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. As you may imagine, a lot of these rocky holes and crevices are actually quite moist.

This is so that they can hide away and cool off for part of the day. Well, the female Leopard Gecko uses these moist hides to actually lay her eggs. To keep her safe and regulate her body temperature. So the point is, in captivity, you need to replicate this natural environment.

By offering the correct substrate, which is moist enough, for them to feel at home and feel comfortable to lay their eggs. You will find that Leopard Gecko females will lay eggs regardless, even if there is not a male present. In this situation, they will lay unfertilized eggs more on this later.

Otherwise, it will have a problem finding its food and water, might underfeed and become stressed. While leopard geckos enjoy climbing rocks and branches, they need more surface area.

You will also be able to place your light bulbs on top of a screen cover, to avoid your leopard gecko from touching them and burning itself. Also, a screen cover will help the air flow in the vivarium. Make sure to choose the right size air screen to fit on your vivarium.

Placing the terrarium in the wrong spot can have its consequences. Make sure to find the spot for the terrarium before it arrives. And, decide on the spot before starting to add in substrates, accessories and light. It will be hard to heat the vivarium and maintain right humidity levels. Small children will want to handle leopard gecko too often and might injure it while you are not watching.

A good solution here is to place the vivarium in the living room or have a lock installed on front sliding doors. Placing the vivarium on the windowsill or near the window with direct sunlight is also not a good idea.

Direct sunlight hitting the glass will cause dramatic increase in the temperature inside the vivarium which can kill your gecko. Also, sunlight passing through the glass will be filtered by at least half. What is more, it can disturb the photoperiod. A good idea is to get a terrarium cabinet stand to place your terrarium on. Depending on the size, picking a cabinet stand that is slightly larger than the terrarium will help maneuver around it for cleaning.

Well, sand has been a big topic for discussion. Yes, they will likely pass it on their own without any help, but impaction is still impaction regardless of how safe the item was in which they consumed and should be treated just as serious as impaction from any of the other more dangerous substrates.

Just remember to not freak out and instead providing them with ways of relief the moment you find out that they may be impacted by doing the two things that I suggested above. Since paper towel is the only thing that was swallowed, those two solutions should without a doubt clear your leopard gecko up from however much of it they have in their stomachs.

It is very likely that they will pass the paper towel before 5 to 7 days after consuming, but if not, then call your nearest herp vet and ask them what you should do from there. This is how this particular substrate lets you have some fun with building your own, customized leo scenery — caves, burrows, basking spots, and so on.

Since leos are burrowing lizards, they will enjoy the seemingly-natural burrows. Last but not least, the clay-type substrate is something much more similar to their natural habitat than the pure desert sand. Since this is a special type of substrate, you should follow the instructions on the packaging, although the amount of clay you will use will also depend on the structures you want to build.

Along with sand, coconut fiber, coconut coir, eco earth, or simply coco, has probably been one of the most debated types of substrate among leopard gecko keepers. Coco is affordable, looks natural , and has antimicrobial properties which prevent rotting, mold and bad odors.

However, many consider that these properties do not make coconut coir worth the risk of using it in a leo tank. Although because of its downsides and possible dangers I cannot recommend coconut coir to leo hobbyists, I have to say that I have been using it with no issues for many years. It was the safest and the simplest natural substrate available locally at the time I got my leos, and we had gotten used to it. A small disclaimer : my leo tank contains only two mature female leos, so there is no commotion that would raise some dust in the tank.

Also, I never put down any food on the coco coir. Still, my experience is just one out of many, and the potential hazards of coconut coir must be recognized. A layer of about 1 cm less than half an inch will be enough to satisfy the basic needs for stable movement of your pets, as well as the absorbance level.

However, if you wish for your leos to have the possibility to really dig into the substrate, feel free to put in a thicker layer. This type of substrate has to be good at moisture retention while not being prone to mold.

While using coconut fiber as a general substrate has its downsides, there is no issue when you use coco as a moist hide substrate. Coco holds moisture well and will not get moldy easily. Leos will gladly dig and even lay eggs in this substrate. When you first set up your moist hide, remember the smell of the freshly soaked fiber. If the scent happens to become funkier — it is time to change the substrate. Carib Sea Coco Soft Fiber ».

Although different in texture, sphagnum moss has similar properties like coconut coir. It is a bit more coarse and stringy than coconut fiber. Perhaps that is the reason that moss has a slightly higher impaction potential than coco. In the leo community, there have been occasional reports of sphagnum moss ingestion by the lizards — some of them leading to impaction.

Still, sphagnum moss is generally considered a safe moist hide substrate. The moss is quite chunky, and it takes a relatively thin layer to hold an optimum amount of moisture. Because there is always some risk of ingestion with all loose substrates, some owners prefer to use wet paper towels even in the moist hides.

That increases the risk of egg binding — a condition as critical as impaction. Also, there have been case reports of leos accidentally swallowing pieces of paper while shedding their skin — which could be even more dangerous than a bit of coconut fiber or sphagnum moss.

In line with that, many pet shops readily recommend sand or calcium sand as the best substrate for leos. The truth is somewhat different. Leos do not really come from sandy deserts. The soil is hard and, yes, has some sand in it — but not the consistency you would get in an all-sand enclosure.