Basic Gecko setup

[Big Mike]

I'm much more interested in snakes but I want to know a little about geckos...
I'm thinking of getting my little sister a gecko or other lizard for her birthday. She will be 11 and has had fish, hamsters, jerbils, newts and the family cats& dog. I think she was interested in a beardie but they get to be bigger than what she would be suited for. Here are some questions I have

What size tank will be required? Say a 10 or 20?
How easy are they to care for?
How hardy are they? I don't want it to die on her
Can someone show me a good example of a basic set up?


I will of course read up on how to care for them and what they require for an enclosure and heat/light etc. I will also educate my sister as to the proper care and feeding etc. I was thinking I would buy it early and care for it my self for a while to make sure everything is OK but it would also be fun if she went and picked it out at a breeder or pet store.

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome. Any other lizards I should consider? Cost is an issue so cheaper is better.

[TonyL]

Hi Mike,

As a keeper of leopard geckos, I believe this is a great starter lizard along with the african fat tailed gecko.

A 10 gallon is a large enough tank for one gecko. They are very easy to care for with their diet consisting of crics and small mealies. Dust with calcium powder!

They are hardy lizards with a long life span (15 to 20 or so years). As for the setup, paper towel as substrate (until it is about 6 inches the u can switch to sand), a small water dish, a humid hide spot along with another normal hide spot. A uth is fine for heat. They need a hot side of about 88 - 92 F and a cooler side in the low 80s.

Well thats it in a nutshell. I am sure you will find lots of info as there are tons of caresheets around. If you have any specifics, email me!

Good luck!

[Youkai]

Depending on the gecko, it can be incredibly simple or quite a challenge.
Probably the best gecko for your sister is a leopard gecko or fat tailed gecko.

Please, check out Trace's site. She has a section on gecko care you'll probably find really informative. Lots of information, and pictures as well.
http://www.gexfiles.com/

[little one]

What kind of gecko were you thinking? Leos are excellent. They don't really take up much space (one can be housed in a 10 gallon...although I prefer to give them more room) and they are super easy to care for. :) Really cute too. They are really hardy despite what some have said to me. They are designed to be hardy. I don't have a pic of a basic set up, but it consists of a humid hide (made out of tupperware), a dry hide or two, water, calcium, food (mealies, crix, butterworms, etc), substrate (paper towel), and a heat source. Most people prefer UTH's with aquarium style tanks, although lights can be used as long as you have heat absorbing basking stuff (rocks) under to provide the belly heat they need to digest their food. :)
Check out drgecko.com for care sheets...you can usually get normals from the breeder for about $40. Total set up can be as cheap as $100.

[little one]

hehehe...everybody loves leos. :)

[lance]

little ones knows her leos

[Linds]

Leos and fat tails are great starter lizards. If that's what you mean then it's all basically covered above. Just make sure tails don't get grabbed because they will drop them. If you were meaning some other type of gecko such as golden, marbled, etc, you may want to reconsider as pretty well all arboreal species can be quite skittish, and many of the terrestrial species such as frog eyes do not tolerate handling.

[Dom]

How about a Tokay!!!

lol Sorry It had to be said!

I agree .. a leo or fat tail. My preference would be a fat tail as they are much less common and my personal oppinion is they are much nicer looking .. again depends on u..

Its a great idea for u to care for him previously and tehn give it to her ..

Dom

[Sean_.E.]

Leos!Leos! Leos! Leapard geckos are the best! They're easy to care for! Have a great temperment! ANd have AMZING colouration!

GOTTA - GETTA - LEO!

Thats just my oppinion!

Sean.E.

[Jotun]

I think a tokay is more suited for jewelry than a pet... well seeming as the number I've had clamped to me on various places! :) Leo's are DEFINITELY the best start lizard... Leo's and fat tails. Wonderful little lizards and they are awesome lookin. They also seem to develope their own sort of personality and you can get some pretty awesome and unique colorations.

[Hoss]

It's funny, because I've had everything from house geckos to beardies, and even ackies...nothing compares to leos for me...I am now only dealing with leos, and I thik they are awesome...

Oh yeah, if anyone knows of anyone with 2 female blizzards, please let me know...