Leopard Gecko Care 2022 

Leopard gecko setup kits - - US: kit.co/JTB_Reptiles/leopard-gecko-kit-us - UK: kit.co/JTB_Reptiles/leopard-gecko-kit-uk 00:00 - Introduction 00:20 - Enclosure 01:36 - Cohabitation 02:25 - Substrate 03:23 - Decoration 04:07 - Lighting 08:32 - Temperature management 12:01 - Hibernation 14:08 - Feeding 15:36 - Hydration This is by no means a complete guide of how to care for a leopard gecko, so I recommend you do your own further research into leopard gecko husbandry. For this purpose, here are some links to further information: Videos - - Leopard gecko cohabitation: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AvRHgPutevA.html - Waterproofing wooden vivaria: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kfZOsbilxNA.html - Vivarium ventilation: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DxOGA_1aDeY.html - DIY background for wooden vivaria: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wTPXe0cDlIw.html - DIY background for glass vivaria: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-auv-my-PAog.html - Building a wooden vivarium from flat-pack: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-w2TbzAMdc2k.html - Advanced photoperiods: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-w2TbzAMdc2k.html - Leopard gecko natural habitat (by Ricky Johnson): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-L2moaEo_P00.html Papers - - Leopard geckos in Pakistan: www.researchgate.net/publication/304381063_leopard_gecko_Eublepharis_macularious_from_Pakistan - Leopard geckos in Nepal: www.researchgate.net/publication/331979702_First_Records_of_the_Common_Leopard_Gecko_Eublepharis_macularius_Blyth_1854_Eublepharidae_in_Nepal

Come back bro. The hobby needs you.

One of the best care guides I've seen. I can't believe others still spread such minimalistic care recommendations and other misinformation. Thanks for up to date, scientific guide!

Great video! I think it’s worth noting that anyone would still benefit from a thermostat on their “heat lamp”. I use them for all my setups despite them never really being activated as the setups are correctly arranged. It’s purely a safety device at that point. Fans have also changed my life, all my enclosures use them, again as appropriate - and they not only help temperature control but also stop stagnant stinky air!

As always a well done. And definitely appreciated. Thank you from Ontario Canada. Love knowing your videos are up to date on care and requirements. My two blind ladies are doing great using your knowledge.

This is hands down the best video I've seen so far. Great work Thank you!

Great information. Everything from light, heat and humidity was clear and rationally explained.

Nice to see you back mate. I've missed my JTB fix.

Super helpful - thank you.

Jtb when will ur next video be out your amazing bro keep up the brilliant work 👍🦎

Ive seen comments elsewhere about safety and the thermostat. I offer this for your consideration. Sorry its long. When debating safety, one's opinion is irrelevant, it is simply a matter of engineering and of probability, nothing else. The considerations are. 1) Everything can and will fail but how soon it can fail is a matter of probability. 2) Each system will have several modes of failure, for example an operating lamp can fail OFF, explode, be mis-wired and be partial contact/ignited. Its normal operating mode is ON. Being ON is not a failure of the lamp. If being ON it burns or overheats, then it is a failure of design or implementation. 3) The time or the point of failure matters. 4) Installation and environment of the lamp system matters as both impact probability of failure. 5) The time to recognise, diagnose and respond to the failure is also important. 6) The effect of the failure is the most critical consideration, the nature of the consequences define the rigour of mitigation action needed. 7) Every failure must be mitigated. Mitigation can be through design, through probability estimates or through maintenance action. With a heat lamp, the worst case operating mode is full ON; which is a normal operating mode. It is influenced by the environment; the worst case being a warm external environment. The selection of the right power for the lamp is a matter of design. The failure mode is one of design, one of making the wrong lamp choice. In my other world, the worst case failure is always tested where possible. It must be the case here, in our Face Book page, that we insist that all of our keepers test their vivarium systems under the worst case fail scenario. Turn everything on and leave it on. Decide what the maximum temperature can be in the coolest location and exceeding that threshold requires mitigation. Don't just look at air temperature, check temperature of cables, check the temperature of the lamp holder and the thing it is screwed to. In the basking lamp scenario the irradiation power should not ever become intense but under some circumstances heat can build up during the day and a fail condition can develop. The first design consideration is how do you recognise the problem, (item 5) It should be through knowing your animal behaviour patterns, but sometimes that is not appropriate. A simple reliable indicator is the next choice, it does not have to be decimal point accurate - it has to be consistent. Why wouldn’t that little round dial in the video not give that indication? Is the indication compelling enough? Would a more complex unit with a buzzer be more compelling? Finally, more complexity can bring an automated response in mitigation of the overheat state. Mitigation paths could be, a) cool the air by turning on a fan and introducing cooler air or b) manage the power to the lamp. a. This can be a simple on/off thermostat with a low parts count operating simple, reliable fans to bring in cooler air from the outside. The sensor being placed securely in the cool location. Take care that the fan blades are not interfered with. b. Dimming the lamp through a phase cut dimmer, these are mostly reliable but have significantly greater parts count than a simple on/off thermostat and have many failure modes. Dimming changes the wavelength of irradiation and reduces the effect and value of the lamp for basking. Problems arise when the position of the sensor is considered because to control the lamp effectively the sensor should be under the sphere of influence of the lamps' irradiation, which is not often the cool part of the vivarium. A pulse proportional dimmer is not appropriate on a tungsten halogen lamp, but it would certainly grab your attention when the thermostat kicked in. The positioning of the control sensor adds another failure mode for both control systems noted above, so ensure it cannot be displaced or covered by animals, plants or furniture. Adding thermostats adds complexity and reduces reliability. They also introduce a passive failure (fail inoperative) in this condition no indication of failure would be available, leaving the owner with a false sense of security. This failure may be mitigated through maintenance activity (item 7). In my set-ups I do not use any control to automatically manage the power to my lamps. Once their output is determined, they are simply turned on every day with a timer. I have a mercury thermostat at the back and a very simple ON/OFF thermostat with a temperature reading to operate three computer fans to suck in cooling air. The thermostat sensor is fixed to the back wall. Its fashionable to seek technology as a solution in these modern times, there is merit to make things as simple as possible.

Excellent video! Off topic but how low should bearded dragon temps go during brumation?

Where do you buy the Cork bark? Thanks

Are the front doors a must? I have the same sized tank but no front access.

Hi! Can I use a 10.0 compact bulb for a 50 gallon glass tank?

Can I make the Arcadia pro t5 6% forest work ; over mesh in my 36x18x18 enclosure on an angle?

Great video mate, how come you switched from halogen to mercury vapor bulbs?

Just out of curiosity: did you also try higher temperatures for brumation and did you compare effects perhaps? Asking because there are (I think many) keepers doing it within a range of 15-18 degrees i.e.

I was wondering because you mentioned not using dimming thermostats if it would be alright to use pulse proportional thermostats just to make sure heat is where I want it to be day and night?

Can I ask what your rationale is for breeding these when there are already so many leopard geckos needing homes?

What I always find perplexing in this is, that if I want to keep my plants alive in the setup I have, they need light. Lot of light. And that light can't be placed only on one corner of the setup, because the plants that are in the opposite corner will die from the lack of enough light. Yes, I am a plant person, I grow food in the summer starting from seedlings, and I have suitable lights for them. So I, of course, want to have plants in my bioactive setup as well. If I provide the plants enough light -- like somewhere between 1500 lumen to 5000 lumen or even above -- and place the lights throughout the setup, will it prevent the animal from basking? Does it get so confused of the light coming from all directions, that it can't find its way to the warm spot? Yes, I have listened to the podcasts of Animals at Home, and I have read loads of documents in the Reptile Lighting Facebook group and so on, but none of those really adhere to plants much at all. The conversation just recommends using this light or that light, but there is a strong controversy in my mind about placing of the lights. So does this lead to the fact that you really can't have any plants in a Leopard Gecko (or any reptile) setup, because you end up making either the plants or the animal suffer? Also thank you, I have watched this video couple of times before, but just now I realised the difference between lighting and heating :)

Love how you very tactfully just contradict standard husbandry practices that preach to use stats and are fiercely against co-habbing! I've been 'conditioned' by propaganda to use a stat with any heat source (i do occasionally use a heat mat but rarely), thinking that it's 'the right thing for my gecko'..and now you have thrown a spanner in the works to that, Joseph! :D you're challenging my thinking! Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work. :) Tom

I always thought builders sand was unsafe because it contained glass and that's why people use playsand?

I have a 4/2/2 vivarium Could I keep 2 leopard gecko's in it?

Come back JTB, uni is over

my gecko got out a month ago and still have not found him

This is the only care guide I've seen saying that sand is okay for Leopard Geckos. They can't digest it and if they continuously eat a little bit of it every day it could cause digestive issues and kill them.