my first herp

[0_missy_0]

Hey guys, I'm just about to put a deposit on a N. levis levis which I've been looking for for a while now. This will be my first reptile since I was really little so I need all the information I can get

What I have planned is to get a 45cm cube exo terra tank with 5-6cm of desert sand (too little?) and some rocks for him to hide, and obviously there'll be a water bowl. Do these guys like it humid? From what I've read, I should be misting every 2 or 3 days, and keeping one corner of the cool side moist so the gecko can dig its burrow.
For feeding, I'll be giving him live crickets and woodies, what other foods do geckos like? I plan to dust every 3rd feed, but I'm confused as to which vitamin supplement to get:?someone share some light on this
For the lighting I'm not too sure what to use. Some people say these guys need UVB while others say they don't need it:?
For heating I'm also not sure what to use. The heat cords seem pretty good, and I could place it behind the fake rock wall to heat up the back half. Heat mats I have had bad experiences with. I've used them a number of times on glass and plastic enclosures, they cracked the bottoms of the glass enclosures and warped the bottoms of the plastic enclosures, so if I'm to use a heat mat I need a solution to this problem I've hadThe red heat globe thingys (sorry I don't know the name) work both as heat and light so that's a bonus, but I can't seem to find any globes that are less than 60watt, and for such a small enclosure 60watts would make it like living in an oven:shock:I think it would anyway. As for night lighting, I wanna go with one of those moonlight globes cause they look cooland for night viewing of course.

As for the gecko itself, I know geckos aren't supposed to be handled and if I wanted something to cuddle up to I'd get myself a pair of beardiesBut for the sake of cleaning, moving the gecko to another enclosure etc I'm gonna have to handle it sooner or later so how are they with handling? Do they bite at all or are they a more placid gek?
I know they're nocturnal but do they come out during the day at all or are they strictly nocturnal only?

Thanks guys I know it's a long post, just want to get it right


Michelle.

 

[MrSpike]

G'day, and good choice, they are awesome animals.

That exoterra tank will be fine, more than enough IMO. I would aim for around 10cm (4 or so inches) of sand depth. One hide in warm end, one in cool end. The one in the warm end should be placed above the heat cord IMO. Small water bowl in the cool end and mist every few days as stated, try to keep the soil moist for burrowing. I only feed my gecko's crickets, but that can eat woodies. They don't eat any other food sources as far as I know.

With lighting, they don't need UV, although a red light can be provided if you would like. You would have to put it above the mesh in the enclosure. You can get light fittings with a metal type frmage that would keep the light a certain level above the mesh roof.

Just pick them up and put them into another tub for cleaning, sometimes they may "squeek" at you, just don't pull in their tails, you don't want them to drop them! They are ok to handle for short periods of time.

Hope this limited advice helps, even though I am fairly new to the gecko world myself.

Kane

 

[Glider]

Very good choice, you'll love your new creature.
Sounds like you've done lots of research on your new pet and you're on the right track.
Most people have slightly different setups, but generally follow the same idea.

Personally, I keep a pair of Levis Levis in a medium Reptile One tank (about 45cmx30x30).
I have a 28cmX12cm 7w heatmat under one third of the enclosure, which I found fit perfectly if I trimmed a little of the excess plastic around the edge of the mat, and slid the mat up under the frame edges underneath the tank. I don't heat from above, but I do have a 25w moon-light above the enclosure for viewing.

Inside the tank I use red sand on the floor. on the heated end it's about 2-3cms thick, which makes the temp on the sand around 30ish. I don't use a thermostat, but I do use a probe thermometer regularly to check the temps are still ok. I haven't had a problem with the mat or sand overheating, and in winter I make the sand a little shallower to maintain the temp. I provide a hide on the warm end.
At the cool end, I have the sand mounded up to about 10-12cms, and I keep it moist. I don't provide a hide at this end, as before the night is finished there will be tunnels and hidden geckos! I just let them make their own hide in the deep sand. Once a week I collapse their tunnels and re-wet the sand, because I find that they can mine the sand enough to collapse it on themselves and won't hold new tunnels, or if it dries out too much they can get trapped in there. I wouldnt be too concerned about that though, as they're very good diggers. It's really just a maintenance thing

I provide a water bowl, they don't use it very often but when they do you'd think they had just come back from a trek in the desert! They hardly ever use the bowl but mine drink a lot from it when they do. I mist the cool damp sand every couple of days and make sure I get some water on the back glass for them to lick droplets from if they like.

I feed mine crickets. They get about half a dozen med-large crickets each every 3 or so days. I dust the crickets with Reptivite vitamin and calcium supplement about once a week. Mine don't like woodies, but some do. Some people give their breeding females small pinky mice after laying eggs, to fatten them up, but my female doesn't like them. You'd be surprised at the size of food the gecko's can eat! Though when they're young, you should only feed them items that could fit between their eyes.

They dont like being handled, but moving them around for cleaning and stuff is fine. Just be very careful when you handle them, they are prone to dropping their tails, and also to lemming-like base-jumps off your hand.

So yeah, thats my setup, and mine have sucessfully bred, so I con't be doing too much wrong!
As I said, most keepers do things a little differently, but are generally the same idea.


Have you organised your enclosure and new gecko yet? where abouts are you located?

 

[0_missy_0]

Thanks for the replies MrSpike and Glider

I'm located in Sydney.

I've been researching these guys for a couple of months now. I think I've read every levis article on the netbut it doesn't hurt to read more
I haven't got anything for the gecko yet, I don't even have my licensedidn't expect to come across a levis so soon lol. I've just applied for the license so while I'm waiting for it to come I'll be getting everything for the little critter.

I MAY have to rethink the size of the exo-terra that I get. From measuring the stand, a 45cm deep tank won't fit on it but if I make some adjustments I might be able to make it work, but if I'm not able to do that do you think a 30cm cube would suffice the 1 adult levis?
For heating I think I'm gonna go with a heating cord. The smallest is 15watt, do you think that's too much for such a small enclosure? It'll be 10cm of sand all-round so I could bury the heat cord if need be, or would that damage the cord?

Thanks

Michelle.

 

[Chrisreptile]

For heating I think I'm gonna go with a heating cord. The smallest is 15watt, do you think that's too much for such a small enclosure? It'll be 10cm of sand all-round so I could bury the heat cord if need be, or would that damage the cord?

Thanks

Michelle.

its probably better to put the heat cord underneath the enclosure, as the gex will burn them selves on the cord if its in the sand.

 

[0_missy_0]

Thanks Chrisreptile

I've just had a thought, to save a bit of money by only using a heat lamp during the day, and during the night the house is heated anyway so there'd be no real need for special heating for the enclosure. Do you guys think this would work, using only a heat lamp and no heat mat/cord?

 

[Glider]

That might work, but is far from ideal. The gecko needs to be able to choose how warm it is, and have a range of temps available, which is why you usually have heat at one end and no heat at the other. If your house is heated to say 23º during the night, it's comfortable for the humans in the house but not hot enough for the gecko to bask.

The geckos are primarily nocturnal, so heating at night is most important. And really a 7w heatmat or 15w heatcord uses minimal power. Even on 24 hours, either of them would probably cost less than $1 a week to run.

 

[salebrosus]

I use the red desert sand but when i first put it in the enclosure i make it really damp and moist. This put a hard crusty surface on top and my levis love nothing more than to burrow underneath it. They come out at night but when they head back into their little burrows they kick all the sand back over the hole and you swear you have lost them. Mine get quite shirty when you get them out.

Simone.

 

[Lozza]

I use the red desert sand but when i first put it in the enclosure i make it really damp and moist. This put a hard crusty surface on top and my levis love nothing more than to burrow underneath it. They come out at night but when they head back into their little burrows they kick all the sand back over the hole and you swear you have lost them. Mine get quite shirty when you get them out.

Simone.

Hehe mine do the same.
I dug one of my males out as I hadnt seen him in awhile and he was very shirty LOL. arched up with tail in the air running around making a big hissing type noise hes so big and scary LOL

good choice Michelle, theyre great litle gex

 

[salebrosus]

Hehe mine do the same.
I dug one of my males out as I hadnt seen him in awhile and he was very shirty LOL. arched up with tail in the air running around making a big hissing type noise hes so big and scary LOL

good choice Michelle, theyre great litle gex

Hahahahaha, yeah the last time i did that he squeaked at me and lunged at the tip of my fingers with his mouth open. Lucky they don't have sharks teeth cos my little guy has got some go in him. I freak when i don't see them for a while. I have two but we had to separate as i got them as bubs and they turned out to be two males. One is chronic when it comes to tail luring, the other sees that tail wiggle and ends up biting it then the other goes off and it's on. I'm leaving one with my Dad and taking the smaller male with me when i move itnerstate. They are just so cute.

Simone.

 

[0_missy_0]

Thanks for the advice guysThey're starting to sound like cute little monsters:shock:

That might work, but is far from ideal. The gecko needs to be able to choose how warm it is, and have a range of temps available, which is why you usually have heat at one end and no heat at the other. If your house is heated to say 23º during the night, it's comfortable for the humans in the house but not hot enough for the gecko to bask.

The geckos are primarily nocturnal, so heating at night is most important. And really a 7w heatmat or 15w heatcord uses minimal power. Even on 24 hours, either of them would probably cost less than $1 a week to run.

You make a good point, I forgot they're nocturnal

What if I used the red heat lamp during the day and then at night I use one of those moonlight heat lamps?? Would that work? Also, with an enclosure 45cm tall what would be the best wattage of lamp to use? I'd be putting the lamps on top of the enclosure. The smallest I've seen is 40watts do you think that would keep the bottom at the correct temperature or should I go with 60watts?

 

[salebrosus]

I live in Western Sydney and i actually don't heat mine. I keep mine at room temps, in winter it drops to 17 in the room and in the day can be 26-30 depending on sun getting into the room and/or other nearby enclosures. They come out at night and it can get cool in the desert at night so i don't think heating is a major thing.

Simone.

 

[0_missy_0]

That's also helpful thanks Simone