How to Set Up a Habitat for a Leopard Gecko
- 1). Obtain a heat lamp, infra-red heat light bulb, rocks bigger than the gecko, a large stick, water, water container, sand, a 10 to 15 or 20 gallon aquarium with a screened lid, lid clamps, dead grass, reptile thermometer, moss such as sphagnum moss and an open-bottom container to act as a cave for the gecko to hide in. Obtain a stand to set the aquarium on.
- 2). Set the thermostat for the room or entire house to above 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the aquarium stand near an outlet. Set the aquarium on the stand. Fill the bottom of the aquarium with sand, and mix the dead grass into the sand, and set the natural plant in the tank. Decide where to place the "cave" for the gecko, and place sphagnum moss in that area. Set the cave on top of the moss.
- 3). Place the water dish in the aquarium and fill it with water.
Set up the larger rocks around the aquarium, placing one or more in the range of the heat lamp. Prop the stick against the side of the tank so that the gecko can climb it without the stick shifting. Set up the thermometer according to the manufacturer's directions. - 4). Place the gecko in the habitat, clamp the screen lid down with the clamps, and place the heat lamp on the screen on the side opposite the cave.
- 5). Leave the heat lamp on for 12 hours, and turn it off at night. This helps create a natural setting. The temperature for side of the tank with the lamp should be in the upper-80s, with the tank's temperature being cooler on the side opposite the lamp.
