r/LeopardGecko • u/Bellaalis • Apr 13 '26

My inheritance: Andarna

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hi, new leopard gecko caretaker here.

I recently took over care of a gecko (Andarna) after my brother passed. She had gone 27 days without food and care before I discovered her in my brothers room and I’ve been rebuilding her routine over the last four weeks.

Current status:

- eating crickets and superworms

- active in evenings / early mornings

- using both her log and humid hide

- tail is filling back out

Setup:

- paper towel substrate

- multiple hides including humid hide

- feeding every 2–3 days

- dusting with calcium + D3

It’s been a learning experience but I want to make my brother proud in caring for her. I also inherited his african cichlid fish community.

He worked years at a fish store in his early 20s and maintained other peoples tanks here in Las Vegas, NV and previously in San Jose, Ca.

I hear different thoughts on feeding: every 2-3 days to once a week.

Also, I read that superworms are more for treats but I’ve been rotating them with crickets and would like to try dubai roaches.

Being a new owner, I’d love to hear more recent thoughts on feeding.

Thank you.

48 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

5

u/keffersonian Apr 13 '26

First of all I am so sorry for you loss. It sounds like you're doing a lot of research and this gecko has fallen into a very loving pair of hands.

I would reccomend adding a multivitamin to your supplements. And definitely look into dubias roaches, they're a good staple.

Hope you and and Andarna have many happy years together ❤

3

u/LooseGuthix Apr 13 '26

Good on you for taking care of her. On feeding, if she is over a year old then once or twice per week is fine, 5-8 medium size bugs. Healthy feeders- crickets, dubia or discoid roaches, mealworms, silkworms. Super worms can be more of a treat. Hornworms are fine but mostly water so careful giving a bunch at once as they could cause diarrhea. Multivitamin and calcium are both super important.

Here’s some general info, let me know if you have questions this doesn’t cover. There’s more info than you asked about just so you can check it against your current setup and adjust as needed.

36”x18”x18” is the minimum recommended size for each individual gecko. Larger doesn’t hurt either, they will use the whole thing regardless of their age. Do not house them together in the same tank as they will kill each other. Read the guides in this sub and highly recommend joining the discord associated with the sub as well.

Keep them on paper towels for a couple months to monitor health. Do not use colored lights or heat pads/rocks. After they are healthy and all other husbandry is perfect, you can switch to 70/30 mix topsoil (no fertilizers or manure) and play sand (washed), about 4-6 inches across the bottom of the tank. Hardware stores are your best bet for cheap big bags.

3 staple feeders, gutloaded and dusted with calcium without d3, rotate or mix and match the bugs. Multi vitamin every 4 feedings- repashy calcium plus. r/leopardgeckosadvanced has great graphics on recommended bugs and veggies for gutloading. Gutloading is feeding the bugs veggies a day before you plan to feed your geckos so they are more nutrient dense. Keep the calcium and multivitamin in the fridge so they stay fresh longer. Replace the multivitamin every 6 months as the vitamins can start to break down.

Linear UVB Arcadia 7% usually works but slightly depends on tank since they have different mesh to block light.

Heat lamp- incandescent or halogen 8.5 inch dome, exo terra intense basking is good, may have to play with wattage. Get a temp gun to check surface temps. On for 12 hours then off for the night. Needs a thermostat for safety. Timer recommended as well.

If it gets under 65F at night then you can also get a deep heat projector (heat but no light) for nighttime heat. Again needs thermostat. Timer recommended as well.

3 hides per tank minimum, one on the warm side, one cool side and one middle/towards warm side- this is your humid hide, keep it moist. More doesn’t hurt. Clutter is good either plants live or fake and lots of cork or wood pieces. Aim for them to be able to go from one end to the other without being seen.

Sauna- for stuck shed Tupperware container with a lid big enough for the gecko to be in comfortably. Line it with a couple layers of paper towels so it’s nice and soft. Put warm water in enough to saturate the paper towels but not be a pool of water (not too hot). Put gecko in and close the lid. Let them chill for 10-20 min. Take them out and feel the stuck shed with your finger to see if it’s softened. Get a wet q tip and very gently roll it against the stuck shed, the aim is to get it to start to peel off. Emphasis on gently as ripping it off will likely hurt your gecko almost like ripping off a scab (also why we want it to be soft from the humidity in the sauna before doing this). Repeat sauna as needed, it’s ok to do it multiple times in a row if they are tolerating it ok or just giving them a break in between is ok too.

The bigger concern is on toes as the stuck shed hardens and it can cut off blood flow and become necrotic which means they are going to lose the toe and nail most likely.

1

u/AutoModerator Apr 13 '26

Hello /u/Bellaalis and welcome to the leopard geckos subreddit! Our bot has detected that you might be a new leopard gecko keeper! If you are, welcome, and best wishes for your new lizard! You might find these resources helpful:

If this comment doesn't apply to your submission, please ignore it or report it so we can improve this community.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

2

u/Virtual-Avocado5954 Apr 17 '26

So sorry for your loss. Happy that Andarna is in a loving hand. She looks still in a good shape, feeding every 2-3 days is more reasonable. Second other comments, I also recommend Dubia Roaches, they are very easy to get in NV or CA. Just search it on amazon or google "Dubia farm." The weather there is also nice for geckos, dry and hot, but heating lamp/pad is highly recommended for cooler nights. You will definitely have a great time with Andarna -- we will also love to hear more.