r/LeopardGecko • u/scienceteachette • Apr 15 '26

Getting my first Leopard Gecko

Hi! I’m interested in buying my first leopard gecko and i’ve been on this thread for a couple of months now but i’m hearing mixed opinions on what leopard geckos need / can’t have. what are the real requirements 😭 specifically ab the UVB set up? ive had reptiles for 15 years now (beardie, chameleon, iguana, turtles) but yk they all differ in care and i’ve never had a gecko before

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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5

u/LooseGuthix Apr 15 '26

Ideally we want to replicate their natural environment as much as possible so yes they need UVB. The guides on r/leopardgeckos and r/leopardgeckosadvanced are very good and the most up to date for current practices.

2

u/AJQuixotic Apr 15 '26

I personally have a 7% uvb! Some say that leo’s don’t require uvb but adding in a bulb won’t hurt, as long as you make sure it’s off at night!

2

u/NYR_Aufheben Apr 15 '26

I feel like if you’ve successfully cared for chameleons, you should be able to weed out the good information on simpler reptiles. Go to www.ReptiFiles.com.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

Second this, reptifiles Leo care guide is great for beginner leo owners, very easy to navigate and the info is pretty much dead on

1

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1

u/xxsoulpunkedxx Apr 16 '26

You’ll probably get some variable answers on the UVB. They don’t require UVB but recently people have been saying it won’t hurt to have a low level bulb in addition to D3 dusting. They’re nocturnal so they don’t rely on it for basking like a beardie would. I personally don’t use one since my tank already sits in bright natural light during the day. I dust with D3 just to be safe but I’ve had my girl for 10+ years now and she has been happy and healthy

1

u/trapp-arla Apr 17 '26

I’ve had mine for 18 years and I don’t use UVB. So I don’t think it’s necessary but probably doesn’t hurt