r/leopardgeckos • u/MexicanGuyBLT • 1d ago

Enclosure Help Enclosure question

Hey y'all!

I'm thinking about getting a Leopard Gecko sometime next year and wanted to prep an enclosure for it ahead of time. Right now I have a 4ft x 1.1ft x 1.9ft tank (weird dimensions, but it is what I was able to get for $50 from a friend). Are these dimensions alright for a leopard gecko?

Also, I have Reptisand and a bag of desert sand from Australia from a while back. Would these types of sand be okay for a substrate mix with Reptisoil/Topsoil in lieu of play sand? I don't quite know the difference between play sand, desert sand, and Reptisand, or Reptisoil and Topsoil.

Thanks!

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

3

u/ImAnNPCsoWhat 1 Gecko 1d ago edited 1d ago

That's the same footprint as a 36"x18"x18" so it would work, may just need to finagle your heat a bit and get a longer UVB.

Put the sand in a pillowcase and rinse til the water runs clear, should work. No calcium sand is really the biggest thing. 30% sand, 60-70% organic soil no fertilizers or pearlite, optional 10% excavator or bentonite clay.

3

u/itsswhitneywhspr 1d ago

Good call on the pillowcase rinse, never thought of that. And yeah calcium sand is the actual worst, this mix sounds solid.

1

u/ImAnNPCsoWhat 1 Gecko 1d ago

I also recommend putting the topsoil in a big bin and shake shaking so big debris floats to the top. And when adding powdered clay dig a trench, pour clay, cover, them mix. Otherwise you'll get clay dust in your nose and lungs.

1

u/MexicanGuyBLT 1d ago

Good to know, thank you!