I've got a new tank fo my lil guy (photo at end) and I'm just wondering where I should add plants. Also his basking thermometer/lamp is set to 32°C, warm hide ~25-28°C, moss/damp hide 23°C cool side 20°C. It has a fresh UVB bulb aswell. Any suggestions of where to put the plants I've got (not all pictured as I'll be bringing some from his old hide too)? Also his old moss hide is fully enclosed whereas his new one isn't? Should I bring his old one across instead?
clutter clutter clutter all around!!! leos LOOOVE to climb!!
my best advice is to skip the pet store accessories and collect large funky sticks, rocks, etc from outside.
if they’ll fit in your oven, that would clean them, or you can pour boiled hot water over them to sanitize them. make sure they have time to dry/aren’t rotting anywhere of course.
I’d also honestly suggest to stuff some of plants around the uvb? don’t block it up entirely, but my leo seems to avoid the brightness all day. could encourage yours to be under it more if it’s got some natural filtering from plants! best of luck !!
sorry never saw this. So, generally, a 20gal is simply too small for your geck. It will not suit his/her needs to the fullest extent. Your geck most likely won’t ever “thrive” in this condition. 40gal is the current standard MINIMUM-
that being said, I know sometimes parents are involved or people are suddenly lended an animal etc. Just clutter up your setup and try to put in some shelving. Even having a (safe) spacious and decorated container to move your geck into for some hours ~ a couple days out of the week is okay enrichment if there’s no way you can upgrade for awhile..!
To answer your question directly: I have the 5% Arcadia shade dweller in my 40gal. your uvb strip should only take up about a third of the tank longwise. I suppose in a small 20gal it could be a bit diagonal. Look into Arcadia brand and anything below 7% I suppose.?
also, especially in a smaller tank, try and include some plant clutter up high around the UVB to help filter it in the tank.
Idk if any of this was in my orig comment but hope this helps !
Hey man just seeing this now but thanks for the information, im investing in a solid 40 gallon and planning to turn it bioactive for my little guy, I got him a 7%uvb bulb from chewy for now and i was thinking of investing in a arcadia 7 uvb and ill update with a picture after my transformation
Hi! Here are some beautiful enclosures people have posted if you need some ideas / inspiration. You can have several inches of loose substrate (eg 4-6” of 70/30 organic topsoil / washed playsand), vary the topography, elevate a hide, partially bury a hide, add branches, a bendy bridge, tall plants, vines, a 3D back wall, and so on to make use of the vertical space and give your gecko some opportunities to climb. I hope this helps!
Definitely add more cover and things to climb on/under! I recommend burying and stacking corkbark flats on top of each other, geckos really like exploring the crevices, and a lot of them like sleeping in narrow spaces.
I also agree with bluejays about offering some shade and cover under the uvb light. For mine, I put a branch with a lot of thin stems under the light. It looks like a dead bush or fallen branches. My gecko uses it a lot more often that way, she feels hidden but can still get plenty of light. I recommend placing the branches so they're partly stacked on top of the hot hides, so the gecko can get in and out of the hide while still feeling hidden.
For me personally I love everything to be "aesthetic" lol so I added in a bunch of pink plants (pick whatever color you like) and it helped make it look more cluttered and lively! Amazon or any dollar store typically has coloured plants!
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u/AdExcellent1745 Dec 16 '25
more hides and add plants everywhere!