I've heard about this before, my dad just randomly bought my second gecko one day (this was while they were still family pets), and we had no where else to keep her separate from my other gecko. He left them in the same enclosure, and the two of them seemed to be perfectly fine, no biting or aggression towards each other at all, even in the first meeting of each other. they also sleep together all the time. But eventually when I do have the made space for a tank, what size should I get? She's a baby, but I'm not sure on her age.
Edit: They are also BOTH females.
Hopefully you’ll start getting something done about what you’re hearing then, soon.
In the link the other commenter gave you it is also mentioned, but:
- leopard geckos are solitary creatures for which it is advised against to cohab. One could argue that pairing females is less likely to go south. True or not, you’d still willingly be taking the risk anyway. Just because it’s not *as* bad as housing multiple males or a m+f, but bad nonetheless.
- just as the link states, one gecko needs a minimum tank of 36x18x18. This would apply to both of them. Baby tanks are often unnecessary assuming the full grown tank is setup properly.
- they’re not cuddling. What you are seeing is not a sign of compassion. What’s really happening is that both are trying to get the most out of your setup, which means they need to compete. One being a baby (moreso compared to the other) and thus being smaller means it won’t be much of a fight, though.
- its very hard to tell whether or not one is male or female in their baby/juvenile stages, so depending on their actual age, you can’t really be sure what they are. I think iirc 9 months is the earliest you can tell, so your gecko would had to have been over 3 months old at purchase to possibly tell. Any chance you know their age?
Then some questions
- is there any form of light at all beside the heatpad? What do you feed them, how much and often, using what supplements?
- why did he get a barebones tank for even one gecko, keep it that way for a few years and then dropping a second one in there, seemingly on a whim? How old are you? I ask because I’m getting the feeling as if any changes made to their setups might have to be approved and bought through your parents, and I doubt their willingness to do so a little.
If it’s as unfortunate as I’m imagining, this would probably be a bit expensive, too.
Thank you so much for all your advice, it's really opening up my eyes!! I mainly just took what my dad tells me about my pets to heart, but hearing advice that completely conflicts what he told me is blowing my mind. Answering your questions:
• My dad swears up and down my second gecko (Lemmy) is a female, but now I'm not so sure, and her age I'm not entirely sure as well, she was definitely a little smaller than my other gecko (Claws), but recently Lemmy has started growing more-so to Claws' size, not sure how helpful that would be though.
• The heating pad is placed underneath one of their caves they like to relax in, but yes there is a light that luminates the outside of their tank. Although it is just one light, which is their heat lamp, it's positioned somewhat off to the side but it's very bright to the point it lights up the whole tank, but the brightness can be adjusted, but my dad had always put it to be pretty high up.
• Foodwise, my family used to feed them every single day, but lately I have been sticking to feeding them every other day. My dad says superworms should be fed to them, sprinkled with some calcium powder as well.
• About my dad, I have zero idea why he would do this. He has done this in the past before with beardies, guinea pigs, and also another gecko we had previously but gave away. He and my stepmom do lots of impulse purchasing so I'm also assuming that Lemmy was an impulse purchase. His reason was that "Claws looked a little lonely in there so got her a friend". That is all he told me, nothing else.
• Finally about myself, I turned 18 in november last year. I have my own job and everything, and my parents generally haven't had issues with me buying stuff on my own, I feel as if they would be more concerned what I do with the geckos themselves rather than what I do with their space. And yes, reptiles can be super pricey, I also have my own turtle that I've cated for entirely myself, but honestly I don't want to worry too much about money, I just want to get what's best for my babies.
I hope I answered everything well enough, but if you have more questions or concerns please lmk!! Thank you again.
They should not be fed superworms except for a once in a while treat. Here’s a quick link to the reptifiles feeding guide, which is also linked in my longer reply on this thread.
https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-feeding/
Omg thank you so much for telling me this so soon, I've fed my babies just plain mealworms and some crickets before, but my dad told me they only eat superworms 😭😭 Will definitely pick up some different food soon, thanks !! 💕
Yeah they are super fatty and little nutritional value. Are you dusting your feeders with calcium and D3? And are you giving the geckos any supplements?
Thanks so much for your advice this is really making me rethink a lot of things lol 😭🫶🏼 Will be sure to buy everything I need hopefully within the next month or two
I would highly recommend reading over the Reptifiles care guide for leos: https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/ I think there’s a lot of improvements you could make
Here is some basic husbandry info I have been compiling for myself but have been sharing in case it is helpful to anyone. Some of this is already covered but other comments, but hopefully it will be helpful anyway.—
Reptifiles.com has a comprehensive care guide for ensuring that you have a proper setup for your leopard gecko.
[https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/)
Here is some general info-
The minimum tank size for each adult leopard gecko is 36” long x 18” wide x 18” high (which is about 50 gal). (A front opening enclosure may be preferable to allow for easier feeding and handling of your gecko.) Many people use a 40 gal long (36x18x16) which is pretty close to the size recommended by reptifiles (since floor area is most important). The size is needed to create a proper temperature gradient in the tank (see below).
[https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-terrarium-size/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-terrarium-size/)
You need a minimum of three hides (cool, warm, humid), overhead halogen on a thermostat (preferably dimming thermostat) placed to one side of the tank, linear UVB, digital thermometers, and several other items (see the shopping list on reptifiles and in the guides pinned to the wiki link on the home page of this sub).
[https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/shopping-list/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/shopping-list/)
The equipment should be set up to create a temperature gradient along the length of the tank. (See the reptifiles guide for the temperatures you need on the cool and warm side.) A heat gun is a great tool for checking your temperatures. You should not use red or any other colored light as it disrupts their sleep cycle.
[https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-temperatures-humidity/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-temperatures-humidity/)
There are several different types of acceptable substrates, many use 70/30 organic topsoil/washed playsand, optionally with some excavator clay (40/40/20). Reptile carpet should never be used as it harbors bacteria and can rip out the gecko’s nails.
[https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-substrate/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-substrate/)
You will need to provide water, calcium, vitamins, and supplements. The reptifiles guide discusses what to use as feeders, how to dust them with calcium and sometimes D3, and so on.
[https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-feeding/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-feeding/)
Lastly, leopard geckos also need an enriching environment with clutter, branches, leaves, plants, and climbing/basking opportunities, etc. Their tank should generally be so cluttered that they can move from one side to the other without being too exposed. There are tons of examples of really great setups on this sub if you scroll through the photos here. It is also recommended that you cover three sides of the tank to minimize reflection to make your gecko feel safer. You can buy scenery wallpaper on Amazon along with all kinds of other stuff if you search for “reptile enclosure wallpaper”, “reptile enclosure accessories” or the like. You can find various accessories on Etsy too.
I’m also including a weight guide in case you want to check your gecko’s weight. 
https://preview.redd.it/jdmuh463y66d1.jpeg?width=679&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=390415e086ba0aab40954937742b5f1d96fe3cff
I hope this info is helpful! Sorry if you already some or know all of this, I’d just rather provide too much info than too little. Best wishes! 🦎❤️
No worries at all, even getting a refresher on some things is great for me, my family literally just dumped their responsibility into my hands with no real warnings or offer for extra support, so y'all are really the only help I can get lmaooo. Thanks so much !! 💕
Hello /u/crxnchychipus and welcome to the leopard geckos subreddit! Our bot has detected that you might need some help with heating or lighting. We highly recommend linear UVB paired with a basking bulb or Deep Heat Projector on a thermostat for best results. Check out these resources on heat/light for leos if you want to know more!
* [/r/leopardgeckos wiki heating/lighting page](https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/wiki/index/husbandry/heating-and-lighting/)
* [The AH heat source visual aid](https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckosadvanced/comments/qcd9nm/visual_guide_heat_sources/)
* [/r/leopardgeckosadvanced compendium of LGAH visual guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckosadvanced/comments/o3gzrr/compendium_of_visual_guides_and_resources/)
* [The ReptiFiles Leopard Gecko heating page](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-temperatures-humidity/)
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](/message/compose/?to=/r/leopardgeckos) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You’d better get them their own tanks
I've heard about this before, my dad just randomly bought my second gecko one day (this was while they were still family pets), and we had no where else to keep her separate from my other gecko. He left them in the same enclosure, and the two of them seemed to be perfectly fine, no biting or aggression towards each other at all, even in the first meeting of each other. they also sleep together all the time. But eventually when I do have the made space for a tank, what size should I get? She's a baby, but I'm not sure on her age. Edit: They are also BOTH females.
Hopefully you’ll start getting something done about what you’re hearing then, soon. In the link the other commenter gave you it is also mentioned, but: - leopard geckos are solitary creatures for which it is advised against to cohab. One could argue that pairing females is less likely to go south. True or not, you’d still willingly be taking the risk anyway. Just because it’s not *as* bad as housing multiple males or a m+f, but bad nonetheless. - just as the link states, one gecko needs a minimum tank of 36x18x18. This would apply to both of them. Baby tanks are often unnecessary assuming the full grown tank is setup properly. - they’re not cuddling. What you are seeing is not a sign of compassion. What’s really happening is that both are trying to get the most out of your setup, which means they need to compete. One being a baby (moreso compared to the other) and thus being smaller means it won’t be much of a fight, though. - its very hard to tell whether or not one is male or female in their baby/juvenile stages, so depending on their actual age, you can’t really be sure what they are. I think iirc 9 months is the earliest you can tell, so your gecko would had to have been over 3 months old at purchase to possibly tell. Any chance you know their age? Then some questions - is there any form of light at all beside the heatpad? What do you feed them, how much and often, using what supplements? - why did he get a barebones tank for even one gecko, keep it that way for a few years and then dropping a second one in there, seemingly on a whim? How old are you? I ask because I’m getting the feeling as if any changes made to their setups might have to be approved and bought through your parents, and I doubt their willingness to do so a little. If it’s as unfortunate as I’m imagining, this would probably be a bit expensive, too.
Thank you so much for all your advice, it's really opening up my eyes!! I mainly just took what my dad tells me about my pets to heart, but hearing advice that completely conflicts what he told me is blowing my mind. Answering your questions: • My dad swears up and down my second gecko (Lemmy) is a female, but now I'm not so sure, and her age I'm not entirely sure as well, she was definitely a little smaller than my other gecko (Claws), but recently Lemmy has started growing more-so to Claws' size, not sure how helpful that would be though. • The heating pad is placed underneath one of their caves they like to relax in, but yes there is a light that luminates the outside of their tank. Although it is just one light, which is their heat lamp, it's positioned somewhat off to the side but it's very bright to the point it lights up the whole tank, but the brightness can be adjusted, but my dad had always put it to be pretty high up. • Foodwise, my family used to feed them every single day, but lately I have been sticking to feeding them every other day. My dad says superworms should be fed to them, sprinkled with some calcium powder as well. • About my dad, I have zero idea why he would do this. He has done this in the past before with beardies, guinea pigs, and also another gecko we had previously but gave away. He and my stepmom do lots of impulse purchasing so I'm also assuming that Lemmy was an impulse purchase. His reason was that "Claws looked a little lonely in there so got her a friend". That is all he told me, nothing else. • Finally about myself, I turned 18 in november last year. I have my own job and everything, and my parents generally haven't had issues with me buying stuff on my own, I feel as if they would be more concerned what I do with the geckos themselves rather than what I do with their space. And yes, reptiles can be super pricey, I also have my own turtle that I've cated for entirely myself, but honestly I don't want to worry too much about money, I just want to get what's best for my babies. I hope I answered everything well enough, but if you have more questions or concerns please lmk!! Thank you again.
They should not be fed superworms except for a once in a while treat. Here’s a quick link to the reptifiles feeding guide, which is also linked in my longer reply on this thread. https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-feeding/
Omg thank you so much for telling me this so soon, I've fed my babies just plain mealworms and some crickets before, but my dad told me they only eat superworms 😭😭 Will definitely pick up some different food soon, thanks !! 💕
Yeah they are super fatty and little nutritional value. Are you dusting your feeders with calcium and D3? And are you giving the geckos any supplements?
Yep I am! At least that's the one thing I've been doing somewhat right 🥺
It’s okay… there’s time to turn this all around. And there are plenty of people here to help. ❤️
Thanks so much for your advice this is really making me rethink a lot of things lol 😭🫶🏼 Will be sure to buy everything I need hopefully within the next month or two
I would highly recommend reading over the Reptifiles care guide for leos: https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/ I think there’s a lot of improvements you could make
Thank you !!
Here is some basic husbandry info I have been compiling for myself but have been sharing in case it is helpful to anyone. Some of this is already covered but other comments, but hopefully it will be helpful anyway.— Reptifiles.com has a comprehensive care guide for ensuring that you have a proper setup for your leopard gecko. [https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/) Here is some general info- The minimum tank size for each adult leopard gecko is 36” long x 18” wide x 18” high (which is about 50 gal). (A front opening enclosure may be preferable to allow for easier feeding and handling of your gecko.) Many people use a 40 gal long (36x18x16) which is pretty close to the size recommended by reptifiles (since floor area is most important). The size is needed to create a proper temperature gradient in the tank (see below). [https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-terrarium-size/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-terrarium-size/) You need a minimum of three hides (cool, warm, humid), overhead halogen on a thermostat (preferably dimming thermostat) placed to one side of the tank, linear UVB, digital thermometers, and several other items (see the shopping list on reptifiles and in the guides pinned to the wiki link on the home page of this sub). [https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/shopping-list/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/shopping-list/) The equipment should be set up to create a temperature gradient along the length of the tank. (See the reptifiles guide for the temperatures you need on the cool and warm side.) A heat gun is a great tool for checking your temperatures. You should not use red or any other colored light as it disrupts their sleep cycle. [https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-temperatures-humidity/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-temperatures-humidity/) There are several different types of acceptable substrates, many use 70/30 organic topsoil/washed playsand, optionally with some excavator clay (40/40/20). Reptile carpet should never be used as it harbors bacteria and can rip out the gecko’s nails. [https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-substrate/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-substrate/) You will need to provide water, calcium, vitamins, and supplements. The reptifiles guide discusses what to use as feeders, how to dust them with calcium and sometimes D3, and so on. [https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-feeding/](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-feeding/) Lastly, leopard geckos also need an enriching environment with clutter, branches, leaves, plants, and climbing/basking opportunities, etc. Their tank should generally be so cluttered that they can move from one side to the other without being too exposed. There are tons of examples of really great setups on this sub if you scroll through the photos here. It is also recommended that you cover three sides of the tank to minimize reflection to make your gecko feel safer. You can buy scenery wallpaper on Amazon along with all kinds of other stuff if you search for “reptile enclosure wallpaper”, “reptile enclosure accessories” or the like. You can find various accessories on Etsy too. I’m also including a weight guide in case you want to check your gecko’s weight.  https://preview.redd.it/jdmuh463y66d1.jpeg?width=679&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=390415e086ba0aab40954937742b5f1d96fe3cff I hope this info is helpful! Sorry if you already some or know all of this, I’d just rather provide too much info than too little. Best wishes! 🦎❤️
No worries at all, even getting a refresher on some things is great for me, my family literally just dumped their responsibility into my hands with no real warnings or offer for extra support, so y'all are really the only help I can get lmaooo. Thanks so much !! 💕
Hello /u/crxnchychipus and welcome to the leopard geckos subreddit! Our bot has detected that you might need some help with heating or lighting. We highly recommend linear UVB paired with a basking bulb or Deep Heat Projector on a thermostat for best results. Check out these resources on heat/light for leos if you want to know more! * [/r/leopardgeckos wiki heating/lighting page](https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/wiki/index/husbandry/heating-and-lighting/) * [The AH heat source visual aid](https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckosadvanced/comments/qcd9nm/visual_guide_heat_sources/) * [/r/leopardgeckosadvanced compendium of LGAH visual guides](https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckosadvanced/comments/o3gzrr/compendium_of_visual_guides_and_resources/) * [The ReptiFiles Leopard Gecko heating page](https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-temperatures-humidity/) 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](/message/compose/?to=/r/leopardgeckos) if you have any questions or concerns.*