Leopard Gecko Supplies: Complete Setup Checklist

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Leopard gecko supplies start with an enclosure, a heat source on a thermostat, two thermometers, three hides and a water dish. Food, supplements and cleaning gear complete the list, and UVB is a recommended extra. Kit comparisons live on the starter kit page.

What do you need for a leopard gecko? The master checklist

The table lists every item in the leopard gecko supplies list, the spec that matters, and whether it is essential. Reasons and sources follow in the sections after it.

Enclosure

The Royal Veterinary College lists 36 x 18 x 18 inches as the minimum for one adult. It advises going as large as possible. The RSPCA gives 60 cm long, 40 cm high and 30 cm deep, and the University of Liverpool gives 60 x 30 x 30 cm.

The sources differ, so treat the larger figure as the safer target. Vet Times notes that fish tank style enclosures are unsuitable because they lack ventilation. It calls wooden vivaria with glass doors the most common choice.

Merck states that cutting ventilation to hold heat or humidity is ill advised in reptiles generally. A front opening glass terrarium with a screened lid meets these points. It also lets you reach the gecko from the side instead of from above.

Keep one gecko per enclosure, since the University of Liverpool advises housing them alone. The lid or doors must lock. Layout steps belong to the tank setup guide, so this checklist stops at the purchase.

Heat source and thermostat

Every heat source needs a thermostat and a guard. The RVC and RSPCA both require a thermostat with each heater. Merck adds that heaters should be screened from the animal and placed at one end to create a gradient.

Merck links burns to unscreened incandescent lights. It also says hot rocks frequently cause burns, and the University of Liverpool says to avoid them.

Target temperatures differ by source. The RSPCA gives a warm zone of 28 to 30 C (82 to 86 F) and a cool end of 24 to 26 C. The RVC gives about 32 C (90 F) warm and about 25 C cool.

Vet Times gives 26 to 30 C over a heat mat, with the cool end at 20 to 21 C. The RVC and Vet Times agree that night temperatures should not fall below about 20 C (68 F).

Choose a mat or an overhead lamp. An under tank heat mat should cover one third to one half of the floor. Vet Times puts the thermostat probe on the floor over the mat.

The RSPCA offers a guarded ceramic or basking lamp of 60 to 100 W as the overhead option. It also adds a mat on a thermostat when the room drops below 18 C. Merck notes that light bulbs cannot provide heat at night.

The heating and lighting guide explains each option in depth. Whatever you buy, verify the result. The RSPCA warns that thermostats are not always accurate, so check temperatures daily with a separate thermometer.

Thermometers and a hygrometer

Buy two digital thermometers, one for each end, or one dual probe unit. The RVC recommends a digital thermometer that records maximum and minimum values. That shows what happened overnight.

The RSPCA suggests digital or infrared thermometers for daily checks. A dual probe digital thermometer covers both ends of the gradient. Stick on dial models are a weaker substitute.

Add a hygrometer for humidity. Merck lists 20 to 30% for leopard geckos, rising during shedding. The RVC and RSPCA give 30 to 40%.

Hides, including the humid hide

Provide three hides. The RVC recommends hides at the warm and cool ends plus one containing damp moss or damp kitchen towel. The RSPCA advises a humid hide with a waterproof base, sprayed with clean water every few days.

The species hides by day, which is why the RVC and RSPCA both treat hides as essential rather than decor. Pick hides with a snug interior and an opening wide enough for an adult to enter and turn around.

Ceramic, resin, cork bark and plastic all work, as long as you can clean them. Merck lists cardboard boxes and cork bark as retreats for reptiles generally. Cardboard needs frequent replacement.

Check the humid hide every day. Merck says moist, contaminated bedding supports bacterial and fungal growth in reptiles. Replace soiled moss promptly.

See the best hides page for styles and sizes.

Substrate

Paper towels, newspaper, tile, slate and reptile carpet are the lowest risk floors. The RVC warns against sand based substrates because of ingestion and blockage risk. It recommends paper while a gecko is young.

The University of Liverpool lists paper towels and artificial lawn carpet as safe options. Vet Times warns that looped fiber carpet can trap toes.

Opinion on sand is split. The RSPCA accepts a mix of about 50% organic soil and 50% clean children’s play sand. It warns against builder’s sand, calcium sand and beech chips because they can cause impaction.

Vet Times adds that calcium sands are marketed as digestible, yet impactions still occur. Merck advises against gravel and pebbles for terrestrial reptiles. It says soil, sand and leaf litter should be oven baked before use.

Choose a floor you can lift out in one piece. The substrate guide has the full comparison.

Water dish, feeding dish and tongs

A shallow dish of fresh water belongs at the cool end at all times. The RSPCA says to clean and replace it at least daily. Vet Times notes that geckos rarely use it and get most of their fluid from food.

The RVC suggests a container deep enough to submerge in. Merck suggests a bowl large enough to bathe in for reptiles generally. A shallow, stable bowl sits between those views, since a gecko can step in and out.

A feeding dish and long tongs are common keeper practice, not a sourced requirement. A smooth sided dish keeps mealworms from escaping. Tongs let you present feeders without bites on your fingers.

Keep both separate from your cleaning tools. The diet guide covers what and when to feed.

Supplements and feeders

The University of Liverpool advises gut loading all prey and dusting it with calcium before feeding. It recommends calcium with every meal and a multivitamin once a week. Merck says to dust feeders with a high calcium supplement immediately before feeding.

The shopping list is therefore a plain calcium powder, a calcium powder with vitamin D3, and a multivitamin. Label values are not always reliable. One study measured 15,500 IU/kg of vitamin D3 in a supplement labeled at 4,400 (Oonincx et al., 2020).

The University of Liverpool names crickets, locusts, cockroaches, mealworms and morio worms (Zophobas morio) as suitable prey. It allows wax worms only as an occasional treat. Buy sizes suited to the gecko, and gut load them with a nutritionally complete diet, as Merck advises.

Feeders are poor calcium sources on their own. Merck gives calcium to phosphorus ratios of 0.31 for crickets, 0.11 for mealworms, 0.13 for waxworms and 0.13 for locusts. These figures describe reptile feeders in general, not leopard geckos specifically.

UVB lighting (optional)

A low output UVB lamp is advised by vets, but a juvenile study found it was not strictly necessary. Hatchling leopard geckos received adequate dietary calcium and D3. UVB did not appear necessary for their development.

The geckos under UVB did show higher blood levels of 25(OH)D3 (61 versus 38 nmol/L). Bone density, immunity and reproduction were not tested.

The vet sources recommend a low output lamp anyway. The RVC suggests about 6% for 12 hours a day. The RSPCA suggests a 2 to 5% tube over a third to half of the enclosure at the warm end.

The University of Liverpool suggests a 2% bulb, replaced every 12 to 18 months. Merck says glass and most plastic block UVB. It adds that fluorescent tubes should sit within 30 cm (12 in) of the animal in reptiles generally.

Leopard gecko decor and climbing

Decor is a bonus, not a need. Leopard geckos are ground dwellers that use low rocks and branches rather than tall climbs, and Merck notes that reptiles need furnishings they can retreat behind.

A flat slate, a low ramp and a sturdy cork branch are therefore useful. Use stable pieces that cannot tip, and keep them clear of heaters.

Fake plants and a simple background add cover without adding risk. Wash anything you collect outdoors, then bake or disinfect it. Skip bark chips, corn cob and small gravel, which Vet Times and Merck flag as ingestion risks.

Cleaning supplies and a scale

Geckos use one corner as a toilet, per Vet Times, so spot cleaning is easy. The RVC and RSPCA advise removing waste as soon as it appears. Both call for a full clean once a month with a reptile safe disinfectant.

Rinse and dry everything thoroughly, as the RSPCA says. Merck says soap and water are usually sufficient. It accepts bleach if rinsed thoroughly and warns against phenolic disinfectants.

The CDC advises washing hands with soap and running water after handling the gecko, its food, waste or equipment. It says to clean tanks outside the home if possible, never in food preparation areas. It also says to pour tank water down a toilet, not a sink.

Keep dedicated cleaning tools and paper towels away from kitchen items.

A digital scale is a recommended extra. Merck states that every reptile must be weighed accurately and that serial weights show growth, the quality of captive management and whether a disease is progressing or resolving. A kitchen scale reading to 1 gram does the job.

Merck sets no weighing interval, so a monthly weigh in is common keeper practice. Record the date and grams each time so a vet can read the trend.

The reptile supplies page lists other general gear.

What to skip

Several popular leopard gecko supplies add cost or risk without a documented benefit. Hot rocks top the list. Merck reports frequent burns, and the University of Liverpool advises avoiding them.

Gravel and bark chips raise ingestion risks. Fish tank style tanks lack ventilation, according to Vet Times. Check any boxed kit against this list before you buy.

For the species overview, start at the leopard gecko page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget for leopard gecko supplies?

Prices vary too much for a reliable figure here, so price each line of the checklist yourself. The enclosure, thermostat and UVB fixture usually cost the most. Paper towel flooring and simple hides save money without hurting welfare.

Do leopard geckos need a heat lamp?

Not necessarily. The University of Liverpool lists a heat mat as the main heat source, with a basking bulb only if needed. The RSPCA allows a mat or a guarded 60 to 100 W lamp, and either goes on a thermostat.

Can I use a hot rock?

No. The University of Liverpool says to avoid heat rocks, and Merck reports that they frequently cause burns in reptiles. A guarded mat or lamp on a thermostat is safer.

Does a leopard gecko need a friend?

No. The University of Liverpool advises keeping them alone because they are not very social. Vet Times gives a larger floor for a pair or trio, but one animal avoids competition for hides and heat.

How often should I replace the UVB bulb?

The University of Liverpool says every 12 to 18 months for its 2% bulb. Merck says every 9 to 12 months for fluorescent tubes in reptiles generally. Use the shorter interval if the maker gives one.

Which of the leopard gecko supplies do beginners forget?

The humid hide. Both the RVC and RSPCA recommend one with damp moss. Merck notes that low humidity is a possible cause of dysecdysis, which is stuck shed, in reptiles generally.