[aaronthebaron]

hey, right now im just pondering the idea of getting a gecko or two. Having never had a vivarium pet before i have no idea where to start really. I've been researching the web a bit and everything i read seems to be slightly different from the last and its all confusing i thought it'd be best posting on a forum where the experienced and know how people can give advice

Few things im really unsure of are the substrate, how to heat the vivarium for geckos with some saying just mats and others saying mats and lamps,the hiding places and any decent beginning vivariums.

thanks :-D

[Olivine]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I know precisely what you mean: there's so much conflicting information available it can be very confusing! I think that it often boils down to the fact that keepers use different husbandry techniques and websites often simply reflect the techniques used by the author though. Unfortunately, though some sites do offer some pretty dodgy advice (to put it mildly).

If you want reliable advice, try checking out the care sheets on SleepyD's website: they contain excellent care advice, plus a list of the equipment that you'll need.

With regard to heating the viv, I just use a heat mat (controlled by a thermostat): that's normally sufficient to achieve the temperatures that you need for a leopard gecko (I assume that it's a leo that you're considering getting: apologies if not). Personally, I prefer not to use loose substrates, such as sand: although the risk of impaction is small, it is still a possibility that I'd rather avoid. I use slate in all of my leo vivs, though I know people who use lino, ceramic tiles and kitchen towel effectively.

If you have any questions or need any advice then, obviously, feel free to ask