🌿 I BUILT A BIOACTIVE VIVARIUM FOR MY LEOPARD GECKO | TERRAQUAMAN
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Ciao Ragazzi !
Leopard geckos are undeniably one of if not the most popular reptiles in this hobby.
But, believe it or not, I never planned to get one myself.
About a year ago, I was given the opportunity to rescue a little gecko called Arturo.
Today i’m building him a new home. this time, we’ll be going for a naturalistic woodland look, with a unique underground burrow system, proper lighting, and automated heating.
This was all made possible by ExoTerra who kindly provided me with the materials for this project, so a huge thanks to them!
Here is the link to Herp HQS:s video ¨Leopard Geckos Don't Live in Deserts?¨
• Leopard Geckos Don't L... 
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Catching the kitty to check their mouth was to relatable for me had a good laugh. Turned out amazing!
Your kitty helping with the back drop was hilarious
With that set up, he is probably the happiest leopard gecko in the world!
Also I don’t think I’d use the ceramic heat due to leopard geckos liking to bask, I would use a halogen bulb for heating and make sure the UVB strip is next to it, it helps mimic the sun
ceramic heat produces heat only
@@heyypeople I know?
Leopard geckos don’t need UVB they need underbelly heat.
@@NamorsReef they can burn themselves with underbelly heat, they like to bask under heat lamps
@@MistyRose-fe7ex If only you will put it in the tank itself and set it at a high temperature. Also they are mostly nocturnal, so UVB is not necessary
I think this is the best leopard gecko set up I've ever seen. He looks like he likes it alot
Thank you so much ! He is a bit overweight 😆
The cat participation was so cute😂😂 got you back for calling kitty useless loll
I like this. I did this sort of thing because it’s absolutely possible to do bioactive in a drier setup. Although leopard geckos are not necessarily a true "desert" species, if you look at pictures or descriptions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwestern India… at least not desert in the sense of a bearded dragon, a Gila monster, etc. The areas of South Asia where leopard geckos live are definitely dry and warm, especially in the summer days (and most days), but also temperate and forested in some regions, and cold in winter and at night. Rocky hillsides with bushes, canyons, ravines, glens, etc.
On a similar note, I had a pair of African fat-tailed geckos for over ten years, until I had to move because of a fire. I kept reading about them not needing UVB and everything, so I figured the ideal exposure for them was to keep the tank in a northern facing window, with no UVB, but the window filled the tank with natural sunlight on a natural rhythm. Animals and plants are very sensitive to circadian rhythms and solar patterns. At night, I had the blacklight for them, which they frequently laid under. But during the day, they slept on the heating pad, and the natural light was there if they needed it.
After we had a fire, I had to move. But surprisingly I was able to "gift" them to the San Diego Zoo, where I live. I don’t know if they’re actually on exhibit, though I’ve seen the species there before, but a lady from the zoo came to my house and took them from me. So that was the best case scenario.
they are a true desert species... just that people tend to think of deserts as these huge sand dunes which are not what deserts actually are... there's very few actual sand deserts... Desert, Arid, Temperate etc refer to climates not the ground
I don't care what anyone says, leopard geckos are cool af. Nice build
Wow she looks so happy in her humid hide, it's so beautiful how you can provide such amazing habitats for all of your animals.
Your pets have to be some of the happiest animals alive, all their terrariums are awesome
Thank you so much 😊
Thank you for doing these setups correctly to many channels are far to low effort. Your content is highly underrated and you need far more viewers.
I did enjoy watching this build , I do have suggestions I've found that ferns dry out fast and pathos grows huge, you could use parlor palms small coffee tree's and Buddhists pine and experiment with lighting and placement, I've found that of the three suggestions the palm grows the tallest and fastest I'd also look into "string of turtles" as an option as well. hope that helps, keep it up man.
I like that tunnel design it looks pretty awesome
Thank you so much 😊
Awesome vivarium set-up!!
Wanted to say that I really love your channel. You make beautiful and natural looking habitats. By the way the balloon technique to make the caves was genius.
As a leopard gecko owner I wanted to provide some advices I guess. First of all the gecko you have seems to be pretty overweight, I would cut back on the worms and just keep him on crickets for like a few months (crickets have less fat than worms). Another thing is that leopard geckos sleep during the day and come out at night when the lights are off, so your heating lamp doesn’t make much sense as it won’t really bask. In nature they come out once the sun is down and lie down on warm rocks which is why heat mats are usually the way to go with the Leo geckos. You can just put one under the terrarium on one side so that it can have a warm hide. To add to the lights topic, leopard geckos with lighter eyes such as yours are very sensitive to light and can really just see better in the darkness, I remember I tried feeding mine with the lights on and it just wouldn’t even see the cricket, in your case the gecko is obviously experienced and can see the insects but still, make sure to turn off the light at the evening and so it’s dark until morning. I also sincerely hope he picks a poop spot that’s not in the cave system lol.
Anyhow I hope this helps, once again love your channel and your vids (your editing is really good) and give your beautiful cat a treat from me )))
If anything this just means there's a design flaw. Overhead heating is more natural and with a lot of benefitting options! Many leopard geckos in captivity have been seen basking. Putting a slate rock where the sensor for the thermostat would encourage those natural behaviors and would still be good and beneficial for the gecko especially if he made the switch to a halogen bulb. Putting a heat mat on the side of the tank has been advised against for years so I wouldn't recommend that.
While you definitely know more about leopards than me id like to say i disagree on the under the tank heating. just because in the wild they have the temps they need from the sun while its not heating them directly if they dont bask(which some will the one i rescued for a little bit did) it will more naturally provide them with the heat they need as in the wild animals go underground for refuge from the heat which Mats and tape will make it hotter to go underground
You do have a point. I was referring more to the general rule of Leopard Gecko enclosures where you should have a cold hide, warm hide and a humid hide. The warm hide is necessary because leopard geckos need to heat their bellies a bit to launch the process of digestion (mine after eating goes and lies down in the warm hide for a few hours). The humid hide for when shedding, mine would shed there (it’s like they know what each one is for). And a regular cooler hide where they just sleep. I was referring to having a little heat mat covering like 10 cm on the far right of the cave system. That way the far left can be cooler and the right can be warmer. That way the leopard gecko can choose where exactly it prefers to be. As for the stuff they get from the sun, as far as I know they need to get vitamin D3. They usually get it from the sun but most owners just buy calcium with d3 with which they dust the insects they give to leopard gecko.
Horrible advice honestly... Under tank heating is NOT recommended above overheat heat. The sun heats the earth... from outside/above. The earth doesn't emit heat on it's own, like a heat mat would simulate. Leopard geckos are crepuscular, not nocturnal. They are out when the sun is still up, or just rising. My leopard gecko is particularly active during day, because she's social and wants attention.
Advising against overhead light is just plain incorrect and a horrible take. Animals need a night and day cycle. As far as their eyes-- that is also totally incorrect. Eye color does not have any impact on light reception, unless it is a mutant gene such as albinism. If the light hurt, they wouldn't be out in it. They're fine.
I’m so glad you did this I absolutely hated the old design😭🙏
what a crappy backhanded compliment
@@NamelessNancy1312😂
Haha yeah me too actually 😆
Hipster jar...thank you for that 🤣
Your living room is such a dream. I would be so happy if mine looked like that. As well as my tanks.
love everything about this build :)
我が家のレオパにそっくり！お家を作ってもらって幸せですね！
I love this build but coil UVB is horrible for any reptile, I recommend using a long UVB strip such as shadeweller 7% by Arcadia (Arcadia has better lights)
(Also the one I recommended is for leopard geckos)
YES coil UVB is horrible, shadedweller is where it’s at!!
The coil has plenty of output for a leopard gecko. Coils are usually bad because of their very limited output. But for animals that don't need much uvb or who typically don't even use the bulbs, the coils are fine.
@@sithcdw Like I’ve said so many times on my comments under this video, please do research before buying an animal, it’s just common sense at this point
This is actually a bad urban myth. Animal1guy tested this on his channel, the coil bulbs outperform the strip bulbs. I have found this myself using a uvb meter. The strip bulbs lose uvb beyond 4 inches. The coil bulbs are good to over 8. Yes, it is more of a directed light but with a decent fixture it can cover a 10 inch radius. I wish people would stop regurgitating things they hear from other people regurgitating complete BS and actually find it out for themselves.
love these types of videos
I use gutter pipe pieces for my tunnels. 3in wide or they have 2in ones. I get them at home Depot. Love your videos. I don't record the process of building mine. Just snap photos of the sequences. Xo from MD ❤❤❤
Wow man, the quality of the video is even better in this one, great job!!
Glad to hear that, thanks so much 😊
I love these build videos especially lizard, dragon and the gecko builds. Keep it up
This is an awesome enclosure. The leopard gecko will love it. My only question is, what if you needed to get access inside of the cave. The only way is to break it open. I don’t see why you would have to more a what if moment.
It turned out beatiful! I love your tanks and itˋs amazing how naturalistic an big most of them are. But if I may give you a few tips, the bearded dragon enclosure should offer more opportunities for climbing and in my opinion the homes for „bigger“ reptiles as the bearded dragon and the Basilisk could never be tall enough. The terrariums for your other animals are perfect though. Another thought - maybe you should give your leopard gecko less fat worms, he needs a diet ;) Really appreciate your videos 🤗
Watching ur videos are so fun, especially building these terrariums!!!!
Full on in research mode for my very first gecko here at our place and the balloon idea is genius! What a great result for the whole vivarium. Thanks a lot for the inspiration. can't wait to see what other videos the channel has to offer!
i love your builds, keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!😀
Beautiful! I always learn new methods of building vivariums from you. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!
My pleasure, glad to inspire you 😀
I miss my leopard gecko, he passed away while I was moving. He loved when I cleaned up his enclosure, so I always laid it in a new way. Always curious I named him Georgie. RIP ❤
He loves the tunnel... great job!❤
I watched this video on my TV and let me tell you it a great experience. ❤❤
Glad you enjoyed it!❤️
Awesome video!! Fantastic enclosure 🤩. Your gecko looks very happy with his new home. I recently had to say good bye to my Leo (Willy) he was 22.5 yrs old! He lived a good long life but he is missed. Keep up the great work.
these deserve so much more recognition. beautiful work man. cheers.
Thank you so much 😀
Great job! I like the clip that you included about their natural habitat. But I cried a little bit when you used the sub stratum as a drainage layer! (Good thing you got them for free)
Also, what a chonky gecko! 😅
I hope my house looks like yours someday! So many cool critters & habitats! Awesomeness!! 👍👍💗
Awesome I love exoterra sponsors you!
It’s the cat and the sandals that keep me coming back.
yeeey new video
I think the camera focus, is auto focus when you come in to view. If its like mine, touch focus in the frame and leave it on manual focus to that focus point and it should hold that point rather than going from shallow to far focused when you move in and out of frame. Without knowing what you have that is
Lovely enclosure, that terra sahara substrate always looks pretty fun to work with! Your new gecko is a very lucky lil' friend!❤
My late leopard gecko Diego would like to argue with the 'up to 20 year lifespan' thing though as she made it to 23 years!❤
Nice work dude the tank looks very naturalistic and I’m sure your gecko will enjoy it very much!
Oh yeah and also I would recommend putting some black card on the left side just so the gecko cannot see your beardie so they don’t get stressed 😊
Thank you so much 😊
Yo, you always have the best videos
nice cool
Miglior canale di tutti. Sei bravissimo e le tue creazioni sono stupende♥
Grazie mille ❤️
i want to be biologist and buy a lot of exotic animals and take care also make content. hope i can achieve my goal. i kinda admire you on this point.
You can do it i also want that kind of Dreams hope you achieve it
And you have a new follower
No dream is too big! 😁
I didn't know that people attributed both red sand/soil to Australia, and leopard geckos to arrid desert climates. Red soils and sands are found famously in other parts of the world; and leopard geckos are geckos, the soft skinned lizards with the freaky feat evolved to climb in their native environment of usually warm wet forrests.
Total belter ( Scottish word for awesome)😂 another work of living art , keep em coming bud 😁👌👌👌
Haha thank you so very much 😁🤘
Love this channel funny and good information 👍
Hey, I loved watching this build and I wanted to try something similar for my leopard gecko. I was wondering if you could link all of the products you used in the description?
Only thing I'd suggest is getting different grass it's going to dry out super quick over those lights. The desert look would still look good though
Your gecko looks a smidge overweight but the enclosure is great and I’m sure with so much enrichment he will be able to work off some of his chub
Do you have one of those solar meter things? I would want to measure how much UVB that coil light supplies because I've always heard that they are completely inadequate. BTW, great video, as usual
thanks for the great balloon idea, what clay was that
Nu har du gjort det igen - ett underbart bo. Nästan så att jag vill flytta in tillsammans med leopardgeckon i den där tunneln ... 😁
Haha tack så jättemycket 😀
100% how im gonna do my enclouser for my leopard gecko
My anxiety would not allow having hides that couldn't be accessed. Especially for leopard geckos cuz you know that one of those caves is going to become his bathroom. In my experience it's usually the humid one 😂
The idea and outcome are amazing, but what if one of the balloon pops then the cave system might break
The balloons were already popped and removed, they were there to create a shape while the clay hardens
@@Typhio yeah I know I just commented this before I finished the vid
Make a massive bioactive ecosystem for a blue tongue skink
That is one overweight gecko. Dang! But you made an absolutely beautiful environment for him. With all that extra room maybe he'll burn off some fat.
old guy is loving his retirement home i see, great job man!
Yeah he really is! Thanks ! 😊
hi, how do you clean that? I would like to make a terrarium like that, pleace tell us
Hi, this was a very betyflr vivarium!, but I have a question, what's the feeding routin of the geko to keep it so big and healthey? THANK YOU A LOT😄👌
Hi, thanks!
I feed him twice a week with different insects every time. I’m staying away from fatty worms now because he is a little bit too big haha 😀
@@terraquaman Thanks a lot for responding my question😁
How do you clean the poop inside or the cave ? 😅
What happens if you need to get him out but he's in the hide? 🤔
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Can someone explain to me why the pothos plant started to die and he removed it?
where did you get him from
WHY DID HE KEEP POURING WATER IN THE BOWL AFTER IT WAS OVERFLOWING 😭 23:52
My good sir, that very expensive substratum is for the plants. Its supposed to be used as a soil additive or even a complete soil replacment. Using it as the drainage layer is a huge waste 😢
Also, the use of the clay for the humid hide, may result in a weak design. The clay is ment to dry and harden compleatly. Continues spraying to water the plants and moisten said hide will eventually wash the clay out and result in a colaps.
Dont get me wrong, this all looks amazing. But even the use of coiled uvb and the che. Lots of things that will need to eventually be changed to dial in for more consistent husbandry.
I would of went with a linear uvb bulb and a dhp.
For french peaple one two trois
no hate but coil uvb lights tend to be awful. You should get a uv radar to see if its working.
Зачем UVB сумеречно-ночной ящерице?
Hi ❤❤
Hello 😊
WIth Leopard Geckos (and all animals especially Lizards) it's not always the best idea to imitate the natural habitat conditions... those geckos are 3-7 (or more) generations removed from the wild... a little humidity won't make them spontaneously combust... and also just because they CAN survive in different climates doesn't mean they will thrive there.... it's the same principle as a Betta fish in a glass... they will survive but not particularly great
Wait you swedish What does this mean hej mitt namn är Frank hehe
person below me is a bear
Dont use UVB for leopards, dear god this is not bearded dragon.
Are they never exposed to the sun in the wild? They may not require it but I doubt it’s all that harmful.
every reptile need UVB but with different UV index
They need UVB, they can get MBD, the uvb he’s using is the wrong type for leopard geckos though
Dude uvb is best trust me I have been keeping leos for almost a decade now and they have grown up with very healthy with added uvb
@@MistyRose-fe7ex what's wrong w the type he's using and what kind do they need?
@persebolo