Leopard Gecko Care Essentials

Amanda

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale podcast. If you've listened to us before—like our ball python basics episode last time—you know we love a good care talk. Today we're dialed in on a crowd favorite, the leopard gecko, and honestly, even after all these years running the show, I never get tired of seeing those giant eyes and that little grin. Rick, remember last month's show? Wildfire Geckos had that beautiful display and people were asking nonstop about setup tips.

Rick

Oh, absolutely, Amanda. Their advice is kind of no-nonsense, right? “Give these guys what they need and they thrive.” So straight from their care guide—the basics: If you’re starting from scratch, skip the little tanks. A 40-gallon vivarium is where it’s at. That’s the “ZooMed Reptihabitat” if you want to be brand loyal, but really anything around 36 by 18 by 18 inches works.

Amanda

And I always tell folks at the show, don’t skimp on the hides! Seriously. One dry hide? Fine, but two or more is better. And you definitely want a moist hide on the hot side for shedding and hydration. It can’t just be a pretty box with a heat lamp. Leopard geckos are kinda sneaky—once, years ago, I had one wedge itself under a chunk of cork bark for days, absolutely stumping me. I thought I’d lost him! He finally popped out when I put in fresh mealworms. That’s why I love having cork, both artificial and live plants, and just... stuff to explore, you know?

Rick

That’s such a gecko move. They’re pretty notorious for outsmarting us on hiding spots. It’s like leopard gecko hide-and-seek is a real thing. And speaking of plants—snake plants and pothos are winners for a safe, lush look. Spider plants, jade, succulents—pretty much anything non-toxic without spines. No cactus, obviously. And for substrate, Wildfire Geckos recommends a mix: Reptisoil with play sand, about 70-30, maybe toss in some Zoo Med Excavator Clay if you’re ambitious. You wanna avoid loose substrates for young geckos; paper towels or tiles are better for them until they’re bigger.

Amanda

Oh, and you know, if your house gets chilly—below 65 at night—you’ll want a ceramic heat emitter. Otherwise, halogen basking lamp in the day does the trick, and always keep a hot side around 85 to 90, cool side 75 to 80. I know we covered heating pretty extensively for ball pythons, but leopard geckos are thigmothermic. They need belly heat from the ground or they just... won’t digest right. Stone or slate under the basking lamp works wonders.

Rick

Don’t forget a water dish, a spot for food and supplements, and just have a few enrichment items—branches, tunnels, fake or live foliage. It keeps them active and reduces stress. Plus, watching a gecko climb over a chunk of driftwood is weirdly entertaining. Okay, Amanda, want to get into the food side of things?

Amanda

Yup! Feeding’s where things get interesting. Leopard geckos aren’t picky, but they do best with a mix. So, staples are dubia roaches and mealworms—like, that’s the bulk of it for both adults and juveniles. Wildfire Geckos actually breaks it down: think 60% dubia, 25 or 30% mealworms, and then about 10% “treat” feeders like wax worms, butter worms, or hornworms. Those are for special occasions, not every meal, right?

Rick

Yeah, and honestly, those treat worms—hornworms especially—are just little green tubes of water. Good calcium, but you don’t want to overdo it. Wax worms and butter worms... I’ve seen geckos get way too into them and refuse anything else. It’s like giving a kid permanent dessert. I do love a black soldier fly larva for extra variety, though—maybe five percent of the diet if you really wanna split hairs. But Amanda, can we talk about why Wildfire, and honestly most of our vendors, skip crickets entirely?

Amanda

You bet. Folks always ask, “Why not just feed crickets?” It’s tempting because they’re everywhere, but Wildfire Geckos is super clear: Crickets can bite your gecko, they’re noisy, they’re a little smelly, and they can even carry parasites. Plus, if you’ve ever had crickets escape in your house... unforgettable, in the worst way. Rick, didn’t you have a cricket incident at the show once?

Rick

I sure did. Didn’t even take ten minutes for them to scatter under tables. Had vendors side-eyeing me all morning. It’s funny now, not then. Point is, dubia roaches and mealworms are just quieter, cleaner, and frankly, less drama for everyone—including your gecko. Now, supplements. Definitely don’t skip this step. The go-to is a 1:1 mix of Vionate and Osteo Form for tongue-licking calcium, or ZooMed Repti Calcium with D3. Just pop it in a jar lid or cup and let them self-serve. For feeder dusting, Repashy Calcium Plus is the favorite, maybe with a dash of bee pollen, but not so much you clog up your bugs and kill ‘em.

Amanda

And we gotta mention gutloading. Whatever bugs you use, they need to eat well before your gecko eats them. Wildfire Geckos uses chopped veggies, Repashy Gutload, some squash, carrots, even bananas in moderation. You want your feeders to be full of nutrients, not just empty shells. And hey, metabolic bone disease is real—skip your supplements, and sooner or later, you’ll run into trouble there.

Amanda

Let’s do it! First myth to bust: Leopard gecko tanks don’t have to be a pain to clean. In fact, they usually pick one spot as their bathroom. So—spot clean every three days, just scoop out the dirty substrate and replace. Once a month, refresh about a softball-sized section. Every six months, do a bigger soil swap, about half, but don’t do a full reset unless absolutely necessary—it helps avoid stressing your gecko out.

Rick

For deep cleans—please, please, please, take your gecko out first. Turn off the heat lamp and let everything cool, remove all the stuff—substrate, decor, dishes. Scrub with hot, soapy water, then disinfect. Chlorhexidine is ideal, mix per the label. If you gotta use bleach, make it ten percent max and rinse real well after. Let everything air dry to avoid mold and—pro tip—if you have a steam cleaner, that’s the gold standard after everything else is done.

Amanda

And, quick word on water—keep it simple. Use a shallow water dish, swap the water every time you feed, and mist the enclosure every two or three days. The moist hide on the hot side does a lot for hydration too, especially in dry homes. Leopard geckos will lick water droplets off surfaces or from inside the moist hide, so don’t worry if you never spot them drinking directly.

Rick

This last bit... I know it’s tempting to keep multiple geckos together. Please, just don’t. No males together, but even females can turn on each other—like, no warning, just one day “surprise, I’m the boss now.” Every vendor at the show has stories about cohab disasters, and Wildfire Geckos is adamant: keep them solitary for their own health. No mixing species. And never, ever drop a new gecko right into one’s established home. It’s not cute, it’s just stress and trouble.

Amanda

Totally agree. Leopard geckos are amazing but they want their own space. Honestly, if you’re at the Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale, vendors like Wildfire Geckos are more than happy to walk you through all of this and even show you proper setups in person—you don’t have to figure it out alone. I think we’ve covered the essentials, but there’s always more to learn, so make sure to come out to the Pittsburgh Reptile Show-- the first sunday of every month and ASK QUESTIONS!!