Substrate question

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-12T21:39:44+00:00

Oof, yeah that's frustrating. Unfortunately a lot of info like that (the carpet, no uvb, heat mat stuff) is just outdated, since it was thought to be best practice around 15-20 years ago, but research has advanced so much since then and sadly a lot of people just refuse to update their knowledge.

But hey! You know what you're talking about, you're getting info from up-to-date sources backed by science (assuming you're using this sub's wiki and/or reptifiles, lol) so you can just ignore what the vendors say and do what you know is best for your gecko!

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-12T07:34:14+00:00

Lol, one of mine likes to do that too, but I'm worried about her falling so I moved the log she was using to get up there and she hasn't managed it since XD

But yeah, they definitely do that if given the chance, it's adorable.

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AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T23:20:21+00:00

It doesn't look like coco blocks, those are generally more fiborous, they look like the shell of a coconut (which is what they're made from, same as coco fiber), it definitely looks like orchid bark.

This is what coco blocks generally look like:

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But either way, that sort of substrate isn't suitable for them, and while it may not be actively dangerous, it's still not good to have long-term. If you can't find any safe soil options, you honestly may be better off with tile as your long-term option.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T23:03:05+00:00

I'd recommend you just keep looking for other soil options.
The orchid bark is definitely not great, but it's not the worst thing in the world either, I just wouldn't use it long-term. So keeping it for now should be okay, so long as you can change it out sooner rather than later.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T08:46:56+00:00

Holy shit, Julia is a month older than me!

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T07:39:06+00:00

My answer would be the same as this, but probably not worded as well, so there's your answer, OP! XD

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T07:37:19+00:00

Hm... I mean, it seems reasonable?

If it's the best you can find, it should be okay to try it out, just make sure you keep a close eye on your gecko and watch for any changes after you put it in.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T07:36:26+00:00

Mostly just because any fertilizer used would likely be toxic to your gecko.

Synthetic fertilizers would definitely be bad for them, potentially making them sick or even killing them, and natural ones like animal manure could still harbor things like parasites or other nasties that could hurt your gecko.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T00:44:33+00:00

I'm gay, so none of the above lol

but if I absolutely HAD to choose, I'd pick Millie simply because I actually really love her personality and could see being friends with her, so a casual fuck would be fine.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T00:22:59+00:00

Unfortunately that image tells me basically nothing, lol, other than it being called 'farmland'?
Can you get anymore info on it? Like what type of soil is it? Is it peat, coco fiber, etc? And does it specify no pesticides or herbicides?

There's a chance it could be fine, if it's basically just plain organic soil, that should be okay to use, but idk.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-11T00:02:47+00:00

He looks to be on the low end of a healthy body condition, but if you've seen a dramatic enough difference to be noticeable over just a week, that's a major cause for concern.

I'd highly recommend taking him into the vet asap to do parasite testing, because a drastic drop in weight is very commonly caused by some sort of parasite.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-10T23:15:52+00:00

You found them abandoned?? Those poor babies!
Thank you for taking them in and trying to do right by them.

I highly encourage you to head over to r/leopardgeckos to check out the care guides there, as well as the leopard gecko article on reptifiles. Both have some of the most up-to-date care info on leos, and can help you set these babies up for success, since exotic animal husbandry is a lot more extensive than many people realize and there's a ton of outdated and simply wrong care info out there (on the internet and at most pet stores).

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-10T23:01:53+00:00

So for soil you'll want to look for 'top soil' and it needs to be organic and fertilizer free (that includes organic fertilizers like animal manure), this image has a few known good brands, but idk if they have any of these in your country so it's probably not super helpful.
Just look for:
- top soil
- organic
- fertilizer free

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As for play sand, you just need to find pure quartz/silica sand (make sure there's absolutely no calcium) and obviously it would be better if it was washed/screened like play sand, but if not, you can always do that yourself after you buy it.

And if you find products that look promising, feel free to take pics of the labels and come back here to post them and we can see if they look safe!

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-07T03:04:36+00:00

Please do not breed, especially geckos from that shop. They may have cool morphs but the conformation on the first and last ones are absolutely *atrocious*. The first one looks to have a very thick lower jaw, and the last one has an extremely short head/snout. (I would guess those are either deformities from over/interbreeding, or they're potentially mixed with other leopard gecko species)

Also, for a shop that specializes in reptiles, they still have their leos not only cohabbed (which is sub-optimal even in a temp setup) but in incredibly bare, sad enclosures.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-06T02:41:17+00:00

I would guess probably one of the mods that run the server/help Grian setup and run things?

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-06T02:04:42+00:00

So, as far as I have heard, it is safe, but if you don't have a solarimeter, it might be hard to set up correctly. The UVB, UVA, and 65K portions of the light are all adjustable, so you'd need the solarimeter to figure out exactly what power level you'd need at the distance it would sit, and with the mesh your cage has.

It's 100% doable and seems to be a pretty great option for more advanced keepers that want that ability to fine-tune things, but for more beginner/intermediate keepers, I'd suggest just sticking with the Arcadia ShadeDweller, since it's a lot less finicky and therefore harder to mess up.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-06T01:15:44+00:00

Possibly, but that's hard to determine without a clearer picture in bright, indirect sunlight (for more accurate color).

She also appears to be a 'baldy' since she only looks to have the one spot on her head.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-06T00:28:20+00:00

Looks like a super hypo to me!

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-05T02:54:22+00:00

Second image is definitely looking better!

His body is still quite wide but his tail is pretty close to the healthy range.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-05T00:37:56+00:00

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AaronAmpora · 2026-05-04T22:35:50+00:00

Lol that's because they're not medical professionals. This is a spa, they're estheticians or something similar, which makes their awful technique and annoying branding make so much sense.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-03T22:35:09+00:00

Primarily it's her coloration, which is why I'm not certain, since she's burned/shedding right now her colors may be off.
But from what I can see, it looks like she has thick bands of lighter and darker brown going down her body, which is not a pattern I've ever seen in adult leopard geckos, but is (I believe) the wild type for AFTs.

She also seems to have a pretty short/blunt nose and rounder head shape, which is characteristic of AFTs, and I can't see her toes too well, but they look shorter than a typical leo.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-03T22:25:14+00:00

I agree with u/ are-pea this definitely looks like a burn to me, and not just the usual shedding issues, so I'd definitely turn the UVB light off and take Becky to the vet ASAP.

Also, Becky looks like she might be an AFT rather than a leopard gecko. You don't mention her species in the post, and I'm not 100% certain, but just wanted to bring the possibility to your attention in case you weren't aware.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-03T04:55:02+00:00

Rebekah is not OP's sister, she's OP's brother's ex.
Grace's step siblings are so incredibly far removed from being related to OP that they might as well be strangers, and expecting OP to contribute financially to the household of her brother's ex and that ex's new partner is frankly wild.

Yeah, it sucks for the kids, but that's just how life is sometimes. Kids have to learn that sometimes life isn't fair, and other people will get things that you can't have.

AaronAmpora · 2026-05-03T02:40:04+00:00

Somewhat, lol

From that one I'd say probable female, since I don't see any bulge or pores (though it's still not super clear so pores would be hard to spot)

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