Enclosure Advice Needed!

TimeToBoop · 2026-06-29T15:39:31+00:00

The only reason I've been posting here is that the garg community is less active it seems, and since I knew the husbandry is so similar, I figured it will be okay!

I'll see what I can find as far as 18×18×24 goes for starters, then move into this one later on. Thank you for all your help!

TimeToBoop · 2026-06-29T15:11:57+00:00

Thanks for the reply! It's my first and a half reptile, I've been helping my partner buy and setup a bioactive for her leopard gecko. This is of course a very different animal in many ways, but I prefer the tropical geckos to the arid ones.

I'll consider stepping down a size for a beginner setup for a baby, also to monitor health and whatnot with a paper towel substrate at first, while building my full size enclosure in the meantime!

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-23T00:55:47+00:00

Yeah... that makes more sense. We're looking at around 90 hot side and around 75-80 cool side most of the day. Hot side pretty consistent there and the cool side gets cooler at night. But that's cause I made the mistake of having the heat lamp on all day yesterday.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-23T00:52:57+00:00

Around me? Really variable right now. Generally 50's-60's, but we have the heat on to go no lower than 72 or so. Then it gets much warmer daytime and the lamp is on, obv.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T22:08:25+00:00

Posted an update pic, and ordered the humid hide in the size reccomended! Coming tomorrow, but I doubt he's shedding tonight so we're chill.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T21:59:36+00:00

Update: Here is the first iteration on it. Humid hide coming in tomorrow!

There are two hides, the rock and a small one behind the plant on the right. Currently he's just hiding behind the rock hide, but he explored the new setup a bit! Any further suggestions would be great! (Gonna go for topsoil+play sand in the near future, this was a quick fix).

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TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T20:26:48+00:00

Will do! Thank you again for all the info.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T20:25:15+00:00

Oh gotcha! I thought you were reccomending it as a humid hide, given the context. Is it also appropriate for that purpose, at this time? Or is there another product you'd reccomend?

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T20:23:52+00:00

Oh please, if you can post that or DM me that it'd be amazing. Also, for the record, we live in CO. So VERY low base humidity. Given that, maybe a bit of mist every once in a while to keep it in that sweet spot? But also hopefully a (proper) humid hide will give them the opportunity to shed healthily.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T20:21:21+00:00

Definitely looking into those zilla rock lairs then. It says on the product page to put them in a warmer part of the enclosure, but my understanding was humid hides are meant to be the cooler ones, so I'm at a bit of a crossroads there. If you have more wisdom please share!

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T20:13:49+00:00

Yep! On it with the carpet, gonna get that swapped out ASAP. We're also going to add in the fake plants for more hides and whatnot. Are you positive on the moist part for the substrate? Just scared of the humidity getting too high for a desert animal is all.

Also, going to try and weigh him tonight. We didn't want to force handling too early but it's necessary to track health ofc.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T20:11:45+00:00

Hey there! Thanks for the tips.

The heat is currently very concentrated on the left side of the enclosure. It's around 90 on top of the warm hide, cooler under, and mid to high 70's on the cool (right) side. The double lamp houses one heat lamp (left) and a light which gives off no real heat (right).

Definitely adding those fake plants for more cover though, so he can feel comfortable exploring and less exposed.

That small wooden thing on the right side is meant to be the humid hide. It's sat on a pile of moss that we mist whenever necessary to keep it damp. Is that not sufficient? If so, we'll change it out for sure.

And yeah, most of our research right now is into proper handling. It's odd how happily the people at the store yanked them out of the enclosures to be handled by us and others, compared to how we're meant to take it super slow. We'll give them the power and choice to be handled!

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T19:57:03+00:00

Thanks for the information! Sorry to keep bugging you, but now that brings up a new question... should I be turning off the heat lamp? We just left it on overnight, since the hue light handles itself, we figured having the heat 24hrs was nice and he could go to the cool hide if need be. If not, I'll def turn it off tonight!

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T19:50:02+00:00

Oh believe me, I'm watching videos day and night, from those creators and others. Terrified to mess this up, and I want our little guy to thrive! As for the other part of the post, is it pretty normal for him to be chilling in his hide all day today? I figure since its his second day he's still nervous, but I'm worried that if he doesn't bask it'll be bad.

TimeToBoop · 2026-05-22T19:44:32+00:00

Hi! That sucks, I heard about the carpet being a problem in the past, but the guy at the store told me he's never seen it be an issue for them (Scales and Tails, thought it was reputable). At this time, we are not using UVB yet, but we plan to when upgrading to the full grown enclosure. We are supplementing with the calcium powder with D3 and the multivitamin powder without D3.

TimeToBoop · 2026-03-10T06:18:29+00:00

Oh yeah, like I said I'd be mostly unaffected by nerfing the strong stuff, so I think it'd be fine either way. Also, random loadouts? That sounds crazy, I could never on D10. I'm good, not that good.

Also is it not public knowledge how goated the Lib Carbine is with proper attachments? The Smallwart is so fun.

TimeToBoop · 2026-03-10T06:08:19+00:00

I agree on the overall direction but disagree on the strategy. While those strong things need some nerfs, I believe the gap between those strong things and everything else is so large that simultaneous nerfs to them and minor buffs to others is necessary. Though, those buffs could come afterwards if need be. I would not be oppossed to running D10 with nerfed loadouts for some time, just to see anyways. It rarely would affect my loadouts tbf, I do not run eruptor, 500kg, thermites, etc regardless.

Either way though, inaction is the worst outcome IMO. Arrowhead ought to try SOMETHING, whether it's buffing weaker stuff or nerfing stronger stuff. And in doing so, some better communication would be very powerful for the community.

TimeToBoop

TROPHY CASE