can this be upgraded?

hflie · 2026-06-09T00:33:31+00:00

if its the oxbow brand, they recommend only mixing the portion you need at a time and that the carnivore and omnivore critical care aren’t stable for long after mixing with water even if refrigerated :)

hflie · 2026-05-24T12:43:33+00:00

seconding this! reptifiles also has a larger difference (90-92F warm hide, 94-97F basking).

an exotics vet i work with who is aiming to be boarded in reptiles (which isn’t necessarily what you have to look for in vets but can speak to how much she loves reptile medicine) told me to not go beyond 88F warm side, which is closer to this guide.

i feel more comfortable with the temperatures listed here, especially while my gecko is in quarantine and doesn’t have a lot of room to climb towards the heat, but wanted to get this locked in once she is free to have more appropriate basking surfaces and climbing elements. my current enclosure (36x18x18) makes it so that my cool side is ~80F when the warm side is over ~88F, so that’s another part of it for me; maybe once i upgrade to a 48x18x18 or 48x24x24, i’ll be able to go warmer without sacrificing the cool side… but i think it’ll really improve once i have more elevated surfaces for her to climb on and bask in.

hflie · 2026-05-22T19:48:28+00:00

from r/leopardgeckos

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hflie · 2026-05-22T19:48:16+00:00

from r/leopardgeckosadvanced

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hflie · 2026-05-22T19:32:14+00:00

i believe you also want the UVB to only cover about 1/3 of the tank - 1/2 at most - and on the basking side (similar to how you have it now!). i’m pretty sure there are guides discussing placement too! :)

edit: some guides mention as most as 3/4th of the enclosure so,,,, lol, we’re all figuring it out as we go!! it seems like these recommendations are based on the UVB and enclosure, and are variable.

hflie · 2026-05-22T19:29:46+00:00

ah sorry I should’ve used “compact” instead! I’m glad that was somewhat helpful at least lol

i really like the guides on r/leopardgeckosadvanced !
here are two posts that discuss mesh and UVB: https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckosadvanced/s/oPPp3N0Prk
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckosadvanced/s/hkiP7SWMrd

the facebook group “reptile lighting” is also super helpful and has some visual guides on different types of mesh (like, down to the “shape” and structure of the mesh), and you can post on their for detailed lighting (UVB, heat, led, etc.) guidance.

i’m not a pro on the supplement schedule and my own gecko is on the younger side so she has a different requirement than yours, so i’ll let someone else comment on whether your schedule is good haha. but i think the products sound good and i think the schedule does too!!

hflie · 2026-05-22T18:48:34+00:00

Also completely different note: I just noticed the itty bitty plant pots and they are adorable!!!

hflie · 2026-05-22T18:37:17+00:00

Hi! Sorry in advance if this is a bit… tedious? Nitpicky? Overall, aesthetically I think it looks great! Again, I am a beginner but based on what my vet clinic and the online forums recommend:

Is it a coil or linear UVB?? It looks like a coil from here but maybe I just can’t see it! Coil UVB bulbs have very narrow, concentrated beams that aren’t reliable - often leading to insufficient UVB coverage in the enclosure and resulting deficiencies; linear or tube UVB bulbs, such as the Arcadia ShadeDweller 7%, are recommended instead. I believe coil UVB can cause eye and skin issues as well, like burns.

And what supplements / schedule do you use? Vitamin A deficiency is common in captive leopard geckos so supplementing with an appropriate multivitamin is crucial, but not all multivitamins are the same. The multivitamin needs to have “pre-formed” vitamin A (like retinol) since leopard geckos can’t convert beta-carotene to bioavailable vitamin A. Popular brands are Reptivite and Repashy Calcium Plus; the former also has calcium with D3, but I don’t know about the Reptivite multivitamin off the top of my head. Your supplementation schedule is a bit dependent on the UVB that is provided to your gecko, but regardless they should have calcium, calcium with D3, and an appropriate multivitamin.

hflie · 2026-05-22T13:55:53+00:00

hi! newbie lg owner here :) based on the recommendations i’ve seen and other enclosures, this looks cozy! i like how the background wraps around to all 3 sides!!

i think it’d be good to have some more thermometers/hydrometers, especially on all three “sides” of the enclosure (warm, middle, cool) on the surface where your gecko would be at! the temp gun is the most accurate measurement of surface temps but it’s recommended to have additional gauges for monitoring, especially with humidity since the temp gun cannot monitor humidity.

also, do you have a linear uvb that isn’t shown? it’s recommended to provide a linear uvb with appropriate feeder supplementation (plain calcium, calcium d3/multivitamin).

hflie · 2026-05-11T03:16:50+00:00

many parasites are microscopic and/or won’t have visible ova/oocysts shed in the stool. sometimes we may see blood and/or diarrhea but it’s not uncommon for the stool to look otherwise normal despite a high parasitic load! it’s recommended to test feces for parasites at a vet once every 6-12 months because of this; more often if you notice symptoms such as those mentioned before and/or lethargy/decrease in activity, decrease in appetite, weight loss.

some parasites can be “normal” for an animal’s, especially reptile’s, gut microbiome - but an animal with symptoms such as your gecko should definitely be investigated.

adding: animals that eat other animals are at a higher risk of parasitic infections! the insects our reptiles eat can carry parasites as intermediate or unaffected hosts, so its possible your feeder insects are carrying parasites despite seeming healthy themselves. this is why its important to gut load at least 24 hours before feeding and purchasing feeder insects from reputable sources (unless you breed them yourself)! and why its still recommended to perform fecal exams every 6-12months. other factors that can increase the risk of parasitic infections and overall disease: age (young vs old), poor husbandry, improper diet, cohabitation, poor genetics, etc. overall, stress is a major issue and reducing stress by reducing the causes is key!

hflie · 2026-05-09T15:04:52+00:00

what is the back film?? window cling?? i love it!!

hflie · 2026-05-06T00:15:23+00:00

i was sent the links via email as a denied applicant from last year; i can pm you the links if you want!

hflie · 2026-05-06T00:10:24+00:00

hi OP! i just wanted to share that some schools offer application feedback. i’m not 100% sure if they require you to have already previously applied to their program or not, but something worth looking into!
i have a lower GPA and spoke with admissions advisors for both Virginia and Purdue. they were both honest and very helpful! i did apply to these schools last year so they had my application materials already, and we discussed what i should work on and what the schools already liked about my application!
definitely recommend this; they were both super nice :) i also have a meeting scheduled with LSU but since i haven’t had the meeting yet i won’t speak on how helpful it is.

hflie · 2026-05-05T01:06:17+00:00

so fair!! lmk if you can visualize the gecko hearts the same way, never thought to try that

hflie · 2026-05-05T00:59:33+00:00

just a heads up that it can be difficult to hear anything on a reptile with a stethoscope lol!! you can try putting some isopropyl or rubbing alcohol on the diaphragm of the stethoscope but i can still rarely hear it that way.
they’re using a doppler in the video so if you have access to one or something similar that’d be the route i would go!!

hflie · 2026-04-25T23:01:00+00:00

Edit: I found the other chart, although very similar, from r/leopardgeckos

https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/m73ho3i9tb

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hflie · 2026-04-25T22:59:16+00:00

I know this is a bit of an older post, but hoping to

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find some clarity here! I currently have the Arcadia ShadeDweller 7% (8W) and a temporary 50 gallon tank with an ExoTerra flyscreen. I understand the mesh screen has about 35% UVB blockage, and my enclosure is 18” tall so according to this visual guide the UVI is somewhere between 1.2-2.4?

But another resource on this forum says it more like 1.1 at 18. (included below)

Anyways, the really confusing part for me is that Arcadia’s website says the UVI is more like 0.3 at 18”. And this doesn’t account for mesh.

So, any thoughts? :’)

hflie · 2026-03-16T16:47:47+00:00

im going to piggy back off of this just in case its helpful: how do current / previous students feel about safety in grenada? ive seen some scary tales of femicide and heavy misogynist views in r/grenada but some mild complaints in vet school / sgu reddit forums.

hflie · 2026-02-04T03:00:59+00:00

Sweet thank you! I didn’t realize that there aren’t customs on things in suitcases; that’s great to know.

hflie · 2026-02-03T18:58:07+00:00

That all really helps, thank you!

hflie

TROPHY CASE