Pet Gecko
A Quick Guide to Buying a Pet Gecko
Right now it is very popular for kids, teens and adults to want to get a pet gecko. But before you jump into the great unknown of gecko care, you should take a look at what is really involved in getting a gecko.
A gecko that is right for beginners can be bought anywhere in the range of $60 to $300. How much they cost is dependent on what color they are and what patterns they have. Some of the more unusual ones can even cost between $3000 and $6000. These are most often bought by breeders who want to add different qualities to a line of geckos they are breeding.
While buying the gecko is not cheap, neither does the cost put it out of the range of most people who are determined to have a pet gecko. But the cost does not stop with the gecko. In fact, overall, you will probably spend more on setting up your gecko with his housing necessities than you did on him.
The first thing you need is a glass aquarium or terrarium. The size will depend on the size of the gecko but it will need to be at least a 20-gallon tank. You will also need a screened cover to keep the gecko in and to let air circulate. The tank will probably cost $60 to $100 for a good one. Because geckos are cold-blooded like other reptiles, you need to provide heat in the tank. They need to have varying temperatures in different parts of the habitat.
Buy a couple of thermometers so you can regularly check the temperature in the hot side of the tank and in the cooler side. Different kinds of heating products are used, including a heat mat, a lamp, or heating tape. Most geckos also need to have light provided so that they get at least ten to twelve hours per day. For most, this has to be UV light and not just light-bulb-type light. The heater and light will probably run you another $60 to $120, depending on what you buy.
Geckos need places to climb and to hide so make sure to get some gecko furniture, which includes logs, driftwood, tropical plants, and a hide box. You will need a food bowl and a water bowl. The water should not be deep because you do not want to have the gecko fall into it and drown. Substrate is needed for the floor and not something that a gecko can eat, like sand. Reptile carpet works, as do newspapers and paper towels.
Your gecko will only eat live insects so get him crickets and some calcium and vitamin powder to with which to dust them. You will also have to feed the crickets so that they are “gut-loaded” before giving them to your gecko. As for the gecko, make sure the one you pick out looks alert, has bright eyes and a plump tail. They should be nicely colored, not faded, and they should hold their body up off the ground when walking.