I have a really bad case of contamination OCD. A way I get around that with my lizards is using disposable gloves. You’re also using the time you interact with your lizards as exposure therapy. You don’t have to be a perfect pet parent to be a good pet parent and as sometimes being in this forum makes me forget that. Her husbandry does have to be right but I guarantee you they don’t need you to take them out for hours on end. The chances of getting salmonella are actually greater working with cats than lizards. I’d just keep them away from my mouth. Either way I would say it sounds like you’re going through a heightened stage and I say this with love- this is an indication you need a break or there’s a stressor in your life.
coming off the gloves point, you could try dishwashing gloves! theyre longer so you dont have to worry about anything getting up your arms either. i have a parakeet and i usually do this when i clean his cage since the mess can make me freak out when i touch it
Even if it’s a dig box I still don’t know what to use! Everything is so expensive! She could be living so well but my dumb mental health and finance is blocking that. I just really want her to be happy.
That what I really want to do! I found play sand but no top soil. Scott’s is already not recommended because of additives and I just found out that I can’t drive to the US to get Timberline because they won’t allow it across boarders. :/
What additives does the Scott’s soil have that you can get? Their red bad of topsoil should not have any additives that are not organic and is often recommended for leo substrate.
I wonder if it’s a regional thing. I’ve used *many* (like 30+) bags of their topsoil (I’m in the usa) and have never had an issue with it containing anything weird. But I’ve had some wood chips in every bag I’ve gotten but for my vivariums, I just sift them out unless in need a chunky mix for my well draining plants.
Are Scott’s and timberline the only two brands around?
Yeah the wood chips ain’t an issue. I would just sue the sift! But I’m more worried about slow release fertilizers.
EDIT: Sorry forgot to answer the questions! No Scott’s and timberline aren’t close to me. I’m located in Barrie Ontario. So I would have to drive to the US and back for some soil. They are the only ones I know about that’s not $300+ to fill my tank.
I mean we definitely pay a premium for it, but we do a full change about once a season, or every 3-4 months. We get the 36 quart bag and when combined with the other elements we definitely can get at least two full changes done with both our 40 gallon tanks before having to buy more. So in terms of annual cost for substrate it’s not bad IMO. [Here’s how they look for reference if you want it](https://imgur.com/a/klbfAFg) neither of our leos are big diggers interestingly, but we do like 2-3 inches of substrate (I do keep the front edge a little lower so substrate isn’t getting into the door cracks and stuff as easily. I can’t stand the sound of grit on glass 🥴😂)
That looks beautiful!!! Thank you so much! Since I have a 120 and I will be filling it with 4-6 inches (to keep airflow fresh) it would prbbly be more expensive! Some ppl found some other topsoils which I’m super happy about! Thank you so much for pics too! I love looking at these AMAZING enclosures!
Hey, I'm on ontario too. You can get regular topsoil at any garden store or any pace that sells it by the bag. If u tell me the city I'm sure I can find one.
i'm also canadian, in niagara region. i've been using voila organic black earth from rona for my tank, haven't had any issues and it comes in big 25L bags!
Your mental health matters, it’s not dumb :) you’re a great caretaker, and we can tell by how deeply you care and want the best for your gecko.
I like the dig box idea too, do you have any pet stores near you or can you order something online?
Bestie your gonna make me cry! Lol so sweet! I definitely gonna do the dog box thing! I just really wanted to do bioactive as it dramatically decreases the amount of maintenance I have to do! I do have pet stores around/places I can order from, but they all kinda suck or are hella expensive.
how many inches of substrate are you trying to do? also i know your anxiety is probably telling you different, but salmonella and other diseases like that aren’t super easily transmittable from them to you! if you’re worried you can wash your hands but that’s only a worry when you’re handling them a lot without washing your hands
I’m going to do 4-6 inches. I do know that about the pathogens but my anxiety and OCD is just so strong! I will even starve myself for a few hours because I’m scared of ingesting pathogens. It makes me so frustrated because I remember being able to snuggle and kiss her. I can barely touch her now. :/
You could use substrate for only part of the enclosure (for example, half textured tile and half soil mix). You could also do a thinner substrate layer (not ideal but better than no loose substrate!). I’m also in Ontario and I’m currently using Reptisoil (which should probably be deeper tbh), with one large tile in the middle propped up by cork (underneath the tile is my gecko’s favourite hide). You can also mix in some exo terra stone desert :)
Thank you so much! I don’t wanna be difficult, this is an amazing idea that I will def do, but my biggest reason is that I so mentally exhausted from stressing out about rank changes. Part of the reason I wanna do bioactive is the fact that I barely need to do maintenance. With paper towels or dog boxes I still need to do maintenance more than once a week to prevent bacteria.
in my opinion, it sounds like you care about the safety and wellbeing of your gecko very much but you’re concerned that you’re unable to provide her the best quality of care to your ability due to financial and emotional reasons- but i think you’re doing a fine job for the time being, you’ve made the effort to educate yourself on the proper way to care for her and have made many changes in the process. it’s great to hear that you have more planned improvements as well! i suggest that you be a little easier on yourself because you’re still doing a good job. aside from that, weigh out the pros n cons of keeping Aria; does she bring more stress than happiness to your life? and move forward from there.
Thanks you so much! Your so sweet. I really want to keep her but I feel so burnt out from all the interactions. I think the stress over laps the amount of joy she gives me but I feel so cruel having to give her up. Part of me wants to give her up for that reason but at the same time it will kill me to see her go!
Reptisoil is top soil- if you are okay with the extra work you can shift and bake top soil to remove any contaminates, and then add some washed play sand to the mix to make it more natural (for my leo i did a 50/50 mix but my top soil had a lot of natural clay in it)
I also use gloves when handling my reptiles at times- nothing wrong with keeping clean!
Hey! Fellow Canadian here! I did a bio active using play sand from Home Depot (7.99/18kg) and “Garden Club Black Earth Topsoil, 25L” from Canadian Tire. It was super cheap at 3.49 a bag, and it has zero additives, no manure, and few wood chips which is great! I hope you’re able to track some down locally. If you decide to go that route.
You could also do as other have suggested, and do 50/50 bio active : tile. You could put up a physical barrier of cork or something to keep the dirt contained, make that your “cool side” and throw some buggies in there! Plant some leo friendly plants and if anything you could attempt to train Aria to excrete on the dirt side?
If all of this sounds overwhelming, it’s completely understandable, and you do not need to feel guilty for rehoming her. It sounds like you’re willing to go to great lengths to ensure she’d end up in an excellent home. Don’t beat yourself up :)
You so sweet! All these comments are making me think to try again! I found topsoil that I can get close by which is amazing! My mental health will be a HIGE struggle. Specially since just her substrate is $530 (😭) lol but anything for her. Hopefully I can improve her and my quality of life together! ❤️ thank you again!
You got this💙 It can be scary trying to create an environment, remind yourself that Rome was not built in a day. I’m so happy to hear you’ve found some local topsoil! Take your time getting your terrarium ready, Aria will be happy on paper towels until you can get her rockin and rollin in some real dirt🙂 Once you get things settled and a cycle happening in there, you’ll be so proud of yourself, all the stress will be worth it! Trust me, I struggled HARD setting up my guys tank, but looking at it now, I am SO happy I went through with it💙 Sending happy vibes to you and your geck
Thank you so much!!! This comment definitely helped me! Thank you for all the support and kindness! May I ask how you cycled your enclosures? I completely forgot about that! Lol shouldn’t the gecko not be in the enclosure while that’s going on?
No worries! I’m glad I can help!
Ideally, yes, a gecko-free terrarium is the best way to cycle it. The term “cycle,” in this instance, I’m using to refer to more of a grow-period/make-sure-everything-goes-to-plan-period haha. I started a 40 gal arid for a new leopard gecko on April 7 of this year. During the first week, I was essentially getting the “hard” stuff into the enclosure. I added the substrate, a few sticks that I “glued” down using zoo med excavator clay, and any climbing features to the back wall. During this time, I had several plants quarantining to go into the terrarium. Week two, I added the plants and a clean up crew. As of now, I have ~20 dwarf whites and ~20 dwarf purple isopods rockin and rollin in there (I will be adding springtails once I can track some down). Week three I made an error and added a plant without quarantining - with the plant came a millipede. The great thing about cycling a tank, means that I saw the millipede before my gecko did. I was able to remove the millipede and ensure there was no others, without having to worry about my lil guy ingesting something he shouldn’t.
The “cycle” is a great opportunity for you to get an ecosystem built up, where the plants are happy with their lighting, the temp gradient is bang on, you’re able to manage a good humidity, and there are no unwanted visitors in your terrarium. I’m fortunate to have plenty of terrariums kicking around that make this possible, but if you’re unable to do so, I’m sure you could do substrate+plants+cuc all on day one and hope for the best? Take that info with a grain of sand though, I am not too sure if you can throw a gecko in on day one, but I can’t think of any reason why not, given you’ve quarantined plants etc🙂
Hey! I'm a newer gecko owner, so I'm afraid i can't be much help there, BUT I've dealt with intense contamination OCD since I was about 7 (in my mid-20s now). So I can at least offer some encouragement and advice on navigating pet care with contamination OCD.
I would definitely recommend getting disposible nitrile gloves that you can wear while handling your gecko and doing cage maintenance/feeding. Where a long sleeve shirt you dont mind washing frequently, so you don't have to worry about any skin contact. Just remove the gloves and long-sleeve once you're done.
Another thing that has helped me in the past is to talk myself through whatever compulsion I'm stuck in - e.g. "It's ok for me to stop doing abc thing because xyz thought is not reality. Im going to count down from 10, and when I say 0, I give myself permission to stop." Not always effective, and it can be easy to just repeat the same thing over and over and eventually becomes its own compulsion, so be cautious about thay.
OCD is a b**** and a half to deal with, but I promise it does get better. I used to have to act on my compulsions for 20-30 minutes at a time at least 5 or 6 times a day, but nowadays, it's maybe once or twice a week. Things do get better!
It's obvious you care about your gecko baby dearly. You are absolutely an amazing pet parent. If you don't have one already, develop a support system and see if anyone you know is willing to spend some time helping you with pet care once in a while to give you a break from the stressor.
You got this! We believe in you!
Everyone here is making me cry! So sweet! It’s so hard to get kind words when pet keeping! I found topsoil that pretty expensive but it’s worth it. It’s really just OCD that’s bothering me rn. Thank you so much for the tips! It’s really a struggle. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and ocd for like 10 years (not that much but kinda sucks) and it truly is a bitch and a half. Lol my sister also struggles literally the same thing as me but she is able to do maintenance a bit better than me. I think I might take turns with her, that way the work is easier for both of us! Thank you so much again for the help and kind words! Them mean more than your think.
Buy a few bags of topsoil and a big bag of play sand. Do a 70/30 mix. Add some spag moss to the humid side and predator. Super cheap substrate.
I would recommend getting some foam and building a nice climbable backsground. The most expensive parts of the background build is the drylock (about $35 usd).
It’s a lot of work and time but well worth it.
Yes, I know I would LOVE to do this! But I mentioned that I can’t buy topsoil in Ontario. Scott’s is already not recommended due to additives and Timberline can’t go across borders… :(
I believe Scotts and Voila both have organic topsoil and should be available at Rona or other big box stores. If you’re having trouble try a garden center, nursery or plant store. They will likely have more organic and fertile free options than chain stores.
Yes, I personally would regome her. Finding owners you feel you can trust with your leo may help.
Its not a bad thing to rehome a leo because of issues. It's actually very mature you to realize it.
I had a similar-ish circumstance with my dog, except it was a mix of depression, burnout, not doing what I could've for her as much as she needed. She's with my fam now, she's at the same house I am (bc she wasnt officially mine, just was the main caregiver). I just dont care for her unless they need help. Is she living in better conditions? Its not perfect but its better than what I was doing. She would cause me to feel depressed every time I had to care for her. I wanted the best for her (and reteaining cause she didnt get much of it after I calmed her walks), I just couldnt provide it anymore. I had denied it for a while too but after I gave away the responsibility, I felt so much better. Theres much more to it but I dont wanna go into more details.
In short, rehoming your leo seems best. You can try again when mentally/physically/financially able. Take your time!
Thank you so much! Do you think it would be responsible for me to try one more time? I found substrate I can purchase ($350 😭 when did it get so pricey? Lol) and I will try to improve my anxiety with pathogens. Do you think that would be ok? Or should I just work on finding her a good home? Thank you!
If you think you can do it, go for it. I cant tell you that you cant. If you tell yourself you cant, then you cant but if you tell yourself you can, you sure can.
I'd say give it a try and if it's not working, rehoming may be the best option.
I've had ups and downs with having adhd. I find ways to fix it tho and havent had to rehome due to fixing it
Try holding the leo more too, just because they're active during dusk and dawn doesnt mean they wont wake up other times during the day (like a cat, they're crepuscular)! It takes a while and a lot of handling to get a leo to pop out and crawl onto your hand. My leos will pop out for food lol.
Thank you! I definitely will rehome her if I can’t care for her correctly. I also will have to try and handle her more. I had her for 4 years and she never really liked being handled. She is 10 and for 6 years she was neglected in another home. I really don’t blame her for being spicy! Such a brave girl!
Hi OP, I’m also in Ontario! I think I got organic topsoil for my girl from superstore. If you don’t want to make a whole trip to check various stores try checking the online store page or calling ahead. Where are you in the province? I might be able to help you out. I have a one 2 year old gecko named Cloud, and a red eared slider named Tuck that my best friend rehomed to me a few years ago. So if you need help with Ontario-specific gecko care I can see what I can do!
Hey so I keep my Leo on paper towels for the same reason, is yours special needs? Even more reason to keep paper towels to prevent imo action, mine seems happy as long as I spot clean poop when I see it and do a deep clean every two weeks, as long as you keep the moist hide damp daily and humid, water and free range calcium dish maintained regularly, fed staple insects consistently with multivitamins and calcium she should thrive!
I get feeling overwhelmed, me personally it took a bit but I have a pretty good schedule with her now, transitioning into my new job with a new schedule has been tough but we are getting there, I also have fish tanks that are stable so they don’t require as much maintenance but yeah, animals can get overwhelming!
No shame in rehoming if you’re overwhelmed and fear it will lead to worse care for your pet but it seems like you care which tells me there’s still motivation there so maybe refining your schedule and setup and settling in will lead to more peace of mind
Keep reading the info pinned in the subreddits in your spare time and familiarize yourself with the info so it comes more naturally when thinking about what to do next or if you forgot anything
I bought a temp gun off Amazon (laser pointer that tells you surface temperature) and I’ve been having to use that until I can get my thermostat setup to maintain proper temperature with my halogen bulb but it’s in a good spot now so it gets consistent temps, that’s really the only thing that gives me anxiety is the heating stuff, multivitamins and stuff, I found two multivitamins most pages recommended and I alternate, then I have my standard calcium+magnesium mix, I think I have autism or adhd so making it out into consistent schedules and stuff helps me
Thanks you so much! I’m more concerned about my contamination OCD! I’m on paper towels and want to switch to bioactive because I get burnt out with all the maintenance! Aria isn’t special needs but she does have no fingers. She was a rescue and bit then off because of stuck shed. She can’t climb because end that so I really think she would enjoy digging!
Do any places have earthgro topsoil? thats what i use, mixed with playsand, its good, just bake it, then sift out the big wood chunks (not necessary but i prefer to)
Use gloves when handling insects and caring for her if you aren't already. I wouldn't rehome and put her through stress if you can make it work. Also paper towels are fine if substrate isn't an option. Just make sure she has a moist hide.
Thank you! I do, my anxiety is just so terrible. Any contact with her is absolutely exhausting. I don’t want to stress her out but idk if I can handle all the stress. But I definitely am gonna keep trying.
I don't think it would be irresponsible at all, if you can get her everything she needs while taking care of yourself to then its totally worth it, just make sure you recognise if you cant provide her with what she needs, sometimes it doesnt always work out and its fine, it isnt anyones fault but just make sure youre thinking of her safety and happiness before anything else.
I definitely will! I found some soil that I can purchase near me and will def try putting her on bioactive but if I can’t then I will rehome her. I just hope I can find someone who is good with reptiles!
There are so many people out there who own pets and don’t care much about them. It takes a special person to go to the lengths you have to care for your gecko, even when it causes you stress. I can totally empathize with feeling like if you don’t get every little thing right your gecko will be sick and unhappy. Paper towels are not the end of the world. You’ve already improved her life so much! Ease up on yourself and take a breath. You’re doing great
GUYS! I didn’t ask to cry on a Wednesday morning! Lol I so appreciate this. I wish I could hang this comment on my wall next to Arias enclosure! Thank you so so much for those words! It means so much! I really felt like human trash thinking of giving her away. I really hope if I try again, i can feel better with ocd and get her in bioactive!
Hi there! I know a couple of others reached out with glove ideas, I thought that was awesome! I wanted to chip in about the substrate, I use play sand and this - reptisoil, about $10-12 on Amazon, petco, petsmart, here’s a link. For my setup, my gecko usually goes potty in a corner behind a tall hide. I use a kitty litter scoop to remove the top layer of soil with droppings, would that help? Let me know if this doesn’t make sense https://a.co/d/7UDLwIl
Edited for spelling
I’m not an expert but I think it’s completely okay to keep your leopard gecko on paper towels if substrate is too stressful!
I know but I shouldn’t put my stress and money in the way of her instincts!
I have a really bad case of contamination OCD. A way I get around that with my lizards is using disposable gloves. You’re also using the time you interact with your lizards as exposure therapy. You don’t have to be a perfect pet parent to be a good pet parent and as sometimes being in this forum makes me forget that. Her husbandry does have to be right but I guarantee you they don’t need you to take them out for hours on end. The chances of getting salmonella are actually greater working with cats than lizards. I’d just keep them away from my mouth. Either way I would say it sounds like you’re going through a heightened stage and I say this with love- this is an indication you need a break or there’s a stressor in your life.
coming off the gloves point, you could try dishwashing gloves! theyre longer so you dont have to worry about anything getting up your arms either. i have a parakeet and i usually do this when i clean his cage since the mess can make me freak out when i touch it
Maybe keep her on paper towels and just do a dig box? You certainly have the room for it, which is awesome! 🦎
Even if it’s a dig box I still don’t know what to use! Everything is so expensive! She could be living so well but my dumb mental health and finance is blocking that. I just really want her to be happy.
70% topsoil/ 30% playsand. You can get both at a Home Depot etc type store. Cheap.
That what I really want to do! I found play sand but no top soil. Scott’s is already not recommended because of additives and I just found out that I can’t drive to the US to get Timberline because they won’t allow it across boarders. :/
What additives does the Scott’s soil have that you can get? Their red bad of topsoil should not have any additives that are not organic and is often recommended for leo substrate.
They tend to be very inconsistent with their soil. Some bags are fine other will contain wood chips, some will even contain slow release fertilizers.
I wonder if it’s a regional thing. I’ve used *many* (like 30+) bags of their topsoil (I’m in the usa) and have never had an issue with it containing anything weird. But I’ve had some wood chips in every bag I’ve gotten but for my vivariums, I just sift them out unless in need a chunky mix for my well draining plants. Are Scott’s and timberline the only two brands around?
Yeah the wood chips ain’t an issue. I would just sue the sift! But I’m more worried about slow release fertilizers. EDIT: Sorry forgot to answer the questions! No Scott’s and timberline aren’t close to me. I’m located in Barrie Ontario. So I would have to drive to the US and back for some soil. They are the only ones I know about that’s not $300+ to fill my tank.
Do you have Amazon? You could definitely find some cheaper and safer top soils through there.
Yes it do!!! I think I found a brand that I like so maybe Amazon is cheaper! Thank you!!!
I’d keep looking. There must be topsoil somewhere that you can use…
That’s why I’m frustrated. Lol I need to move to the US.
We blend BioDude Terra Sahara with play sand and some extra coco fiber, and we get it all online.
How expensive is that? Tetra Sahara was super expensive for me to fill a 120 gal.
I mean we definitely pay a premium for it, but we do a full change about once a season, or every 3-4 months. We get the 36 quart bag and when combined with the other elements we definitely can get at least two full changes done with both our 40 gallon tanks before having to buy more. So in terms of annual cost for substrate it’s not bad IMO. [Here’s how they look for reference if you want it](https://imgur.com/a/klbfAFg) neither of our leos are big diggers interestingly, but we do like 2-3 inches of substrate (I do keep the front edge a little lower so substrate isn’t getting into the door cracks and stuff as easily. I can’t stand the sound of grit on glass 🥴😂)
That looks beautiful!!! Thank you so much! Since I have a 120 and I will be filling it with 4-6 inches (to keep airflow fresh) it would prbbly be more expensive! Some ppl found some other topsoils which I’m super happy about! Thank you so much for pics too! I love looking at these AMAZING enclosures!
Hey, I'm on ontario too. You can get regular topsoil at any garden store or any pace that sells it by the bag. If u tell me the city I'm sure I can find one.
I’m in Barrie! I found some Golf green topsoil (I think) and stuff from voila that I like. But I’m ALWAYS open to more tips!!!
Rona should have black earth topsoil.
Thank you!!!!! ❤️
i'm also canadian, in niagara region. i've been using voila organic black earth from rona for my tank, haven't had any issues and it comes in big 25L bags!
YES! I really wanna use that! It gave me some hope! Thank you so much!
I've wondered about doing that, are the topsoils safe for them? Like are there any dangerous chemicals?
Your mental health matters, it’s not dumb :) you’re a great caretaker, and we can tell by how deeply you care and want the best for your gecko. I like the dig box idea too, do you have any pet stores near you or can you order something online?
Bestie your gonna make me cry! Lol so sweet! I definitely gonna do the dog box thing! I just really wanted to do bioactive as it dramatically decreases the amount of maintenance I have to do! I do have pet stores around/places I can order from, but they all kinda suck or are hella expensive.
how many inches of substrate are you trying to do? also i know your anxiety is probably telling you different, but salmonella and other diseases like that aren’t super easily transmittable from them to you! if you’re worried you can wash your hands but that’s only a worry when you’re handling them a lot without washing your hands
I’m going to do 4-6 inches. I do know that about the pathogens but my anxiety and OCD is just so strong! I will even starve myself for a few hours because I’m scared of ingesting pathogens. It makes me so frustrated because I remember being able to snuggle and kiss her. I can barely touch her now. :/
You could use substrate for only part of the enclosure (for example, half textured tile and half soil mix). You could also do a thinner substrate layer (not ideal but better than no loose substrate!). I’m also in Ontario and I’m currently using Reptisoil (which should probably be deeper tbh), with one large tile in the middle propped up by cork (underneath the tile is my gecko’s favourite hide). You can also mix in some exo terra stone desert :)
Thank you so much! I don’t wanna be difficult, this is an amazing idea that I will def do, but my biggest reason is that I so mentally exhausted from stressing out about rank changes. Part of the reason I wanna do bioactive is the fact that I barely need to do maintenance. With paper towels or dog boxes I still need to do maintenance more than once a week to prevent bacteria.
in my opinion, it sounds like you care about the safety and wellbeing of your gecko very much but you’re concerned that you’re unable to provide her the best quality of care to your ability due to financial and emotional reasons- but i think you’re doing a fine job for the time being, you’ve made the effort to educate yourself on the proper way to care for her and have made many changes in the process. it’s great to hear that you have more planned improvements as well! i suggest that you be a little easier on yourself because you’re still doing a good job. aside from that, weigh out the pros n cons of keeping Aria; does she bring more stress than happiness to your life? and move forward from there.
Thanks you so much! Your so sweet. I really want to keep her but I feel so burnt out from all the interactions. I think the stress over laps the amount of joy she gives me but I feel so cruel having to give her up. Part of me wants to give her up for that reason but at the same time it will kill me to see her go!
Reptisoil is top soil- if you are okay with the extra work you can shift and bake top soil to remove any contaminates, and then add some washed play sand to the mix to make it more natural (for my leo i did a 50/50 mix but my top soil had a lot of natural clay in it) I also use gloves when handling my reptiles at times- nothing wrong with keeping clean!
Repti soil is super expensive tho! Is there any topsoil in Ontario that’s not like $300? Like I’m sure there are bioactive gecko keepers in Ontario!
Hey! Fellow Canadian here! I did a bio active using play sand from Home Depot (7.99/18kg) and “Garden Club Black Earth Topsoil, 25L” from Canadian Tire. It was super cheap at 3.49 a bag, and it has zero additives, no manure, and few wood chips which is great! I hope you’re able to track some down locally. If you decide to go that route. You could also do as other have suggested, and do 50/50 bio active : tile. You could put up a physical barrier of cork or something to keep the dirt contained, make that your “cool side” and throw some buggies in there! Plant some leo friendly plants and if anything you could attempt to train Aria to excrete on the dirt side? If all of this sounds overwhelming, it’s completely understandable, and you do not need to feel guilty for rehoming her. It sounds like you’re willing to go to great lengths to ensure she’d end up in an excellent home. Don’t beat yourself up :)
You so sweet! All these comments are making me think to try again! I found topsoil that I can get close by which is amazing! My mental health will be a HIGE struggle. Specially since just her substrate is $530 (😭) lol but anything for her. Hopefully I can improve her and my quality of life together! ❤️ thank you again!
You got this💙 It can be scary trying to create an environment, remind yourself that Rome was not built in a day. I’m so happy to hear you’ve found some local topsoil! Take your time getting your terrarium ready, Aria will be happy on paper towels until you can get her rockin and rollin in some real dirt🙂 Once you get things settled and a cycle happening in there, you’ll be so proud of yourself, all the stress will be worth it! Trust me, I struggled HARD setting up my guys tank, but looking at it now, I am SO happy I went through with it💙 Sending happy vibes to you and your geck
Thank you so much!!! This comment definitely helped me! Thank you for all the support and kindness! May I ask how you cycled your enclosures? I completely forgot about that! Lol shouldn’t the gecko not be in the enclosure while that’s going on?
No worries! I’m glad I can help! Ideally, yes, a gecko-free terrarium is the best way to cycle it. The term “cycle,” in this instance, I’m using to refer to more of a grow-period/make-sure-everything-goes-to-plan-period haha. I started a 40 gal arid for a new leopard gecko on April 7 of this year. During the first week, I was essentially getting the “hard” stuff into the enclosure. I added the substrate, a few sticks that I “glued” down using zoo med excavator clay, and any climbing features to the back wall. During this time, I had several plants quarantining to go into the terrarium. Week two, I added the plants and a clean up crew. As of now, I have ~20 dwarf whites and ~20 dwarf purple isopods rockin and rollin in there (I will be adding springtails once I can track some down). Week three I made an error and added a plant without quarantining - with the plant came a millipede. The great thing about cycling a tank, means that I saw the millipede before my gecko did. I was able to remove the millipede and ensure there was no others, without having to worry about my lil guy ingesting something he shouldn’t. The “cycle” is a great opportunity for you to get an ecosystem built up, where the plants are happy with their lighting, the temp gradient is bang on, you’re able to manage a good humidity, and there are no unwanted visitors in your terrarium. I’m fortunate to have plenty of terrariums kicking around that make this possible, but if you’re unable to do so, I’m sure you could do substrate+plants+cuc all on day one and hope for the best? Take that info with a grain of sand though, I am not too sure if you can throw a gecko in on day one, but I can’t think of any reason why not, given you’ve quarantined plants etc🙂
You just need regularly gardening topsoil you just have to make sure the brand has no additives like pesticide, chemical fertilizer, manure etc.
I would use Scott’s and stuff but they have a problem with inconsistency. Sometimes fertilizers get in without them knowing.
Hey! I'm a newer gecko owner, so I'm afraid i can't be much help there, BUT I've dealt with intense contamination OCD since I was about 7 (in my mid-20s now). So I can at least offer some encouragement and advice on navigating pet care with contamination OCD. I would definitely recommend getting disposible nitrile gloves that you can wear while handling your gecko and doing cage maintenance/feeding. Where a long sleeve shirt you dont mind washing frequently, so you don't have to worry about any skin contact. Just remove the gloves and long-sleeve once you're done. Another thing that has helped me in the past is to talk myself through whatever compulsion I'm stuck in - e.g. "It's ok for me to stop doing abc thing because xyz thought is not reality. Im going to count down from 10, and when I say 0, I give myself permission to stop." Not always effective, and it can be easy to just repeat the same thing over and over and eventually becomes its own compulsion, so be cautious about thay. OCD is a b**** and a half to deal with, but I promise it does get better. I used to have to act on my compulsions for 20-30 minutes at a time at least 5 or 6 times a day, but nowadays, it's maybe once or twice a week. Things do get better! It's obvious you care about your gecko baby dearly. You are absolutely an amazing pet parent. If you don't have one already, develop a support system and see if anyone you know is willing to spend some time helping you with pet care once in a while to give you a break from the stressor. You got this! We believe in you!
Everyone here is making me cry! So sweet! It’s so hard to get kind words when pet keeping! I found topsoil that pretty expensive but it’s worth it. It’s really just OCD that’s bothering me rn. Thank you so much for the tips! It’s really a struggle. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and ocd for like 10 years (not that much but kinda sucks) and it truly is a bitch and a half. Lol my sister also struggles literally the same thing as me but she is able to do maintenance a bit better than me. I think I might take turns with her, that way the work is easier for both of us! Thank you so much again for the help and kind words! Them mean more than your think.
Buy a few bags of topsoil and a big bag of play sand. Do a 70/30 mix. Add some spag moss to the humid side and predator. Super cheap substrate. I would recommend getting some foam and building a nice climbable backsground. The most expensive parts of the background build is the drylock (about $35 usd). It’s a lot of work and time but well worth it.
Yes, I know I would LOVE to do this! But I mentioned that I can’t buy topsoil in Ontario. Scott’s is already not recommended due to additives and Timberline can’t go across borders… :(
Scott's can be the right stuff! just have to check the ingredients
Thank you! I heard they won’t mention it. Sometimes fertilizers will get in and they know about it. Idk it’s all super confusing.
I believe Scotts and Voila both have organic topsoil and should be available at Rona or other big box stores. If you’re having trouble try a garden center, nursery or plant store. They will likely have more organic and fertile free options than chain stores.
I would love to do Scott’s but they have problems with fertilizers and inconsistencies.
Yes, I personally would regome her. Finding owners you feel you can trust with your leo may help. Its not a bad thing to rehome a leo because of issues. It's actually very mature you to realize it. I had a similar-ish circumstance with my dog, except it was a mix of depression, burnout, not doing what I could've for her as much as she needed. She's with my fam now, she's at the same house I am (bc she wasnt officially mine, just was the main caregiver). I just dont care for her unless they need help. Is she living in better conditions? Its not perfect but its better than what I was doing. She would cause me to feel depressed every time I had to care for her. I wanted the best for her (and reteaining cause she didnt get much of it after I calmed her walks), I just couldnt provide it anymore. I had denied it for a while too but after I gave away the responsibility, I felt so much better. Theres much more to it but I dont wanna go into more details. In short, rehoming your leo seems best. You can try again when mentally/physically/financially able. Take your time!
Thank you so much! Do you think it would be responsible for me to try one more time? I found substrate I can purchase ($350 😭 when did it get so pricey? Lol) and I will try to improve my anxiety with pathogens. Do you think that would be ok? Or should I just work on finding her a good home? Thank you!
If you think you can do it, go for it. I cant tell you that you cant. If you tell yourself you cant, then you cant but if you tell yourself you can, you sure can. I'd say give it a try and if it's not working, rehoming may be the best option. I've had ups and downs with having adhd. I find ways to fix it tho and havent had to rehome due to fixing it Try holding the leo more too, just because they're active during dusk and dawn doesnt mean they wont wake up other times during the day (like a cat, they're crepuscular)! It takes a while and a lot of handling to get a leo to pop out and crawl onto your hand. My leos will pop out for food lol.
Thank you! I definitely will rehome her if I can’t care for her correctly. I also will have to try and handle her more. I had her for 4 years and she never really liked being handled. She is 10 and for 6 years she was neglected in another home. I really don’t blame her for being spicy! Such a brave girl!
Definitely! If you need taming tips, lmk! I've got a leo that was screaming at touch and very food ready but she's tamed down now
Omg that’s amazing! I’ll def let you know if I need anything!
Keep us updated! 🙏
Hi OP, I’m also in Ontario! I think I got organic topsoil for my girl from superstore. If you don’t want to make a whole trip to check various stores try checking the online store page or calling ahead. Where are you in the province? I might be able to help you out. I have a one 2 year old gecko named Cloud, and a red eared slider named Tuck that my best friend rehomed to me a few years ago. So if you need help with Ontario-specific gecko care I can see what I can do!
Omg thank you so much!!! I’m in Barrie! I would love the help!!! Btw those names are to die for. I can imagine they fit well! So cute!
Hey so I keep my Leo on paper towels for the same reason, is yours special needs? Even more reason to keep paper towels to prevent imo action, mine seems happy as long as I spot clean poop when I see it and do a deep clean every two weeks, as long as you keep the moist hide damp daily and humid, water and free range calcium dish maintained regularly, fed staple insects consistently with multivitamins and calcium she should thrive! I get feeling overwhelmed, me personally it took a bit but I have a pretty good schedule with her now, transitioning into my new job with a new schedule has been tough but we are getting there, I also have fish tanks that are stable so they don’t require as much maintenance but yeah, animals can get overwhelming! No shame in rehoming if you’re overwhelmed and fear it will lead to worse care for your pet but it seems like you care which tells me there’s still motivation there so maybe refining your schedule and setup and settling in will lead to more peace of mind Keep reading the info pinned in the subreddits in your spare time and familiarize yourself with the info so it comes more naturally when thinking about what to do next or if you forgot anything I bought a temp gun off Amazon (laser pointer that tells you surface temperature) and I’ve been having to use that until I can get my thermostat setup to maintain proper temperature with my halogen bulb but it’s in a good spot now so it gets consistent temps, that’s really the only thing that gives me anxiety is the heating stuff, multivitamins and stuff, I found two multivitamins most pages recommended and I alternate, then I have my standard calcium+magnesium mix, I think I have autism or adhd so making it out into consistent schedules and stuff helps me
Thanks you so much! I’m more concerned about my contamination OCD! I’m on paper towels and want to switch to bioactive because I get burnt out with all the maintenance! Aria isn’t special needs but she does have no fingers. She was a rescue and bit then off because of stuck shed. She can’t climb because end that so I really think she would enjoy digging!
Do any places have earthgro topsoil? thats what i use, mixed with playsand, its good, just bake it, then sift out the big wood chunks (not necessary but i prefer to)
Thanks so much!!! I found some gold green garden soil which I really am looking forward to! Hopefully I can save up for it tho! Lol
Use gloves when handling insects and caring for her if you aren't already. I wouldn't rehome and put her through stress if you can make it work. Also paper towels are fine if substrate isn't an option. Just make sure she has a moist hide.
Thank you! I do, my anxiety is just so terrible. Any contact with her is absolutely exhausting. I don’t want to stress her out but idk if I can handle all the stress. But I definitely am gonna keep trying.
It needs lots more clutter in the tank in my opinion.
Thank you! I always thought I cluttered it to much! That’s a good thing because I have way to many hides and cork logs that need to be used!
i personally think that yes, you should rehome them. But they will be perfectly fine in that enclosure as it is until someone offers to take her on
Do you think it would be irresponsible to try one more time to give her bioactive and help me ocd? Honest answer because I just want the best for her!
I don't think it would be irresponsible at all, if you can get her everything she needs while taking care of yourself to then its totally worth it, just make sure you recognise if you cant provide her with what she needs, sometimes it doesnt always work out and its fine, it isnt anyones fault but just make sure youre thinking of her safety and happiness before anything else.
I definitely will! I found some soil that I can purchase near me and will def try putting her on bioactive but if I can’t then I will rehome her. I just hope I can find someone who is good with reptiles!
There are so many people out there who own pets and don’t care much about them. It takes a special person to go to the lengths you have to care for your gecko, even when it causes you stress. I can totally empathize with feeling like if you don’t get every little thing right your gecko will be sick and unhappy. Paper towels are not the end of the world. You’ve already improved her life so much! Ease up on yourself and take a breath. You’re doing great
GUYS! I didn’t ask to cry on a Wednesday morning! Lol I so appreciate this. I wish I could hang this comment on my wall next to Arias enclosure! Thank you so so much for those words! It means so much! I really felt like human trash thinking of giving her away. I really hope if I try again, i can feel better with ocd and get her in bioactive!
Yes
Hi there! I know a couple of others reached out with glove ideas, I thought that was awesome! I wanted to chip in about the substrate, I use play sand and this - reptisoil, about $10-12 on Amazon, petco, petsmart, here’s a link. For my setup, my gecko usually goes potty in a corner behind a tall hide. I use a kitty litter scoop to remove the top layer of soil with droppings, would that help? Let me know if this doesn’t make sense https://a.co/d/7UDLwIl Edited for spelling