Orchid/gecko viv - Orchid Board

LionEve · #1 03-09-2008, 04:42 PM

Everyone's having frogs but I'm going to have small green day geckos. They're like jewels in orchid jungle. I have added myself on two different sites of reptiles but not felt wellcome. Nobody comments my guestions etc. Here everyone has made me feel like home and now I'm asking your help to get perfect home for both. It's kind of funny that even at home my best friends are from gardening sites. Maybe plants are such therapy people have energy to be nice to each other!

Has anyone heard that conifer wood would cause geckos health problems? I'm going to have crushed bark on the bottom and now afraid that if that's too fresh and aromatic oils in it problems could occure.

LionEve · #2 03-09-2008, 06:06 PM

Here is my sketch for vivarium.

How do you think of it? There's couple of heating stones and on the top fluorescent tube lights.

On the bottom there's going to be water circulating via filter and a waterfall to keep vivarium moist. Above it strong grid and mesh avoiding surface material dropping down. Surface material is crushed bark deep enough to plant the orchids. There also a big branch geckos climb around and orchids on it. Back wall is covered with material I can use suspending more orchids.

Paul · #3 03-09-2008, 09:42 PM

Hello Eve,

Whether it would afffect your gecs or not I don't know for certain but I do recall reading in several different sources that cedar and other pines can be health hazards for reptiles and amphibians.

Would sphagnum or peat moss be options for the bottom?

Ocelaris · #4 03-09-2008, 11:05 PM

yeah, I know pine and cedar is a no no for any mammals, not sure about reptiles, but I would assume similar since it's basically an irritant. plenty of non-degrading woods to choose from besides cedar, how about teak?

I love geckos, friend was into them for quite a while. I still have a rule against having pets which require live food that isn't a worm (fish and worms I'm ok with)...

That doesn't mean I can't appreciate your geckos! be sure to take pics! What kind of food do they like? Will you be taking it out and playing with it?

LionEve · #5 03-10-2008, 05:23 AM

Hello, both of you any many, many thanks for your information

. This is just what I suspected. I don't have geckos yet but making preparations to get them and trying to do everything right in the first place. This is so me... always trying to think all aspects before acting.

I have big silver willow blocks, there's plenty of bark on them. Maybe I could crush it and use with mosses? There's also plenty of different mosses in the forest near me. Is there any wood type orchids wouldn't like?

Dorothy · #6 03-10-2008, 11:33 AM

I have heard that geckos like flowers ( I could be wrong ) ... you may get the plants to bloom only to see them eaten as a meal for your geckos ..

.. something to consider and further look into ...

Tindomul · #7 03-10-2008, 11:45 AM

Geckos. My only experience with these is that they are fast! They will also need a source of UV radiation. Be sure to give your orchids ample shading. You don't want to cook them. I would suggest using Bromiliads and such to provide the shade.
Be sure to give them calcium and vitamin supplements (usually powder form on their food items) and like orchids, they need good ventilation or else they can develop lung infections after a few months. So you will have to be on top of keeping the tank humid enough for the gecko and the orchids and at the same time extremely well ventilated.
I can imagine the conifer wood having too much oil or some kind of resin and giving off a whole lot of smell that I can imagine being noxious to your gecko. But Im not sure, those are just my wild imaginings.

LionEve · #8 03-10-2008, 03:33 PM

Heeh, it is much posible geckos are very willing to have a taste of orchid flowers. We'll see if honey drops elsewhere keep them interested enough or not. Well, who wouldn't like orchid flowers

. It shows only they are very sophisticated and like gourmet food.

For ventilation there's going to be one fan low blowing in and one on the top sucking out. I thought lower fan could be quite near "water fall" and UV- lamp there quite near also, then it would maybe rise the moist upwards.

Dorothy · #9 03-10-2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LionEve

Heeh, it is much posible geckos are very willing to have a taste of orchid flowers. We'll see if honey drops elsewhere keep them interested enough or not. Well, who wouldn't like orchid flowers

. It shows only they are very sophisticated and like gourmet food.

I knew there was a reason why I liked geckos

Paul · #10 03-10-2008, 05:03 PM

Best of my knowledge, day gecks wouldn't harm flowers. They do like fruit puree as I recall.

Handling day gecks is generally not a good idea. The skin of most geckos is very thin and easily torn. Also it really stresses them out. Don't know if it is true or not, but some time back when reading a book about day geck care, the author had mentioned some of the most skittish types basically dying from fright while being handled. But whether he was citing personal experience or just stories he had heard I do not recall.

They are beautiful though.