I am asked a lot what does a gecko need to live in. Well it is really a simple cage for leopard geckos. Their needs are not great but imagination can help you. Lets go over the basics.
Cage
You need to choose if you want to use a rack system or glass enclosures. Either will work. Babies can be housed in a 6qt tub or even a 5 gallon or 10 gallon tank. The important part here is offering the correct temps and hides so the young gecko feels secure in it’s new home. Once the animal reaches sub adult(15 to 25 grams) I say you can up the cage to a larger one. 20 gallon long work great for a leopard gecko. 32 qt tubs also work great. You can offer them more room such as a 40 gallon breeder and they will use the space.
Temps
Temps should have a hot spot of 90-95 for the gecko. Cool side 72-78. This will give a gradient for the gecko to choose from. Heat pads(reptile heat mats not human heat pads) and heat bulbs can create this spot for the gecko and offer a warm side to their cage. Leopard geckos do not require UVA\UVB bulbs. I will say that they will benefit from having UVA\UVB though. So if you can offer it I recommend it.
Substrate
Loose substrate should not be used for baby geckos. Paper Towel, Tile or another non loose substrate should be used. Adults if fed in a feeding dish can use loose substrate. Coco fiber and sand(NOT CALCI SAND) can be mixed to offer a nice substrate for leopard geckos.
Hides
Hides are very important to the gecko. Offer a warm hide with coco fiber and keep it moist. Put this on the warm side of the enclosure. Then offer other hide spots through out the cage. You can not go over board here. You can use caves made by Zilla or rubber made containers. The gecko will find ways to hide that you did not think of either. Squeezing into spaces that you could not see.
Food and Water dish
Food dishes should be dishes the prevent prey from getting out of it. Many meal worm dishes offer this. Your gecko will get use to the dish having food in it. Water should be offered but not to replace misting. Most of the time geckos will drink when misted. Some geckos will drink from standing water. IMPORTANT to make sure this water is CLEAN!