The first step in caring for leopard geckos is to be aware that they are most at home in a desert type of environment therefore any habitat setup for them should should closely resemble their natural environment. So keep this in mind when preparing a lepard gecko setup.

When getting ready to create a leopard gecko setup remember that leopard geckos like space. They should be kept in an enclosure that is large enough for them to walk about. An aquarium that is at least 10 gallons is suitable home for one leopard gecko. If two or more leopard geckos are to be housed then a larger space is required for the additional leopard geckos. A terrarium of at least 20 gallons is recommended when housing 2 to 3 leopard geckos. Males should not be put together in the same terrarium because they will attack each other and cause bodily harm to each other.

Many reptile owners put reptiles such as leopard geckos in enclosures called terrariums because terrariums provide adequate housing and terrariums are easy to maintain.

Deciding what material to place on the floor of the terrarium is the next decision when putting together your leopard gecko setup. Sand is sometimes used on the flooring of leopard gecko enclosures but some say the gecko may eat the sand and this can be harmful for them while others argue that the sand is okay to use as a substrate. Those owners who are comfortable using sand use sand sold in most pet stores. On the other hand, some leopard gecko owners avoid sand altogether and use materials such as paper towels or newspapers. Such materials are not only cheap but they can be found anywhere. Paper towels and newspaper are also easy to replace replace but one drawback is that if one wants their setup to have a natural look then paper does not provide that.

Care should be taken before placing anything inside the lepard gecko setup. Do not place anything inside the enclosure that has been sprayed with harmful chemicals and do not put anything inside that has harmful bacteria or fungi; all of which are potential health hazards for a leopard gecko.

Lighting is another important feature of the setup. Leopard geckos require proper heating and lighting to survive. The enclosure can be placed near a window so that the geckos will know when it is day and when it is night. If this is not possible, then a standard incandescent bulb should be used and it should be kept on during the daylight hours and then turned off when night falls.

Leopard geckos require hiding spots in their terrarium. This is important because they are inclined to run and hide when startled or when they feel there is danger. The same holds true even in the terrarium; they need places to hide so one should provide such places for them.

Pet stores sell hiding boxes, rock caves and such hiding spots for leopard geckos.