Public Service Announcement for "Newbs" - Please Read!

fuzzylogix

Carpe Diem
Messages
2,115
Location
Dallas, TX
As I'm sure most of you have noticed there has been a great influx of new members and sadly a decline in thread responses from some of our more seasoned veterans. I am writing this to help out the new people, and shed some light on some very common and frustrating issues. Please take this for what you will, but it comes from my experiences as member here, and as a hobbyist. This doesn't come close to scratching the surface of the involvement of keeping leos, but I think it's a good start.

1. Before you post that "I just got this gecko from BigChainPetStore, can you identify its morph" thread, do some research. There are a multitude of informational sites out there on the interwebz that can help you with identification of phenotypes. One in particular would be www.leopardgeckowiki.com. It may not be the absolute morph "bible" if you will, but is a great starting spot. If you have done the research, and are still having problems, then by all means post away. Just make sure that you indicate what sources you have checked, and I can assure you that you will get a much better response from other members. If you don't have the initiative to do the "hard" work yourself, then you probably shouldn't own a leo in the first place.

2. There is MUCH more to successfully breeding reptiles than putting a male in with a female. Again, do some research. If you post a thread asking "I just got my first leos. one male from BigChainPetStore and one female from CL. how do I breed them", trust me, you aren't going to like the responses you get. You need to be able to make sure that you can properly take care of one gecko before you decide to bring another 10-12 into the world. And yes, one breeding pair of leos can produce 10 or more offspring in one breeding season. Like I stated above, if you show that you have been researching, and have specific, educated questions, the responses you get will be much more helpful. Oh, and if in the same thread you ask "and can you tell me what morph they are", you really need to think about another hobby.

3. Respect other's opinions whether or not you agree or disagree. Everyone here is free to have their own thought process, but if you actually listen to what people say, you may just learn something. Which brings me to number 4.

4. You don't know everything. I have kept reptiles my entire life, and I'm still learning. I hope I never stop...

5. Post count means squat. There are some very experienced keepers and breeders here that have less than 1000 posts. And then there are some people that have been here just a couple of months with well over that. Don't just post random garbage to get your post count up. This is not a popularity contest.

6. See that orange bar up there at the top of the screen under the site sponsors? There is an option there called "Search". Use it. You might just find what you are looking for. And if not, again, post away.

7. Take some time to read the TOS. Our moderators and admins work hard to make sure this is the best forum out there. And Kelli is a great person, but I don't think she would hesitate to smack you down if you get out of line.

8. People post threads here daily regarding medical advice. If you are reading a thread, and are not 100% sure that you can give helpful advice, then don't. Which brings me to number 9.

9. If you have a gecko or other animal with a serious medical condition, seek vet care immediately. Don't post a thread about how your gecko is bleeding out of every orifice and want to know what you should do. You are responsible for that animal's life. If you can't afford vet care, then you shouldn't own that animal. Period.

10. Common sense. Use it. It will get you far here.

11. You will not get rich breeding leopard geckos. There are handful of breeders out there who have made a living off this, but they have years of experience and their reputations are (mostly) pristine. I won't even come close to breaking even this year, but I do it because I have a passion for reptiles. If you are here because you see geckos as a commodity only, you are in the wrong place.

12. Last but not least, HAVE FUN! This is a great place to meet new people with like interests, and learn something new along the way. Relax and be yourself. You will find that the more positive you are, the more receptive people will be to you. There have been many people that have joined here seeking attention, and I promise you, it didn't go well.

oh and almost forgot.. WE LOVE TO SEE PICTURES OF YOUR GECKOS! :main_thumbsup:

Sorry about the long, drawn out thread. I welcome other "tips" to be posted by members as well.
 

fl_orchidslave

New Member
Messages
4,074
Location
St. Augustine, FL
Don't you just love it when someone posts 6 threads a day, each asking one question? Then if they don't like the answers offered, they start a new thread hoping for different advice?
 

Wowoklol

New Member
Messages
456
Location
Columbus, Ohio
If they don't read the stickies or anything else, what makes you think they'll read your post?
I'd like to recommend an ammended "TOS" covering some FAQs which is then linked to a quick quiz. Which would cover the they very basics. ONly way to opt out would be a quicker, more "advanced" questions or small set of questions. FORCE them to read the basics or not participate. They will be learning also as soon as they hit the site.

Also setup a rule to where you have to use the "search" function at least ONE time before you can make a post :) Or a warning anyhow. "If the question you are about to ask, involves substrate, heating, breeding, feeding/not feeding/pooping/not pooping, hiding lizards and lizards not wanting to be handled withing the first week of you owning them, then it has probably already been asked. 1,000 times. Seek those threads out first please before asking. Thank you!








sbh4<-- A few words from "Mr. E" our little enigma boy :) Those were the keys he seemed to like most on he recent excursion around the keyboard.
 
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OnlineGeckos

New Member
Messages
1,407
Location
SoCal
The thing that bugs me the most about some posts is seeing someone totally new to leopard geckos, some even admit to *just* be getting leopard geckos...and seeing them jump right into wanting to breed them. I really don't know what the motive is for these individuals, if they think this is an easy way to make money or what. But I think before anybody breeds any animals, you should at least have owned these animals and watched their behaviors for quite awhile to know something about them before breeding anything. You should also have studied the genetics to know the good & bad about mixing certain morphs.

It's just sad to see some people totally new to leopard geckos, not even well versed in how to house them properly, to jump right in to breeding. That's just asking for trouble in my opinion.

Other than that, I have absolutely no problems answering questions people have. A bad question is only a question you don't ask or are afraid to ask. Anybody used to the online communities & social media already know no matter how many times you post it, or how many stickies you create, people will still prefer to post to ask questions rather than search for an answer or read a sticky. That's just the nature of online forums. If someone can't ask questions, they'll go to another forum to ask questions. It's the interaction that draws people to these online forums, not just idle novels and resources.

So I hope everybody who reads this thread or any other threads to not be afraid to ask questions. I know there are always people who have been around forever who are just tired of answering the similar questions people have. But hey, not everybody is an old veteran, not everybody's been doing the same dance for years and years. Encouraging new hobbyists and new community members is the only way to keep this going. I myself just joined the forum a month ago, and while I've totally been addicted to leopard geckos, I'm not even considering to breed anytime soon because I want to know as much as I can about them first. The community here have been helpful so I personally don't mind answering even the dumbest of the newbiest questions.
 
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fuzzylogix

Carpe Diem
Messages
2,115
Location
Dallas, TX
Mardy I completely agree with you, and I will continue to answer those posts. But I am by no means an expert, and there is always someone out there that knows more. The problem I am seeing is exactly what Laney stated. The same posts over and over again and each of those thread starters given the exact same information. The redundancy of answering the same exact question when the answers are already here can be taxing. I personally will continue to reply and help out whenever I can, but we seem to be losing interest from some of our more valuable members. The point of this post was to help out our new members with some helpful info, as well as try to draw back in our veteran members. The experiences and assistance of those members has been vital in my evolution as a responsible and successful keeper and breeder. I had my share of those "what's this morph" threads when I started out, but I researched first and made educated guesses in my posts as to what I thought they were. So again, I've been there, done that, and remember how confusing it was when I started. Hell, there are still things when speaking about advanced genetics that confuse me, lol. So as for me, I will continue to help people when I can, and hope that people reading this get the general idea.
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,119
Location
Somerville, MA
Great and complete post. It would be wonderful if it could pop up for every new member (like those "please read before you continue" things that come up sometimes). Another thing I can add, at the risk of tooting my own horn is that I frequently write (or commission) articles for Gecko Time (www.geckotime.com) in response to repetitious questions. These include topics such as: my gecko won't eat, caring for hatchlings, gecko poop, choosing a new species, how to sell you geckos, how to vend at a reptile show . . .

Aliza
 

NinjaDuo

New Member
Messages
566
Location
Central Texas
If they don't read the stickies or anything else, what makes you think they'll read your post?
I'd like to recommend an ammended "TOS" covering some FAQs which is then linked to a quick quiz. Which would cover the they very basics. ONly way to opt out would be a quicker, more "advanced" questions or small set of questions. FORCE them to read the basics or not participate. They will be learning also as soon as they hit the site.

Also setup a rule to where you have to use the "search" function at least ONE time before you can make a post :) Or a warning anyhow. "If the question you are about to ask, involves substrate, heating, breeding, feeding/not feeding/pooping/not pooping, hiding lizards and lizards not wanting to be handled withing the first week of you owning them, then it has probably already been asked. 1,000 times. Seek those threads out first please before asking. Thank you!








sbh4<-- A few words from "Mr. E" our little enigma boy :) Those were the keys he seemed to like most on he recent excursion around the keyboard.

I'm not sure how you already have over 200 posts. Lol.... In less than 2 months...
 

Wowoklol

New Member
Messages
456
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I'm not sure how you already have over 200 posts. Lol.... In less than 2 months...

What is your point besides I am helpful and talk alot?? Im one of the ones helping with the "noob" questions.. Lol.... Way to try to turn this into a pissing match!
 
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NinjaDuo

New Member
Messages
566
Location
Central Texas
Lol calm down. I just found it ironic in my opinion. Chill, realize when you post in a forum others can give opinions. But you should follow these "suggested guidelines" that's all I'll say.

Op- I like :)
 

Wowoklol

New Member
Messages
456
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Lol calm down. I just found it ironic in my opinion. Chill, realize when you post in a forum others can give opinions. But you should follow these "suggested guidelines" that's all I'll say.

Op- I like :)

What guideline is that?
If you think I am the type of poster he is referring to just because of my post count, you are sadly mistaken in my opinion. Which you should agree, I am entitled to :)

The only posts here that bothered me so far are the "zomg I just hatched a bunch of babies what do I do!?!?" or the general noobie breeding stuff. The substrate and other general husbandry questions are to be expected when quite a bit of the "wrong and right" is actually mostly opinion and your experience. As TokayKeeper likes to point out, play sand can actually work. Lights on a geckos viv doesn't necessarily "stress them out".
 
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AmberJean86

New Member
Messages
81
Location
Wisconsin
Newbie here!....read the post and loved it! And I'm so glad you posted that site for morph information. I've been trying to find that since I joined. I knew it had to be somewhere! Lol and don't worry, I am just curious. I will leave all my breeding to Melissa. But be prepared.....my new gecko babies come home tomorrow, and I will be a overly worried mother. But I will show off lots of pics! Lol. But again...very well written post.
 

onebettarepublic

New Member
Messages
37
Location
Fl
Maybe if this were just a site with info and no forums people wouldn't post questions they could easily search Google for answersfor. Marty makes a good point people like to see a personal response. Hence posting to a forum. I am new here but some responses seem uptight and condescending. I can see if you answer a post and your advice is openly disregaurded by a newbie. But when i post something i usually have looked it up but want input from individuals on the forum i took the time to join...and call me crazy but i would like to be treated paitently. I have been keeping fish and belong to several fish forums. Newbie always have the same redundant questions and they post questions in hope someone will respond and even look foward
to each new response _well i do- if you are tired of answering questions you should probably not be a moderator. And for myself i just like to post as a hobby as IM learning. I know with fish keeping there are alot of different oppinions, methods, likes, etc. And there are ALOT of know it all's. I hope the people who respond to my post will only respond if they have time, paitence and amd enjoy talking.g with people about geckos and not at people. .
 
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Wild West Reptile

Leopards AFT Ball Pythons
Messages
1,863
Location
San Jose, CA
First off I want to say that I agree that this subject needed to be addressed and thank you for starting this thread Shawn.

I too am a "newbie"...not to reptile's by any means, but new to this forum. I've kept HUGE Iguanas, snakes, lizards, etc since 1985 but am fairly new to leo's. I admit that the reason I have asked a couple of questions is that I like to hear responses from experienced leo breeders and keepers. A "personal", CURRENT response is far better and much more informative than one from 3 years ago after I do take the time to research it. No offense, but things and ways of keeping these guys can possibly change, so a current response is much better for me. I guess what I'm getting at is, if your a "senior member" and don't want to answer the "newbie's" questions, then don't. But remember that everyone was a "newbie" at one time and most people are just looking for reassurance. I'll tell you what they aren't looking for...a response that is picking their post apart, literally, and making them feel like complete idiots! I've noticed quite a few very negative responses lately reading like almost every post on here! LOL! I get that some of the repeat questions can get annoying, but how about just responding that this question has been answered recently, search for it, and if you still can't find the answer you are looking for then re-post. Or don't respond at all? Then they will be forced to use the search button.

I appreciate this post....100%, and agree that the repeat questions are a little out of control. Even for me, new to this forum, the repeat questions have become slightly annoying, (and I'll try not to post anymore of them,LOL) but it's probably because they are REALLY new and don't know the ropes yet. For the senior members who answer our questions regardless, THANK YOU for your time. I mean that. Again, excellent thread/sticky. I hope that this thread makes things easier and more fun for everyone.

Chris

BTW....Congrats Boston Bruins! Any hockey fans here?????

And just for kicks, I'll post a pic of my Mack Snow Tremper Albino het Raptor..... ATHENA!!

IMG_0554.jpg
IMG_0555.jpg
 

Roaming Reptiles

Brandon Fowler
Messages
766
Location
Bakersfeild
Good post. I will say that this is what forums are for. They are here for people to ask questions period. A new person might not have all the information they need and that's why they come here or any forum for that matter. You will always have the same questions no matter what. With all the members here I'm sure someone different can answers and doesn't always need to be the same person if you are getting sick of answering them.
 

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