AFT won't eat?

[AddixBP09]

I just got a new African Fat Tailed gecko from the petstore about 3 weeks ago and he's not eating. He's still pooping and everything so i'm confused. Maybe he's getting his nutrients from his tail? idk what i'm doing wrong though. He's in a 10 gallon tank with forest bed substrate, a cool hide, hot hide, calcium dish, water bowl, and a heat mat that covers 1/3 of the tank. I offer him 3 gut-loaded and dusted crickets everyday but he just won't eat them. I've tried putting him in a serperate container to feed him thinking that he can't see them against the brown substrate but that also didn't work. I used to have him on some coconut chunk substrate but noticed that the crickets would burrow in it so i changed it to the forest bed. If anyone has a few words of advise i would love to get some help- thanks!

 

[Imperial Geckos]

how big is your gecko? and what size crickets are you feeding?

 

[GrimmyX15]

that could be temptures. How warm of yout side tank? That could explain of them slowing down if their temp is low 70 or something :?

 

[HepCatMoe]

change away from that substrate, anything with little bits and pieces could cause compaction. i use paper towel. people who like a more natural look use tile.

what is the temp in your hot hide?

 

[acpart]

I have had more trouble feeding my fat tails than anyone else. At the moment I have 1 male that hunts and eats well (but didn't for quite awhile), 1 female that used to hunt and eat until I put her in with the other 2 and then she didn't do much for about 2 months, and 1 female who has a grossly enlarged liver that used to eat but now I hand feed her (she has been to the vet, there's no treatment he has, she has lived with it now for 8 months, maintained her weight and layed 8 eggs, 4 of which hatched). They can go for quite awhile without eating much especially in the winter. If he's an adult and doesn't seem to be losing weight, keep offering every few days and see what happens. If you're really worried, hold him gently in 1 hand and poke a cricket at him head first. Often he'll grab the cricket out of annoyance and usually will then eat it. That's how I feed my stubborn female.

The hatchlings took forever to eat and really had me worried, but are now voracious.

Aliza

 

[AddixBP09]

He is about 45 grams with a decent sized tail and i'm offering small crickets. The temps on the cool side are 73-75 degrees and the temps on the warm sied are 77-80 degrees. He always sepends his time on the warm side. If that's a little cool, I have a lamp and a 50 watt infrared heating bulb that i cna use to warm things up a bit.

 

[lpcad]

I keep my fat tails on paper towels with several hides in each enclosure. The hot side I keep at 90 degrees.

 

[acpart]

I also keep the hot side (floor, not air temp) in the low 90's. At 45 grams, you could easily offer large crickets and he might find them easier to catch. You could also consider putting 4-5 in there so there's some competition. I keep my fat tails in a planted tank with coco fiber and no one has had a problem yet.

Aliza

 

[AddixBP09]

That's true, but he doesn't even seem to be interesting in them. He acts as if they're not there

 

[BSM]

Another thing to look into would be different feeders as well. Some of my fat tails particularly my males will only take mealworms when they use to eat roaches before i introduced them to them. All my females are not picky and will eat anything offered

 

[AddixBP09]

when i saw him in his tank at the pet store he had like 30 crickets running sround with him so idk if he was eating those there or not though. The pet store only had him about 5 days

 

[BSM]

give him time to settle in and put a dish of meal worms in there and time will tell.

 

[chansbrow]

Bailey, He needs to be warmer. 90-92 hot side - 82-84 cool. get his temps up and give him a little time, he's likely been through quite a bit to get into your care.

Chris

 

[AddixBP09]

I think he's eating now. After a while i hand fed him about 7 crickets then i just put a few in there each day and after about and hour i didn't see him eating them but they were disappearing lol so i guess everything's good now. Thanks for the help everyone

 

[Bongo]

I'm glad to hear that.