Co-hab housing??

[brookec]

Originally we started with 3 female Leopard Geckos that all lived together. We never had any issues with them getting along and were careful to make sure they all ate well and monitored their weight. Two of the original geckos have since passed away and I acquired a new female last October. One girl has a 20 gallon long and the other has a 29 gallon. Yesterday I just bought a 40 gal breeder tank and a new 20 gal long with a sliding lid. They were a really good deal that I couldn't pass up. My first thought was to move my corn snake from her 29 gal into the 40 and take advantage of the nice sliding lid on the 20 and move my one Leo from the 29 into that. BUT - I just got to thinking that it may be nice to put both Leos together in the 40 gallon and keep my corn in the 29 that she is in. It would mean one less tank around the house and the corn seems perfectly fine right now anyway. I have plenty of hides so that I could provide several for each gecko and even separate food/water. Is this a really bad idea? I should also mention that my geckos are within 10 grams of each other in size and one prefers crickets and the other mealworms so I don't envision them fighting over food either. I was thinking of leaving their current tanks setup and setting up the new one and doing a trial in it fully supervised and seeing how it goes. That way they would both be on neutral ground.

 

[katie_]

Its always a risk to place your geckos together, it is up to you to take that risk. Would you be heartbroken if you had a dropped tail? Can you afford a possible vet visit due to fights?
This is an issue only YOU can decide youre okay with, no one here can make that decision for you.

IMO - I wouldnt risk my beloved pets, no matter how small the risk may be.

 

[Nick D.]

You must be really nice Katie. how much within 10 grams? because even 8g is a sizeable difference. If you were going to do it id put some weight on the smaller one, say within 3-4grams. Just my opinion.

 

[brookec]

I just checked my records and when I weighed them in June Chance was 73 grams and Philomena was 75 grams. I am due to weigh them again this coming weekend (I do the geckos monthly) so I can see if they are still close. I couldn't remember exactly without looking as I usually weigh both Leos and both snakes on the same day and record it and from there the numbers are usually mixed up in my head!!
I do really care about my pets and would never want to harm them. I've had Chance nearly 5 years and Phil since last October and I really love them. I just thought this new tank would be great for giving them room to roam and spread their hides out. I find the depth of the 20 gallon limiting.

 

[Kaila]

You need to be ready for a vet bill if they fight. Also, don't forget that you have to quarantine them for 60 to 90 days.

 

[meg1877]

Have they ever seen each other before? you could start out by either putting their tanks next to each other and see if they would get along. or you could put them in the 40 breed and use a divider. I wouldnt just throw them in together with out knowing if they get along. However i think leos prefer to have their own space, at least mine do. Good luck.

 

[katie_]

You must be really nice Katie. how much within 10 grams? because even 8g is a sizeable difference. If you were going to do it id put some weight on the smaller one, say within 3-4grams. Just my opinion.

Why do you say that?

 

[Nick D.]

Just expressing so much love for your animals, a good thing

 

[brookec]

They have seen each other several times now. I kept Phil on the opposite side of the house from all of our other animals for the first 5 months we had her. Now on the deep clean days I put Phil & Chance (my leos) side by side in clear tubs (once per month) on a table. They don't seem to bristle at each other or anything.
I also have done a few photo shoots of them where I had both out on my bed (I spread a black sheet out over the top of the bed). I had my daughter and I both there and we kept them at a distance, but neither seemed to care. I have had their tanks next to each other for short times when I was rearranging and while holding them they have encountered each other. Chance did fine when she lived with other females before and supposidly PHil lived with other females when she was at the breeder before her previous owners got her. It seems like so many other people are co-habbing geckos so I thought I would consider it. I'm still not sure what the right call is.

 

[geckoguru929]

They are solitary reptiles, so do best housed alone.

 

[katie_]

I feel like youre just looking for someone to say "Oh they'll be fine, you can do it, no risks involved". You wont find that here.