Cooling

[Halley]

Cooling

Okay, this is what I’ve read on how to cool.

1. Stop feeding for 10 days, to allow all food to pass through the gecko’s digestive system.
2. Take heat off on day 10, and don’t feed or turn on heat for 8 weeks, but still allow water.
3. Turn heat back on after the 8 weeks, and start to feed the geckos again.

Is this correct, or totally wrong? Also do I leave the calcium in the tank with them or not?

Thanks

 

[shadowx362]

what I did last year was to continue to feed, but they only ate small portions and kept water and everything normal. I can't remember the temps they were at, but I think they were in the 70's. I think they were cooled from late late November ,early December to late January to early February. The pairs were put together in valentines day and that's what I did. They produced eggs pretty quickly after paring was done.

 

[hybrid]

Ive never heard of this...is this a hibernation trick or something?

 

[Grinning Geckos]

Cooling

Okay, this is what I’ve read on how to cool.

1. Stop feeding for 10 days, to allow all food to pass through the gecko’s digestive system.
2. Take heat off on day 10, and don’t feed or turn on heat for 8 weeks, but still allow water.
3. Turn heat back on after the 8 weeks, and start to feed the geckos again.

Is this correct, or totally wrong? Also do I leave the calcium in the tank with them or not?

Thanks

Yes to both. You have the right idea, and you still want calcium in there. This isn't something you HAVE to do...you just can. Those that have done it say it helps give you a bit of a break, and helps start the breeding season.

Rather than just totally turn the heat off, I'd ease it down starting at day 6 (or so) and back it down a bit at a time. Same thing for turning it back on. Give them at least 3-4 days of raising temperatures before you start feeding. Make sure you keep the ambient tempurature at 70-75.

The last thing you want to look out for is weight loss. Most geckos will be fine and lose very little weight...only a few grams. If you notice a big change, then that gecko needs heat and food.

 

[Halley]

Yes to both. You have the right idea, and you still want calcium in there. This isn't something you HAVE to do...you just can. Those that have done it say it helps give you a bit of a break, and helps start the breeding season.

Rather than just totally turn the heat off, I'd ease it down starting at day 6 (or so) and back it down a bit at a time. Same thing for turning it back on. Give them at least 3-4 days of raising temperatures before you start feeding. Make sure you keep the ambient tempurature at 70-75.

The last thing you want to look out for is weight loss. Most geckos will be fine and lose very little weight...only a few grams. If you notice a big change, then that gecko needs heat and food.

Thank you, that's very helpful. :main_thumbsup:

Edgar, I thank you as well.

 

[Halley]

Ive never heard of this...is this a hibernation trick or something?

Basically, I’ve thought about doing it before just to cut down on feeding cost. :main_laugh:

Also I just thought of another question.

About how long after the female is done laying can you start to cool her?

 

[Grinning Geckos]

Wait a few weeks to be sure she's not forming any more follicles. If you don't see any after about 3 weeks from the last lay, then you should be good to go. Don't worry if you see them form after you start the cooling process. The cool "weather" makes them instinctively shut down the egg-machine, and they should stop forming them and reabsorb them. If it looks like one is developing eggs despite the cooling, I'd get her on heat just to be safe.

 

[Halley]

Another Stupid Question

Okay, so if a female is laying, gets done and is a good weight, I can cool her after about 3 weeks of her being done? Then once she is done being cooled she can be breed again, without negative consequences? I wouldn’t want to do it, if it’d put a lot of strain on the female. So how long should you wait for their bodies to recuperate after laying, to cool? None at all, will they be okay, or should I wait a while?

 

[Halley]

Bump

 

[acpart]

. . .
The last thing you want to look out for is weight loss. Most geckos will be fine and lose very little weight...only a few grams. If you notice a big change, then that gecko needs heat and food.

The temp in my gecko room in the winter will probably be more like 60-65. Is it best to run the UTH at a very low level, to see how they do at that temp, or not to cool at all?

Aliza