Dropped tail, HELP?! :(

[bubblez825]

Okay so, I've had a SHTCT and a regular tang living together for the past few years. On saturday night, I put them two and my MS (all female) together in one tank. I've been watching them very closely and they have all been getting along perfectly fine and I've had no problems with them whatsoever. all have been eating, sleeping together, so on so fourth. well, i left my house this morning at about noon and came back at about 2:45. Before i left, all the geckos were fine, and when i returned, my SHTCT had completely dropped her tail!!! What do you think could have happened?? what do i do, how do i take care of her?? I took my MS out of the tank and put her in her own, but i left the two tangs together... please help?!

~Emily

 

[Mickykayla]

It's surprising how their behaviour can change when your back is turned. It's unfortunate but it happens. Personally I would try and keep the one with the dropped tail separate for a while. It's probably quite stressed atm. Just try to keep it clean and maybe use something like F10.

Geckos operate on a hierarchy and when they come into contact with new geckos they try to assert their dominance and figure out their 'ranks'. This is usually not aggressive, but the new addition could have spooked the SHTCT. Especially being introduced to two new geckos and a new viv the MS may have been a little too 'on guard.'
Personally I keep all mine in separate vivs. Just to be sure.
Good luck

 

[bubblez825]

okay, ill separate the SHTCT, thank you do you think my tang will be okay with the MS? i dont have enough vivs to separate all three... i left the tangs together and separated the MS since they have been together for years. i thought it might stress the SHTCT, and the tang as well, more separating them from eachother?? and also, what is F10? I've had ONE dropped tail in the past but it was a teacher's lizard, and i always used neosporin, would that work? I already but a little bit on the SHTCT's tail... It was many years ago so i don't remember how i took care of my teacher's lizard :/

 

[katie_]

I would keep ALL your geckos seperate to avoid any more stress or injury.

 

[bubblez825]

my problem is i dont have any tubs or any more vivs :/ i just have the two. my other ones are two tens, both of which have a male in it, and a 20 with a dragon(going to get a bigger tank soon)

 

[Mickykayla]

I agree with Katie, even a spare plastic tub or anything for now would be better than keeping them together. Do you have a spare heat mat or anything? I wouldnt leave the other two together, The MS would have been stressed coming into contant with new geckos and the one with the dropped tail will be stressed. If you can get a plastic tub or something for the dropped tail, and keep it sterile, that would be good. What substrate are they on? Loose substrate would not be good for the dropped tail, as it could get stuck in the wound ect. (if loose substrate maybe consider tile, there are many topics on this forum about it)

F10 is a germicidal ointment that keeps it hydrated and clean, though many other things do the same.

Were they sharing hides/food? One may have got territorial about that.

 

[Mickykayla]

Temporarily, a box or any container big enough would be better.
Keeping clean and stress free are the main priorities.

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

in my opinion the only time they should really be housed together is when their both female and have been in the same tank since birth

 

[bubblez825]

ill hve to get a tub tomorrow... i have no way of getting anywhere and no spare tubs right now. They're all on paper towels(I don't believe in loose subs) and had two large hides in the tank as well as a humid hide, and a decently large water dish. i have a spare heat mat somewhere. to keep it clean, what should i use besides neosporin??

 

[bubblez825]

all three are female and the two tangs have been together since they were i think about 6 months to 8 months old i think?? its been a few years since i got them. and the MS isnt much younger. ive been slowly introducing them over the course of the week(out on my bed together, in eachothers tanks during cleaning time, stuff like that to get them used to eachother and in eachothers territories... i thought htey were ok with eachother after they were together a night and two whole days in a row... i guess not :/)

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

thats somthing you should do when you have a whole WEEK to do nothing but monitor them 24/7

 

[Mickykayla]

Have a look in your local petshop, they should have something and will probably recommend the best alternative.

This is what I use:

http://www.bigreptileworld.co.uk/ek...10-germicidal-ointment-barrier-500g-262-p.jpg

I'm unsure what is the best arrangement regarding housing as they will be more active through the night and the MS could bully the other one.

Don't take it to heart, they are animals with animal instincts after all. I used to house two together when I first started out and found that one always tried to dominate the other one (laying on top of her, which is a gecko way of saying 'I'm the boss around here' or stealing food) after that I have always had separate vivs.

 

[Mickykayla]

For tonight, do you have any kind of box?

 

[katie_]

It has nothing to do with 'how well the geckos know each other'. Even if the geckos are 'sisters' there is always a dominate, more agressive one.
Its sad that you had a dropped tail, but count yourself lucky. It could have been A LOT worse.
Seperation is the way to go.
Some people can pull off having geckos live together, but I myself would never risk trying it.

 

[bubblez825]

Yeah... lesson learned right? i just wish it wasn't a lesson that involved a dropped tail...and just a bite or two or a couple cuts :/ I'm trying to sell the mack, i have been for a few months. i wont have to worry about putting her back with the other two if i do end up selling her...

as of right now i have the tangs together since they know eachother and have lived together for like 4 or 5 years. the mack is separate. im going to try to get a tub or something tomorrow for the mack so i can have the SHTCT in a tank and watch her. is there an age where the tails stop regenerating? she has NEVER lost her tail before; none of my geckos ever have...

 

[bubblez825]

i literally dont have any type of box or container unless you want me to get rid of my mealworm colony... and i need that to feed them all. I'm sure the tangs will be fine together for one night, they have a huge tank and plenty of hides and they've been together for 4 or 5 years... I'm going to keep a close eye on them though.

 

[katie_]

She'll grow a new one, it just won't be pretty.

 

[Mickykayla]

From the point of view of the MS. It's been put in a new home with two strangers after being used to having its own home. It now thinks its going to have to assert dominance to get a share of the food and hides etc. It's just animal instincts, fight to survive.

Good luck, hope the tail heals nicely.

 

[bubblez825]

yeah, i get that... it was just a plan that went all wrong. I feel bad for putting my geckos in that situation :/ Thanks for the help guys

one last question just to clarify; so it IS ok to use neosporin? i dont have much money to go get something "special" for it, and ive heard of people using neosporin in the past and thats what i used on my teachers leopard gecko when she dropped her tail years ago. would that work? and is there any solution i can use to clean it? like maybe warm water wit ha TINY bit of peroxide, or salt water or something?

 

[katie_]

Neosporin has such little antibiotic properties, so its safe but somewhat useless.