Gecko Not Growing

[MissLyssx3]

Hey everyone! Lyss here!

So I've had my girl since May 15th, and when I first got her she was TINY. No fat on her tail or anything.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...10440768890_1474230102_31406584_7247799_n.jpg

This is her the day I got her. Now she's gotten a lot bigger. I'll post pictures later, but she's stopped growing. I bought an entire set up when I got her. I had been wanting one, so I got a 10 gallon glass tank, 2 bowls (one for water, the other for her calcium), the liner for the bottom, a rock for her to sleep in, and 2 lights (a day time light, and a night time light).

Well I went to a reptile show on Saturday and was told I shouldn't be using non-natural lighting. So I bought one of the under tank heating pads.. It's on the side where her food isn't. I was told by doing this she'd become more active and eat more, which in turn would get her to start to grow and digest her food better. Yet, all shes been doing since i got that has been sleeping!? She doesn't come out, and only eats when I take her rock out so she can't go back in it! I don't know what to do. Love the little girl to death, but she's stressing me out. I clean her cage every week, I change her water daily. I had NO IDEA she needed to be given calcium so I just started that last week. Could that have anything to do with it?

She constantly has a dish of Repti-Cal w/o D-3 in her tank at all times. Her food always gets dusted with it. She get's multivitamins twice a week now, and Repti-Cal w/ D-3 once a month.. She eats crickets mostly, and superworms sometimes. On occasion I'll give her waxworms as a treat and she devours them.

I just don't know how to make her grow. Any ideas?

Thanks everyone! <3

 

[Repkyle]

How much does she weigh? im no expert but people on here are really helpfull. Sounds like your doing everything right, maybe you can upload that current pic so we can see whay shap shes in
No dought someone will chime in with addvice pritty soon

 

[fl_orchidslave]

You've just made changes a couple days ago, so now she needs a chance to adjust her body to it. Keep reading threads on this forum, you'll get a better idea of what to do (and not do) and how things can progress. No gecko changes everything overnight. Be patient.

 

[BrightReptiles]

That looks like the situation I'm having with my jungle mac snow. Eating healthy but no weight gain.

 

[rickmoss95]

every animal is different too, some will grow faster than others will. if she is eating good and you just switched, i wouldnt worry too much. also leopard geckos are nocturnal, so she will be active at night, not during the day...so if you dont see her running around in the daytime hours, see if she is out at night. i would also only use the vitamins once a week and not twice. if her tail has gotten fatter, then all is well. she may start to grow at a little faster rate now that she has belly heat. keep us updated and we will help you ease your mind. is her appetite good? what substrate are you using? i wouldnt worry about her hiding, they are prey in the wild, so they hide alot. try to sit really still at night and see if she comes out and becomes more active. if you are having a hard time seeing her, get a LOW wattage red light and put it above her cage, aimed at the cage...she will probably come out and you can watch her. try leaving a bowl of meal worms or super worms in overnight and see if she eats...without pulling her out of her hide. plus this method will not stress her as much as pulling her out of her hide and taking it from her. hope i could help.

 

[Pinky81]

Lyss

Im with Laney you made good changes now give it time. Also if there is anything that you could purchase right now it would be a kitchen "gram" scale. Sometimes it looks as though these guys aren't growing but when you actually weigh them they are gaining weight.

Also are you measuring your temps? And if so with what? An UTH great but sometimes without a thermostat you still may not beable to control the temps correctly.

BTW your little one is very pretty!!!

 

[MissLyssx3]

Here are two pictures I got of her today when I had her out (I handle her for 5 minutes every day. Just something I do so she knows who I am, and she never minds it. Just runs all over me!)

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...96286974929_1474230102_31598499_1585029_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...96288254961_1474230102_31598501_3170546_n.jpg

 

[MissLyssx3]

I was measuring her temps when I had the lights because I knew first hand from being burned how hot they could get, but now I don't know how to measure them with the under tank heater. Seems like it wouldn't work. && she comes out at night. She watches me, haha.

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely keep this updated on how she's doing..
&& I'll look into purchasing a gram scale so I can weigh her.

 

[scm133]

I am no expert, but she looks good. Nice fat tail!! Be sure and post her weight. Oh, and get a digital probe thermometer to measure the temp of the UTH. Also, I personally like a thermostat vs dimmer to keep temps constant.

 

[Pinky81]

Zoo Med or Zilla make Digital Thermometer Probes. You put the probe tip on the tank bottom right over the UTH. This way you know what temp you Gecko is laying on. Temps should be between 90-95degrees F. Your little one looks great!

 

[rickmoss95]

she looks really good! also for temps look at the infra red temp guns, they start at 25 dollars(U.S.) and you only need one for any number of tanks you may have. these are a non contact "gun" type device that measures temps VERY accurately. you can also check every inch of every enclosure instantly...instead of moving a temp probe all around your cage and waiting for the temps to read correctly. check out tempgun.com or proexotics.com (they are the same companies) i always see tons of people reccomend thermometers with a temp probe, but tempguns are so much more accurate, and you only need ONE for no matter how many cages you have to temp check. just my opinion, but temp guns are the best way to go. all you do is point the tempgun at whatever you want to know the temp of, push the button, and it tells you instantly! that simple