Gravid Female?

[Embrace Calamity]

I have also heard many people say this but from all the info I can find myself, I have read that the amount of D3 in the supplements is a relatively small amount and a leopard gecko would have to eat the calcium powder w/D3 by the spoon full in order for it to cause a problem. I have never seen a confirmed case of a leopard gecko getting sick or dying from an overdose of D3. Im not saying it as never happened, just that I have never been able to find any information on one.

These are my feelings exactly regarding the subject, however, I'm not that experienced, so I figure it's safer to just pass on the information of those more experienced and knowledgeable than I as opposed to giving bad advice based on what I think seems more likely.

I really want to get to the point where I can have 2-3 females in with Icarus. A lot of people I talk to have several females in with one male, and everyone gets along great. I would always be able to separate them, and would never keep any together that didn't get along.

I just personally like the idea of one big cage with 3-4 all living together, than a rack with all of them separated.

If you really want to do that, you need to wait until they're all old enough and of the same size. By putting them together before they're ready, you're putting them all at risk. As was already stated, your geckos ARE showing signs of dominance (and it would not be much of a surprise if these things escalated). Furthermore, your male isn't eating as much, and I'm willing to bet just about anything that it's because he's stressed. Fifty bucks says if you were to put him in his own enclosure, he would eat like a champ and gain plenty of weight. These are not social creatures. They do not live in tiny little areas all clustered together all year round, so forcing them to do so just because you "like the idea" isn't fair to them. If you are at all concerned with the well-being of your geckos, you should be taking the advice actually given to you and separating them.

Furthermore, the people who keep them together successfully are the exception, not the rule. Even most breeders don't do that (by the way, what do you plan on doing with 30-40 babies every year?) Just because they should be housed separately, that doesn't mean they need to be kept in racks (and don't give the "I don't have room for enclosures for all of them" argument, because the obvious response to that is: THEN DON'T GET THEM).

~Maggot

 

[katie_]

I would be concerned with how many eggs you'd get.
Why not play with the idea of a female tank, and not the male?

 

[katie_]

http://geckoforums.net/f162-general-discussion/85741.htm

http://geckoforums.net/f130-health-medications/80785.htm

Here are two scary pictures that have been stuck in my brain. I wont even house any gecko together ever because of this. Females are also capable of doing this to each other, its not JUST males.
Not worth the risk to me, I'd also keep the couple bucks in my pocket and not give it to my vet

 

[Samantha12]

Not to undermine what everyone here is saying, but I keep 3 females in a 40 gallon breeder together and have no problems, although they all lay on each other similar to what you've shown in your pictures (not completely on top like in one of your photos, but with their heads resting on each other). I started with one gecko and after a year added another and after another year I got my third. They have never fought.
One of my females (the first one I got) is just smaller. I'm pretty sure it's a genetic thing. I feed them all separately, so I've never questioned whether they fight for food, however I did wonder if her small size was due to her tank-mates, so I put her in an enclosure alone for 2 months. There was no change in activity, appetite, or weight gain, so I moved her back.
I'm not saying that there's no way your female is a bully, but it could just be that your male is a slow grower or just genetically smaller like my female. Plenty of people are successful in keeping several geckos together. All that being said, they really are too young to mate and perhaps should be separated until they are both adults.

 

[acpart]

I'm one of those breeders who keeps small breeding colonies together with no problems. I also have geckos that despite proper temps, humid hides and proper supplementation (Repashy calcium plus) have trouble shedding. Based on all the information and (so far reasonably polite) give and take, I'd recommend separating them till the male reaches 50 grams and then trying them back together in a large cage with multiple hides.

Aliza

 

[shedevilx15]

Furthermore, the people who keep them together successfully are the exception, not the rule. Even most breeders don't do that (by the way, what do you plan on doing with 30-40 babies every year?) Just because they should be housed separately, that doesn't mean they need to be kept in racks (and don't give the "I don't have room for enclosures for all of them" argument, because the obvious response to that is: THEN DON'T GET THEM).

~Maggot

I never said, and would never say that. And you really have no right to be telling me what I can or cant do or say. I may only be 24, But I own my own house and have plenty of room for many more tanks. I also have a husband and two daughters that love to help me care for our pets.

I know my male is happy, he wanders all over the tank, climbs into the moist hide whenever he wants, eats from the dish and the calcium/vitamin powder dish, and gladly takes food from tweezers as well. He's actually eating more now, then he was before I put her in with him a couple weeks ago.

He's a mack snow, and I've been told genetically they are much smaller than some other types and take longer to mature.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

have plenty of room for many more tanks.

So then what was the point of this?: "I just personally like the idea of one big cage with 3-4 all living together, than a rack with all of them separated." You presented those are the only two options when you're now saying they're certainly not.

He's a mack snow, and I've been told genetically they are much smaller than some other types and take longer to mature.

That sounds dodgy. I've never heard of such a thing. I'm pretty sure that's not true.

~Maggot

 

[acpart]

We've made it nearly all the way here without getting personal. Let's strive to keep it that way.

Aliza