Hot or Cool Side?

[CallDr]

Our new Bell is having a hard time ( or slow ) adjusting but it's only been a little over a week now. She is in a 10gal tank and there is not much room. She was eating and pooping great but slowed down eating only one cricket a day and not pooping.

She was always staying on the hot side so I switched the Hide and the log ( reverse as you see it now... hot on the left side ) She switched today and stayed in the Hide on the cool side today ( right side of tank as you see it).

At night she goes to the corner of the tank and stands up .... like trying to get out. Stays like that for a long time.

Any thoughts?

 

[RagginOut]

Sounds like she's just adjusting and you're overly worrying


I was doing the same thing til my kiddo said, "Dad, you worry about the lizards more than you do us." Pretty much put me in check, lol. The lizards are doing fine now, in fact all 4 of them have started shedding.

 

[CallDr]

Maybe I need to ask the question another way. She likes the Hide better than under the log. So should the "most used" Hide be on the hot or cool side? Where she is in the pic is where she poops...... so moving the 2 around is not a lot of room.

I did notice she maybe drinking more water than my other? Is that a sign of anything?

You can't help to worry when your new at this and so.... up comes the questions..lol!

 

[bman123]

So she likes one hide more then the other? You can get another hide that is the same.
I got my Leo last weds and this is how he's been. Ate 3 superworms and 1 large cricket Thursday, pooped Friday, shed Saturday, ate 3 large crickets sunday, pooped yesterday and refused food today.
We both got our Leo around the same time then. I'm new to this to so maybe we can see how each other is doing.

How much has she ate? My guy seems to be on a eat every 3 day schedule

 

[bman123]

My Leo has two hides that are the exact same. He spends most of his time in the hot hide. Sounds like she likes one hide more then the other. Try to get two of the same hide if you can that should fix the problem as it seems she prefers one hide over the other.

 

[CallDr]

Same 2 will not fit...... thats why I got the log.

 

[bman123]

I don't know man, I would want her to stay warm. Does she come out of the hot side and go to the cool at all if her favorite hide is on the hot side? They say you should have two of the same hides. Maybe you can try out two rubbermaid containers as hides and see if she will use those.

That's what I use, I got four of them for $2.50 at the dollar store. Just cut a hole in the front for her to walk in. My boy uses both the hot and cool hides but he is in the hot hide 90% of the time..

 

[bman123]

It's a cheap try man, it's only $2.50 and it might work. 10gal tanks are so small, I have a 20gal tall and it's too small to put stuff into it. Here is a pic of my setup with a 20gal tall
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad105/Bricemaupin/1271612751.jpg
the pic makes it look like there is alot of room but there isn't. He can come out and walk around tho, he is about 9 1/2 inches long too

 

[bman123]

I know pet supplies plus has 20gal long tanks on sale for $23.99 right now with no lid I think the lid is $13. I don't know how big your Leo is but a 10gal tank is pretty small. Either use 2 smaller hides or get a bigger tank. That's all I can think of, your one hide looks pretty big.

 

[CallDr]

i think it's the blind leading the blind.....lol

 

[bman123]

Your probably right lol. It's worth a try tho. If you have two hides that are the same then it shouldn't make a differnece. I know when I got my ball python I had two different hides and he would only use one of them. It was the same way as you I switched sides and he went to the other side and would only use a certain hide.

What about those small container that you get lunch meat in? Those are little and I'm sure you can fit two of those into a 10gallon tank. I'm just trying to help, I can't think of anything else to do. It's obvious the hide is the problem, try the cheap route and see if it works. Or maybe use the deli cups that the pet store uses to put superworms in. They are like 3 1/2 tall and 4 inch round that might work also..

 

[CallDr]

Your probably right lol. It's worth a try tho. If you have two hides that are the same then it shouldn't make a differnece. I know when I got my ball python I had two different hides and he would only use one of them. It was the same way as you I switched sides and he went to the other side and would only use a certain hide.

What about those small container that you get lunch meat in? Those are little and I'm sure you can fit two of those into a 10gallon tank. I'm just trying to help, I can't think of anything else to do. It's obvious the hide is the problem, try the cheap route and see if it works. Or maybe use the deli cups that the pet store uses to put superworms in. They are like 3 1/2 tall and 4 inch round that might work also..

2 want fit.........LOL

 

[bman123]

I guarantee two of those small lunch meat containers will fit, you can get them at the dollar store. I think they measure 3 inch wide by 4 long by 3 tall. I don't remember what a 10gal tank measures. If you put them in the the back corners facing front to back you should have some room left. You could do your water and calcium dish in the front in the middle and have some room left.

 

[bman123]

How wide is a 10g tank like 20 inches? I know my 20tall is 24 wide. Let me know what happens and if you figure something out.

 

[RagginOut]

have you double checked the temps on the hot side?

 

[CallDr]

have you double checked the temps on the hot side?

Yes..... I took all the flooring out and measured the Pad directly to the glass. It was 118 in the middle and 95 on the outside. FYI..... hottest spot with tile was 101.

Thats why I put the Log along the cooler side ( not middle ) of the heated area.

I added ( had extra ) layer of tile to see if I could get the floor temp down to a more even heat. Just to try something new.

But I don't think it is a heat issue as I did not have the Hide over the Hot Spot.

 

[CallDr]

I put her in the classifieds and think she needs an experienced Gecko owner who can get and give her a good home.

 

[bman123]

Why not try to put some newspaper on the hotside? That should help with the temp some. Or get a lamp dimmer from lowes for $8 and turn it down some which will lower the heat output of the uth. It takes awhile to get stuff right without buying a $80 thermostat. You just gotta play around withthe stuff til you get it right.

 

[bman123]

She looks really nice in that pic you posted. I think you should try and keep her. Give her a chance. Your doing alot better then alot of the people on here. Some people come on here and don't have thermometers and stuff. I say give it a chance.

 

[robin]

I put her in the classifieds and think she needs an experienced Gecko owner who can get and give her a good home.

you want the warm side to be 90 on top of the tile not underneath it. if you can not handle this gecko then you have business with any gecko. you have had her only 1 1/2 weeks. sometimes some geckos can take weeks to start eating. in your enclosure you do not even have a humid hide this is BASIC keeping. you want her hides to be kind smaller they like to be snug when hiding.

i can't believe only after one and a half weeks you feel this gecko needs a more experienced owner. start out reading some of the care sheets in the articles section for basic info.(it is at the top of the page)get her temps right and give her some time to adjust and she will be fine. buy yourself a thermostat so you can control the temps better.