Humid Hide Only, No Water Dish?

[GeckoGoon]

Hey, just wondering if anyone only uses a humid hide and doesn't provide a water dish. I've heard of quite a few breeders doing this in rack systems.
It seems to work fine, as the gecko is being hydrated inside the humid hide, and never has problems passing food.

What do you guys think?:main_robin:

 

[im faster]

doesnt seem like a good idea to me.. but id like to heare what others say

 

[houseb]

This seems like one of those situations where I'd rather have the water there for the gecko and not need it, than need it and not have it. Plus other factors, such as diet, I'm sure play a role in how much water your gecko needs.

 

[Taquiq]

I would just go with the water bowl and put the humid hide in only when shedding.

 

[GeckoGoon]

One reason I like just using the humid hide is because even when I use a shallow bowl of water, a cricket will always go straight into the water and die.
:main_angry:

 

[TokayKeeper]

I do it, but mainly due to geckos knocking over water bowls or filling water bowls with sand, which results in water wicking out and making the cage a breeding ground for bacteria. This is a big problem for me as my geckos are quite active and love to dig. I use to do water bowls in my cages when only using paper towels about 10 years ago, but I had similar problems with paper towel corners touching water bowls and then I'd come home from school/college/work to find a soaked cage.

From a different perspective...

keep in mind these geckos are a desert, desert grasslands, and semi-arid species, depending upon habitat within their distribution. Many animals in such environments are adapted to store fat or water, case in point a leopard gecko's tail. In times of little to no precipitation, water is sequestered from prey items. In times where enough precipitation allows for moisture to remain hidden under cover (rocks, decaying plant material, or even artificial cover), usually such set up allows for the moisture to condense along the top (bottom to us) of said piece of cover. The animals will be able to lick this condensed water off the cover surface.

Knocking on wood...in my 15 years of keeping leos, my only losses total 2. First was an adult I was given back in 1998. I knew she had issues, the greatest were her eyelids were deformed resulting in them continually growing and covering her ocular scale. She died back in 2008. The 2nd was a baby I'd produced in 2008 and later that year I went through a period of strong depression caused by work. I'd come home from work and do nothing. I'm actually ashamed and embarrassed that I allowed myself to be controlled by such to the point of neglecting my own personal collection and self. It's not something I've publically revealed until now either.

All that said, I generally allow my hides to dry out, but not fully. I then rehydrate them (I use ground coconut fiber....aka bed-a-beast, forest bed, etc) and in the past I've also used a spray bottle or garden sprayer to mist the hides. Additionally, I provide my crickets a very well balanced, personally prepared diet (search for my posts regarding it from years ago) which also allows for the crickets to be well hydrated. This, in turn, I believe it passed on to the geckos as their tails are quite plump.

Food for thought though...I don't know what's happening to the histology of the geckos, particularly their kidneys and liver. But, I've got 16 and 15 year old leo geckos that are still kicking with full clean bills of health. I do know that in the cases of my green tree pythons, especially hatchlings, if I were to do the above I'd have all sorts of kidney failures -- but they're a tropical species.

 

[GeckoGoon]

I agree with the above post.
Pretty much how I feel about it.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

IMO it's a matter of knowing your animals well. If you need to ask this question, chances are you do not have enough experience to know if their water intake would be adequate in your setup without a water dish. Please don't take this wrong, it's not meant to be offensive in any way. Merely a matter of experience.

 

[GeckoGoon]

I've actually been just using humid hide for two years now.
I was only asking about it because a lot of people have questioned me, and I had thought it was pretty common.

 

[tlbowling]

I've seen mine use their water bowls way too often to ever just not have one available, most also have a humid hide at all times, except for the few who abuse it Those folks only are allowed theirs at shedding time