Intro and question

[Bowlshot]

Hi guys and gal. My bame is Ronnie I've always been interested In leopard geckos but never owned one. I've always bad snakes and frogs and bearded dragons but never a Leo. Well recently I have acquired 2 geckos from an abandoned house that I was working In. The previous owners left them there. My question is how can I make them gain weight beside just meal worms. like is there some sort of supplement that will make them gain their weigh back or other type of food source. one still has some fat to its tail the others tail is real skinny.and from what I've read in the forums that's not good. I don't have any info on these geckos but if anyone can help as to what morphs and possibly an age on them that would be greatly appreciated . Thanks in advance for your response.. P.s the purple one is the one that's really skinny sorry for the pics as they came from my phone.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Best way to get a gecko back to a healthy weight is just to make sure everything with the husbandry is right. Make sure temps are good, proper supplements are provided, there are enough hides, the enclosure is kept clean, etc. I would strongly recommend separating them, though. Leopard geckos aren't social creatures, and one that is larger will likely bully the smaller one out of the best spots and more food, which the skinny one desperately needs.

~Maggot

 

[Bowlshot]

Yes as soon as I got them I went to a local pet store a d got 2 uth 2 ten gallon tanks 2 dome lights for a basking spot I already had an infrared thermometer. Separated them and have them on paper towels to make sure that they are ok. I have them in a different room from my other reptiles just to quarantine them. Thanks for the fast response but would you guys have any idea on what morphs they would be I'm a little curious as to see what they are thanks again in advance

 

[Ozy]

You don't need the lights. Leopard geckos are crepuscular and don't bask. They absorb heat through their bellies. Make sure the floor temp on the hot side is 90-95 degrees. Mine usually runs around 93. I use a HydroFarms thermostat to keep my temps stable. Repashy Calcium Plus is an AWESOME supplement to use. Just dust every insect with it and that's all. Repashy Bug Burger is the gutload I use for my mealworms, superworms, roaches and all that. Make sure they have 3 hides. A dry warm hide, a warm humid hide and a hide on the cool side. The first one appears to be a hypo, second one looks like a bold stripe mack snow, but take that with a grain of salt, because I'm not really great at identifying morphs. LOL!

 

[Bowlshot]

You don't need the lights. Leopard geckos are crepuscular and don't bask. They absorb heat through their bellies. Make sure the floor temp on the hot side is 90-95 degrees. Mine usually runs around 93. I use a HydroFarms thermostat to keep my temps stable. Repashy Calcium Plus is an AWESOME supplement to use. Just dust every insect with it and that's all. Repashy Bug Burger is the gutload I use for my mealworms, superworms, roaches and all that. Make sure they have 3 hides. A dry warm hide, a warm humid hide and a hide on the cool side. The first one appears to be a hypo, second one looks like a bold stripe mack snow, but take that with a grain of salt, because I'm not really great at identifying morphs. LOL!

Thanks for the info I will return the lights and bulbs because they are expensive. I have plenty of hides for them just as you stated a dry warm one a humid warm one and a cool hide . I seen the yellow one eating but the little one has not yet it could be under a lot of stress maybe that's why it's not eating. But I noticed that when I changed her water today I was nowhere near the lil one and she made a noise sort of like teeth grinding.is she mad is she happy what does it Mean. I'm sorry I'm new to this and am trying to Learn as much as possible but also trying to bring them back to a healthy state so I appologize for all the questions..

 

[Ozy]

No problem.. That noise is the noise they make when they are stressed, my leo makes this noise at me when I pick her up occasionally... Because she's a brat like that. Try covering 3 sides of her tank and just leave the front open. It will make her/him feel more secure. This is my leopard gecko, Ozy.

 

[Bowlshot]

Beautiful gecko,Love that second pic. Ill cover the 3 sides like you suggested thanks for the help. Well I'm off to the long road of recovery I'm still waiting on the little one to eat but the big one is an eating machine.. It should be ok I'm more worried about the little one isn't there a way I can make its food more appealing to eat because if I see it eat I know there still a chance but if not then idk...

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Yes as soon as I got them I went to a local pet store a d got 2 uth 2 ten gallon tanks 2 dome lights for a basking spot

I would see about getting 20 LONGS when you get the chance. 10 gallons are difficult to get good temp gradients in. It won't hurt them any, but they're a good upgrade when you get the chance.

You don't need the lights. Leopard geckos are crepuscular and don't bask. They absorb heat through their bellies. Make sure the floor temp on the hot side is 90-95 degrees. Mine usually runs around 93.

I'm going to point out to OP that this is a matter of opinion. There are many different opinions on things. I personally don't like the idea of no overhead heat because it makes only the surface warm. I briefly switched from only overhead heat to only a UTH on the advice of others, and my gecko always either stayed in the warm hide or half out of it because the rest of the enclosure was barely above room temp. By keeping only the surface warm, you're forcing the gecko to stay on its belly to keep warm. After switching back to overhead heat (in conjunction with a UTH), she's happy to be out and about. And, yes, they do bask, though they don't need an actual "basking spot."

My point to OP: It's up to you. It's a matter of personal opinion, no one thing is right and one thing is wrong. Some people keep their geckos with just UTHs, some keep them with only overhead heat, and some people do both. You actually could probably use regular light bulbs rather than the basking bulbs. Regular light bulbs still put out a decent amount of heat, and with a UTH and only a 10 gallon, you probably won't need much extra heat. It's worth a try anyway. Will definitely save you a couple bucks if it works.

~Maggot

 

[DrCarrotTail]

If they are small 20longs might be a bit overwhelming in size for them just yet. I might pick up a cheap gram scale to monitor their weight. Make sure the hides you use are dark on the inside. The one made of jigsaw piece type things in your first picture looks a bit too open to provide much security. IMO they feel safer when they feel (and kind of are) hidden.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

If they are small 20longs might be a bit overwhelming in size for them just yet. I might pick up a cheap gram scale to monitor their weight. Make sure the hides you use are dark on the inside. The one made of jigsaw piece type things in your first picture looks a bit too open to provide much security. IMO they feel safer when they feel (and kind of are) hidden.

If the same amount of hiding space per square area is provided, I don't think the gecko would know much difference. If only the three hides are provided, then, yes, it would probably be a little overwhelming, since it's almost twice the surface area.

~Maggot

 

[Bowlshot]

Well unfortunately the smaller one has passed.. I guess the long time of neglect got the best of it. On the other hand the bigger one is doing awesome its a male a d I've decide to name him "dirt" because of the conditions he was found in.. I just wanted to give you guys an update I really appreciate everything you guys did for me.. Thanks again. I will post new pics of Dirt once he's done shedding... Thanks again guys.