Just a few questions!

[athdaraxen]

I am sorry for my text wall/essay.
I just had some questions, I tried to get this answered elsewhere but it didn't work out so well I don't think, so I wanted to get some second opinions!
If anymore pictures or information is needed just say the word and I will provide it!


Anywho, I'd like to start this off with supplements.
Sparky, as it turns out, is picky about his vitamins. He refuses to eat anything with Retivite with D3 on it, which is what I was recommended to use. He will eat the Repashy Calcium Plus no problem though, but I was told if used to much it causes scary excess protein problems. If you check out his photo in my little gallery thing he's rather skinny so at this point I'm not seeing an issue with using it as it'll help him fatten up (I guess.). So I wanted to get a second opinion on this.


Next up, how skinny he is! The poor dear isn't starved but I don't feel he is of proper weight. It doesn't help that he doesn't like crickets, at the Petco he was at they kept rather big crickets in his cage so I think they chewed on him or something because unless they are very much unable to move he won't go near them. Meal worms though, he'll eat those like crazy. I just worry because I've been told too many meal worms can lead to impaction. He does like freeze dried flies though oddly enough, specifically the Zoo Med Leopard Gecko food.
But because he is skinny, is there any suggestions I can get on helping him gain a proper weight?


Also, I've noticed he doesn't go in his humid hide. At all. I make sure to keep it nice in there and the humidity usually stays around 40%
Maybe he's just one of those geckos that only goes when they need to shed? Also, on that note. From what I could find, young geckos can shed once or twice in a month, is that correct?


Also, does his setup look alright and proper? (Pic are in the little user gallery thingy)
He does have a UTH, thermostat and thermometer are on the way, my local Petco didn't have decent stuff to work with. :|
The calcium isn't there though at the moment, my Petco did not have any 100% calcium and I have to have it ordered. Will he be alright until it arrives? Should I just dust his food a little more or will he be alright?


And lastly any tips for young/baby gecko raising. He's so tiny I fear for him, ya know? I know it can be harder to raise them from hatchlings and while I don't know this one's age, from his size (about 4 inches I think) he can't be that old, right?

Once again apologies for my text wall, I just want to make sure I'm doing this right so he can live a long and happy life.

Thank you.
Jazzy

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I believe lots of people around here use Repashy Calcium Plus as a supplement every feeding. You can leave a small dish of the Repashy in his cage or leave the residue in his food bowl if you don't currently have calcium to leave in there. I know lots of folks (myself included!) that feed mealworms as a staple. I haven't heard of impaction being much of an issue in leos and have never experienced it myself. IMO freeze dried flies are worthless. I'm surprised your gecko will eat them.

I'm having a hard time seeing much of anything in your picture. You might consider uploading a picture to photobucket or some other photo site and linking it here so people can see it in more detail.

 

[Ozy]

Yea, I feed mealworms as a staple and they are always coated in Repashy Calcium Plus with some also in the dish. I also feed crickets dusted with the Repashy. I gutload both the mealworms and crickets with Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet and the gel water stuff. I am also super surprised that your leo will eat anything dead. Mine will not even touch ANYTHING that is dead or not moving in some way. I don't give any extra calcium, because if you feed the Calcium Plus at every feeding there is no need for more calcium. I saw a light, bright light stresses them out. He does NOT need a UVB bulb or a basking area. I don't use any lighting on my cage, except a red bulb if there isn't a good thermal gradient. The FLOOR temp on the hot side should be 90-94. Just feed him really good and give him lots of the Repashy. I also got my leo at Petco and she was very small when I got her. Here is a pic of her now that I've had her for a little over 2 months.

 

[LeopardShade]

Sparky, as it turns out, is picky about his vitamins. He refuses to eat anything with Retivite with D3 on it, which is what I was recommended to use. He will eat the Repashy Calcium Plus no problem though, but I was told if used to much it causes scary excess protein problems. If you check out his photo in my little gallery thing he's rather skinny so at this point I'm not seeing an issue with using it as it'll help him fatten up (I guess.). So I wanted to get a second opinion on this.

One of my geckos can also be rather picky when it comes to eating dusted food. Like your's, she will eat worms with Repashy, but does not care for Rep-Cal Calcium w/ D3. She will eat it, but I swear she looks as if she is grimacing while doing so. If your gecko will readily eat food dusted with Repashy, I see no reason to not use it.

I have not heard anything about Repashy Calcium Plus causing excess protein problems in inordinate amounts. I know of many, many owners and breeders who use it as their primary supplement with no problems whatsoever. Allen Repashy recommends that it be used with every feeding. It is not to be used as a leave-in-cage supplement for them to pick at. I'd be concerned if other supplements were being used daily alongside it, but on it's own, I believe it is fine to use.

Next up, how skinny he is! The poor dear isn't starved but I don't feel he is of proper weight. It doesn't help that he doesn't like crickets, at the Petco he was at they kept rather big crickets in his cage so I think they chewed on him or something because unless they are very much unable to move he won't go near them. Meal worms though, he'll eat those like crazy. I just worry because I've been told too many meal worms can lead to impaction. He does like freeze dried flies though oddly enough, specifically the Zoo Med Leopard Gecko food.
But because he is skinny, is there any suggestions I can get on helping him gain a proper weight?

If he loves mealworms, then by all means, feed him mealworms. Both of my geckos eat mealworms almost exclusively, with no problems whatsoever. When properly gutloaded and dusted, they can be very nutritious and can help a gecko put on weight rapidly.

Any food in excess amounts can lead to impaction. Mealworms have gotten the rap to be a bit harder to digest than say crickets, due to the chitin in the exoskeleton. As long as your temperatures are in the optimal ranges (88-94 F) to promote healthy, proper digestion, you don't consistently overfeed, and you are not housing the gecko on a particulate substrate, I see no reason to worry about impaction.

I would refrain from feeding canned or freeze-dried foods. Aside from the fact that many geckos will not touch them, they are often void of essential nutrients and should not ever be a staple in the gecko's diet. Live food is always much, much better.

A picture of your gecko would help determine it it has an underweight problem.

The calcium isn't there though at the moment, my Petco did not have any 100% calcium and I have to have it ordered. Will he be alright until it arrives? Should I just dust his food a little more or will he be alright?

How long will the calcium take to arrive? If it is just a couple of days, then he'll be fine.

And lastly any tips for young/baby gecko raising. He's so tiny I fear for him, ya know? I know it can be harder to raise them from hatchlings and while I don't know this one's age, from his size (about 4 inches I think) he can't be that old, right?

Younger geckos are naturally inclined to be skittish and wary, it is a pure survival instinct. Excess handling can cause a large amount of stress and could potentially lead to other problems such as resisting food. I would resist handling him unless absolutely necessary until he gets a bit bigger, keep the stressors to a minimum, and offer food consistently.

 

[athdaraxen]

I believe lots of people around here use Repashy Calcium Plus as a supplement every feeding. You can leave a small dish of the Repashy in his cage or leave the residue in his food bowl if you don't currently have calcium to leave in there. I know lots of folks (myself included!) that feed mealworms as a staple. I haven't heard of impaction being much of an issue in leos and have never experienced it myself. IMO freeze dried flies are worthless. I'm surprised your gecko will eat them.

I'm having a hard time seeing much of anything in your picture. You might consider uploading a picture to photobucket or some other photo site and linking it here so people can see it in more detail.

Well at Petco, aside from the crickets it was the flies. I figured to stick with what he knew to help him adjust.

And I am glad to hear it. I was worried that it would be too much d3 would be an issue but since you think its ok then I shall do it.

How long have you been raising geckos?

And I'm sorry, maybe these pictures will be better?

Also, WOW. Thanks for all the responses. I'm feeling a lot better now... The last place I went to for advice made me feel like everything I did would kill the poor gecko. Thank you guys so very much.

@LeopardShade
The calcium should be here in a few days. :3

@Ozy
Its a 40 watt bulb due to my apartment not having any windows, I wanted to at least simulate some sort of daylight, if you guys think its bad, I could get a 20 watt bulb? I figured he'd need some kind of daylight.

Also, I've only picked him up to check his belly, and move him when I switched from my 10 gal tank to this one, other than that I just leave my hand in there for about 20 secs then I do whatever I need to do like change his water or feed him so he knows I'm there.

*Also about how many meal worms is a good number to feed him, I don't want to over feed him. He had about 5 eariler. Note: they are the small/extra small kind. Not regular sized.

****Also a note on the picture with sand, he IS NOT on that anymore. It was just for the first day.

 

[acpart]

To me he looks like he is right for his size in terms of visible weight. If you have absolutely no daylight in your apartment, a low wattage bulb would be a good idea so he gets the day/night idea. You can leave mealworms in there all the time. If he eats too many he will throw up some of them and learn his lesson.

Aliza

 

[athdaraxen]

To me he looks like he is right for his size in terms of visible weight. If you have absolutely no daylight in your apartment, a low wattage bulb would be a good idea so he gets the day/night idea. You can leave mealworms in there all the time. If he eats too many he will throw up some of them and learn his lesson.

Aliza

My thoughts exactly. Its an energy saving bulb too so it hardly puts of heat, at least none that I can feel.

I just wish he wasn't so scrawny, poor dear can really get up into the meal worm bowl, I usually just hand feed him in the evenings. I do leave them in there in case he manages to get in there though. I'm going to make him some stairs with the pretty rocks I have.

Barf sucks.

I will say I do like the meal worms a lot more, much easier to handle and such. Plus as I said, I have to half kill the poor crickets before he'll even go for them, he runs from them otherwise. My gecko is a wimp, even if it is kinda cute.

 

[Ozy]

I am extremely surprised that your Petco was using that disgusting Leopard Gecko Diet. My petco just uses Crickets and Mealworms in one of those escape proof dishes. They feed them in dishes, because Petco policy states they need to be on sand, and I know the reptile guys there HATE it. Don't worry, my leo used to run from crickets if I didn't hold them with tweezers. Now she LOVES to hunt Large size crickets. I'll just cut the back legs off with a little pair of scissors and give a quick shake n bake. Then I drop them one at a time in front of her. When she eats one, I'll wait a minute and drop another. It's so cute watching her stalk them with her tail wiggling, then the quick tail shake before she pounces. :sweetheart: I would go with a 25 watt bulb. And don't worry about over feeding. Once mine got acclimated she ate like a little pig. They will stop eating when they are full. I give mine mealworms/crickets every night until she is not interested in them anymore. She also eats more mealworms out of her dish periodically through the night.

 

[athdaraxen]

I am extremely surprised that your Petco was using that disgusting Leopard Gecko Diet. My petco just uses Crickets and Mealworms in one of those escape proof dishes. They feed them in dishes, because Petco policy states they need to be on sand, and I know the reptile guys there HATE it.

Ours was on repti-carpet thankfully, though it was sand at one point. One of the guys there told me they had a whole shipment of lizards die due to impaction so they got to switch.

At mine they have a bowl with the flies and meal worms (when they aren't already dead, when I got some yesterday out of 6 things of meal worms, only one of them were still live, all the other worms and boxes of carry out crickets were dead.) and crickets, but even in the baby gecko tank they put the big inch long crickets in with them.

I saw the tail twitch at petco from one of the older ones it was SO CUTE.
Sparky just gets really tall on his legs and the pounces feet/head first at whatever it is he is going for. I love it. <3

It is a 40 watt, I'll downgrade to something less then. What about one of the fancy reptile bulbs? Like this?
http://www.petco.com/product/111467...Bulb.aspx?CoreCat=MM_ReptileSupplies_Lighting

Or this?
http://www.petco.com/product/108454/Zilla-Tropical-25-UVB-Fluorescent-13-Watt-Coil-Bulb.aspx

Or is that just going in the wrong direction? lol

And that's good to know. I wasn't sure if they were like mice where they will just keep eating and eating until they blow up.

 

[Ozy]

TOTALLY going in the wrong direction with the special reptile lighting. Keep it simple, dude. You could even just turn the light on in the room he is in during the day. They DO NOT like bright light. Gutload with Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet and the gel water stuff. Dust every single insect with Calcium Plus, make sure the floor temp on the hot side is 90-94 and make sure he has a moist hide (on the hot side), dry hot hide and a cool hide. That's it. They don't need cage misting or anything else.

 

[athdaraxen]

TOTALLY going in the wrong direction with the special reptile lighting. Keep it simple, dude. You could even just turn the light on in the room he is in during the day. They DO NOT like bright light. Gutload with Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet and the gel water stuff. Dust every single insect with Calcium Plus, make sure the floor temp on the hot side is 90-94 and make sure he has a moist hide (on the hot side), dry hot hide and a cool hide. That's it. They don't need cage misting or anything else.

I can't help it, I wanna be fancy darn it! :main_laugh:
I would but the light fixture has like four bulbs and I'd rather just stick to the lamp and save energy because I'm broke and all that. <3

I'm a step ahead of you on everything else, I already have my cricket habitat and they are all happy and fat. <3 He has all three hides, made them myself! he doesn't go in his humid hide though, I;m sure he'll visit once he sheds, which I haven't seen him do so yet. I will say he looked like he just shed before I got him, but that's all guessing. I do mist his humid hide to keep it nice and, well humid! Its lined with paper towels until the moss comes in, I'll pick up a new light bulb tomorrow.

I know they don't really bask but if he's not basking right now I don't know what it is, I mean his floor is a nice toasty 91 on the hot side yet he is sitting on top of a rock under the light. Weird gecko.

ALSO, TO ALL OF YOU!
I just wanted to say thanks (I did use the thank button but I wanted to say thanks anyways.) for all of your advice and such. I feel a LOT better about Sparky and I think he is going to do well. You guys made me feel so much better, you really just don't know. Thank you!

Also x2, this is too freaking cute, had to share.

Any other tidbits? I think I've gotten all my questions answered for now thanks to all of you. <3

 

[Ozy]

ADORABLE!! That is how you know they are getting comfy in their new home, when they get in a deep sleep like that. Here are some pics of my leo's home. The first is the cool side, the second is the hot side, then a group shot. She's in a 20 gallon long.

 

[athdaraxen]

ADORABLE!! That is how you know they are getting comfy in their new home, when they get in a deep sleep like that. Here are some pics of my leo's home. The first is the cool side, the second is the hot side, then a group shot. She's in a 20 gallon long.

Wow dude, your tank is lovely!

I see you are using slate, which actually reminds me of a question I had about it!

How do you use it in tanks? I've heard many people putting a layer of sand and then the tiles on top, most suggest having a buffer of some sort between the glass and the slate. I am looking to switch to it myself actually.

I've also been told to seal it with a food grade sealant to protect the tile from bacteria, erosion, and stuff but I was never told if there was a particular brand or anything?

Can you shed some light on this? Pretty please?

 

[Ozy]

Aww! Thanks! I like to think Ozy likes her home. I want to get another desert plant to put on the hot side though. I'm a female by the way, but you can call me dude if you want. LOL! Actually, I did put down a layer of sand. About a 1/2 inch, to make sure there were no air pockets. I got the natural slate tile at home depot, measured my tank and had the tile cut to fit. Then I just put the tile in there like puzzle pieces. There is no sealant or grout or anything in it. Just sand and tile. I take all of the tile out about once a week and scrub it with diluted Dawn dish soap and a toothbrush. Although I clean her "poop tile" everyday.

 

[athdaraxen]

Aww! Thanks! I like to think Ozy likes her home. I want to get another desert plant to put on the hot side though. I'm a female by the way, but you can call me dude if you want. LOL! Actually, I did put down a layer of sand. About a 1/2 inch, to make sure there were no air pockets. I got the natural slate tile at home depot, measured my tank and had the tile cut to fit. Then I just put the tile in there like puzzle pieces. There is no sealant or grout or anything in it. Just sand and tile. I take all of the tile out about once a week and scrub it with diluted Dawn dish soap and a toothbrush. Although I clean her "poop tile" everyday.

I was afraid there was sand, I'm just going to wait until he gets older then, I don't want him eating anything he will regret in the morning! lol

If anything I can go ahead and get some tile cut and just wait until he grows up some. He likes the carpet anyways.

Thank you even more. <3 You've been a wonderful help Ozy. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Ozy]

Boil the tile and scrub it really good before you put it in there, by the way. You can put the sand and tile in there now if you want. Your leo won't be eating the sand, because it's covered by the tile. I have had mine on this since she was pretty little.

 

[athdaraxen]

Boil the tile and scrub it really good before you put it in there, by the way. You can put the sand and tile in there now if you want. Your leo won't be eating the sand, because it's covered by the tile. I have had mine on this since she was pretty little.

I didn't think about that, derp.
I guess I'll be doing that next paycheck. <3 Hopefully it'll make him happy. I've heard so many good things about it so I'm sure he'll enjoy it!

I am sure that was my last big question, I've been trying to get an answer for the slate for awhile now, so yay! I finally got one. :3

 

[SORROW89]

Well at Petco, aside from the crickets it was the flies. I figured to stick with what he knew to help him adjust.

And I am glad to hear it. I was worried that it would be too much d3 would be an issue but since you think its ok then I shall do it.

How long have you been raising geckos?

And I'm sorry, maybe these pictures will be better?

Also, WOW. Thanks for all the responses. I'm feeling a lot better now... The last place I went to for advice made me feel like everything I did would kill the poor gecko. Thank you guys so very much.

@LeopardShade
The calcium should be here in a few days. :3

@Ozy
Its a 40 watt bulb due to my apartment not having any windows, I wanted to at least simulate some sort of daylight, if you guys think its bad, I could get a 20 watt bulb? I figured he'd need some kind of daylight.

Also, I've only picked him up to check his belly, and move him when I switched from my 10 gal tank to this one, other than that I just leave my hand in there for about 20 secs then I do whatever I need to do like change his water or feed him so he knows I'm there.

*Also about how many meal worms is a good number to feed him, I don't want to over feed him. He had about 5 eariler. Note: they are the small/extra small kind. Not regular sized.

****Also a note on the picture with sand, he IS NOT on that anymore. It was just for the first day.

You know I know what place you are talking about and guess what, they are the ones that knows best. No offense to anyone. These ladies have been keeping gecko for over 20 years. Those are the ones you want to listen to. They have been there, done that and learned from their mistakes. You just have to learn how to accept constructive criticism. You know all the reasons mealworms are a poor food item and why you should never dust every feeding. You want to listen to people who have kept geckos for over 10 years at least and whose geckos is still alive.

 

[athdaraxen]

You know I know what place you are talking about and guess what, they are the ones that knows best. No offense to anyone. These ladies have been keeping gecko for over 20 years. Those are the ones you want to listen to. They have been there, done that and learned from their mistakes. You just have to learn how to accept constructive criticism. You know all the reasons mealworms are a poor food item and why you should never dust every feeding. You want to listen to people who have kept geckos for over 10 years at least and whose geckos is still alive.

That was pretty much settled. I can't help I had issues with some of the attitudes over there, but that's over now.

And while experience is a good thing to have there are people who have used Repashy on there geckos and wanted to see what they thought, it was obvious over there I wouldn't get a answer that wasn't get Reptivite. He was so small I didn't want to starve him until he would eat the Reptivite. My goal was to fatten him up.

Not to mention there are people who have raised perfectly happy geckos on mealies. I wanted to hear the mealworm side of the debate and see how that went. Personally I plan to use mealies for Zuko because he likes them more, he almost always goes for them before a cricket, but that's also why I plan to get other things like Phoenix worms and such because I know mealies aren't the best.

It's nice to see other people's opinions on how they raise there geckos so that I can form my own opinions. I do not doubt their expertise but I like to see the other side of things too.

Not to mention this is an older thread, I have learned a lot since this time and have fixed many of my mistakes. I don't want to drag this across forums.

If you wish to discuss this further feel free to PM me. This thread is done.

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