Just a quick question, so I don't worry myself to death

[Wigglebucket]

My gecko is looking rather pale, as of last night. I know it could just be s/he is getting ready to shed, but I just want to check if it could be illness or dehydration or something. Thought I'd fill out the questions from the sticky note just to be on the safe side. Hopefully it's just shedding, but as I'm new to having a reptile, I just want to be certain. I'm attaching a picture as well. You can see his/her head is is still brightly colored, but the rest is fairly pale.

About your leo:
- Sex - Unknown
- Age & Weight - baby, maybe 1-2 months?
- How long have you owned your leo - 2 weeks
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend) - Pet Store

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo - Don't handle yet, just put my hand in the cage everyday.
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now. No
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe. No, not that I'm aware of.
B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal) Looks the same as always
- When was the last time he/she went - Last night
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on - Stated above

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size - 10 gallon
- Type (ex. glass tank) Glass tank
- Type of substrate - Reptile carpet (will be changing to slate in the near future)
- Hides, how many, what kind - 1 dry warm side, 1 dry cool side, 1 moist middle
B) Heating
- Heat source UTH, day lamp, and night lamp (the black light ones)
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side) 89-92 warm / 75-80 cool. I just recently got an infrared thermometer, which showed the warm side was way too warm, but I've since fixed the issue. I'm wondering if this could be part of the problem, as I only got the themometer yesterday, so the tank is just now getting regulated.
- Method of regulating heat source - lamp dimmer
- What are you using to measure your temps - before, I just had a stainless steel backed aquarium thermometer, now I have infrared digital.
- Do you have any lights (describe) - I have 2 lamps, one day time and one night-blacklight.
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females) - Just have the one leo
- Describe health, or previous problems - none

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much) - I keep 10 mealworms in his/her dish at all times, s/he has been eating 9 every other day.
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect) - dish for about 4 or so days, but I hand fed before that
B) Supplements (describe how often) - I leave calcium powder in a dish at all times
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands) Flukers calcium
- What are you gut loading food with - flukers cricket feed

Supplements are definitely an area that I need to work on I feel like. I know s/he gets nutrition from gutloaded food, so I suppose I'm just not quite sure what I need to add in to make sure everything is well balanced.

Constructive criticism is definitely welcome, but please be nice. This is my first reptile, and I'm doing as much research as I can, but I am a total noob. If you need any other info or pictures, I can definitely do that!

 

[B&B Geckos]

Lisa don't worry its simply getting ready to shed. I recommended pouring a small amount of water over the paper towel in its warm hide and here and there around its tank; this will increase the humidity in its enclosure and help it shed. Geckos absorb water through their skin... if dehydration were the problem, moist paper towel would help as well with this.

 

[Kylerbassman]

I can't recommend it enough, Repshy calcium plus is the best all in one vitamin/calcium supplement. Dust every feeder. If you do get the Repashy, you won't need to leave any calcium in there unless its a female breeder. In which case it's a good idea to keep some in there so she gets calcium she would need. I noticed a huge improvement during sheds and also general disposition. It's worth every penny and it's not that expensive. I get mine off amazon.

I would agree your Leo looks like its fixing to shed. He is a little thin, but also pretty young, so with some time and feedings, you should be good.

 

[Wigglebucket]

Thank you for the responses! I figured it was just shedding time, but I just wanted to be sure I wasn't doing anything wrong. About how often do leo's shed?

I can't recommend it enough, Repshy calcium plus is the best all in one vitamin/calcium supplement. Dust every feeder. If you do get the Repashy, you won't need to leave any calcium in there unless its a female breeder. In which case it's a good idea to keep some in there so she gets calcium she would need. I noticed a huge improvement during sheds and also general disposition. It's worth every penny and it's not that expensive. I get mine off amazon.

I would agree your Leo looks like its fixing to shed. He is a little thin, but also pretty young, so with some time and feedings, you should be good.

Yes, I also feel like he's on the thin side, but I've only had him 2 weeks and he was from a pet store. I'm definitely making sure he has access to mealworms at all times.
So the Repshy, you just put it in their food dish? About how much? I will definitely look into it if it's so highly recommended!

 

[Ozy]

You dust the mealworms with the Repashy. When you are getting ready to put new mealworms in, put some Repashy and the mealworms in a bag or something and shake them up so they are coated with the Repashy. Then dump everything in the mealworm dish.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

- Cage temps (hot side, cool side) 89-92 warm / 75-80 cool. I just recently got an infrared thermometer, which showed the warm side was way too warm, but I've since fixed the issue. I'm wondering if this could be part of the problem, as I only got the themometer yesterday, so the tank is just now getting regulated.

This is because infrareds read surface temperature, not air temps like digital thermometers. If you go outside on a 70 degree day and check the surface temps with an infrared, it'll be much warmer than 70. That's nothing to be concerned with. If it was too warm, she would have moved.

But yeah, just shedding.

~Maggot

 

[Kylerbassman]

I actually just kept a large medication container that I can put the lid on and shake them with the Repashy. I tong feed supers to both my Leo's. I never leave feeders in the tank. If you do leave in dish, dust the feeders and just leave a little extra in the dish. Just make sure you are taking it out and cleaning it regularly.

 

[Ozy]

+1 to Kyle. My leo doesn't eat out of a dish, but I always have about 6 mealworms in a dish with a little Repashy in there just in case she gets hungry. I just grab something and toss the mealworms/crickets/roaches in there and shake it around.. I feed my leo with tweezers. She goes in her dry, warm hide and pokes her head out, then I drop them in there one by one until she doesn't want anymore.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

You guys are fancier about this. I try to alternate between mealworms and crickets, and I just leave them in the dish or toss them in and let her hunt them down. XD

~Maggot

 

[Kylerbassman]

Well, since I feed mostly supers, I usually try to hold the tail end so my leos go for the head first. I don't really need to for my female because she won't go after them without a good shot to the head. My male just gets crazy about it and went for a tail a while back and ended up getting bit on his face. I just try and prevent that. Mealies you dont have to worry as much.

 

[Wigglebucket]

Thanks for all the responses! It looks like my little friend has shed successfully. I found just the smallest piece of skin, and s/he is all brightly colored again.

As far as the Repashy, would this be the correct product? Amazon.com: Repashy Calcium Plus Vitamin and Calcium Supplement 5.3oz Jar: Pet Supplies It would cover all the nutritional needs my gecko has? I definitely don't want to miss out on anything.

Also, I'm planning on getting a scale so I can check weight regularly. I know each gecko varies, but is there an ideal weight range for each age group? Mine is 3-4 inches long, just a baby. What would ideal weight be, as well as for juvies and adults?

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Glad to hear your new friend shed okay! The repashy you linked looks like the correct product!

Its hard to give an accurate number for ideal weight as geckos genetics can dictate a full-grown weight of anywhere from 40g-170g, most tend to be full grown at about 60-90g. For my own geckos I look for overall appearance and than those under 50g are maintaining their weight or gaining about 1-2g a week. I also count the number of mealworms I give new geckos so I know if they're eating and if so, how much they're eating.

 

[B&B Geckos]

In order to prevent complications, after every shed, I recommend making a habit of checking the eyes, snout, toes and vent for stuck shed.

 

[Ozy]

+1 BB. My girl is about halfway through a shed. Looks to be coming off nicely. But when she is done I ALWAYS check her over and make sure she doesn't have any stuck on her. It's A LOT easier to get off one layer of stuck shed than like.. 5.

 

[Wigglebucket]

I've checked my little friend over as best as I can, seeing as I can't pick him up yet. There doesn't seem to be anything stuck on him. Just have to work on handling him now