Laybox Issues

[GeckoMandi]

Ok I have a clearly gravid female, and I switched to a rack system over a week ago, before she was in a 10 gallon tank and I added a laybox with substrate to get her use to it for laying.

After a couple days she started going into it really well and by the time I removed her from the tank into the rack she will go nowhere near the laybox she lays beside it on the warm side.

She is due to lay her eggs anytime after friday so I'm afraid she isn't going to lay them in the box being a first time female, I'm curious when is to late for the eggs if I don't catch them right away. I check my geckos everyday anyways but I'm so paranoid I'm going to loose my first eggs

I have tried putting her into the box but she jumps right back out, or snips at me (prego gecko hormones lol) when I try to get her into it, so I've left her alone the past few days and everytime I check her she is laying right beside the box not in it!

 

[o0 Ryan 0o]

Maybe try a different lay substrate in a new tub and let her have two to pick form. Sometimes they do seem to know when they're eggs aren't good, and lay them outside of their tubs. We had this happen a few times last year.

 

[GeckoMandi]

Thanks I will try anything now, I really hope the eggs are good that will make me sad if they aren't

 

[Perefalcon]

my female Aaliyah did the same thing, but she laid 2 perfectly fertile eggs...I'm gonna candle them again tonight, just to be sure...but they sure looked fertile when I found them
She was nice and laid them just before I came home, so they weren't bad
Oh and be sure to leave her alone! That may be why she won't go into the lay box.

 

[GeckoMandi]

my female Aaliyah did the same thing, but she laid 2 perfectly fertile eggs...I'm gonna candle them again tonight, just to be sure...but they sure looked fertile when I found them
She was nice and laid them just before I came home, so they weren't bad
Oh and be sure to leave her alone! That may be why she won't go into the lay box.

Well that makes me feel a little better, I usually only check them once a day and then again at night for feeding time. So hopefully that little bit isn't messing with her.

 

[Perefalcon]

no, I mean like picking her up...if she's gonna be picky like Aaliyah was then she's gonna lay those eggs outside the laybox no matter what, but the less handling you're doing of her the better

 

[GeckoMandi]

I haven't been holding her either, I did last night for the first time in a week so I could see the forming eggs.

 

[GECKOMAN]

What are you using in your laybox?
That might have something to do with it.
Also is it moist inside?

 

[GeckoMandi]

I was using peatmoss but it wasn't holding moisture very well at all, I was having to mist 2-3 times a day.

I switched to sphagnum moss (long kind) but that's what she was on before I moved her into the rack and in the tank she was on that fine, I think this might be her issue since I haven't seen her enter it once since she left tank. It stays very moist, not to much it's perfect I think.

 

[GECKOMAN]

Yes I use sphagnum moss in my laybox and it seems to work the best.
Good luck