Leo eating trouble

[bman123]

Ok i got him weds he ate 3 superworms and a large cricket on thursday. I tried again today and he only ate 3 large crickets, after that he wasn't interested. I took out his hides and dropped in the crickets after dusting them. He seemed interested as he walked all over the place. He had them right infront of him but he wouldn't attack.

I watched for about 5 minutes and i got a little frustrated. I grabbed a cricket and smacked it down on the tile knocking it out, I held it right to his mouth. He got the cricket and me on the first try. He ate that cricket. I had to hand feed him the rest of them as he would walk around but not strike.

Here is a pic of him, the tiles are 6x6 so he's about 9 inches long. I fear he's not eating enough. Here's the pic
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad105/Bricemaupin/1271612607.jpg

 

[bman123]

I wonder if he just wasn't hungry enough and that's it. He last ate Thursday so today was 3 days. He looks a bit thin to me so I want to make sure he is eating enough.
Is there a certain way I should go about feeding him differently?
http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad105/Bricemaupin/1271612708.jpg

Like wait til he comes out looking around then drop the food in and just see if he eats on his own. If he doesn't eat then take the food out. He has super worms too but he didn't want them today at all.
I'm kinda lost on what to do and when to try to feed him again. Here is another pic of him too.

 

[bman123]

For his size 3 large crickets seems like it's not enough to me. his old owner fed him mealworms out of a bowl so I doubt he ever hunted on his own. I want to get him to where he will hunt but I don't know how to go about it. If I can get him to hunt on his own maybe he will eat more food each time he eats.

I just worry about under feeding him, I tried feeding until he got frustrated and kept turning away from me. Tell me what you think i should do because I am lost.
I see videos on YouTube of leos running around hunting and eating alot of food but he isn't and I think he is a little skinny.

How many crickets and super worms should i drop in his tank at once, maybe more food running around will get him to eat more I don't know.

 

[bman123]

Wow the feeder section is not active today lol. Patiently waiting for a response guys. I've been reading alot and info is all over the place about the amount to feed them. I don't have a scale so I can't weight him, it won't be easy to tell if he is losing weight.

I don't know what to do. Why would he seem interested in the food and walk all over the tank but not go after the food? Maybe he wasn't that hungry but he looked interested.

 

[bman123]

Well I dumped 6 dusted crickets in his cage. He came out and walked all over the place again but didn't eat any of them.I tried with the light being bright and dim but it made no difference. I need to figure something out because the amount of food he has ate since weds makes no sense to me at all. When do you guys think I should try to feed him again and how much to try?

I'm gonna just dump them in there next time and not try to help him. I want to see if he is gonna try to eat on his own or not. Now I'm thinking he is sick or something when he probably isn't sick at all.

 

[bman123]

I've been talking to someone on another forum, and they said they have a 2yr old Leo male that only eats 5 large crickets a week. They said he doesn't lose any weight. They said he is lazy and it sounds just like my Leo.
Their sig shows they have 9 leos so it seems they know about it. Really eased my mind considering he ate 4 large crickets and 3 superworms since Thursday.

I thought that with him staying in his hot hide he would digest his food alot quicker and hence eat more food. He is a lazy guy so I guess he doesn't need to eat alot if he's not using alot of energy. I'm not gonna have to buy alot of food with the way he is eating. I'll just watch his weight.

Now I don't know what I'm gonna do about food. I mean if he eats this little I would only need a dozens crickets or superworms a week. It would be easier to keep superworms for a week but today he would only eat the crickets.

 

[STUTFL]

Feeder section's never too active.

Three large crickets is good, not necessarily a full meal but a good amount. He could just be full from the last feeding.
If he's used to mealworms in a dish, switching feeders and asking him to hunt (all while he's in a fairly new and unfamiliar cage) is a big change for the little guy. Now that you've got the temps and everything right, try just leaving him *completely* alone for a day. Make sure he's settled.

Where'd you get him from again? Obviously if he was from an "iffy" place like a pet store you'll want to keep an eye on him over the long term, make sure there's no rapid weight loss or highly unusual behavior that may signal a problem, but for now just try letting him be.

If he stays off his food (though it sounds like he's doing alright for the moment), you can always try humoring him with a dish of mealies. If he eats that, you can try slowly weaning him onto your feeder of choice.

 

[bman123]

I got him from a local breeder about 20 min drive away. He had about 12 leos total and everything was clean and nice so indoubt if he has any problems health wise. He did always feed him mealies so if I have to hand feed him i will but inwould like it if he'd hunt.

I know I'm asking alot of the little guy, perhaps a bit too much. I gave him 3 large crickets earlier today so at least he is eating those. Do you think I should try to feed him crickets or the super worms? I tried the super worms first and he wasn't interested but when I offered a cricket he took it.

At this pace he will only eat a dozen crickets a week. I mean that's fine and all at least he eats but I figured he would eat more then this.
I think the crickets are better then the mealworms in terms of amount eaten. I mean three large crickets should have more mass then three superworms. I don't know how they fair ingredient wise but I am gut loading both types of feeders.

 

[bman123]

I need to get one of those little critter keeper things for the crickets, since a dozen of them will last a week I will give them more room. I need to get some of that gel stuff for them to drink. I provide them with potatoe apple and carrot slices so they have food and water from those. Do you think they need that gel stuff for water if I am providing them with stuff that doubles as food and water?

 

[STUTFL]

Superworms have a lot of meat to 'em, a little goes a long way. Like I said, my leo would take three supers but up to six crickets.
If he refuses superworms, of course, that part doesn't matter so much.

Have you ever tried mealworms on him? You can get a smallish amount just to try and they'll keep in the fridge for a looooong time.

I've learned that "at this pace" doesn't always mean much for a gecko, especially one getting settled. He's likely to pig out at some point if he eats light a couple weeks in a row.

I've never kept crickets long - a lot of potato (again, keep an eye out for mold) should suffice for water, but I'd check through this subforum. There's a lot of info on raising the different feeder species.

 

[bman123]

I saw how small the meal worms were and said no way I'm using those they are way too small for him. The first time he ate for me he took the super worms 3 of them and a large cricket.
Today I tried the super worms and he was not interested at all. That's when I busted out the crickets and he ate three of those.

I'm gonna have to see what he eats next time which will probably be on Tuesday or weds. I will try the super worms first next time as I prefer them over the crickets. They stay alive easier and don't make noise lol. They do cost more per dozen about 60cents but that's nothing.

I mean if I have to have both of them on hand I will I just need to keep these crickets alive some how. I got to get a different container for the crickets tho. The crickets just seem like they have more meat to em then the super worms but that's only because they are wider.

It only cost $2.60 for a dozen large crickets and a dozen super worms. So it's all good besides keeping those crazy crickets alive..

 

[bman123]

I would be happy as all heck if he would eat like 5 crickets at a time, I would feel like he's actually filling his belly but he's just a small lizard and I'm sure 3 large crickets do take up some space.
The large crimets I get are pretty big. Probably as long as a quarter and half as wide as a quarter. They are the biggest large crickets I have seen.

He bit me again today when I was giving him the crickets, he did however manage to get the cricket too. It's funny when he bites my finger and the cricket he pulls away real quick like he's saying sorry because he didn't mean to bite me. I need to get a set of those long plasting tweezer/tong things tho.

I don't mind him actually biting me on accident it doesn't hurt and he's not attacking me when he does it.

 

[STUTFL]

Mealies are smaller, but cheaper to make up for it. :tongue3: And you can leave 'em in a dish.

Aw, it's good that he can tell your finger from his food! Mine tried to pull my finger off once, but he's not a very big fellow so he didn't get too far. :laugh:
When you do try the supers again, make sure they don't just freak out and go stiff - you'll want them wriggling around nicely to get his attention. Sounds like he misses a lot, so the tongs should definitely help if you continue feeding him one at a time.

 

[bman123]

Yeah he misses alot lol that's why he always gets my finger. It doesn't hurt when he gets me. I'm willing to feed him whatever it takes as long as he eats. You said 3 super worms or 6 crickets! Wow that's a differnece, the super worms keep easier then the crickets i think. The crickets just seem to die off even with me feeding them stuff.

His tail looks skinny compared to other leos but like someone said before it may just be his light coloring that makes his tail look skinny. I'm not touching him or changing anything in his tank except the water for a few days. I'm trying to let him get comfy with his new home. He's been coming out alot more now.

He came out late last night about 3 am and was just looking at me. I didn't pick him up or open the tank. He started pushing his hide making alot of noise then be stopped and came back to look at me. I paid him no mind and he went back to pushing his hide. I think he gets mad when I don let him out so he takes it out on his hide.

The first time he did it I thought he was hungry, I figured hey that's cool he will let me know when he's hungry. I tried to hand feed him and he jumped in my hand so I know what he's up to now when he pushes that hide around.

 

[bman123]

He's a cool little guy, he's a lazy one but he was kept in a rack all his life so he's gotta get use to his tank. He should come around and start eating more often but his intake now may be enough for him considering he doesn't do anything to burn any energy. All he really does is sleep.

 

[STUTFL]

And push his hide around. :laugh:
What hide is he pushing around? How many does he have at the moment? Maybe drop a paper-towel roll or something in there for him to play with/in/on if he starts getting nutty. :tongue3: Or, just take him out on the bed or something to roam if he really seems energetic and eager to climb in your hand.

 

[bman123]

He has two of the little rubbermaid containers that you would store food in. I leave the lids on them and cut a hole out in the front for him to get in there. They are light so he just muscles it around the cage. It's quite funny when he does it because he will stop and look at me then he will do it some more.

It seems like he needs something to play with. Like when he comes out he is bored. I took that castle decoration thing out since he was getting stuck in it. He use to play with it everyday. He would climb on it and try to squeeze thru it, he was keeping himself busy.

I need to find something for him to play with but I have no clue what to use.

 

[bman123]

I don't want to pit him on the floor, I don't know how fast he is. The last thing I want is to be posting a thread titles help me find my gecko lol.
Are they fast at his size? I only see him mope around he never flies thru his tank he just walks slowly but my luck he can probably haul oats and take off under the couch or entertainment stand.

I will try a toilet paper roll today and see if it works. He started pushing the hide when i took out his castle. So I know he has to be bored as it's just his two hides, calcium dish and water dish in his tank. I'm glad I'm not a gecko that would be boring living in a tank all day. That's why I want to at least try to give him something to do.

 

[STUTFL]

They're fast in spurts. If you have a good-sized open space, like a big bed or a living-room floor, you should be able to keep track of him well enough if you're not doing something else at the same time. Pick him up and bring him back to the middle if he starts reaching the edges of where you think you can catch him. Climbing around on you will be just as fun as climbing around on the floor, and if it's not hot out he'll probably stick close to you much of the time as a heat source, or hide near you for protection. Make a circle with your legs, feet touching, to discourage him from straying.

If you've never had him out before, you can always make a "pen" out of books, potted plants, empty vivs, whatever you have lying around, until you're comfortable having him roam around. :laugh:

The only thing I don't really advise at the moment is letting him out on the couch. A lot of people seem to lose animals in/under couches.

 

[bman123]

The way our couch is made his claws/ toe nails would get stuck in it. I'm trying not to handle him for a few days so he gets use to his home. He's been asleep all day in his hot hide. I had to check and make sure he was breathing because he's barely moved. Soon as I checked he looked at me and turned the other way lol.

I'm gonna try to feed him again tomorrow, unless he acts interested tonight. If he don't eat tomorrow then he should on weds. He has 12 super worms and 4 large crickets left. I've been fearing them apple slices and carrot slices so they are doing good. I fed him all the male crickets first so I don't have to hear them chirping.

The crickets left are pretty big he'll probably only eat three but I will try to feed him all of them. The superworms destroyed the carrot pieces I put in there. They seem to like carrot more then apple and the crickets like the apple more then carrot.

He has been sleeping with his limbs haning out the hide, I don't know if he is getting comfy here or not now but before he would scrunch up in there. Now he will stretch out and sleep with his head or tail hanging all the way out the hide.