Leopard geckos in the winter? HELP

[Cherry329]

So I've done my research before purchasing my two leopard geckos and so far they've been healthy and well. I have a female and a male from the same clutch. These are my first geckos, but I've noticed that they're energy has slowed down a lot. They seem to sleep in the same spot for a day or more and they almost don't eat. My one female has a sort of fat tail still but my male looks a bit skinny. He's never been real plump to begin with but it doesn't seem normal for him. I read that in the winter they slow down? I'm hoping they are ok to be together. They are always together in the tank, rarely apart. There's no sign of nips or wounds on either and I've never seen any red flags. They are maybe a 2-3 months old. My tank is a 20 gal, 85 F, and plenty of hiding spaces, 4 to be exact. I leave mealworms in the tank and i offer crickets (both dusted with calcuim). They go to attack the crickets but then when they look like they are about to go in for the kill, they aren't interested anymore. I count the mealworms when i offer them in a dish but only one or so is gone after a few days. I've also tried dried food, fruit (nothing citrus) and veggies ( cooked peas and carrots). I see them drink and they look healthy. I've checked their nose and eyes etc. like I've read up on to do. I don't know what else to try. PLEASE HELP

 

[Akari_32]

To begin with, I would not recommend you house a male and a female together except for breeding purposes, and only for a short while.

As for their slowing down, yes, they do eat less or stop eating all together in the winter. Make sure the temps are right, via an UTH, and that everyone has access to food. Try letting them hunt rather than feeding from a dish. Mine all prefer I drop something in front of them and they chase it down.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

If they're over 30g I wouldn't worry about them not eating too much. If they're smaller than that I would. They need under tank heat and a spot about 90 for proper digestion. 85 is fine for lounging but they may not be eating because they're lacking that hot spot.

How are you heating their cage and measuring temperatures?

 

[Cherry329]

i have a heat under the tank covering 1/3 of the bottom and i have a red light and a white light. in the summer i had one on at a time but now that it is colder here i have them both on at the same time. the middle of my tank measures a little over 85 so my warmer side should be at 90. i have a humidity and temperature gauge in the middle of the tank. i can remove it and place it on other parts of the tank that i wish to measure. thank you so much for the help, sorry for the late reply i also used to have a heated rock but i removed it. i felt like it could burn them and i didnt trust it. they weigh .4 and .3 oz. sorry its not in grams :main_huh:

 

[DrCarrotTail]

You need a probe thermometer or some way to measure the temperature on the floor. The floor temp should be close to 90. If the air temperature (measured by the little dials) is 90 your tank is more than likely too hot. I also don't recommend the lights unless your house temperatures are below 65 for the majority of the time. If they are I would recommend getting a Ceramic heat emitter (CHE) or a black light as leos can see both red and white light. Heat rocks are dangerous to use with almost all reptiles. You might need a dimmer or a thermostat (better!) if your floor temps are over 93.

.3 and .4 ounces would equate to about 8-12g. Those are super small leos. I don't like letting mine go until they're at least 15g but feel more comfortable around 20g. At 20g they have some fat reserves and can handle a bit of stress without going downhill super fast.

 

[Cherry329]

I've been weighing them lately and they have stayed the same, didn't lose or gain. Is it normal for them to not have fat tails like adults do yet? that's what concerns me. My male just recently shed a day or so ago and ate one wax worm since then. My female seems like she is also about to shed too. I'm also figuring that if they were not healthy they couldn't shed? I will look into the ceramic heater and the black light. Would i just leave the black light on all day and night? What should my air temp be? It's hard because I do all the research possible and I feel like I'm always doing something wrong. You would think pet stores would know what they are talking about too but they don't seem to and it's really frustrating considering i don't have any reptile experience besides research. Also, what do you recommend my humidity to be at? It's about 20-30 now. It used to be higher but it dropped in when winter began for some reason. I feel it's too low for them to shed even though i have a moist hide so i spray the tank walls to add humidity. What did you mean when u said "letting them go?". I handle them lightly so I don't stress them out too much but I've been leaving them alone now because of them not eating. Thank you so much for the help. I really appreciate it