Need advice asap about my Brand new leopard gecko

[zillasaunt89]

I just got in 18 month old leopard gecko and he does not eat he's been in his cave and won't eat what do I do? It's been almost 2 weeks since he hasn't ate how long does it usually take for him to get used to his new home?

 

[acpart]

What are you feeding him? Do you know what he ate before? Are the ground (not air) temperatures in the low 90's? Are you finding any poops? I will have more advice if I know the answers to these questions.

Aliza

 

[ZillasDad76]

What are you feeding him? Do you know what he ate before? Are the ground (not air) temperatures in the low 90's? Are you finding any poops? I will have more advice if I know the answers to these questions.

Aliza

Well the place I got him from gave me meal worms so I assume that's what he ate, and his temperature ranges from like 90 to 95/7 and his middle like 80 something and the cool like 70 something to close to 80 but I turn everything off at night and the whole tank drops to like 73-75 at night, I was finding like 2-3 when I first got him but I haven't seen anything since then and I've had him for 2 weeks now, but the humidity keeps dropping to 10-20 unless I spray it a little bit but it only stays at 30-40% for a few hours then goes back down and he’s been staying in his humid hide for the past few days more than anywhere else. He’s also kinda skittish, he just refuses to eat and will walk up to the meal worms sometimes when I hold them for him and he’ll lick it and then just not bother with it, he’s went after my hand twice now and I’m not sure if that was bc he was scared or hungry, I’m just not sure what to do. The first picture of him that’s more exposed was when I first got him about two weeks ago and the second is like a few days ago I wanna say when he was splooting (At least that’s what I hope). He’s licked my finger with calcium a few times and he does explore but mainly at night (I’m aware they’re supposed to but I’m just pointing it out) and occasionally come out during the day. He’s mostly kinda slow and sluggish but he can move fast when he’s startled or just yk goofing around which I hope means something good, so I’m not sure if I just got a gecko that’s personality is just really shy and skittish or if somethings wrong, people keep telling me I’m doing everything right so far but I’m not so sure. Lights go out at like 12 something but I put a blanket over his enclosure while I’m watching tv or playing games until usually 2am, sometimes 3 lately. Also I’m so sorry for this entire paragraph, I’m just worried is all

 

[acpart]

Cute gecko, looking pretty healthy. Don't worry about all the details you provided; it takes awhile to feel confident with a new situation. I do recommend that you replace the sand with something else, especially if it's calcium sand (if you really want to keep the sand, get some play sand like they use in sandboxes). Sand, especially calcium sand, can cause digestion problems when the gecko ingests the sand and it's also sometimes hard to find the poops. Adults geckos are sometimes placed on sand, so it's not an emergency. I use ceramic tile and provide a humid hide with coco fiber (available at pet stores).
When I was breeding geckos, I brought the hatchlings up on mealworms. I once got a call from someone who had bought 2 of my geckos worried that they weren't eating. Eventually I recommended that they try some crickets and that did the trick. The geckos just wanted something that moved around more. You could try super worms, crickets or roaches. Note that the super worms will probably bury themselves in the sand, so they would need to be "served" in a bowl that's deep enough so they can't get out.
I'm assuming that you heat with lights. I think that's what more people are doing these days. I heat with under tank heaters. I don't know what people do about the temperature drop. I don't know when you're feeding the gecko, and what time the lights are going off. Consider feeding the gecko an hour or so before the lights go out if you're not already doing that.
Don't worry about the humidity. If you're not doing this already, put some moist paper towels or coco fiber in the hide on the right to create a humid micro climate for the gecko. Then you won't have to mist. Leopard geckos can go an incredibly long time without eating. One of mine used to not eat for about 6 months in the fall and winter, which drove me nuts, but I guess it worked for him. Try some of these suggestions and see if, over the next few weeks, there are any changes.

Aliza

 

[ZillasDad76]

Cute gecko, looking pretty healthy. Don't worry about all the details you provided; it takes awhile to feel confident with a new situation. I do recommend that you replace the sand with something else, especially if it's calcium sand (if you really want to keep the sand, get some play sand like they use in sandboxes). Sand, especially calcium sand, can cause digestion problems when the gecko ingests the sand and it's also sometimes hard to find the poops. Adults geckos are sometimes placed on sand, so it's not an emergency. I use ceramic tile and provide a humid hide with coco fiber (available at pet stores).
When I was breeding geckos, I brought the hatchlings up on mealworms. I once got a call from someone who had bought 2 of my geckos worried that they weren't eating. Eventually I recommended that they try some crickets and that did the trick. The geckos just wanted something that moved around more. You could try super worms, crickets or roaches. Note that the super worms will probably bury themselves in the sand, so they would need to be "served" in a bowl that's deep enough so they can't get out.
I'm assuming that you heat with lights. I think that's what more people are doing these days. I heat with under tank heaters. I don't know what people do about the temperature drop. I don't know when you're feeding the gecko, and what time the lights are going off. Consider feeding the gecko an hour or so before the lights go out if you're not already doing that.
Don't worry about the humidity. If you're not doing this already, put some moist paper towels or coco fiber in the hide on the right to create a humid micro climate for the gecko. Then you won't have to mist. Leopard geckos can go an incredibly long time without eating. One of mine used to not eat for about 6 months in the fall and winter, which drove me nuts, but I guess it worked for him. Try some of these suggestions and see if, over the next few weeks, there are any changes.

Aliza

Well when I got him I also bought a starter 20 gallon tank with reptisand which I heard is pretty safe, well at least it reduces risk of impaction and that it should be paired with something like reptisoil

I tried using some rubber tongs or just use my hand and held the meal worms near his face when he WAS out and he’d either walk up to it slowly and lick and turn away or he’d just not doing anything, sometimes they’d be really active and thrash around and hit him in the nose and he’d back away from them so idk, maybe I’ll try crickets or something, or maybe try waxworms to at least start up his appetite (I’m aware they’re pretty fatty and addictive to other leopard geckos so I’ll be careful if he does eat them, but I’m just worried about him eating at all right now)

I usually put the dish in the tank around the time the lights go out in his tank at around 12 at night because I know he’ll be roaming around mostly and then take it out at like 1-2am if he doesn’t eat them (which he hasn’t). And thing is, I’ll sometimes put Calcium stuff on my finger and let him lick that but he only does it once and then he backs off

thank you for the suggestions, and also should I put the crickets once I get them in a bowl or should I try using tongs or something? He’s also been sleeping a lot inside his humid hide but I’m not wondering if it’s because of the light, I’m not sure