New Owner with question - image that!!

[gevavery]

Good Morning,

I'm a new proud owner of two leopard geckos. I purchased them on a whim. I didn't know anything at the time. I purchased them two weeks ago from a local Petco store. I think I have two females but don't know for sure. The person at the pet store had no idea. They are about 4-5 inches in length.

The problem is that one of them doesn't seem to eat. When I place crickets in the vivarium one come right out and starts gobbling up the crickets. The other one just sits. I did get her to eat one night by taking her out of the enclosure and placing her in a small home with some crickets. But since that time I can't get her to eat. She is definitely thiner than the more agressive one.

When I pick her up - she doesn't squirm; she just sits. When I pick up the other one she squirms a lot and is very active.

I don't have a lot of money invested but I'd hate to loose her if there is anything I can do. The two geckos spend most of their time cuddled up; one laying their head on the other one.

I've added pictures of both girls. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

v/r,
Gevavery

 

[PaulSage]

I would keep them in separate enclosures in case the presence of the other gecko is intimidating the thinner one, thus causing her to be afraid of eating. Also, I would make sure that the temperatures in the enclosure(s) are appropriate (90-92*F on the warm spot) and that they have access to water. It looks like they're both getting ready to shed, so I'd make sure that they have sufficient humidity in their humid hide(s). So, my advice is to start there, give her a few more days, and see what happens. If she's just shy around people, you may not see her eat, but won't know if she is eating or not if she's kept in the same enclosure as the other gecko.

Good luck - keep us updated.

 

[Stitch]

I agree with Paul. They look a little too young to sex, and if the guy couldn't sex them then he shouldn't have sold them to you since he's not qualified. Sorry can't stand large chain pet stores.

Take a look at some of the other threads to see what you need for the geckos or you can use the search function at the top of the page.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Which gecko rests it's head on the top when they "cuddle"? I believe that could be a sign of dominance and would be a very good explanation to why the little one won't eat. Separating them would be the best option, as mentioned already.

A little side note: Someone on this forum had mentioned before that they thought Petco carries primarily females. This way, they could house them together without them fighting (as two males would do). I got mine from Petco and I am pretty certain it is female, but still a little young to sex. With all that being said, it is never for sure until you can visually sex them, so my rambling might mean absolutely nothing. Just thought I would give you a little insight on that.

 

[gevavery]

i've actually seen them cuddle in different ways. It seems they take turns. I've taken some of the advice and have seperated them. I went and purchased a large breeder box and another under tank heating pad. I just didn't purchase another light. The top to the breeder box is plastic so I'm kinda scared to put a hot light on top.

I noticed they make a special light so I may see if I can locate one that is matched with the breeder box.

I hope that I can put them back together at some point. I don't really have an ideal space for multiple vivariums. I have the new box on top of a TV tray. Now the biggest challenge is to keep my dog away from it. He goes nuts when he sees the geckos.

v/r,
gevavery

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Just in case you didn't know. Most UTHs are made strictly for glass and says "do not use with plastic". I am not sure if anyone here has tried, but I would think it could melt it.

 

[Stitch]

A UTH will definitely melt the plastic if it is not controlled by a thermostat. EVEN then it still may melt it and as mentioned the manufacturer stats that it should not be used on plastic. Go spend $20-30 on a 20 gallon long and do it right. You even said it yourself gevavery, you bought them on a whim without knowing how to care for them and apparently you do not have the space either. Like I said DO IT RIGHT, don't wind up hurting the leos in the process. :main_no:

I'm just trying to get you to see what you are doing in the long run.

 

[sportbike_rob]

bought on a whim......whats wrong with these petco's and petsmart's they didnt give you any real advice, general care information or anything? anyway, just know that reptiles in general arent your average pet that you feed water and pet every now and again like a dog or cat. i wrote a simple care sheet from my own experiance, based on research i did before i got my gecko, and also from what i learned since i joined the forum. my care sheet not only provides what you need for your gecko, but also why you need it: the 5 most important things involving gecko care i would say are: 1)temps and humidity levels: improper temps are very bad, reptiles are cold blooded so they need to do a process called thermoregulation, where they move from a warm spot to a cool spot to keep their internal temperature where it needs to be, so provied a constant hot side around 90* use a UTH with a thermostat, if a thermostat isnt in your budget, you can get away with using an appliance dimmer or rheostat (AKA an expensive appliance dimmer) however using these you need to keep a constant eye on your temps to make sure your not cooking or cooling your gecko. temps should be measured on floor of the tank and a cooler side around 77* on the other end of the tank (i just leave my cool end at room temp, our house stays around 75-77so it works well). in nature geckos move from ground/rocks that were warmed by the sun to cooler areas to thermoregulate, so all their warmth comes from the ground below, not the air above, this is why we use under tank heaters and not heat lamps, geckos dont need lamps of any sort being that they are nocturnal, however they do need a day and night cycle, so be sure to give them 12 hours of light (keeping the light in the room your enclosure is in on for 12 hours works well (and is cheaper than running a heat lamp too). humidity for a leo should be around 50% (correct me if i am wrong) and 60% for an AFT, humidity levels are important, because if the humidity is too high or too low it may cause respiratory/breathing troubles
2) calcium and vitamin suppliments: gecko's crickets need to be dusted with calcium w/ vitamin d3, and a small dish of pure calcium should be placed in their enclosure at all times so it can lap some up every now and again if its not getting enough, the reason this is imortant it due to a disease called MBD or metabolic bone disease which can be fatal to the gecko. multivitamins are also important, so they can be healthy, EX: just like humans, not enough vitamin c our immune system weakens and we get sick more often, not enough calcum our bones and teeth get brittle, ect....
3)hides and humid hide: a hide should be provided at both the warm end and cool end of the enclosure, and also one in the mid way of the warm and cool sides, a humid hide should also be provided on the warm end of the enclosure, a humid hide is a simple tupperware or other plastic container filled with absorbant materials (paper towels work well) that is constantly moist, this kind of makes a "gecko sauna" this is important for the shedding process, and also this is where your gecko gets alot of its water, condensation will occur on the sides of the humid hide and the gecko will lick the condensation to get its drink, however still provide a water dish because it will drink out of that too. if a humid hide is not provided, stuck sheds will occur, stuck sheds can cut off circulation to toes and may cause loss of toes.
4)cleanliness: a warm semi humid area with a small poo or a dead feeder insect will spread bacteria faster than anybody can imagine, bacteria can make your gecko very sick and possibly can kill your gecko
5)substrate choice: loose substrates may cause impaction, loose particals a gecko may take in while feeding, in such a small digestive tract can reak havok and clog your gecko up, the chance of this happening isnt super huge, however it is a big risk, if you insist on using loose substrate, feed your gecko in a seperate feeding container with paper towel as substrate to minimise the risk of your gecko ingesting it.

this is based on my own research and experiance also advice that i have got along the way. to the experianced gecko keepers, if i missed anything of importance, please point it out.

 

[Thunderslide]

Rob,

The problem is (well in my case) Sheila and I did tons od research, we did it for weeks bought the pet store recommended items. Only to learn it was mostly bad information. I had heard and witnessed that our local petsmarts were not taking great care of their leo's so I posted on craigs list looking for a local leo breeder. got a message back with a link to Paul Sage. Holy buckets did we have it wrong. If you have opportunity to deal with Paul do so. I would buy from him again without thought. hesitation or reservation.:main_thumbsup: He is a wealth of knowledge and wonderful to deal with. I picked up our first leo last night from Paul. I have had several PM's (he told us about this site), phone messages, e-mails. anyway I digress (I want to give a trader rating but not sure if that is working)

There is tons of conflicting information out there. We did a lot of looking and shopping only to learn we had a bunch of it 180° wrong.

 

[monkeygirl]

heat mats dont melt plastic else rack systems wouldnt work!

 

[trizzypballr]

they only reason they dont melt plastic is because of a good thermostat

 

[monkeygirl]

its really not cos when i was setting up some tanks in my room before i had the leos in there i had the heat mat on for a few days with plastic boxes on top (really useful boxes) before a thermostat was attatched and they didnt melt at all. of course you would use a thermostat anyway to keep the temps not to hot for the gecko but it wont melt a plastic box

 

[Stitch]

Most of ZooMeds UTH's are not meant for plastic, except the RH-7. The RH-7 is meant for the little plastic critter keeper cages. Like I said before if it is controlled by a T-stat then you probably won't have a problem, BUT I STILL DON'T RECOMMEND IT. Rack systems generally use heat tape not a UTH. Plus they are controlled by a T-stat.

Read the directions on a UTH and it will tell you how to use it properly.