New to Leos

[Sherbs]

Got a year old Leo here, we have had him for about 2 months. Just want to check all is well. He seems to have settled in, doesn't mind too much about been handled but can move very quickly when he wants to. Definitely a lively fellow.

Normally eating around 2 -3 Locusts (Instar 2/3) every 2 days. (Sometimes he has 4). He doesn't like mealworms at all. He gets a Waxworm about once every 5 days or so as he lost a bit of fat in his tail while he was settling in. (Either that or he just didn't like Mealworms or crickets, why we changed to Locusts.)

Viv setup is with Beech Chip, did have a heatmat which was under the Beech Chip but was advised against this as a fire hazard. So switched to a 60w Red Light on a Thermostat (which is set to 84f/29c and is in the middle of the heat gradient.) Also has a strip light on a timer that comes on at Dawn and off at Dusk.

He has 3 Hides, one on the cool side, one on the hot side and a Humid Hide in the middle with some Sphagnum Moss.

Now in these 2 months he seems to have vomitted rolled up shed twice. Now no one has seen him shed as yet. I take it they can shed very quickly? Can't see any skin stuck to his eyelids or toes so he must be good at this.

The aim of this post is just to reassure myself that his setup is fine (or not). I know that every man and his dog has a completely different opinion on whats good or not for Leos.

Hopefully you guys can give me some pointers.

 

[acpart]

I recommend you seriously think about replacing the beech chips with something non-particulate (though people have had good luck with play sand and coco fiber). I "babysat" a pair of geckos last year for someone who was going out of town for a few weeks. She was frantic because, in addition to needing meds, one dropped its tail a few days before for no known reason. She was keeping them on walnut bark pieces and the day after I took them, one of them (most likely the one who'd dropped her tail) passed a few pieces of walnut bark. My theory is that she ingested them and was so distressed and in pain when they started going through her system, that she dropped her tail. If you go back to a different substrate and get a thermostat, you can use the under tank heater which probably provides the best floor heat.

Congratulations on your foray into the world of geckos and welcome to GF.

Aliza

 

[im faster]

Yes.. if you MUST have a substrate.. use play sand from lowes

its cheaper and much safer... or papertowls work just as well


and put the UTH back on

 

[fuzzylogix]

definitely change the substrate. i don't recommend a particulate substrate to anyone. only use paper towels or tiles to prevent impaction. as far as temps, they are a little low as well. you need the UTH on at all times and the hot side surface temp should be between 92-95. the belly heat helps the geckos digest food and i never recommend heat lamps. as far as feeding, im not sure of the nutritional value of locusts, but seems like they would have a lot of chitin and harder to digest.

 

[jerry]

Reptile carpet wors good as a substrate as well