Newb, need help

[Joker9]

So I got a leo (female, adult) on the 6th and have been doing research ever since, but I find a lot of conflicting information so I thought I'd post here and just ask my questions.

She's very shy still...she won't come out from under her log very much at all. I've handled her several times, trying to get her used to it but I think I am scaring her?

Previous owner was using 2 bright clear bulbs, I read that this annoys them so I went to my local pet store and got one red "nightlight" 40w bulb instead (she's in a 10g tank)-- and at first she loved it basking in it for hours, then back under the log.

Being nocturnal I run the lamp during the day for 12 hours of dessert like heat, then turn it off at night as the dessert gets cool. Is this the right thing to do?

I'm not sure if she's drinking. Like I previously stated she's just hiding a lot.

She does eat, so that's a good sign, I was able to hand feed her a frozen cricket today....but she hasn't pooped since we got her.

I just really want to make sure I'm doing everything I need to be doing for her because I want her to live a long happy life with us.

How do I get her to settle in more and overcome her shyness?


Any/all types and suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks

 

[BGalloway]

Hi there,

4 days isn't a lot of time for her to settle in. Let her hide and feel secure, she's just getting used to her new surroundings. Maybe cut back on the handling a bit? Other people probably have better handling tips.

Are you just using the lights for heat or do you have an under tank heater? You want to keep a constant hot spot of about 92*F. Do you have a thermometer? If not I'd recommend a nice digital thermometer with a probe, place the probe on the substrate right over the hot spot.

I don't do a daytime nighttime thing, the cool side is whatever the air temperature is so I guess there's a little fluctuation, but I don't try to artificially make one.

She's probably drinking and you're just not watching her at the right time. It was a looooong time before I saw my gecko drinking. Look at her feces, if there's a small white bit (urates) its pretty safe to assume she's drinking. Sometimes there will be no poo and just the white urates.

Why are you feeding frozen crickets? Most people feed live prey items. Did you put the cricket in the freezer to slow it down or was it a dead cricket? I wouldn't worry about her not pooping just yet, give her a few more days to settle in.

A question though, how many hiding places does she have? The more the better, within reason, is my opinion. You can fit in about 4 in a ten gallon tank, that's what I have for my gecko. You can also make cheap hides using boxes and packaging materials, ie macaroni and cheese box, toothpaste box, paper towel rolls, etc.

Oh yeah, and what do you have her on for substrate? Paper towel, shelf liner, repti-carpet, sand? Solid substrate is better in my opinion.

Give her time and she should settle in. Keep us updated on you new little gecko. Sorry for any typos, I'm kinda tired.

 

[Khrysty]

There are hundreds of different opinions on how you can best care for leopard geckos. The majority of them work. Here's a link to my caresheet, and what I know works for my geckos. It has a breakdown of different substrates used in the hobby, heating sources, food items, vitamins and minerals, etc. It should answer some of your questions.

I'd give her some more time to settle in, though, honestly. Four days is nothing to be worried about.

 

[Joker9]

Hi there,

4 days isn't a lot of time for her to settle in. Let her hide and feel secure, she's just getting used to her new surroundings. Maybe cut back on the handling a bit? Other people probably have better handling tips.

Are you just using the lights for heat or do you have an under tank heater? You want to keep a constant hot spot of about 92*F. Do you have a thermometer? If not I'd recommend a nice digital thermometer with a probe, place the probe on the substrate right over the hot spot.


The light is for heat - I don't have a thermometer yet, next pay day I'm going to get one.

I don't do a daytime nighttime thing, the cool side is whatever the air temperature is so I guess there's a little fluctuation, but I don't try to artificially make one.

Thank you. I will leave the light on then day and night for her.

She's probably drinking and you're just not watching her at the right time. It was a looooong time before I saw my gecko drinking. Look at her feces, if there's a small white bit (urates) its pretty safe to assume she's drinking. Sometimes there will be no poo and just the white urates.


Yes, she is drinking, I scooped her first poo and it had the white thing in it.

Why are you feeding frozen crickets? Most people feed live prey items. Did you put the cricket in the freezer to slow it down or was it a dead cricket? I wouldn't worry about her not pooping just yet, give her a few more days to settle in.


She wouldn't eat it, after 2 days, so I took it out (alive) and to preserve it froze it - per reading about how crickets can pester the gecko and even eat it's poo and then make the gecko sick.

A question though, how many hiding places does she have? The more the better, within reason, is my opinion. You can fit in about 4 in a ten gallon tank, that's what I have for my gecko. You can also make cheap hides using boxes and packaging materials, ie macaroni and cheese box, toothpaste box, paper towel rolls, etc.



Just one large log for right now and a kidney shaped water dish that takes
up way too much space....she was sort of a gift "I have no time for her will you take care of her?" kinda thing....so I need to get her more supplies.

Oh yeah, and what do you have her on for substrate? Paper towel, shelf liner, repti-carpet, sand? Solid substrate is better in my opinion.


The previous owner used hermit crab sand, and a calci-sand to mix in with it. I plan on getting her that orange sand with calcium in it but also a calcium bowl for her to munch.


Give her time and she should settle in. Keep us updated on you new little gecko. Sorry for any typos, I'm kinda tired.


Will do...thanks for the reply! :main_thumbsup:

 

[adam&nikki]

The previous owner used hermit crab sand, and a calci-sand to mix in with it. I plan on getting her that orange sand with calcium in it but also a calcium bowl for her to munch.




use a solid substrate calcium sand is really the worst sand you can use try using tiles butcher paper paper towel news paper something that your gecko cant eat sometimes it takes a week or 2 to settle in so just give it time if you dnt like crickets or are worrid that they will eat the poop of your gecko and make him/her sick then use mealworms place a bowl of them in the tank abd gut load them with fresh veggies and fruit

 

[Joker9]

The previous owner used hermit crab sand, and a calci-sand to mix in with it. I plan on getting her that orange sand with calcium in it but also a calcium bowl for her to munch.




use a solid substrate calcium sand is really the worst sand you can use try using tiles butcher paper paper towel news paper something that your gecko cant eat sometimes it takes a week or 2 to settle in so just give it time if you dnt like crickets or are worrid that they will eat the poop of your gecko and make him/her sick then use mealworms place a bowl of them in the tank abd gut load them with fresh veggies and fruit

I'm just going to feed her 1 cricket per day. I don't like mealworms, I've seen what they can do....someone I knew had a leo gecko and fed it a live mealworm, the gecko didn't chew it and it burrowed it's way out of it's chest killing him (R.I.P. Rick James). I've seen it with my own 2 eyes I don't care that some sites say it can't happen it indeed can.

Why is calcium sand so bad?

 

[Khrysty]

I'm just going to feed her 1 cricket per day. I don't like mealworms, I've seen what they can do....someone I knew had a leo gecko and fed it a live mealworm, the gecko didn't chew it and it burrowed it's way out of it's chest killing him (R.I.P. Rick James). I've seen it with my own 2 eyes I don't care that some sites say it can't happen it indeed can.

Why is calcium sand so bad?

When calci-sand gets wet it disintegrates. It's made for larger reptiles with bigger digestive systems. In those animals, it turns into a liquid and passes through the system no problem. With leos, though, it doesn't get to turn to liquid and can get stuck, gumming up the entire digestive tract and acting like a huuuge dose of antacid--meaning it won't be able to properly digest it's food. Meaning it can starve.

I won't touch the "mealworm eating its way out of a gecko" scenario. It's biologically impossible. It's possible that the gecko died of another cause and the mealworm ate its way INto the gecko's stomach, though. Just food for thought.

 

[BGalloway]

I'm just going to feed her 1 cricket per day. I don't like mealworms, I've seen what they can do....someone I knew had a leo gecko and fed it a live mealworm, the gecko didn't chew it and it burrowed it's way out of it's chest killing him (R.I.P. Rick James). I've seen it with my own 2 eyes I don't care that some sites say it can't happen it indeed can.

Why is calcium sand so bad?

Just a thought, but why not feed her as many crickets as she'll eat? She could just not be hungry for a few days, my boy has gone on hunger strikes before when there's a drastic temperature change (stupid dorms).

I'm not going to say anything bad about mealworms, I've never had success feeding them off but the ONLY reason is that my gecko is too stubborn to eat anything but crickets.

Could it be your gecko prefers food that is not crickets? There are other non-cricket-non-mealworm food options out there, you could buy a very small batch and offer her some of those to see what she prefers.

 

[Joker9]

When calci-sand gets wet it disintegrates. It's made for larger reptiles with bigger digestive systems. In those animals, it turns into a liquid and passes through the system no problem. With leos, though, it doesn't get to turn to liquid and can get stuck, gumming up the entire digestive tract and acting like a huuuge dose of antacid--meaning it won't be able to properly digest it's food. Meaning it can starve.

I won't touch the "mealworm eating its way out of a gecko" scenario. It's biologically impossible. It's possible that the gecko died of another cause and the mealworm ate its way INto the gecko's stomach, though. Just food for thought.

Ah, I get what you mean. I'm going to start going to reptile specialty stores instead if Pet Smart for Nina -- because obviously they're falsely advertising their products. :main_thumbsdown:

Yeah, you are likely right about how Rick James died.

 

[Joker9]

Just a thought, but why not feed her as many crickets as she'll eat? She could just not be hungry for a few days, my boy has gone on hunger strikes before when there's a drastic temperature change (stupid dorms).

I'm not going to say anything bad about mealworms, I've never had success feeding them off but the ONLY reason is that my gecko is too stubborn to eat anything but crickets.

Could it be your gecko prefers food that is not crickets? There are other non-cricket-non-mealworm food options out there, you could buy a very small batch and offer her some of those to see what she prefers.

Nope she loves crickets, she just ate around 12 or so lol.