Newb Questions

[lilblack94gt]

I am going to be getting 3 leos and "everything" they need. I say, "everything" because it is sight unseen. I have no idea what comes with these geckos. I am taking the geckos because the person who had them, decided they didn't want them anymore and was just going to turn them loose in Illinois. :main_angry:

I want to make sure that they have the proper setup while in my care. And since I have never had geckos before, I am turning to this site for help.

For 3 geckos, (unsure of age or sex) what size viv or tank am I going to need? Also, how do you sex them and how long/old do they have to be? What is a basic dusting (calcium/vitamin powder) schedule? How often should I be feeding them a day and how much? I will most likely be feeding crix and mealworms/supers. (I use those to feed my Beardie)

I know that these little guys are supposed to be easier to care for than my Beardie is. Which, if that is true, it will be pretty easy. lol.

Please help me provide the best care for these little critters. Thanks in advance for the help and knowledge! :main_thumbsup:

 

[Khrysty]

For 3 geckos, (unsure of age or sex) what size viv or tank am I going to need?

The general rule of thumb is 10 gallons per adult leopard gecko. But a trio fits comfortably in a 20 long in my opinion. You do not, however, want to house them together if they're unsexed.

If you have all females and they're around the same size, they can live together, or if you have two females and a male around the same size they can live together, but if you have two or three males or if one is drastically bigger or smaller than the others, they should have separate cages.

Females can live together comfortably, and males can live with females, but males cannot live with other males. And the larger gecko will usually prevent smaller ones from eating, so we try and keep them around the same size.

And remember, if you have a male with females, he will eventually try and breed. If you're gonna house both sexes together, you have to be prepared to either freeze freshly laid eggs and throw them out, or incubate them and have room for all the resulting hatchlings.

Also, how do you sex them and how long/old do they have to be?

When it comes to sexing, you want them to be at least 15g (maybe even up to 20g) before you try and sex. Sometimes males will be more obvious before then, and experienced breeders can sex them much sooner, but for a beginner, 15g is a good estimate.

To sex a gecko: hold it on its back and look at the vent area. A male will have two distinct bulges beneath his vent and a v-shaped group of dark, wax-producing pores above it. A female will not have these. If you're unsure about what that should look like, google "sexing leopard geckos." You can find some pretty helpful pics.

What is a basic dusting (calcium/vitamin powder) schedule?

You'll find a lot of different information on this. Here's what works for me: I use Repashy calcium plus ICB and dust with every feeding. This is specially formulated to have all of the supplemental vitamins that geckos need.

I also keep a milk cap full of powdered calcium without D3 in the cage at all times. This allows the geckos to supplement themselves as they need it. Gravid females and growing hatchlings/juveniles use it the most, but I've seen my adult males give the cap a lick or two before, too.

How often should I be feeding them a day and how much? I will most likely be feeding crix and mealworms/supers. (I use those to feed my Beardie)

I dust the mealworms, 10 at a time, per gecko, and leave them in a dish all day. If I notice that all of them are gone by the evening, I'll add 10 more. They won't overeat, and having the food in the cage all the time makes it possible for them to eat on their own schedule. Juvies eat more, adults eat less (usually). I've never had an adult eat more than 30 mealworms in one day, they're more likely to eat 7-10.

 

[lilblack94gt]

The general rule of thumb is 10 gallons per adult leopard gecko. But a trio fits comfortably in a 20 long in my opinion. You do not, however, want to house them together if they're unsexed.

If you have all females and they're around the same size, they can live together, or if you have two females and a male around the same size they can live together, but if you have two or three males or if one is drastically bigger or smaller than the others, they should have separate cages.

Females can live together comfortably, and males can live with females, but males cannot live with other males. And the larger gecko will usually prevent smaller ones from eating, so we try and keep them around the same size.

And remember, if you have a male with females, he will eventually try and breed. If you're gonna house both sexes together, you have to be prepared to either freeze freshly laid eggs and throw them out, or incubate them and have room for all the resulting hatchlings.



When it comes to sexing, you want them to be at least 15g (maybe even up to 20g) before you try and sex. Sometimes males will be more obvious before then, and experienced breeders can sex them much sooner, but for a beginner, 15g is a good estimate.

To sex a gecko: hold it on its back and look at the vent area. A male will have two distinct bulges beneath his vent and a v-shaped group of dark, wax-producing pores above it. A female will not have these. If you're unsure about what that should look like, google "sexing leopard geckos." You can find some pretty helpful pics.



You'll find a lot of different information on this. Here's what works for me: I use Repashy calcium plus ICB and dust with every feeding. This is specially formulated to have all of the supplemental vitamins that geckos need.

I also keep a milk cap full of powdered calcium without D3 in the cage at all times. This allows the geckos to supplement themselves as they need it. Gravid females and growing hatchlings/juveniles use it the most, but I've seen my adult males give the cap a lick or two before, too.



I dust the mealworms, 10 at a time, per gecko, and leave them in a dish all day. If I notice that all of them are gone by the evening, I'll add 10 more. They won't overeat, and having the food in the cage all the time makes it possible for them to eat on their own schedule. Juvies eat more, adults eat less (usually). I've never had an adult eat more than 30 mealworms in one day, they're more likely to eat 7-10.

Awesome! I was wondering if the sexing would be the same as sexing Beardies, ad it sounds the same other than when you do it.

As far as the calcium goes, will calcium w d3 hurt them? I have Fluker's w d3 for the beardie. I also have Herpvitive for my Beardie for the vitamins, will that work for the vitamins?

I have a few other tanks at home that I can use to separate the leos when I get them. If they are juvs, can they be housed together until they are of sexing weight?

Sounds like the leo's are going to be a piece of cake to care for.

Thanks for the quick reply and advice! :main_thumbsup:

 

[Khrysty]

You can dust with the D3 but I wouldnt recommend leaving that in the cage. There is a worry that they'll overdose on D3 though there is little consensus on that idea. I think it's best to just eliminate the possibility

Herptivite works just fine for dusting. If it doesn't have D3 in it (it's been a while since I've used it so i'm not sure whether it does), then you'll have to dust with the calcium plus D3 once or twice a week

Yeah, you can house them together if they're really small, but watch out for aggression and make sure everyone eats

 

[lilblack94gt]

Thanks again! I really hope that they have been cared for properly. I am currently dealing with health issues with my beardie and would just like to have them healthy.

 

[Krow]

The general rule of thumb is 10 gallons per adult leopard gecko. But a trio fits comfortably in a 20 long in my opinion. You do not, however, want to house them together if they're unsexed.

If you have all females and they're around the same size, they can live together, or if you have two females and a male around the same size they can live together, but if you have two or three males or if one is drastically bigger or smaller than the others, they should have separate cages.

Females can live together comfortably, and males can live with females, but males cannot live with other males. And the larger gecko will usually prevent smaller ones from eating, so we try and keep them around the same size.

And remember, if you have a male with females, he will eventually try and breed. If you're gonna house both sexes together, you have to be prepared to either freeze freshly laid eggs and throw them out, or incubate them and have room for all the resulting hatchlings.



When it comes to sexing, you want them to be at least 15g (maybe even up to 20g) before you try and sex. Sometimes males will be more obvious before then, and experienced breeders can sex them much sooner, but for a beginner, 15g is a good estimate.

To sex a gecko: hold it on its back and look at the vent area. A male will have two distinct bulges beneath his vent and a v-shaped group of dark, wax-producing pores above it. A female will not have these. If you're unsure about what that should look like, google "sexing leopard geckos." You can find some pretty helpful pics.



You'll find a lot of different information on this. Here's what works for me: I use Repashy calcium plus ICB and dust with every feeding. This is specially formulated to have all of the supplemental vitamins that geckos need.

I also keep a milk cap full of powdered calcium without D3 in the cage at all times. This allows the geckos to supplement themselves as they need it. Gravid females and growing hatchlings/juveniles use it the most, but I've seen my adult males give the cap a lick or two before, too.



I dust the mealworms, 10 at a time, per gecko, and leave them in a dish all day. If I notice that all of them are gone by the evening, I'll add 10 more. They won't overeat, and having the food in the cage all the time makes it possible for them to eat on their own schedule. Juvies eat more, adults eat less (usually). I've never had an adult eat more than 30 mealworms in one day, they're more likely to eat 7-10.

:main_thumbsup:

 

[lilblack94gt]

OK, well change in plans. The 3 leo's I was going to get have been re-homed with a good family. I guess I will go back to my original plan of getting some Crested Geckos. I know they are pretty simple to care for. Just was wondering how many I can house in a viv like this. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/reptile-cages-glass-and-screen/-/exo-terra-medium-rainforest-habitat-kit/

I currently have one at home. I also have a 29 gal tank I could use too.