not eating much

[fishyfan]

My geckos don't seem to eat much. I had to pick up the mealworms with tweezers and kinda squeeze them to get them to move and hold them in front of the geckos before they would eat them. One gecko only ate 1 mealworm last night and doesn't look very fat

The other gecko ate about 10-12 mealworms but i had to squeeze them and place them right in front of them to get him to eat them.

Is this normal? Should i try a different food?

 

[leolover2]

First off. How long have you had them? What are you temps at? If their new they will just need to take a little time to get used to their new home. Also are they being housed together?

 

[fishyfan]

First off. How long have you had them? What are you temps at? If their new they will just need to take a little time to get used to their new home. Also are they being housed together?

Ive had them for about 5 days. Warm side is about 88 degrees, cool side is about 76 degrees. They are being housed together but they are still small.

 

[leolover2]

They probaly need to just adjust to their new home. They should be fine.

 

[fishyfan]

Should i order mini mealworms from this website?
http://www.minimealworms.com/

They seem to be a lot more active than the mealworms i feed to them...

 

[fishyfan]

any help?

 

[PaulSage]

Have you asked the person you bought them from what they were being fed before you acquired them? Some geckos don't switch diets as readily as others.

Are the geckos sufficiently hydrated? Dehydration in Leopard Geckos can contribute to anorexia.

Have they defecated since you brought them home? Irregular stool could be an indication of an unseen problem that is affecting their appetite.

Have you seen any indication that one gecko might be 'bullying' the other one?

Do either of them have any stuck shed around their face?

What are you using to check the enclosure temperature? I personally think 88 degrees is a little low; lower temperatures can decrease appetite.

Is there any bright lighting or commotion around their enclosure that may be stressing them? Some geckos will not eat if they don't feel secure in their surroundings.

 

[fishyfan]

Have you asked the person you bought them from what they were being fed before you acquired them? Some geckos don't switch diets as readily as others.

Are the geckos sufficiently hydrated? Dehydration in Leopard Geckos can contribute to anorexia.

Have they defecated since you brought them home? Irregular stool could be an indication of an unseen problem that is affecting their appetite.

Have you seen any indication that one gecko might be 'bullying' the other one?

Do either of them have any stuck shed around their face?

What are you using to check the enclosure temperature? I personally think 88 degrees is a little low; lower temperatures can decrease appetite.

Is there any bright lighting or commotion around their enclosure that may be stressing them? Some geckos will not eat if they don't feel secure in their surroundings.

I bought them from petco and they were being fed mealworms. How do i know if they are not drinking enough? What are the signs on dehydration? I have not seen any signs that one of the geckos may be bullying the other one. They do not have any shed skin stuck to them. I used an accurate mecury thermometer to measure the temp of the floor and the air above the floor. they are alone in my room for the day and most of the night...

Heres a pic of them the day i got them:

Heres a pic taken yesterday, you can see that one's grown a little more than the other and the big one is fatter than when i bought them. The smaller one looks a bit fatter in this picture than he actually is...:

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

up the floor temps to 90-92, 88 as Paul mentioned is too low and will decrease appetite, make sure they have a full water dish, good humid hide or 2, a cool hide or 2 a dish full of mealies and some light in the day and darkness at night.

With any pet store leo I would also get a fecal just to be safe, parasites are the most common cause for weight and appetite loss.

BUT your temps are too low and you've only had them 5 days so they do need time to adjust to their new home. Most leos will take 5-10 days to settle in but they need accurate housing too.

Regular medium to large mealies should be fine, minis are super tiny and are even a little to small for hatchlings.