Not eating

[Adam]

Had my Leo nearly 6 weeks now (was 6 weeks old when i got him) and he hasn't ate anything for like 2 or 3 weeks. Doesn't take any notice of crickets when i put them in, recently put a dish with mealworms inside and hasn't bothered looking in the dish let alone take one out. He used to take food off tweezers no problem but now he keeps turning his head away or completely ignores it and shuts his eyes. No growth in his tail what so ever. He just seems stressed if im being honest. I do leave the crickets in incase he decides to eat them when im not around or when im asleep but none of them go missing.
Ive got a 2ft wide wooden tank with sliding glass at front, repti carpet on bottom, red light on a dimming thermostat which ive been having it 84 in the day but recently started to have it higher at 88 to see if it helped, and at night ive been turning it down to 76.
3 hides all in the right places including a moist hide which he sleeps in a lot.
Need help to basically get my gecko eating again

Thanks

 

[proBie3]

Have you tried keeping the mealies in there constantly? My juvie didn't take any interest whatsoever in mealworms until I kept them in constantly, usually about a dozen mini or small mealies lightly sprinkled with repashy. After I started taking away crickets to get her to eat mealies she began gobbling them up like crazy over night.

 

[Lindz0518]

Do you have an UTH? The floor temp should be 89-95 on the hot side. Air temps are not as important as long as they don't go below 65-70. They need belly heat to digest their food. An UTH attached to a thermostat or dimmer switch is a easy way to do this. You will need a probe thermometer right on the floor or a temp gun to get proper floor temps.

 

[Adam]

No all ive got is the red heat bulb on a dimmer. I haven't got a heat mat because my tank is wooden and the heat obviously won't get through the wood. Would it be ok if i put a heat mat under repti carpet?

 

[Lindz0518]

Have you tried keeping the mealies in there constantly? My juvie didn't take any interest whatsoever in mealworms until I kept them in constantly, usually about a dozen mini or small mealies lightly sprinkled with repashy. After I started taking away crickets to get her to eat mealies she began gobbling them up like crazy over night.

Also I wouldn't recommend mini/small mealworms, regular mealworms are fine even for juveniles. There is some debate on whether the mini mealworms cause impaction which I know you are concerned about right now. The general rule is as long as feeders are about 3/4 the size of the leos head they are fine.

 

[Adam]

Have you tried keeping the mealies in there constantly? My juvie didn't take any interest whatsoever in mealworms until I kept them in constantly, usually about a dozen mini or small mealies lightly sprinkled with repashy. After I started taking away crickets to get her to eat mealies she began gobbling them up like crazy over night.

Ive kept the meal worms in there for like a week and a half now, which is since i got the meal worm dish. Im not sure whether my gecko realises theres meal worms in there :main_huh:

 

[Lindz0518]

No all ive got is the red heat bulb on a dimmer. I haven't got a heat mat because my tank is wooden and the heat obviously won't get through the wood. Would it be ok if i put a heat mat under repti carpet?

I wouldn't because it would probably get way too hot and not have ventilation, I don't have any experience with wooden cages but I would think the right sized UTH would heat up the wood if it wasn't to thick.

 

[Adam]

Are there glass tanks available that are 2 feet wide? I'll look into getting a glass tank just so i can use a heat mat, because i'm reading a lot of reviews and a heat mat sounds like its essential for a leopard gecko.
Also is the red bulb i'm using a bad idea for my gecko? Would a blue bulb be better?

 

[proBie3]

Also I wouldn't recommend mini/small mealworms, regular mealworms are fine even for juveniles. There is some debate on whether the mini mealworms cause impaction which I know you are concerned about right now. The general rule is as long as feeders are about 3/4 the size of the leos head they are fine.

Answered another question I had, thanks. I was actually worried that the regular mealies would cause impaction which is why I switched to small ones after this scare I have... Guess I will continue with the regulars.

Definitely makes sense since the mini and smalls seem to be nothing but exo skelotin

 

[Lindz0518]

Are there glass tanks available that are 2 feet wide? I'll look into getting a glass tank just so i can use a heat mat, because i'm reading a lot of reviews and a heat mat sounds like its essential for a leopard gecko.
Also is the red bulb i'm using a bad idea for my gecko? Would a blue bulb be better?

Really the light from a window is enough but if you are using the red for heat then get a CHE or a black night heat bulb. They have 20 gallon long tanks that are about 30 inches long. Just make sure to use a dimmer to control the temps, and I use a temp gun to get a floor temp. A medium UTH should be the perfect size if you get a 20L. Just put it on one side and make that the hot side, put a hide on it so they can have a spot to hide while they get belly heat.

 

[Lindz0518]

Answered another question I had, thanks. I was actually worried that the regular mealies would cause impaction which is why I switched to small ones after this scare I have... Guess I will continue with the regulars.

Definitely makes sense since the mini and smalls seem to be nothing but exo skelotin

Yeah just go with regulars! I've fed them to Loki since he was about 4 weeks old for variety

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Had my Leo nearly 6 weeks now (was 6 weeks old when i got him) and he hasn't ate anything for like 2 or 3 weeks. Doesn't take any notice of crickets when i put them in, recently put a dish with mealworms inside and hasn't bothered looking in the dish let alone take one out. He used to take food off tweezers no problem but now he keeps turning his head away or completely ignores it and shuts his eyes. No growth in his tail what so ever. He just seems stressed if im being honest. I do leave the crickets in incase he decides to eat them when im not around or when im asleep but none of them go missing.
Ive got a 2ft wide wooden tank with sliding glass at front, repti carpet on bottom, red light on a dimming thermostat which ive been having it 84 in the day but recently started to have it higher at 88 to see if it helped, and at night ive been turning it down to 76.
3 hides all in the right places including a moist hide which he sleeps in a lot.
Need help to basically get my gecko eating again

Thanks

Night temps sound a little cool. I keep mine in the low 80's at night (on the warm side), and some people don't even lower temps at all. And is the red light on 24/7? That will disrupt his day/night cycle, which will affect his eating habits. It's good you bumped up the daytime temps, though, as they should be between 88-93. Remember, these guys from from the semi-deserts of the Middle East.

I agree with Lindz in getting a 20 long. They're great for getting an excellent temperature gradient. I can have the warm side in the low 90's and the cool side in the high 70's.

~Maggot

 

[Adam]

The light is on 24/7 yes because its the only heat source i have. Think the temp of my room at night is about 65 to 70 which would be too cold if i turned the light off.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

The light is on 24/7 yes because its the only heat source i have. Think the temp of my room at night is about 65 to 70 which would be too cold if i turned the light off.

You'll need to get something else then. You can't leave any light on 24/7 because that disrupts their night/day cycle, which is important for them. Even the red light just at night can disrupt them, so I wouldn't recommend using it at all once you get another heat source, which you should do immediately. CHEs, UTHs, and daylight bulbs are all viable options. Without proper heat, they can't digest their food properly, so that will decrease their appetites. And the constant red light can also alter eating habits.

Are you sure it hasn't eaten at all in 1-2 weeks? No poop or anything? Can we see a pic to see what body condition is like?

~Maggot

 

[Adam]

He goes in his cool hide to do his stuff and im only noticing white stuff and i take thats the wee.

 

[ericssonfan81]

Just a few quick points I'd like to add that may or may not have been said already:
Turning down the temps aren't really necessary imo. I don't do it and haven't noticed any detrimental effects on my geckos.
Light from the window is sufficient to simulate a day/night cycle for them. If you're using a day bulb of 40w or higher, it may stress out the gecko esp if it happens to be an albino. They have extra sensitive eyes.
Have you handled your gecko recently? If so, did he have a stressful experience the last time out? That may stress him off of food for a while
Also stressed geckos may not eat while you are around so leaving them a dish of worms at all time lets him come out and eat when he feels secure. The only problem I have with mealies is that they tend to stop wiggling in the dish after only a little while. This may not stimulate interest in your gecko.

However I'm willing to bet no UTH = No Appetite. That is a serious vital piece of equipment you seem to be missing. Leos need belly heat and will not benefit much or at all with ambient temps from a lamp or CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) as they have very few heat receptors on their back. All the receptors are on the belly and belly heat helps promote healthy appetite and digestion as well as helps regulates their organs, etc. I would pick up a UTH asap.

 

[Adam]

After signing up to this forum i realise how much people in pet shops haven't got a clue. More than likely going to go out and get a glass tank and get a heat mat. Thanks for the help though, appreciate it.

 

[Lindz0518]

After signing up to this forum i realise how much people in pet shops haven't got a clue. More than likely going to go out and get a glass tank and get a heat mat. Thanks for the help though, appreciate it.

Yes. For the most part people in the petstores are clueless, also when you get him eating you need to dust his feeders with a supplement like Repashy because leopard geckos need vitamins and calcium or they will develop Metabolic Bone Disease. That was something I was not informed of when I purchased my first leopard gecko almost 4 years ago, but luckily I read a few books about leo care in the weeks after.

 

[Adam]

I coat the crickets in this stuff called Nutrobal.

 

[Lindz0518]

Ok. You will find a lot of great information on here. I think I spent 2 months on here just reading before I signed up.