Pet Stores vs. Breeders?

[IrishFox350]

okay, now that I have def. decided I want to get a Leo, where do y'all think I should get one from?

We have a good local Petco right down the road, close enough I could walk to it. They take very good care of the animals in their care, at least for a pet store. They sell juveniles for 30 dollars.

Or should I go to a breeder? It was actually a breeder in Atlanta, Georgia that suggested I go to this site in the first place, but I don't have hundreds of dollars to spend just on the Leo alone. I already have a local exotic vet that I plan on taking him or her to within the week that we get him or her, but I cannot spend that much just on the Leo. We just had to get a new car, so money is tight right now. Not to mention, we have several large-ish fish tanks and six dogs to take care of as well as ourselves.

lols

those that say breeder, please tell me whom and if you know where to find or contact one near Charleston, SC.

Thanks guys and gals!

 

[endrien]

Breeder, Pet stores are generally more disease/parasite prone and you do not know what you are getting. Many breeders offer quality low priced geckos that are not hundreds of dollars.

 

[Wild West Reptile]

For me, the only choice is WHICH breeder. Just remember, these guys can live a long time and you don't want to skimp on quality or health. It's better to spend a little more and get a healthy animal from a breeder. Otherwise that $30 pet store gecko could quickly turn into a $300 "vet" store gecko. Spend the extra money and get a quality, healthy one that you know was properly cared for, it will give you years of pleasure.

You get what you pay for.

 

[Jusselin]

what type of Leo are you looking for?

the reason I ask is because petco and other "stores" usually offer normals and thats it.

 

[im faster]

that $30 pet store gecko could quickly turn into a $300 "vet" store gecko.

This

 

[IrishFox350]

what type of Leo are you looking for?

the reason I ask is because petco and other "stores" usually offer normals and thats it.

I'm not so sure now. The one's at our Petco are normal ones, I think. I know they sometimes get ones in with nicer colors. My husband and I talked about it last night, and it looks like we might wait a while. I'm thinking that getting one from a breeder might be a better idea, and we cannot afford to do that right now, so waiting until our finances are better, I think would be smarter. That being said, I am going to still stay on here and learn, so that way I will be prepared.

Honestly, I just wish I could convince him to get a ball python. I miss mine so much.

Please keep this going tho. I really want to know what you all think and why.

Thanks for your help and input so far.

 

[IrishFox350]

For me, the only choice is WHICH breeder.

do you know of any in or near Charleston, SC? I'd like to start talking to some near wear I live and getting to know them.

 

[Jusselin]

you dont have to spend hundreds of dollars at a breeder either.....decide what type of morph you want and it could cost as little as a benjamin shipped =]


what intrests you in a leo?

 

[Jusselin]

do you know of any in or near Charleston, SC? I'd like to start talking to some near wear I live and getting to know them.

there are tons of great bredders here...check out the banners at the top.

 

[scm133]

I purchased my first from Petsmart. Then, I got two off of craigslist. The rest (6) from breeders. My next purchase will be a breeder, definitely!!
I am lucky, because my Petsmart leo is healthy, but he started out at only 3 grams. My two craigslist leos are sweet, but they have the enigma syndrome.
My breeder leos are gaining weight and eating like little pigs. They are healthy and good stock. It is much easier to raise healthy leos, then underweight, and possibly sick pet shop leos...trust me.

 

[stager]

If it's just a pet and money is tight craigslist is probably better than a chain pet store. I see complete set ups there for 50 bucks gecko included

 

[grboxa]

It's hit or miss at chain stores, but if you have a breeder at hand go for it might aswell start there. plus you get information on your gecko like birth and sex that sometimes chain stores cant give you like my jungle for instance. For me its been good experiences both ways, my jungle from a local petshop is doing wonderful since day one, so is my bell from TUG.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

Breeder all the way, but just remember even amongst breeders, you'll have breeders that cut corners or mix & match mass breed without knowing the sex, genetics, or care about abnormalities & tail kinks.

My first 2 geckos were from a local Petco. My 16 after that were all from reputable breeders. The 2 petco geckos turned out to be awesome geckos, both turned into different color & patterns, and both got good personalities. Most important of all both are healthy. I won't be breeding them due to not knowing their genetic background. But they make fine pets.

I do agree it's a hit or miss situation. Some people assume all "breeders" are good breeders, and that's really not the case. Just remember pet stores get their gecko stock from a breeder, often times they are local breeders too. If you pick the local store option, just observe the living condition and get a feel of whether the employees taking care of them know what they are doing.

What I'll say is that whatever you do, don't get sucked into buying all sorts of things you don't need in the pet stores. I did that with my first 2 geckos, bought the "kit", listened to an "expert advice" that told me to get a basking lamp, etc.. One thing Petco is good for is when they have that $1 per gallon sale, you can get a very nice 10 or 20 gallon tanks for $10 or $20. And for under tank heating pad, you can buy it cheaper from Amazon as you will be ordering direct from Zoo Med (if that's the one you are going for).

 

[Russellm0704]

If you guys are wondering who the idiot was who chose pet store, well it was me, I have a small keyboard on my phone and huge thumbs! I meant to choose breeder. Anyways, I have 2 geckos from pet stores and 3 from breeders. I have gotten very lucky in that all 5 are extremely healthy, but the quality of the animal is just so much higher from breeders.

 

[doodlebug86]

my pet_co gecko is a wonderful friendly little lady, perhaps because I got her so young. a friend of mine was not so lucky, her gecko died after about a 1 1/2 years. Like everyone says, hit or miss. Pern is super laid back, and just climbs up my arm when i go to do something in her tank. She's also generally 100 grams & patternless.
I got my other leo as an adult from a breeder. She's a wonderful girl, she's missing toes from stuck sheds before i got her, but she's nice. I do wish i'd gotten an baby rather then an adult, but i'm happy with her.
Honestly, a breeder is a better choice, but so long as you look over the gecko before buying it, there's nothing wrong with a pet store gecko. It's your call, but the other geckos & lizards i've gotten for breeders, the breeders are often interested in keeping up a relationship to see how the creature is doing.
good luck, leos are a lot of fun.

 

[grboxa]

Breeder all the way, but just remember even amongst breeders, you'll have breeders that cut corners or mix & match mass breed without knowing the sex, genetics, or care about abnormalities & tail kinks.

My first 2 geckos were from a local Petco. My 16 after that were all from reputable breeders. The 2 petco geckos turned out to be awesome geckos, both turned into different color & patterns, and both got good personalities. Most important of all both are healthy. I won't be breeding them due to not knowing their genetic background. But they make fine pets.

I do agree it's a hit or miss situation. Some people assume all "breeders" are good breeders, and that's really not the case. Just remember pet stores get their gecko stock from a breeder, often times they are local breeders too. If you pick the local store option, just observe the living condition and get a feel of whether the employees taking care of them know what they are doing.

What I'll say is that whatever you do, don't get sucked into buying all sorts of things you don't need in the pet stores. I did that with my first 2 geckos, bought the "kit", listened to an "expert advice" that told me to get a basking lamp, etc.. One thing Petco is good for is when they have that $1 per gallon sale, you can get a very nice 10 or 20 gallon tanks for $10 or $20. And for under tank heating pad, you can buy it cheaper from Amazon as you will be ordering direct from Zoo Med (if that's the one you are going for).

argghh mardy dont you hate when they did that..you go home research more and realize they gave you wrong supplies. Suggested I get coco-husk, with like 100 daylight bulb that will be suitable for life...:O

 

[grboxa]

and i also agree with mardy. if you are going to chain stores watch there conditions, and like she said get a feel how they treat them...and if you are going to buy, buy young!. just my opinion

 

[Jusselin]

Just to throw this in there, i just left a pet store and they had ALL of their beardies and geckos on SAND..... i approached the store owner about it and he basically told me to get lost (seems many others have told him to get rid of it as well.) imagine a first time owner fo these leos getting health advice from this store....or the vet bill they might have after purchasing the animals.

 

[Desdemona]

I have one pet store Leo and the rest are from breeders. My petstore Leo is the most "frightened" one of the bunch. She didn't want to eat about a week after I got her and we ended up at the vet since her tail was super thin. She did finally start eating and is ok now.. health wise, but she never comes out of her hide if she thinks someone will see her.

Even with that being said, there is a pretty killer reptile store in Berkley, south of me a few miles, and I got my Bearded Dragon there.. who is fine and a great pet. But, they are not your standard petstore by any means. They only do reptiles and are almost like a museum.. they have a lot of variety/species/etc. I'd get a Leo from them, but I'd probably skip Petco/Petmart Leos. The Breeders on here, though, have a much wider selection then the petstore.

 

[IrishFox350]

someone asked me what interested me in Leos and honestly, I don't know. I miss my ball python, Seti, a lot and my husband is completely opposed to us getting a snake. Seti used to hang out with me for hours and was a cuddle bug. I miss that connection with a reptile. We do have six dogs, five rescues and one from a breeder, 3 Chihuahuas and 3 Siberian Huskies, so you would think that I have more than enough to cuddle with, but there is just something about a snake/ reptile that is different than cuddling with a dog. My smallest dog is Cricket, and she's only six pounds, but it's very hard to study with a dog in your lap. My furkids never sit still and are extremely affectionate, which I love, but it's so much easier to just hang out with a snake or reptile than it is a dog. They seldom kiss you and never slobber, nor do they have to go out every few hours to go potty. Seti was my buddy and I hated it when I had to rehome him! He was my only companion during the beginning of a very difficult time in my life. I just want that calm, soothing connection with another animal again.

Sadly tho, I will probably have to wait for well over a year before we can get a Leo or a Beardie. Our money situation right now is exceedingly tight. Thank God our fish pay for themselves mostly. I breed live bearers and sell the fry. We have four fish tanks ranging from 20 to 46 gallons each. I cannot lie and say I'm not upset. I've come to realize tho that right now the extra money, responsibility, and time are not sufficient to add another member to our household right now.

I don't want to get an animal when I cannot take care of it properly right now. It's not fair to the new animal, or to my other kids (the dogs and husband).