Pick up a new pal today, is this a Black Pearl Leo?

[Kulwiec]

I have an old 10g but no heat fixture or hides. I was honestly just speaking out of paranoia, as soon as I read "cold gecko" i started to convince myself he was sick. There are no red flags I can see, he is aware, active, his eyes are fine, no signs really.

 

[STUTFL]

I got my first two together a few weeks ago and now this one from the same group. The other two don't seem to have problems with each other and I often find them sleeping and laying very close. I have seen most people housing 2-4 adults together no problems, assuming there aren't multiple males.

When it comes to my geckos I like to view as If I were that little gecko would I wanna live here/alone, etc. This is why I spent close to 200 on supplies for them, I like them to be a little spoiled.

Additional information, I house them in a 20g tank with a dual light fixture with temp always around 95. They have 2 hides and a humid box, as well as fresh food and water bowls. There is no neglect here at all, my girlfriend and I love these little guys and take great care of them.

I did not mean to imply that you are intentionally neglecting your animals or providing them with "second best." If your two females are healthy and getting along in their 20 gal, then I'm sure no one will suggest that you separate them. A smaller leo added to the group risks getting bullied; a male, of course, will have to be separated from the females. Lights will raise the heat, but a UTH is generally more efficient for leopard geckos because they "bask" with their tummies, sucking heat up best from the ground.

They *are* lizards, rather than mammals, which means they do not necessarily view "companionship" like a human or even a dog or cat or hamster. They are not raised by their parents, nor do they live in groups, which means they do not need to develop bonds the way mammals do. Your leo will not suffer if you keep him alone; and remember, he always has you for a buddy.

 

[Kulwiec]

He isn't much smaller, he may only be a few weeks behind on age, I just wish there was a foolproof way of sexing young geckos that haven't been incubated for a specific gender.

 

[STUTFL]

I have an old 10g but no heat fixture or hides. I was honestly just speaking out of paranoia, as soon as I read "cold gecko" i started to convince myself he was sick. There are no red flags I can see, he is aware, active, his eyes are fine, no signs really.

A quarantine isn't for an obviously sick animal so much as for an apparently-healthy animal that may develop symptoms after a few days. If he does turn out to be ill or just a poor eater, easily stressed, or with some other difficulty, it will be easier to treat or otherwise care for him if he is in his own tank. Tupperware containers, flowerpots, etc. will work as hides in a pinch - I have seen ones made of Legos! :main_laugh: He will live without a UTH for the time it takes to get one (always good to have a backup anyhow).

 

[ElapidSVT]

get rid of the lights first of all. leopard geckos are nocturnal as evidenced by the elliptical pupils. light stresses them out and eventually they'll go off feed if they haven't already. a proper undertank heater is what they need for proper warmth.

any new animals need to be quarantined for a minimum of 6 weeks to avoid infecting your other animals.

good luck!

 

[STUTFL]

He isn't much smaller, he may only be a few weeks behind on age, I just wish there was a foolproof way of sexing young geckos that haven't been incubated for a specific gender.

Hm - you could always post an underside picture and get the forum opinion; he/she might be too young to tell, but enough pairs of eyes might be able to at least make a good guess.

 

[justindh1]

I think the way people go about saying things could be done in more of a constructive manner. The OP may not know all the correct ways of doings things. I'd say most of us didn't know everything when we got our first geckos, including me. Without knowing the temps in the tank then we cannot determine if the gecko is cold or not. It could just be from being brought into a new environment. The gecko actually looks healthy to me.

To the OP, all newly acquired geckos need to be quarantined for 30-90 days. It also can takes days for a new gecko to eat. Let him settle down and try feeding him tomorrow. Just keep an eye on him and you should be fine.

 

[Kulwiec]

It will not be possible to supply the appropriate temperature without a heat light, the A/C is almost always on and I don't want the little guy to freeze!

Also can anybody else put in an opinion on why he is darker than other geckos? He has a hypo look just a lot darker which is why I confused it with a Black Pearl.

 

[STUTFL]

Is there an area in your home that is typically warmer than the rest? What is your usual room temp?


And if he's in a warm place, healthy, etc., and stays that way through a shed, my first guess would be some leos are just "muddy"! He might never be a very high-contrast fellow even once his spots or other markings come in fully, but it's an interesting color variant. I've seen some dark Snows and Normals as adults, they're quite striking in my opinion.

 

[STUTFL]

I think the way people go about saying things could be done in more of a constructive manner. The OP may not know all the correct ways of doings things. I'd say most of us didn't know everything when we got our first geckos, including me. Without knowing the temps in the tank then we cannot determine if the gecko is cold or not. It could just be from being brought into a new environment. The gecko actually looks healthy to me.

To the OP, all newly acquired geckos need to be quarantined for 30-90 days. It also can takes days for a new gecko to eat. Let him settle down and try feeding him tomorrow. Just keep an eye on him and you should be fine.

I think we've gotten past the "cold" thing, it's just the first assumption (along with "did they keep it on newspaper?") when you see an oddly-colored pet-store or rescued gecko. No reflection on the new owner, it's just a sad fact that there are a lot of problems that need to be ruled out first with pet store animals because they've often been treated poorly for a long time before coming to their new homes.

Which, of course, is also why the quarantine is a particular concern with such animals.

 

[Kulwiec]

I hope he stays healthy through this, no reason why he shouldnt! And no, every room stay pretty cold with the AC, I thought about partially covering the tank with a cloth or something but it's not a great idea. Counting on him staying pretty dark, if not getting darker! All 3 of our geckos are varied, we have a Tangerine, a Hypo, and our muddy little Hypo so they all look unique in their own ways!

 

[Wild West Reptile]

It will not be possible to supply the appropriate temperature without a heat light, the A/C is almost always on and I don't want the little guy to freeze!

You ask questions and get answers, yet you don't want to hear them. I don't know how else to put this......You NEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD an UTH to properly care for your geckos! Get a cheap light dimmer swith or rhetostat and plug it into it and adjust until it hits the proper temp on the surface. Give it a try, measure your temps on the SURFACE and if it's 90-95 your good. If you still need additional heat because you keep your house like an icebox, then use a red light bulb and not a blinding white light.

It always amazes me that newbies come on here and ask questions, and when they get proper answers from experienced leo keepers that they don't like, they choose to ignore it. Don't be one of those people. It seems that you like your geckos quite a bit, so do them a favor and get them the proper heating. They NEED it not only for heat, but to digest their food. Heat from the top doesn't help them. You've already been told numerous times to quarantine so I won't even go there.

 

[Kulwiec]

I have a red light for them and there is sufficient heating for them, I also heard that they don't require UVB much if at all because they are nocturnal.

 

[im faster]

NO THERE IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You NEED a under tank heat pad.. we have been caring for these animals A LOT longer than you have.. we wouldnt tell you something if it was wrong

and no they do not need uvb they are nocturnal

 

[Kulwiec]

Sorry I misinterpreted the abbreviation and read UVB haha. A UTH goes under the sand or under the glass of the aquarium? Also have you ever had problems with them getting burns on their skin?

 

[im faster]

under TANK heat pad.. so it goes under the glass
you need to loose the sand also..
and yess there are cases of burns.. thats why you need a thermostat and a thermometer with a probe

 

[Kulwiec]

What sort of substrate would you recommend? Also could you link me to those items? I'm not sure what to look for or what good brands there are.

 

[5HiddenLizards]

ZooMed UTHs maintain a good temperature. Mine don't have a thermostat or dimmer & they get around 98F at their highest.
A lot of people use tiles or paper towel as substrate.


{via Tapatalk}

 

[KelliH]

That is a neat looking gecko! I also recommend quarantine but understand that it is your business to do that or not. You absolutely do not have to have an undertank heater, though I do also recommend those over lights. I kept leopard geckos for many years in groups of one male and two or three females, in glass tanks with heat lamps (sand too!). Good luck with your gecko.

 

[Kulwiec]

Thanks for the great feedback! Nice to hear that an experienced breeder that does the same stuff that I do! Day 2, they all seem to get along pretty well. Watched them for like 30 minutes last night as they all wandered around the cage, ate, drank and such. Nismo seems fine and no tail nips or anything so smooth sailing!