Putting Together Colonies

[LeosForLess]

How should i go about putting together multiple females into a large bin? They would be al the same size, and if they didnt get along i would seperate them. Thanks a ton, Paul

 

[Mel&Keith]

The only piece of advice I can add is that you should weigh them all very frequently to see if certain ones may be keeping others away from food. We had 5 sub-adult females that we housed in a 55 gallon for a couple months but it ended up being better to house them seperately.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Use mutliple humid & cool hides and multiple food & water dishes, that will help keep them from fighting over a certain hide or food bowl.

I set mine up in 1.2 - 1.4 with no problems at all.

 

[LeosForLess]

So i should get rid of the big shoebox sized hide?

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

They may do well with a shoebox hide, Id just keep an eye on them for several days to make sure. Or youc an use it and a couple of deli cup hides for a few days and see if they all use the large one or seperate out. Most of mine pile up in one hide even though there are several to choose from.

 

[LeosForLess]

Alright, Thanks Wendy!

 

[BalloonzForU]

Paul,

Do you want to do this for room or convenience or both?

I've found there are pros and cons in single tubs and group tubs. Convenience of putting all females together that are going to be bred to the same male is always nice if it works. I've tried doing it only to find that some of the females didn't get a long. Then when the male was removed from his two females, that normally get along, they faught.

Moving the male from one tub to another with the single tubs has it pros and cons as well. One being did I leave the male in there long enough was she receptive, did I miss the opportunity to have him fertilize another females eggs. Pros, I've found when putting a male in with a single female, he seems to be more in the mood, than when he has more females to choose from.

I hope this helps you decided, it really all depends on each leo involved.

 

[LeosForLess]

Im doing it partly for the male and partly for saving room. I have a super giant female who is 90 grams who will always be on her own, otherwise all of the geckos i want together are from 50-55 grams.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

I don't move the male once they are set up in groups, I leave them all year round together. Now with breeding that can cause a which female laid what egg, but with tangs or stripes, its not a huge deal, they are what they are.

I have some that next season the male will be placed with individual females because who the male mated will matter.

Then again I use big tubs too, 22x17x7 for adults and 1.2's my 1.4 is in a 40 gallon tank.

 

[LeosForLess]

Now my last question. How should i introduce them? One by one? All at once? Thanks, Paul

 

[PaulSage]

Now my last question. How should i introduce them? One by one? All at once? Thanks, Paul

When I cooled some females after breeding, I put four same-sized females together in blanket boxes all at the same time. If one of them started acting less than neighborly toward the other females, I pulled her out immediately and started all over. That only happened with two out of 40(?) females, but I wanted them all to be in a NEW enclosure without any previously established "territories". It worked very well, but then again... they were cooling.

 

[LeosForLess]

Alright, thanks a ton Paul!