[acpart]

I've been keeping coleonyx v.b. for the past 4 years and I have a consistent, but intermittent problem with individuals just stopping eating and wasting away for no reason I can determine. I am keeping them similar to leopard geckos: tile substrate with some containers of eco earth for digging and burrowing, heat gradient with low 90's on the hot side, slightly higher humidity which I achieve by keeping most of the top of the enclosure covered with plexiglass. They are fed small crickets and mealworms dusted with Repashy calcium plus and a dish of the same in the enclosure in case they don't get to the crickets before they get undusted.

Without going into the whole history of this wasting problem, most recently I was keeping 1.2. I suspect only one of the females, the larger, was laying the eggs, and lay she did, every 2 weeks or so. I stopped counting after 24 clutches. She continued to lay into her cooling period. She produced 13 babies. About a month ago, the smaller female displayed a tremendous weight loss. I separated her but was unable to get her to eat and she died. The larger female laid 3 clutches of eggs which for the most part have not appeared to be fertile. Recently she and the male have begun the same weight loss and don't seem to be eating.

I have done the following: thoroughly cleaned their 20 gallon tank. Taken them out of their 20 gallon tank and put them in a 5 gallon tank which is set up similarly in order to better monitor them (I put my juvi pair in the 20 gallon instead). They still don't seem to be eating.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Aliza

[python1324]

It sounds like there might be some kind of illness that the are suffering from. most coleonyx are wild caught. But if you have had them for so long that might not be the case. Coleonyx can be bred to death. A female can lay many clutches after only one visit with a male. I would keep each gecko separate with just paper towels as substrate. Keep track of how much they are eating, see if their poo is healthy looking. If you need to, force feed them. Put a few drops of vitamin B in their water bowls.

Sorry to hear about the death. Hope everything works out.

[acpart]

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think it's an illness because I've had groups go for over a year with no problems. The overbreeding does make sense. All the coleonyx I have, by the way, are captive bred.

ALiza

[WingedWolfPsion]

Have you done parasite checks? It could certainly take up to a year or even longer for parasite loads to build to lethal levels.

[acpart]

Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Have you done parasite checks? It could certainly take up to a year or even longer for parasite loads to build to lethal levels.

I've thought of that but it's hard to find usable droppings since they're so small and get hard so fast. How do other people deal with that?

Aliza

[WingedWolfPsion]

I would put them in a plastic bin on damp paper towel for a day. You just tear the paper towel around the droppings, and put them into a plastic baggie, and refrigerate until you get them to the vet.
If that doesn't work, there's always the possibility of shotgunning them. Just treat them with panacur and flagyl (with appropriate sterilizing of their home), and see if that solves the problem.
Overbreeding seems highly unlikely, since your male is being affected.

[frilled1]

Aliza, sorry to hear about the loss. The 2 c.v.b that i got from you are doing great and pound roaches nymphs.

I keep mine in a ap rack system with paper towel substrate just like leo's with a humid hide for nesting. young and babies i keep separate in 6 qt tubs till old enough to breed adults i keep 1.2 in a 15 qt tub these are C.v.v but i have no problem with the bogerti that i have kept the same way.