New Gecko (and reptile) owner

[ljg990]

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ljg990, I've merged your current threads into one. They're all about getting your gecko settled, and answering your 'new owner' questions, so it works best to keep it all together, for the time being.

Thank you, sorry I never was on a forum before I don’t really know how they work lol.

[Elizabeth Freer]

I purchased a thermostat on Amazon, but I’m not feeling good about it because the temp is different from the temp gun I have. Which thermostat would you recommend I get for the UTH?

Are you able to see all the posts on your comprehensive thread since Hilde merged them all?

Let's catch up, Lawrence. I have seen all your posts. I will begin with this one.

Where have you placed your thermostat's probe? What temp did you set on your thermostat?

Which thermostat did you buy from Amazon? The common thermostats most leopard gecko keepers use vary a little -- up to 3*F or so -- from our thermometer's readings. My thermostat's readout & my digital thermometer's readout vary between 0.5*F up to maybe 3*F.

That's fine and not a problem.

Can you buy a yellow Zoo Med digital thermometer with a probe? Tape both probes together, but offset a little. These ZM digital thermometers sell for under $10 and are available at many pet stores.

[ljg990]

Are you able to see all the posts on your comprehensive thread since Hilde merged them all?

Let's catch up, Lawrence. I have seen all your posts. I will begin with this one.

Where have you placed your thermostat's probe? What temp did you set on your thermostat?

Which thermostat did you buy from Amazon? The common thermostats most leopard gecko keepers use vary a little -- up to 3*F or so -- from our thermometer's readings. My thermostat's readout & my digital thermometer's readout vary between 0.5*F up to maybe 3*F.

That's fine and not a problem.

Can you buy a yellow Zoo Med digital thermometer with a probe? Tape both probes together, but offset a little. These ZM digital thermometers sell for under $10 and are available at many pet stores.

Hello,

Since my older posts I’ve actually upgraded pretty much everything. I got an exo terra terrarium, I hated having to do things from the top, this makes it so much easier. I got a bigger heat mat and I’ve gotten a zoomed reptitemp thermostat. The temps are much more accurate I’ve noticed. I taped the probe for that directly over the heat mat in the tank. I do have a separate thermometer for the cool side and a probe for humidity in his humid hide. I also have a separate hygrometer in the tank just for a general humidity.

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hello,

Since my older posts I’ve actually upgraded pretty much everything. I got an exo terra terrarium, I hated having to do things from the top, this makes it so much easier. I got a bigger heat mat and I’ve gotten a zoomed reptitemp thermostat. The temps are much more accurate I’ve noticed. I taped the probe for that directly over the heat mat in the tank. I do have a separate thermometer for the cool side and a probe for humidity in his humid hide. I also have a separate hygrometer in the tank just for a general humidity.

Is your thermostat's probe also inside your leo's warm dry hide?

• Have you been following this chart?
• What dimensions is your Exo Terra?

Temperatures - A temperature gradient from warm to cool maintains your leo's health. Here's a temperature guide for all leopard geckos as measured with the probe of a digital thermometer or a temp gun. Set your thermostat at 91*F/32.8*C.

Tape the thermostat's probe and a digital thermometer's probe together, but offset a little. Place them right on top of the substrate underneath the warm dry hide. If you use a UTH + a CHE you'll need 2 separate thermostats, because ground and air temperatures are substantially different.

• Warm dry hide ground temperature: 88-92 F (31.1-33.3 C) inside a leo's warm dry hide.
• Warm humid/moist hide: Place the humid hide 100% on top of the heat mat. Keep temperatures similar to the warm dry hide.
• Cool dry hide ground temperature: 70ish-75 F (21.1-23.9 C) Usually the cool end ground temperature matches the room temperature where the enclosure sits.
• no greater than 82ish F (27.8ish C) surface temperature - 4 inches (10 cm) above ground on the warm end
• no greater than 75 F (23.9 C) surface temperature - 4 inches (10 cm) above ground on the cool end

Leave your heat mat on 24/7 IF ambient room temperatures drop lower than 67ish*F (19.4*C). If NOT, during the night turn off overhead lighting/heating (~12 hours on and ~12 hours off)

[ljg990]

Is your thermostat's probe also inside your leo's warm dry hide?

• Have you been following this chart?
• What dimensions is your Exo Terra?

All of my temps fall in those ranges. The exo terra is 24x18x12.

[Elizabeth Freer]

I’ve had my gecko Opie for a week now, not sure how old he is but he’s small...Anyway, he is verrrrry scared of me and my girlfriend. Any movement we make will prompt him to run into his warm hide. He eats very good, never leaves anything in his bowl. I’ve been feeding him 8-10 mealworms a day, he eats them pretty quickly and he poops once a night. Everything seems fine on that front. But, I am worried about how scared he is of me and the fact that he doesn’t explore much at all, he comes out to eat and then usually just hangs out in his warm hide most of the time. He will occasionally come out to stare at us as well lol. I just want to make sure this is all normal behavior, and what I should be doing to get him more comfortable with us. I have never had a leopard gecko before, or a reptile actually. I’d really appreciate any tips and advice from all of you. Thanks.

I'm glad Opie is settling in to his Exo Terra 24 x 18 x 12 inch home.

It's common for new & young leos to be very skittish. What you're seeing is quite normal. Give Opie more time to get comfortable with you guys.

Try feeding Opie all he'll eat in 15 minutes.

What are you feeding Opie's mealworms? Here are good suggestions.

Aliza (GU's acpart) uses this already ground dry diet from "Professional Reptiles" for her mealworm/superworm bedding as well as for her insect and worm food.

• Click: Pro Gutload Insect Diet -- 1, 5, & 10 pound(s)

Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms . . . . . . thanks to Olimpia -- August 2013

"A commercial gut loading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.

"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here is a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers & leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."

[ljg990]

I'm glad Opie is settling in to his Exo Terra 24 x 18 x 12 inch home.

It's common for new & young leos to be very skittish. What you're seeing is quite normal. Give Opie more time to get comfortable with you guys.

Try feeding Opie all he'll eat in 15 minutes.

What are you feeding Opie's mealworms? Here are good suggestions.

Aliza (GU's acpart) uses this already ground dry diet from "Professional Reptiles" for her mealworm/superworm bedding as well as for her insect and worm food.

• Click: Pro Gutload Insect Diet -- 1, 5, & 10 pound(s)

Thanks for the reassurance. That makes me feel better, he does seem to be getting a little more comfortable with us moving around. He doesn’t always run back to his hide now if we get up and move around while he’s out of his hide which seems like a step forward. Thanks for the tip on the gutload, I just purchased a one pound bag using that link you provided. I’ve just been putting the mealworms on a bed of oatmeal, reptile multivitamin and I’ve put carrots and potato in there. But, I would definitely feel better knowing he’s getting everything he needs with that, so thank you. If I use that gutload should I stop using the reptile multivitamin?

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks for the reassurance. That makes me feel better, he does seem to be getting a little more comfortable with us moving around. He doesn’t always run back to his hide now if we get up and move around while he’s out of his hide which seems like a step forward. Thanks for the tip on the gutload, I just purchased a one pound bag using that link you provided. I’ve just been putting the mealworms on a bed of oatmeal, reptile multivitamin and I’ve put carrots and potato in there. But, I would definitely feel better knowing he’s getting everything he needs with that, so thank you. If I use that gutload should I stop using the reptile multivitamin?

You're welcome, Lawrence! "Baby steps" are what you're watching for as Opie settles in.

Excellent on your Pro Gutoad Insect Diet purchase! I'm glad you purchased just 1 pound! Keep it in an airtight container as you use it.

Use Olimpia's guide Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms for veggies and grains to also feed Opie's mealworms (and crickets) too before you feed them off to Opie. We are what we eat!

1. Are you still using your Exo Terra 13w desert uvb bulb?
2. Did you see that CARROTS are under Good on that list, whereas POTATOES = Avoid as much as possible? No harm will come to Opie since you did that. Just focus on the other sections of that list instead. The foods Olimpia recommends are better "balanced" as foods for geckos.
3. Are you checking in by phone or computer? If you're checking in via phone, are you able to scroll back & see this entire thread for reminders?

Don't add ANY multivitamins or other supplement to the mealworms' (or crickets') Pro Gutload Insect Diet. Pro Gutlload is already well-balanced! Dust the mealworms instead. Since supplement powder does NOT stick to mealworms very well, is it possible to feed Opie lightly dusted crickets Mon, Wed, & Fridays when you dust his prey like Schedule 154 shows?

[Elizabeth Freer]

1. Are you following Schedule 154? Last I heard you were using Herptivite multivitamins + Zoo Med's Repti Calcium withOUT D3.
2. Did you spot Dr. Baines recommendation to substitute backup doses of Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 @ 1-2 feedings per month for plain calcium (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium withOUT D3) even when you provide UVB for Opie?

I'm a bit concerned that supplement powders don't stick very well to mealworms. @acpart Did you ever only feed mealworms to leos? How did you manage their supplements? "They would be getting mealworms so there would always be some in their bowls." Did bowl feeding mealworms provide your hatchling & juvie leopard geckos with enough supplements?

UVB Weekly Schedule 154 for Leopard Geckos 0-12 months old
(with UVB)

*****It's crucial for your leopard gecko to have an enclosure larger than a 10 gallon (20 x 10.5 x 12 inches tall) prior to experimenting with UVB. There are downsides to UVB too.

A 20 long: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall IS the bare minimum enclosure size when providing UVB for any leopard gecko! A leo will need at least 3 hides to dodge the rays when he feels the urge.*****

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) symptoms include uneven (lopsided) gait, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, and an underbite. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.

The Reptile Supply Company based in Lodi, California stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.

During this time your leopard gecko will be transitioning from daily feeding to feeding 3x per week. This all depends upon how fast your leo grows!

Feed lightly dusted prey 3x per week only.

• Monday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins withOUT D3
• Tuesday > > mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting
• Wednesday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW human brand calcium)
• Thursday > > mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting
• Friday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW human brand calcium)
• Saturday > > mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting
• Sunday > > no food or free choice > > no dusting

***** When your leopard gecko is taking advantage of appropriate UVB rays, Dr. Fran Baines (Reptile Lighting group's lighting guru) strongly recommends a backup dose of powdered D3 @ 1-2 feedings per month! Just substitute 1 D3 calcium dusting for 1 plain calcium dusting during those 1-2 weeks only. *****


For link 154 click: UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 154 for leopard geckos 0-12 months old

Since Opie is 8 mo cut back feedings to Monday, Wednesday, & Friday with maybe a mealworm snack on Saturday.

[ljg990]

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You're welcome, Lawrence! "Baby steps" is what you're watching for as Opie settles in.

Excellent on your Pro Gutoad Insect Diet purchase! I'm glad you purchased just 1 pound! Keep it in an airtight container as you use it.

Use Olimpia's guide Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms for veggies and grains to also feed Opie's mealworms (and crickets) too before you feed them off to Opie. We are what we eat!

1. Are you still using your Exo Terra 13w desert uvb bulb?
2. Did you see that CARROTS are under Good on that list, whereas POTATOES = Avoid as much as possible? No harm will come to Opie since you did that. Just focus on the other sections of that list instead. The foods Olimpia recommends are better "balanced" as foods for geckos.
3. Are you checking in by phone or computer? If you're checking in via phone, are you able to scroll back & see this entire thread for reminders?

Don't add ANY multivitamins or other supplement to the mealworms' (or crickets') Pro Gutload Insect Diet. Pro Gutlload is already well-balanced! Dust the mealworms instead. Since supplement powder does NOT stick to mealworms very well, is it possible to feed Opie lightly dusted crickets Mon, Wed, & Fridays when you dust his prey like Schedule 154 shows?

I am still using the 13w uvb, yes. Oh okay, I’m gonna check that list out and avoid potatoes. Okay, good to know stick to dusting his insects 3 days a week with supplements.