problem with williams electric blue gecko after laying eggs

rider6092000 · #1 08-10-2010, 09:41 PM

I recently received 3 females and a male Williams Electric Blue Geckos. With an a few weeks they were laying eggs. Here is the problem. The first one to lay eggs got really skinny immediately afterward and could not use her back legs. I did not see her fall but that doesn't mean it didn't happen when I wasn't home. Within a few days she shed her skin, and for some reason was trying to remove it herself off of the nonworking back legs. After shedding she got around ok for a few days, her one back leg she could kinda use again but not much. We don't have any vets around here that deal with lizards that small. Sadly today I came home from work to hear that she had passed. Their diet is small crickets that are dusted with calcium and herpavite, grapes and whatever fruit they will try (we are still trying to figure out what fruits they like). Can anyone tell me what I might be doing wrong? We keep their terrarium roughly 82-85 with the hydrometer reading 60. Any help would be great, I want to have them on the right track so this doesn't happen again.

**Elizabeth Freer** · #2 08-11-2010, 04:43 AM

Hi ~

Welcome to GU

!

Sorry to hear about the recent passing of one of your three female Lygodactylus kimhowelli. Would you know whether that recent clutch was her first clutch? You say you have been dusting their crickets. Do you have a phosphorous-free calcium with D3? I like the Rep Cal brand.

CGD (Clark's frugivorous gecko diet) and probably Repashy's powdered formulation can be fed to your geckos. I recommend leaning at least evenly towards the crickets for a protein source. We are what we eat!

hexentanz · #3 08-11-2010, 05:18 PM

It sounds to me like your female was very void of calcium. Especially with not being able to use her back legs after laying eggs (laying eggs uses up a lot of this). It is normal for geckos to try and remove any skin that may not come off so freely. It is also normal if you see them eating it (this helps them gain back lost nutrients).

Do you use a UVB lamp?
Were the geckos WC?
Are you offering the females any crushed up cuttlefish bone?

I agree with offering more than just crickets.

rider6092000 · #4 08-12-2010, 02:36 AM

I had her less then 2 mos before she started laying eggs, I had all of the williams electric blue geckos on a herpavite multivite and calcium supplement. I don't know if they were wild caught, I know its sounds bad but we bought them online from what we thought was a reputable source, they all are extremely friendly and would rather climb up your arms then jump out of their terrarium. They had crickets and fruit at will. I just want the best for my other 3. I want to get them on a proper diet... I don't care if they reproduce just want them healthy...on a side note, the others can't stick to the glass so I don't know whats going on PLEASE HELP

rider6092000 · #5 08-12-2010, 02:41 AM

We use the same, i will look to see if it has d3 as I am not at home but I am really trying hard to get these guys going right, we offer whatever fruits and crickets they want they like grapes but not sure if that is good for them, its the only thing they will eat beyond pinhead crickets

rider6092000 · #6 08-12-2010, 02:44 AM

we have also tried baby food and they won't touch it so maybe they were wild caught cause unless its a grape, a nectarine soaked in Orange Juice or dusted crickets they wont touch it

hexentanz · #7 08-12-2010, 04:48 AM

Hi,

With regard to not being able to climb the glass, this can be due to a few reasons, the main ones being stuck shed or poor diet. Can you describe their enclosure in best detail as possible including temperature?

You are going to have to provide them with a more diverse diet. You can try flightless fruitflies, springtails, tropical woodlice, flightless flies, firebrats, field sweepings and so on. On days where you provide food other than crickets you should dust with a normal all in one vitamin supplement. On days where you provide crickets dust with a phosphorus free calcium. Never mix the two supplements!

If they are adults (10-12 months) feeding them 2-3 times a week is fine, the third feeding should be your cricket calcium day. If they are younger you will want to feed them every other day with the same 3rd day rule.

What I do is give my adult geckos Frutiflies or Flightless flies (depending on their size) on Monday. Wednesday is Repashy day, Friday is cricket day with calcium.

Replace your fruit with Repashy Gecko MRP. It will take a bit to get them to like it and you may have to add some regular fruit the first few times, but eventually they will take it with welcome mouths by itself. Peach or Passionfruit flavor is a top hit with day geckos.

You can order Repashy Gecko MRP through Gecko Ranch - Supplies, Breeds, Herpetology

Repashy is great stuff and you never have to worry about adding anything extra to it supplement wise.

You will also want to leave a dish with crushed up cuttlefish bone at all times in the vivarium. This should be changed out once a week.

Now back to stuck shed (which can also be caused by poor diet btw). If your geckos have stuck shed, it could well be the temperatures in your enclosure are not right also, either they are too low or too high. So it is very important for you to list these.

rider6092000 · #8 08-17-2010, 06:59 PM

Thank you for all your pointers, we just lost another one, she was shedding last night and this evening we found her passed away. I was just able now to get into the thread so tomorrow we will go get fruit flies etc. Their enclosure is an 18 gal tall tank. We have a ceramic heat emitter and I will ask tonight about the light because i am not sure what it is (I didn't set up the tank, my boyfriend did and he did all the lighting). It has a screen top, covered with slats of acrylic spaced so they can still get fresh air but the humidity is kept in. The humidity was about 70% this afternoon. The temp is about 83 degrees on average. I tried giving them some of our cresteds powder as they said it could be used on day geckos but they won't touch it. I tried baby food also and the only thing they will eat is grapes and crickets. I haven't tried the flies yet but i will get them tomorrow since the store is already closed. Also where do I get crushed cuttlefish? I am new to the geckos, I have always had skinks and swifts these geckos are a whole new ball game for me. Thanks again for all your help. I will keep you posted.

**Elizabeth Freer** · #9 08-17-2010, 07:04 PM

Cuttlebone is often found at pet stores. Birds use it to sharpen their beaks. All you need to do is remove the thin shell and kind of mash it up for the geckos. Other calcium supplements should work as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rider6092000

Thank you for all your pointers, we just lost another one, she was shedding last night and this evening we found her passed away. I was just able now to get into the thread so tomorrow we will go get fruit flies etc. Their enclosure is an 18 gal tall tank. We have a ceramic heat emitter and I will ask tonight about the light because i am not sure what it is (I didn't set up the tank, my boyfriend did and he did all the lighting). It has a screen top, covered with slats of acrylic spaced so they can still get fresh air but the humidity is kept in. The humidity was about 70% this afternoon. The temp is about 83 degrees on average. I tried giving them some of our cresteds powder as they said it could be used on day geckos but they won't touch it. I tried baby food also and the only thing they will eat is grapes and crickets. I haven't tried the flies yet but i will get them tomorrow since the store is already closed. Also where do I get crushed cuttlefish? I am new to the geckos, I have always had skinks and swifts these geckos are a whole new ball game for me. Thanks again for all your help. I will keep you posted.

rider6092000 · #10 08-17-2010, 10:04 PM

I just realized that we have the Repashy Gecko food but its labeled Crested Gecko, MRP, is that ok? It said on the package ok for geckos skinks etc...Not sure if this is the one you were talking about?