[jlcalero]

Hi, I have a 5.0 26 watt bulb for my geckos. I have been noticing that when I turn it on the male changes to a very dark color. And he does not look cool. Why is this? But when I turn it off he is a very brilliant blue. If you can help me that would be great.

Thanks,

Jorge Lopez

[hexentanz]

Hi Jorge,

Does the male remain dark all day or just when the lights turn on?

My male also goes dark when the lights just turn on, but colors up nicely as the day goes on and he has regulated his body temperature.

[jlcalero]

He turns blue at night. When I took him out of his cage to clean it and set him in a quarantine tupperware near a window and he turned bright blue. The female that he shares the cage with remains bright colors though, even though the light is on.

[hexentanz]

Originally Posted by jlcalero

He turns blue at night. When I took him out of his cage to clean it and set him in a quarantine tupperware near a window and he turned bright blue. The female that he shares the cage with remains bright colors though, even though the light is on.

Could it be maybe the female is bullying the male?

I have a male picturatus who only colors up nicely when the lights are out or he is walking on the ceiling. As soon as he can spot the female he goes to dark muddy colors.

How often are you interacting with the male as well?

[jlcalero]

I interact with him as much as I interact with the female. But in his tupperware he is completley blue eventhough he is with the female all the time.

[hexentanz]

Originally Posted by jlcalero

I interact with him as much as I interact with the female. But in his tupperware he is completley blue eventhough he is with the female all the time.

Did you ever have them in the tank prior to the box?

Is the UVB lamp something new? It could be he needs time to adjust to it.

They do not need much interaction aside from misting/feeding them. Too much and you can see what you are seeing.

[jlcalero]

yes i did have them in a tank prior to the box. I do not know if the uvb light is new though because we have only had them for two and a half weeks.

[hexentanz]

Originally Posted by jlcalero

yes i did have them in a tank prior to the box. I do not know if the uvb light is new though because we have only had them for two and a half weeks.

Ah that explains things then. Since they have only been there for two weeks he is still acclimating to things. My guess is with all the interaction so soon he is associating the bulb with the times he is most disturbed. Give them some time to settle in, if you need to make some changes, do things slowly so as not to stress him out.

By new with the UVB bulb I meant a new change in your house. I thought you had them a lot longer for some reason. I am sure he was given UVB prior to arriving at your place as well.