Leopard Geckos: Weight Question

My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
Hey everyone,
This is my first post, so feel free to move it if I put it in the wrong section.
I bought two leopard geckos in January from a reptile store. They were both about five months old when I bought them. They were already housed together so there was no need to quarantine them. I did my research before hand, but my dad handled the purchases as they were a gift after my previous pet died from an infection because it was not captive bred. He put them both in a 10 gallon tank together with aspen bedding. They were originally only given one hide on the warm side until he gave in to my protests and allowed another hide. Everything else was taken care of. The temperatures are correct and they have a moist hide on the warm side now along with a cool hide. They have water and a food bowl with mealworms. I'd rather feed them crickets because they are easier to dust and a better source of nutrition, but my dad is creeped out by them and wont allow it. I have saved enough money to buy them a larger tank, more hides, and carpet for their cage, and I am planning on doing it soon. Now, both lizards are healthy, but one seems to be on the skinny side while one seems to be on the fatter side. They are both female, by the way. Anyways, the skinny one isn't horribly skinny and she eats like a cow. She hasn't had a weight loss problem and she's gotten much longer since I first bought her, so I know she's been gaining weight in proportion to her length. My main concern is she isn't fattening up. I know lizards are supposed to get fatter as they reach adulthood, and her room-mate did. She didn't. There is no problem with her not getting fed. She even seems to boss the other one around sometimes. (Another reason why I'm getting a bigger cage) I just want to find a way to fatten her up a bit without feeding her waxworms. She's one of the few geckos who absolutely hates them. Any advice would be awesome! How do I attach a picture?
 

My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
Hey everyone,
This is my first post, so feel free to move it if I put it in the wrong section.
I bought two leopard geckos in January from a reptile store. They were both about five months old when I bought them. They were already housed together so there was no need to quarantine them. I did my research before hand, but my dad handled the purchases as they were a gift after my previous pet died from an infection because it was not captive bred. He put them both in a 10 gallon tank together with aspen bedding. They were originally only given one hide on the warm side until he gave in to my protests and allowed another hide. Everything else was taken care of. The temperatures are correct and they have a moist hide on the warm side now along with a cool hide. They have water and a food bowl with mealworms. I'd rather feed them crickets because they are easier to dust and a better source of nutrition, but my dad is creeped out by them and wont allow it. I have saved enough money to buy them a larger tank, more hides, and carpet for their cage, and I am planning on doing it soon. Now, both lizards are healthy, but one seems to be on the skinny side while one seems to be on the fatter side. They are both female, by the way. Anyways, the skinny one isn't horribly skinny and she eats like a cow. She hasn't had a weight loss problem and she's gotten much longer since I first bought her, so I know she's been gaining weight in proportion to her length. My main concern is she isn't fattening up. I know lizards are supposed to get fatter as they reach adulthood, and her room-mate did. She didn't. There is no problem with her not getting fed. She even seems to boss the other one around sometimes. (Another reason why I'm getting a bigger cage) I just want to find a way to fatten her up a bit without feeding her waxworms. She's one of the few geckos who absolutely hates them. Any advice would be awesome! How do I attach a picture?

Nevermind, attached a picture.
 

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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
A hearty welcome to Geckos Unlimited!

Please check out the leo guidelines linked in my signature. Since you are upgrading, a 20 gallon LONG is the bare minimum.

Are you sure both leos are female? Is the larger one perhaps bullying the smaller one? It is important to find out why the smaller one is not growing as well as the larger leo.

Some people recommend housing leos separately. They are solitary animals and don't need cagemates. If you continue to house these two together, I recommend even a larger tank than a 20 gallon LONG.
 

My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
Hi!
Thanks for replying. The tank I have my eye on is a 20 gallon long. Sorry I didn't mention it in my original post. The bullying problem is actually the other way around. The skinny one is bullying the larger one. They were both sexed by the store I bought them from and I've also double checked. They are both female. I noticed a bite mark on the larger one and a scab on the tail. I wanted to buy only one so we wouldn't have these problems, but my dad forced me to get one for my brother too. He's 10 and doesn't care much for taking care of them and is only interested in playing with them. The fat one is his lizard and the skinny one is mine. He doesn't pay much attention to it, and it hides during the day so I wasn't able to notice the wounds sooner. They have already scabbed up and are not infected. I'm going to try to get that tank ASAP and hope that solves the problem. I attached pictures of the marks and a size comparison. They have mostly healed now. The one on the body used to be in sort of a crescent shape. Almost a circle. I would have taken better pictures but my phone wouldn't focus up close, so look closely! Thanks :)
 

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cricket4u

New member
Hi!
Thanks for replying. The tank I have my eye on is a 20 gallon long. Sorry I didn't mention it in my original post. The bullying problem is actually the other way around. The skinny one is bullying the larger one. They were both sexed by the store I bought them from and I've also double checked. They are both female. I noticed a bite mark on the larger one and a scab on the tail. I wanted to buy only one so we wouldn't have these problems, but my dad forced me to get one for my brother too. He's 10 and doesn't care much for taking care of them and is only interested in playing with them. The fat one is his lizard and the skinny one is mine. He doesn't pay much attention to it, and it hides during the day so I wasn't able to notice the wounds sooner. They have already scabbed up and are not infected. I'm going to try to get that tank ASAP and hope that solves the problem. I attached pictures of the marks and a size comparison. They have mostly healed now. The one on the body used to be in sort of a crescent shape. Almost a circle. I would have taken better pictures but my phone wouldn't focus up close, so look closely! Thanks :)

Hi,

Gecko to gecko injuries does not need to happen and should be avoided at all cost. How would you feel trapped in a room with an abusive person? You can't just think it will not happen again. Instead you must take precautionary measures by separating them into their own enclosure. Have a talk with your dad and explain that some injuries can end up fatal. It would cost him lots more for an emergency vet visit, than to buy an extra enclosure.

You will feel terrible to come home to a bloody gecko. It is also very stressful for the gecko being bullied regardless of size. Stress can cause illness and eventually death. It is not fair to these creatures to force them to share especially if one is dominant. Each gecko must have their own:

humid hide
warm hide
cool hide

I cannot imagine that once they reach a certain size you can fit 6 hides, water dish and have space to walk in a 20 gallon. Please have a talk with your dad and have him read the caresheet and threads if necessary.
 
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My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
Thanks for your input. I already had a talk with him today about buying another cage and separating them. He seems okay with it. When I told him he's running the risk of a vet visit by keeping them together, he told me, "It's just a lizard." Well, I'm an aspiring herpetologist and hoping to become a vet specifically to help reptiles who can't get care. Once I explained kindly to him that he is acting exactly like the kind of people I hate, he loosened up. I'll show him your advice and hope that finishes the deal. Maybe my lizard isn't gaining weight because of stress. If that is the case, hopefully she will fatten up once she gets her own cage.
 

My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
One more question. What flooring or substrate would you recommend for the new cage? I've seen many different suggestions, but some of them contradict.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
One more question. What flooring or substrate would you recommend for the new cage? I've seen many different suggestions, but some of them contradict.

I recommend lining the floor of the tank with slate tiles -- an excellent heat conductor! Care sheet even has a link to Home Depot (12 x 12s). They will cost less than $10. Be sure to seal the tiles with a food grade sealant to prevent the gecko urine from being absorbed.
 

My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
I recommend lining the floor of the tank with slate tiles -- an excellent heat conductor! Care sheet even has a link to Home Depot (12 x 12s). They will cost less than $10. Be sure to seal the tiles with a food grade sealant to prevent the gecko urine from being absorbed.

Great! I'll check those out. Is there a specific sealant I should use? Do I cover the whole tile? I don't know much about this stuff. Thanks in advance.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Great! I'll check those out. Is there a specific sealant I should use? Do I cover the whole tile? I don't know much about this stuff. Thanks in advance.

This MAY be the tile sealer you want: TileLab | TileLab SurfaceGard Stone, Grout & Tile Sealer - Pint | Home Depot Canada

Make sure it is safe for food and that it would be safe when heated from below with an under the tank heater.

Cover the entire tile, both sides, and the edges. A Home Depot person recommended that I give each area 2 coats.
 

My_Leopard_Bijou

New member
Awesome. I'm going on a trip in a couple days and I don't have time to get everything this weekend unfortunately, but I'll visit the stores immediately when I return next week. I'll ask my brother to keep a close eye on the lizards while I'm gone. You've all been amazingly helpful! Thank you!
 
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