Is 30 grams too little?

[cambarner]

Im new to crested breeding, and i have a pair that are together now.
she is exactly 30 grams which i thought was a minimum for breeding. so i would put them together, but i was pretty sure he was to little to breed which would give her time to bulk up. but tonight i witnessed him trying to breed with her, but in the short time i watched they not actually mate. is she too small? should i take him out, i only have a spare ten gallon, but it might work if totally necessary. PLEASE HELP, when i saw it it just got me thinking if she was too little?

 

[Boa tips kid]

im pretty sure 30 is enough

 

[cambarner]

ok good.

 

[Scarlet.Escapist]

Sorry but IMHO, I believe 30g is a little small. In some of the caresheets/books on crested gecko minimum breeding weight is 35grams [although... so some people now suggest 40grams as min weight]. I personally would not breed her because I don't feel that she's developed enough and she's going to lose more weight when she begins her egg production. This can be detrimental to her health.

just a few questions...

how old is she?
whats her diet like?
have you separated the male and female?

generally speaking its not that she can't reproduce/breed at that age (at 1yr). It can pose risks for her health as she might not be fully developed. Most people wait around the 1yr 6 month mark to start breeding.

Her diet has to be properly supplemented dependent on what you feed her. Make sure to provide her with an extra dish/bottle cap of pure calcium powder so she can consume some if she needs to.

If you haven't separated the pair, please do so. It will be stressful for her to have a male harassing her while she begins to find nesting spots. On that note, make sure to provide her with a nest/lay box so she can deposit her eggs.

During this upcoming few weeks make sure to monitor her closely. Watch for tail kinks or spasms or any other signs related to MBD.

Hope that helps...If you have any further question please do ask away!

 

[cambarner]

ok, il separate them as soon as i can set up the tank.

her diet is baby food, cgd, and couple crickets every now and then.

i plan to just take him out, and leave her in the enclosure. to reduce stress on her.

il get a calcium dish in there asap, and i already have a lay box.

should anything else change? i have a lot of hide spots for her, is it possible that she isnt pregnant?

 

[Scarlet.Escapist]

hey there!

Try not to use baby food too much.. or not at all. As a substitute for that you can blend your own fruit smoothies for them (at least then you'll know whats in it for sure). CGD is a complete diet and I assume the baby food and crickets are for variation? CGD + dusted gutloaded crickets = good diet... CGD + dusted gutloaded crickets + fruit smoothie = even better !

so yes try to separate them as soon as possible. As for anything else to change I'd say nope... just maintain correct temps + humidity and it should be good. And yes there is a possibility that she is not pregnant, although the chance would be minimal/slim if you saw them copulate. Either way... you should treat her as if she is pregnant and she should be kept separate until she gains the right weight and age (although u haven't responded to the age question yet lol). Oh and just prepare some incubation medium + containers to place the eggs in when they are delivered.

I'd also like to suggest some further research on breeding crested geckos while you're waiting for the eggs :biggrin: you can never have too much knowledge =p. It's better to know more so both you and your geckos will be comfortable.

good luck

 

[cambarner]

thanks so much for all the info. and luckily i already have some perlite and containers. And will defiantly keep researching cg breeding, ts all ive been doing tonight since i posted tis thread haha.

thanks again,
Cameron.

 

[MsShlee]

It really bothers me that so many people try breeding before researching properly..
Scarlet.Escapist gave some good info so I will say no more

 

[mattsgeckos]

30 grams is too small. I wait until my females are at least 40 grams. They recover better, produce far more clutches, and are more apt to have a great 2nd year breeding. If you have already put them together there is a real good chance that they have already bred. Keep her well fed. I have heard of smaller females not recovering from egg production. Good luck.

 

[Supreme Gecko]

Certainly switch over to MRP as soon as you can as this will really put the weight on the animals.
I agree that 30 grams is a bit light. You are just moving into the breeding season so if you allow her to put on about 4-6 grams the next couple months, you will still have a great season in '09.
Good Luck.