Heating & Feeding Question

MARQUIS

MARQUIS

New member
Question is a UTH more perfered for leo's. I have 2 adult geckos in a 40 gallon tank and I have noticed that they have not been eating since I brought them home a last Monday. I have offered meal worms and crickets, the meal worms were turning into beetles and the crickets had to be removed since they weren't being ate. One leo managed to eat a cricket but that has been the only cricket I have been able to get rid of. My temperature on the hotside stays around 87 - 94 and the coolside always about 10 degrees lower. Anyone have any advice to what I should do? I am really close to taken them back to the petstore because i don't want to kill them. Also the strange thing is that there pooping one I know is for sure and the other I'm not to sure but. Any advice would be great.
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
Most people prefer to use a UTH for these reasons:
--leos do well with belly heat
--if your overhead light is going off at night there is a lot of cooling at a time when they are active
--some geckos, especially albinos, are bothered by the lighting because it's too bright

However, some people do use overhead lighting on the theory that in the wild the sun heats the ground and then the sun goes away. If you can maintain reasonable temperatures in your enclosure and the geckos aren't bothered by the light then overhead lighting can work.

Many geckos, especially adults take awhile to acclimate to their new environments. My male supersnow didn't eat or poop for 2 weeks after I got him. Give it a little more time and keep offering food as well. Keep an eye on them to make sure neither is bullying the other. Signs of bullying include scratch marks on one of them, one losing weight while the other is OK and one constantly following the other around and sitting on her. Even if they were in the same enclosure where you got them from they could exhibit different behavior in their new enclosure as I have found out the hard way.

Good luck,

Aliza
 
MARQUIS

MARQUIS

New member
Aliza,

That was really hepful. I have noticed that they do not spend much time in the same hide since I brought them home. One female stays in one hide and the other in another unless I take them out of the tank and just randomly put them in a different. Do they do well on there own? I kinda get the feeling that there not really enjoying the others company.

Thanks
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
Leopard geckos are not social animals. Although there are a few anecdotal cases I've heard of where one gecko seems to be upset when separated from the other, generally they tolerate each other (and sometimes not) rather than "enjoying" each other's company. It's actually good that they stay in separate hides because maybe they will be more successful in occupying the same space.

Aliza
 
MARQUIS

MARQUIS

New member
I figured that was the case, but i have noticed that the one that spend its time in the hide on the hot side rarely comes out and the one thats on the cool side is a bit more active but doesn't venture more the hotside to much I think what I might do is just keep the one that seems more lively and return the other. I understand that they are nocturnal but so am I for the most part I don't got to sleep until 2 - 3 and wake up at 7:30 - 8 so I figure I would see them more then I do. Many I am just over estimating their activity maybe it's not unusual for them to what they are doing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top