Newbie to the Gecko world....help!!!!!!!!

Tami

Tami

New member
I'm so glad I found this site, I'm hoping someone can help me. I just got my first Leo about 3 or 4 weeks ago from a local pet store. They "think" he's about 4 mos old, he's (he?) is about 4 inches long. The first few days after I brought him home he ate everything in sight...he hunted down the crickets, ate mealworms, would take them from my hand, didn't matter. NOW, however he has turned into an extremely finicky eater. He will watch crickets walk right by him and could care less. He seems much more interested in mealworms, but I've heard that a steady diet of this is not a good thing?

I also thought that as a juvie, I should be feeding him daily, so I've been offering him about 5-8 small crickets per day. Often I'm plucking them out the next morning....I think they hide so well that he can't find them? He seems to be self regulating himself to eat every other day, so I'm wondering if this is ok?

Also - no shedding as of yet, which has me a little concerned as well. I have him in a 20gal tank, warm side (UTH) is about 85-86 degrees during the day (floor temp) with air temps about 78-81 - I use a 50W infrared bulb as well and have the UTH on a thermostat set at 85. I turn the bulb off at night. I have a moist hide (moistened moss) in a half shell coconut, which he loves...spends 90% of his time in that one vs. the one without moss. Also have a cool hide.

So - if someone could give me some advice on the eating that would be great, (can I just go with the mealworms if that seems to be what he wants? I dust them before hand, and also gut load them for 24-48 hrs first)and also when I might expect him to shed for the first time?

Thanks!!!!
 
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acpart

Well-known member
Properly gutloaded mealworms are fine; I bring up my juvies entirely on mealworms. Most of us have the hot side at about 92, and he may be eating less because he's a bit too cold. I find that my geckos up to about 30 grams or so in weight eat every day and then slow down. If you have a bowl of mealworms available at all times, he can eat what he wants when he wants. It's not unusual for juvies especially to spend most of their time in hiding. Congratulations on your new gecko. We'd love to see pictures.

Aliza
 
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Holly123

New member
Hey and welcome! :biggrin:

If he wants to eat just mealworms...let him eat just mealworms :) My little guy will eat nothing but locusts, so he'll be fine! Floor temps should be between 88-92, once you'e tweaked this his appetite will most probably start to pick up again.

As for the shedding, he might have already done it for all you know :biggrin: Ive had my gecko for about 4months now and have only seen evidence that he's shed twice so (like the most smallest piece of skin you are ever likely to see lol!)... so dont worry about it, you've got your moist hide so he should be fine :)
 
M

mcarthon

New member
i believe mealworms are fine as long as he is eating and pooping ok then let him eat what he wants except for waxworms only use those as an occasional treat.
 
Tami

Tami

New member
Holly123 said:
Hey and welcome! :biggrin:

If he wants to eat just mealworms...let him eat just mealworms :) My little guy will eat nothing but locusts, so he'll be fine! Floor temps should be between 88-92, once you'e tweaked this his appetite will most probably start to pick up again.

As for the shedding, he might have already done it for all you know :biggrin: Ive had my gecko for about 4months now and have only seen evidence that he's shed twice so (like the most smallest piece of skin you are ever likely to see lol!)... so dont worry about it, you've got your moist hide so he should be fine :)
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Thank you...just as in Riverside's quote, I know there are two schools of thought on the whole "nothing but mealworms" debate, but I figure it's better than letting him go hungry. I can't bring myself to pull the legs off the crix (eww) but have heard that this is a way to keep them in a food bowl so they don't escape. By the way, how many mealworms should I put in the bowl? So far I've been doing about 5-6 daily - not enough?

And with regard to the floor temps, I can keep that between 88-92, but I can't seem to get the air temp up. I'm using a 50w bulb - increase to a 75? When I upped the thermostat to increase the heat of the UTH, he retreated to the cool side. :?
 
Tami

Tami

New member
Riverside Reptiles said:
My opinion differs from those above. Mealworms are fine as a small part of a varied diet. But IMO should not be used as a primary food source.
Here's some good reading for you that explains why: The Pro?s and Con?s of Mealworms as a food for reptiles
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Thank you - I really appreciate the link, although it doesn't solve my problem, which is that my little guy is just not eating the crickets. I'm going to try pulling the legs off tonight (sigh) and see if that makes it easier for him to get to them. It's just so strange - as I mentioned before, right after I brought him home he would break his neck in order to get to them, now he is completely indifferent to them. He is pooping regularly, drinks water like a fish and I have seen him make regular trips to the calcium bowl.
 
Tami

Tami

New member
acpart said:
Properly gutloaded mealworms are fine; I bring up my juvies entirely on mealworms. Most of us have the hot side at about 92, and he may be eating less because he's a bit too cold. I find that my geckos up to about 30 grams or so in weight eat every day and then slow down. If you have a bowl of mealworms available at all times, he can eat what he wants when he wants. It's not unusual for juvies especially to spend most of their time in hiding. Congratulations on your new gecko. We'd love to see pictures.

Aliza
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Hmmm, not sure I know how to get the pics up here, but I'll give it a shot.
Cowboy 001.jpg

Cowboy 002.jpg
 
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Holly123

New member
Tami said:
Thank you...just as in Riverside's quote, I know there are two schools of thought on the whole "nothing but mealworms" debate, but I figure it's better than letting him go hungry. I can't bring myself to pull the legs off the crix (eww) but have heard that this is a way to keep them in a food bowl so they don't escape. By the way, how many mealworms should I put in the bowl? So far I've been doing about 5-6 daily - not enough?

And with regard to the floor temps, I can keep that between 88-92, but I can't seem to get the air temp up. I'm using a 50w bulb - increase to a 75? When I upped the thermostat to increase the heat of the UTH, he retreated to the cool side. :?
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Well it depends, you can put say...10? in the evening, if he leaves a couple then you know how much to give him next time :)

Tbh the air temp isnt that much of a problem, some people dont use a bulb at all but if you do want to keep the air temp at around 90 I'd get a 60w. Dont worry about him moving to the cool side, mine spends the whole day on the cool side then swaps sides in the evening once the light has been turned off :)
 
Tami

Tami

New member
Holly123 said:
Oh and just saw your pictures, he's so adorable! :biggrin:
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Yeah, he's a little cutie, eh? There is so much stuff on the web (and so many conflicting reports!) about how to care for the little buggers, I just want to make sure I do everything right so he'll grow up healthy. Oh, and just today he turned a real "chalky" color all over (dull) so I guess that means he's getting ready to shed...woooo-hooo!

Thanks for all the help and support...this is a great site!:yahoo:
 
R

redheadedstepchild

New member
Hi Tami,First off Welcome :) While I haven't had the pleasure of raising a Leo, yet. I do have several and all of them have food/feeding quirks LOL One refuses crickets, one wont touch any kind of worm ect ect. One of my girls will ONLY eat crickets that are dusted with REPASHY, put anything else on them and she'll bite and spit it out. I've read several people say they really eat better with this supplement. If you have a Petco locally they carry small jars of it.Good luck with the little guy.
 
Tami

Tami

New member
redheadedstepchild said:
Hi Tami,First off Welcome :) While I haven't had the pleasure of raising a Leo, yet. I do have several and all of them have food/feeding quirks LOL One refuses crickets, one wont touch any kind of worm ect ect. One of my girls will ONLY eat crickets that are dusted with REPASHY, put anything else on them and she'll bite and spit it out. I've read several people say they really eat better with this supplement. If you have a Petco locally they carry small jars of it.Good luck with the little guy.
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Repashy? Never heard of that - I will definitely try it!! Is it just a different kind of calcium powder, or...? Tonight I dusted 6-7 crix and yes, I pulled their little jumping legs off (uggghh) and put them in a smooth feeding bowl that they can't climb out of. If Cowboy doesn't go after 'em after all that, I'll try the Repashy. If THAT doesn't work, it's Mealworm Buffet for the little guy. Please tell me they grow out of this "finicky" stage? :)
 
Palor

Palor

New member
An observation of mine on leos raised on nothing but mealworms and those raised on a varied diet. The ones raised on mealworms were tiny compared to ones raised on various insects. Also the ones raised on mealworms only, won't eat them in my care, once they got something else they will not go back to mealworms.
 
M

mel1

New member
Tami said:
Thank you - I really appreciate the link, although it doesn't solve my problem, which is that my little guy is just not eating the crickets. I'm going to try pulling the legs off tonight (sigh) and see if that makes it easier for him to get to them. It's just so strange - as I mentioned before, right after I brought him home he would break his neck in order to get to them, now he is completely indifferent to them. He is pooping regularly, drinks water like a fish and I have seen him make regular trips to the calcium bowl.
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sometimes they stop eating but after about a week they start to eat again
 
Tami

Tami

New member
Thanks - I'll check it out! Really appreciate the link. I would like to give him something other than just mealworms. (espcially if it results in a smaller lizard, according to Palor)

What else do they like besides mealworms and crickets?
 
Riverside Reptiles

Riverside Reptiles

Administrator (HMFIC)
Tami said:
What else do they like besides mealworms and crickets?
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Tropical roaches are a great source of food for leos. Don't let the name "roach" freak you out. These are not the same as the roaches that people associate with having infest their homes. I suggest either Dubia or lateralis roaches. See the "feeders" forum here on GU for more info.
 
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