Hi, Total newbie here. I inherited 2 five year old Leos last night. I'm a total animal lover and I have been researching leo gecko needs and preferences ever since. I am thankful for this forum! The family that I got them from has (apparently) been doing some strange things. Maybe not...I don't know. First of all, I was told to feed the geckos once a week, with 50 live crickets, leaving them in the tank until they were all eaten up. They fed them right before handing them over so the little guys (yes, both boys) went to over-night with lots of little crickets crawling around. There were still about 20-30 this morning. So, is this a viable way of feeding them? I took out the extra crickets this morning as I felt like the geckos were being bombarded by crickets. But maybe I'm wrong. I've looked up once a week feedings all over the web but I can't seem to find any information. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Leopard Geckos: Feed Once A Week??
- Thread starter Bittyzmom
- Start date
Mardy
New member
Whoa.. I consider those geckos *rescued* as they were obviously with people that didn't care for them. Once a week is just lazy more than anything. Seriously, would anybody want to feed their cat/dog just once a week and never do anything with them? I also am afraid to ask you to post a picture of the tank setup, because I can imagine it's horrible. But since you are here, you obviously want to do better than their previous owners, so if you could post pictures of the tank people here can give you suggestions & tips.
First of all, kudos to you for picking the crickets out. They should never be left in the cage for more than a few hours. They are vicious and they will gnaw on your geckos, causing them great stress and at times injuries.
Adult leopard geckos usually eat every other day or two. So once a week is out of question, you should feed them once every other day. As for how much, I'd say adult leopard geckos will eat 2-3 adult sized crickets per serving. You should feed them that much every other day, and make sure both gets to eat. Geckos can get territorial and especially during feeding time, one can develop to become a bully and not let the other eat.
I'm going to have to suggest separating the geckos if it's possible. I know it's more work, more space, and more money. But two male adults should not live together unless you are absolutely sure they have been together since hatchlings and they will never see a female in sight. Because the first time one of them sees or smells a female, they will most definitely start fighting. General consensus is to not leave two male leopard geckos in the same tank.
First of all, kudos to you for picking the crickets out. They should never be left in the cage for more than a few hours. They are vicious and they will gnaw on your geckos, causing them great stress and at times injuries.
Adult leopard geckos usually eat every other day or two. So once a week is out of question, you should feed them once every other day. As for how much, I'd say adult leopard geckos will eat 2-3 adult sized crickets per serving. You should feed them that much every other day, and make sure both gets to eat. Geckos can get territorial and especially during feeding time, one can develop to become a bully and not let the other eat.
I'm going to have to suggest separating the geckos if it's possible. I know it's more work, more space, and more money. But two male adults should not live together unless you are absolutely sure they have been together since hatchlings and they will never see a female in sight. Because the first time one of them sees or smells a female, they will most definitely start fighting. General consensus is to not leave two male leopard geckos in the same tank.
Hey Mardy, Thanks so much! I will try to figure out how to post pictures so you can see the little guys. They are sooo cute. I want to "do right" by them. The boys seem to be pretty settled with each other. They sleep in the same hide hole. Today I picked up two more hide holes in case one wants his freedom! ;-) It's just been the two of them all along. Initially they must have fought (one has a bite scar on his tail) but seem like two peas in a pod now. Can they give up their natural instincts and live together in peace? Seems so but maybe it's just hopelessness! No females around now or in the past. Funny thing, their names are Bert and Ernie!
Okay, so feed every other day, with 2-3 adult sized crickets. One leo is not such a good hunter, so I'm told. I've been researching crickets too. Should I separate the two when they eat, like put one in a large shoe box? I'm not sure how to do that with live crickets! Could be rather humorous!
I have a question about ambient air temperatures and UTHs but I'll post that under a new thread.
Thanks for you help!!!
Okay, so feed every other day, with 2-3 adult sized crickets. One leo is not such a good hunter, so I'm told. I've been researching crickets too. Should I separate the two when they eat, like put one in a large shoe box? I'm not sure how to do that with live crickets! Could be rather humorous!
I have a question about ambient air temperatures and UTHs but I'll post that under a new thread.
Thanks for you help!!!
Mardy
New member
If you notice aggression and bullying during feeding, you should separate them for good. They don't really get used to living together in peace, they do it out of necessity. They aren't communal animals and mostly prefer to live alone. But I'll say I've seen people that have kept 2 males together since hatchlings and have not had any issues. Although still, much like the sand debate, just because some people have successfully kept them together doesn't mean it'll work for you. It's still not recommended to keep 2 males together, especially if you already see battle scars.
To help them catch crickets better, pull the crickets' hind legs. Without the hind legs, they can't jump around and they won't be able to get away as fast.
To help them catch crickets better, pull the crickets' hind legs. Without the hind legs, they can't jump around and they won't be able to get away as fast.
Hi, I don't know if I have successfully attached pictures or not. If I have, you'll see the habitat. Ernie, the submissive one, is the one warming himself over the UTH. He seems to watch us more. You can see Bert's tail sticking out of the hide. I just added the two culled out logs as hiding places. So, that's what we have currently. Seems to me like a pricey set up but even pricey set ups can be insufficient.
I hear what you are saying about separating. I'm not against that. I'll watch them eat and see if they are aggressive with each other. They are still so new to me!
Thanks!
I hear what you are saying about separating. I'm not against that. I'll watch them eat and see if they are aggressive with each other. They are still so new to me!
Thanks!
I wouldn't trust having them on sand ha. You could go.buy some slate tiles and use those they work really well clean easy in the dishwasher etc. Sand can cause impaction in the geckos intestines and stomach. Especially if there jabbing at crickets running around on the sand.
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Mardy
New member
That's a good terrarium, I like front opening tanks. The decorations inside are also good. The only thing that could cause you a problem is as mentioned above, sand. Sand can cause impaction. When you feed crickets, they run all over the place and your geckos will take big bites at them. They will often get a mouth full of sand. Sand will eventually build up and could cause blockages in their digestive system.
Best thing to use is probably slate/ceramic tiles, or paper towels. Both will work great and are free of impaction risks.
And yeah I can see one has a regenerated tail, so there was probably fighting before.
Best thing to use is probably slate/ceramic tiles, or paper towels. Both will work great and are free of impaction risks.
And yeah I can see one has a regenerated tail, so there was probably fighting before.
I didn't know his tail was regenerated. Good to know! Okay, the sand is causing my son's room to smell so I'm needing to replace the sand anyway. Where do I buy slate or ceramic tiles for the tank? Is it a pet store item or are you guys saying to buy the kind at Home Depot and Lowes? Can they overlap? Do they work well with the UTH or will they get too hot? I love the idea of washing them in the dishwasher (without soap, I'm sure). I'm assuming geckos pee. Does it run under the tiles, pool up and smell?
Sorry, please forgive me if these questions are too remedial! I'm truly starting from scratch. Dogs, I know! Geckos, not so much!
Sorry, please forgive me if these questions are too remedial! I'm truly starting from scratch. Dogs, I know! Geckos, not so much!
Mardy
New member
Tiles are great because they are easy to spot clean, and of course you could also pick the pieces up and rinse them in soapy water. So for cleanliness slate/ceramic tiles can't be beat. They also conduct heat very well so it's really the ideal substrate for leopard geckos. Be sure to measure your tank so you can find pieces that fit. Some stores will cut them for you also but they do charge a small price. I personally use 30x12x12 tanks and those 12x12 slate/ceramic tiles fit in them perfectly.
Leopard geckos do not pee, they excrete white urates. They also like to go in the same spot so they are easy to clean. Once you figure out where they go, you can place a piece of folded paper towel in that spot and they should just poop on the paper towels. To clean you just pick it up and replace it with another piece, very easy.
Leopard geckos do not pee, they excrete white urates. They also like to go in the same spot so they are easy to clean. Once you figure out where they go, you can place a piece of folded paper towel in that spot and they should just poop on the paper towels. To clean you just pick it up and replace it with another piece, very easy.
Oh, man. Sold! I'm going tomorrow to get some tiles. The paper towels cinched the deal. No urine, yay!
I have an old aquarium that I could convert. I'll be keeping a watchful eye on ol' Ernie.
I have traveled far away from my original question, but I'm learning so much. One more about the tile. How hot is too hot for the tile? I'm using our family temporal touch thermometer and it seems to be working good for the sand. I'm getting 90s and low 100s. Tile seems to be such a good heat conductor that I'm thinking it might get too hot??? Have y'all found that to be true?
I have an old aquarium that I could convert. I'll be keeping a watchful eye on ol' Ernie.
I have traveled far away from my original question, but I'm learning so much. One more about the tile. How hot is too hot for the tile? I'm using our family temporal touch thermometer and it seems to be working good for the sand. I'm getting 90s and low 100s. Tile seems to be such a good heat conductor that I'm thinking it might get too hot??? Have y'all found that to be true?
Mardy
New member
You'll find various brands of them on many online sites and local pet stores. The one you found on Amazon is actually a pretty good one at a very good price. Most thermostat around that price won't have a digital display. So that's a good buy, with great reviews.
Amazon.com: Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats: Patio, Lawn & Garden
Amazon.com: Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats: Patio, Lawn & Garden
TheOneBlueGecko
New member
I want to jump in an add something. Since you are adding tile I might be a bit concerned about the piece of wood that goes quite high up. Is there a possibility that you could rotate the piece so that there were not parts quite so elevated?
Leopard geckos are decent climbers, but I know that mine could be a bit clumsy, reaching down from branches and falling a bit down to the ground. I would be concerned about them falling on something as hard as tile from such a height.
Leopard geckos are decent climbers, but I know that mine could be a bit clumsy, reaching down from branches and falling a bit down to the ground. I would be concerned about them falling on something as hard as tile from such a height.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Bittyzmom ~
I prefer slate tiles over ceramic tiles.
Here is my care info on leos: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...pard-gecko-care-recommendations-nutshell.html. There you will find additional links for supplies.
I prefer slate tiles over ceramic tiles.
Here is my care info on leos: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...pard-gecko-care-recommendations-nutshell.html. There you will find additional links for supplies.
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Thanks so much! I have yet to see them climb that branch but then again, I haven't had them very long. Maybe I should just take out the branch when I replace the substrate. No branch=no falling. Elizabeth, I'll go look for slate this morning. Just curious, why is slate preferred over ceramic? We replaced our flooring with tile a few years back and I have extras in the attic that are pretty textured. Thanks to all who have contributed!! Very, very helpful!
TheOneBlueGecko
New member
They probably are not climbing that high, but you never know. However, branches are good things, you don't need to feel like you have to take it out. Looking at your branch, if you just cut off the two smaller ones at the right and left at the bottom you would have a great branch that lets them explore a bit without being in danger of falling from too high.