Special needs gecko?

S

swanguin

New member
Here it is :) I'll post the pictures tomorrow

Leopard Gecko Questionnaire

General Information
Species of lizard: leopard gecko
Gecko's name: Aggro
Morph: bell albino (I think)
Gender: no idea yet
Age: around 7 months
Weight: I don't remember but he's tail is a little thin
Length of your reptile when you first acquired it: like 3 inches, he was very small
Source (pet store, breeder, wild caught): crappy pet store
Captive bred or wild : bred

Vivarium
Enclosure dimensions (length x width x heighth): the normal 10 gallons one
Cage (type, size): glass
Substrate provided: paper towels
Types of hiding places provided: cold dry, warm dry, humid
Is there a humidity hide? location? Yep, between the cold and warm one
Please describe any other furnishings: Lego house with a bridge and stairs
List recent changes in the environment, if any: nope

Lighting
He hates light
Access to ambient daylight from a distant window: yeah indirect sun light during the day

Heating
Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? Yeah
What type and brand of thermometer (digital with probe, temperature gun, LCD strip, analog (circle), combo digital thermometer/hygrometer, stainless steel aquarim type, other): digital
What is the ground temperature right on the substrate under the warm dry hide: 89
What is the air temperature on the warm end about 4 inches up from the ground: 86
What is the air temperature on the cool end about 4 inches up from the ground: 77
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature (Under Tank Heater, heat light, ceramic heat emitter, Flexwatt heat tape, hot rock, other): under thank heather
Ventilation space for your UTH by elevating the tank above the shelf (some UTHs come with sticky feet for the tank corners): like an inch
Are you using a thermostat(s)? I ordered one but it hasn't arrived yet
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time? Warm hide
Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? Only a few degrees

Humidity
Is the humidity measured?
Humidity range: 35-40%

Diet
Insects and worms, list type: only crickets ( he decided to stop eating mealies like a month ago)
Regular diet fed to the insects and worms: fruits, veggies and some oats
Are the insects and worms formally “gutloaded” 1-2 days prior to feeding off to your gecko? If so with? More veggies
How often do you feed your gecko?
Please list any supplements (with brand names) used. How are they given and how often? I try to get him to eat every day, at least 2 crickets each night

Multivitamins (include brand name)? Repti cal
Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet: he stopped eating mealworms all of sudden

General Health
The vet checked him and said he looks very healthy. He's on the thin side so I have to get him to gain some weight. His problems are mostly behavioral.

Previous problems and/or illnesses: his personality has always been slow and odd

Other Critters in Same Cage or in Household
List other that are kept in the same cage: none
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months): nope
Are any of your other pets ill? Nope
 
S

swanguin

New member
Hey guys, I checked him this morning and his tail looks thicker than when I first took him to the vet a few weeks ago :) I'm so happy, thank you all for your replies
 
C

Completeleopard

New member
In that case here are some suggestions.

-Upgrade your tank to a 20 gallon long (30x12.5x12.5 inches)
- Place the moist hide onto the warm side. Above the uth.
- Your warm and cool side air temp are a bit warm , will post recommended temp later.
- Do you supplement with multivitamins? Is your repti cal with or without d3?


Recommended temperatures for all leos regardless of size
88-93 F (31-34 C) ground temp at warm end inside the warm dry hide
no greater than 85 F (29.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the warm end
no greater than 75 F (24.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the cool end
 
S

swanguin

New member
i havent gotten a 20 gallon cause I prefer a wood one over a glass one. I couldn't find one so I'm building it at the moment :p

Yesterday was an unusual warm night so the temps went a bit up. I do use multivitamins and the calcium is without d3
 
S

swanguin

New member
I noticed he didn't eat last night, but I did hear him try :/
He won't eat mealworms so I'm thinking about making a paste with smashed mealworms and the mealworm in the weird alien stage (he needs some fat) and then putting it on his nose for him to lick it off. Do you think that would work?
 
C

Completeleopard

New member
How often are you supplementing? Do you have any calcium without d3?

If you heard him try, was he trying to eat the mealworms? Aren't you using the tweezers and rustling them on the substrate now?
 
S

swanguin

New member
I only dust like 4 crickets once a week and the calcium I have is without d3. He won't pay attention to the mealworms. The rustling method only worked with the crickets and not with the mealworms :/
 
C

Completeleopard

New member
OK , how often do you dust with the calcium without ?

That isn't particularly a bad thing, crickets are much healthier , have you got a paper towel substrate? If his eyes are bad he may not be able to see the mealworms, get a tiny piece of wood to place the mealworm onto, see if it helps! Try him with just mealworm pupae see if they get his attention! If not, mashing up mealworm guts and placing it onto a dish may help! Only put it onto his nose as a last resort.
 
S

swanguin

New member
I lightly dust the crickets with pure calcium 3 times a week :) I'll try that tomorrow, thanks.
If I mash mealworms and put them in a dish, is he going to eat that? Why would putting it on his nose should only be a last resort?
Sorry if I ask too much questions, I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. :)

Also, could sudden temperature changes be the reason he hasn't eaten lately? (About 2 nights counting tonight) my air temp room is usually around 22-25 Celsius but this week it has been going through 18 to 25, like during the day it's at 23, then in the afternoon 18 and around 3am 25. The weather is crazy. I'm going to get a heater with a thermostat this weekend to keep my room at the same temperature all day.
 
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C

Completeleopard

New member
1. If you place the mealworms in a dish and place the dish next to the hide, he may find it!

2. Never sure about placing it on the nose, if its too liquid there is a chance they could breathe some in, albeit a small chance.

3. Don't worry about asking questions about your Leo , I'm sure your Leo thanks you!

4. If you need to keep the air temp at the right temp its recommended to by a Ceramic Heat Emitter , these bulbs produce only heat, not light.


Recommended temperatures for all leos regardless of size
88-93 F (31-34 C) ground temp at warm end inside the warm dry hide
no greater than 85 F (29.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the warm end


A 10 inch (25.4 cm) diameter overhead dome fixture is important for warm air no greater than 85 F (29.5 C) ~ 4 inches above the UTH. A 10 inch diameter dome with a ceramic socket rated to 250 watts is preferred because it will better direct the heat from a bulb back into the tank. With smaller domes a greater amount of heat escapes into the room.

Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE) are highly recommended for overhead domes because they emit only heat. The CHE should be controlled by either a second thermostat or a rheostat.
no greater than 75 F (24.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the cool end
 
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swanguin

New member
Thanks for the info :) can I use a small ceramic heat emitter in the cool end to keep the temperature around 70 F? Or for that it's better to get a room heater?
Also, are ceramic heat emitters safe to use with the wood terrarium? and I'm going to use tiles as a substrate
 
C

Completeleopard

New member
Can you get the temperatures:

Under the warm dry hide, right on the floor.
Temp four inches above the ground on the warm and cool end.

Not sure about ceramic heat emitter in wooden vivariums, maybe someone else will know. Think as long as it is attached to a thermostat should be OK
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
swanguin said:
Thanks for the info :) can I use a small ceramic heat emitter in the cool end to keep the temperature around 70 F? Or for that it's better to get a room heater?
Also, are ceramic heat emitters safe to use with the wood terrarium? and I'm going to use tiles as a substrate
Click to expand...

Completeleopard said:
Can you get the temperatures:

Under the warm dry hide, right on the floor.
Temp four inches above the ground on the warm and cool end.

Not sure about ceramic heat emitter in wooden vivariums, maybe someone else will know. Think as long as it is attached to a thermostat should be OK
Click to expand...

If you plan to use the CHE inside the cage, that should be alright. The hazard is placing an UTH right on the wood and under a wooden cage.

Check post #60 immediately following the Basic Guidelines in the leo care sheet linked below for ideas and photos from mod Hilde to see how she heats her wooden/melamine enclosures. :)
 
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S

swanguin

New member
attaching the uth to a suspended tile is a brilliant idea :-D

the cool side air temp is 72, warm side air temp is 83C, the moist hide 86, and dry warm hide 89 :)
 
S

swanguin

New member
the air temps drop, but the ground temp inside the dry hide stays the same.

he completely ignores the crickets and mealworms now :(
 
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