New Leopard Gecko Owner

Yuk

New member
Hello. I grew up with a lot of different lizards when I was a kid, but now I have decided to have my own lizards. I originally started with a tokay gecko and received some really bad advice from a local pet shop that ultimately lead to the poor gecko being so stressed that it would not eat and died. The owner completely washed his hands of us when I needed help the most. Since then, I have wanted a gecko easy for a beginner such as myself to take care of. I did a lot of research and the leopard gecko was the one I went with. Since then, I have researched and went with advice of people who breed them and keep them alive for 20 years. There is a great deal of conflicting information both on forums and care sheets, but where they conflict, I have decided to go with the advice of experience rather than popular opinion.

I have 3 leopard geckos, 2 normal females Candy and Mischief, and a male albino Ghost. Candy is an extremely healthy girl with a plump tail, likes to nap late into the evening, and has a calm personality. Mischief is a little bit younger, a little more skittish, but she loves exploring. Her tail is still a little thin from the pet shop but she has a healthy appetite. Ghost is the ultra calm one. He takes slow deliberate steps and used his moist hide during his shed soon after I got him and had no issues at all with the shed. His appetite isn't as good as the others, but it might be because of the shed. They are all juvenile geckos that share a 10 gallon with just enough room for now. Once they get bigger, I will upgrade to either a 20 - 40 gallon. They have two moist hides, one large hide that is gradually warm to cool, and an additional warm hide. They have an under the tank heater, tile substrate, calcium dish, large shallow water tray, and a tank potted plant with desert plants.

Update: I upgraded to a 20 long to fit everything where I wanted a bit better and provide more open space. :)
 
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JIMI

New member
Welcome to GU:)

I understand how hard it is to find information that is not conflicting. I find it best to go with science and experience. Hmmm. I would have gone with the 40 gallon (preferably bigger), especially since you are keeping 3 leos together. They each need to have their own cool hide, warm hide, and moist hide so that they are not competing for the best hides. More hides= more space.They are solitary creatures and do not really appreciate the company of other leos so it is best to give them enough space so that they can seek seclusion when they desire it and to avoid aggression. Keeping leos together can be considered a ticking time bomb; one moment they seem like "best friends" and the next morning you find a dead or injured leo. Many are lucky and many are unlucky. There's just no way of knowing. There have been too many instances of reported aggression so I find it less risky to just house alone. A leo with a poor appetite among a group of leos is something to be very cautious of.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:2WP-kr_7uzEJ:www.herpetologynotes.seh-herpetology.org/Volume4_PDFs/Bonke_et_al_Herpetology_Notes_Volume4_pages211-212.pdf+natural+history+Eublepharis+geckos&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESggtkgUOZDfMS_wr2hIrjdkwkNsVQ4Gw47qnzmfVfR6AYNf4Mn7o2FZhy77hRVYZ011I0lMB6fZ9nDONKEBJBTVd4JM0Uv-VVof5tuEc_RqAPufOc5mXGsX7XciVoCnWo6FBy6R&sig=AHIEtbRfaIYuPGifPrRIebPOrE75crIJ2Q

This one has graphic images:
http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/leopard-geckos-husbandry-housing-heating/69423-housing-2-geckos-together-agressive-behaviour-badly-injured-female-pictures.html

Just make sure that you are aware of the risks, keep an eye on them at all times, and be prepared for anything. Of course it is ultimately your decision how you decide to care for your leos. I wish you the best of luck with your leos:)
 
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Yuk

New member
Thanks, I actually already separated the male to avoid issues while they are all growing.
 
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