Supplementing issue

[Kfinch901]

Within the last week my rescue leopard gecko hasn't been wanting to eat any insects lightly dusted with any form of calcium supplement. This morning I tried to feed him, since he was wide awake for some reason, and the first cricket I gave him didn't have anything on it, he ate it just fine. The second cricket i lightly dusted in calcium with d3 (he's a bit off on his normal supplementing schedule) he attempted a few lazy grabs (I accidentally squished the cricket trying to get it out so it was dead) at it before just sticking his nose on the cricket, licking it, and waddling away. After he stopped moving I offered him the same cricket and he decided to eat it but when I tried to give him another with the calcium w/ d3 he closed his eyes and swung his head to the side like he was disgusted with it. His last meal was 3 days ago and it was crickets without any supplements. I'm not sure what to do.


Set up:
12 gallon tank with reptile carpet (paper towl over his favorite toilet area)
Two hides on eon hot side one on cold side
Cold temp is 80-85
hot side is 90-95 with a basking spot of 98
Crickets are kept in a small cricket keeper (i'm upgrading it this weekend) and are fed Fluker's Orange Cube and Flukler's cricket quencher.

 

[Keeboard]

You could try a different brand, or even make your own (there's at least one video on the subject on YouTube). Do you use a UTH? 98 is way too hot, about 90 is more ideal. I recommend dry Eco earth or textured tile for a substrate

 

[Kfinch901]

I'm using Zoo med brand calcium with d3 and zoo med calcium w/o d3. I eventually plan on putting him on some form of coconut fiber, the particular brand i want is developing a coconut fiber substrate designed specifically for leopard geckos and bearded dragons. I do use a UTH and have just turned down his basking to 90 (thanks!)

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I'm using Zoo med brand calcium with d3 and zoo med calcium w/o d3. I eventually plan on putting him on some form of coconut fiber, the particular brand i want is developing a coconut fiber substrate designed specifically for leopard geckos and bearded dragons. I do use a UTH and have just turned down his basking to 90 (thanks!)

Let's add Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins without D3 to your 7 inch long leo's supplements. OK? A leopard gecko really needs a little multivitamins at 1 feeding per week.

Leopard geckos don't really bask like beardies do. I'm glad you turned down the "basking" temp. Concentrate on the temps I shared in one of your other threads.

On that thread we talked about a Weekly Schedule. Here's part of what I posted.

Weekly Schedule for Leopard Geckos 12 months old & under​

Crickets or dubia >> Monday - Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3
Crickets or duba >> Tuesday
Mealworms >> Wednesday
Crickets or dubia >> Thursday - Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3
Crickets or dubia >> Friday
Mealworms >> Saturday - precipitated calcium carbonate
No food or free choice >> Sunday

Future weeks:
Continue on since all weeks are identical. . . . . .


PS:

1. Can you re-read this thread? Temperatures and a Weekly Schedule are right there.
   • Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...e-issues-/83035-leopard-gecko-substrates.html
2. Unfortunately Fluker's Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet is seriously misadvertised! It's lacking appropriate nutrition for your crickets and for your leo! There are much better cricket diets out there. I recommend diets that contain roughly 16% protein and less than 5% fat. Fluker's Orange Cubes contain:
   • Ingredients
     Water, Carageenan, Soya Protein, Dried Brewers Yeast, Dried Kelp, Calcium Carbonate, Spirulina, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Yellow #6 Food Color.
   • Guaranteed Analysis
     Crude protein (min.) 3.5%, crude fat (min.) 0.1%, crude fiber (max.) 0.5%, moisture (max.) 92%, calcium (min.) 580 ppm.

 

[Kfinch901]

For some reason the thermostat I have on the heat lamp is malfunctioning it keeps uping the temp to 90 so i have ordered a new one. I've been followiNG the feeding schedule, but I was gone for a few days and the person I left him with didn't follow it so I tried to make up for it, it will go back to normal tomorrow. Is there anything specific you would recommend for the criket food?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

For some reason the thermostat I have on the heat lamp is malfunctioning it keeps uping the temp to 90 so i have ordered a new one. I've been followiNG the feeding schedule, but I was gone for a few days and the person I left him with didn't follow it so I tried to make up for it, it will go back to normal tomorrow. Is there anything specific you would recommend for the criket food?

I've been editing post 4. Did you see that you really need Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamin without D3?

Are you using a heat lamp instead of an UTH?

I don't understand what you mean: upping the temp to 90*???

 

[Kfinch901]

Sorry I'm typing the replies on my phone I was trying to say the thermometer was changing the temp to 98 not 90. Its set to 90 but when I check it with a digital probe it reads it as 98. I did see I need the multivitamin without d3 I grabbed the wrong bottle this morning when I was trying to feed him. Im so used to saying calcium powder that I forget they are actually multivitamins. UTH means under tank heat, right? Becuase he does have a heat mat under his tank as well as the heat lamp.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Set up:
12 gallon tank with reptile carpet (paper towl over his favorite toilet area)
Two hides on eon hot side one on cold side
Cold temp is 80-85
hot side is 90-95 with a basking spot of 98
Crickets are kept in a small cricket keeper (i'm upgrading it this weekend) and are fed Fluker's Orange Cube and Flukler's cricket quencher.

I've not forgotten your ? about a better cricket diet.

First I'd like to clear up some past issues.

• Please share about your leo's multivitamins. From what I read he doesn't have a multivitamin.
• What are the dimensions of your 12 gallon? It's difficult to give a leo a good warm side, cool side in a tank that size even with a heat mat.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Sorry I'm typing the replies on my phone I was trying to say the thermometer was changing the temp to 98 not 90. Its set to 90 but when I check it with a digital probe it reads it as 98. I did see I need the multivitamin without d3 I grabbed the wrong bottle this morning when I was trying to feed him. Im so used to saying calcium powder that I forget they are actually multivitamins. UTH means under tank heat, right? Becuase he does have a heat mat under his tank as well as the heat lamp.

A thermostat CAN be set to 90*F, but be totally inaccurate. The reading of your digital thermometer should be accurate if the probes are taped together and dangling from some place. Forget the overhead lamp in a tank this size. The heat you need should come only from the heat mat.

I don't have a cell phone. I don't know how much of our replies shows up on your cell when you see them.

Can you use a laptop instead?

Correct: UTH = under tank heat

How exactly have you been using your supplements?

 

[Kfinch901]

his tank dims are L:18 in W 18 in and 12 in. He gets Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3 once a week like the schedule says, Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 once a week, and plain precipitated calcium carbonate once a week. I lightly dust half of crickets that i give him with the supplements. And the heat mat i have is a zoo med that says its for 10-20 gallon tanks.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

his tank dims are L:18 in W 18 in and 12 in. He gets Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3 once a week like the schedule says, Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 once a week, and plain precipitated calcium carbonate once a week. I lightly dust half of crickets that i give him with the supplements. And the heat mat i have is a zoo med that says its for 10-20 gallon tanks.

Thanks for confirming your leo's multivitamins, D3 calcium, and plain precipitated calcium carbonate.

Let's do heat for your 18 x 18 x 12 inch high enclosure. The Zoo Med Repti-Therm small heat mat for 10-20 gallons only measures 6 x 8 inches. That's too small for your tank. Most the heat should come from the heat mat. At least upgrade to a medium Repti-Therm UTH (8 x 12 inches).

An 8 x 18 inch UTH could be perfect.

• An 8 x 18 inch UTH covers a little less than 1/2 the tank's ground.
• Contact Zoo Med for the exact dimensions of their 8 x 18 UTH: 888-496-6633.
• Confirm the inside measurements of your 18 x 18.
• Ultratherm also makes an 8 x 18 inch UTH.

The heat mat should be controlled by the thermostat. If you also need overhead heat, that dome can be controlled by a 2nd thermostat or by a rheostat/dimmer.

 

[Kfinch901]

I really wish that i had cone to this forum rather than reptile.uk forums when i first got him. Someone there said that i needed the one meant for 10 to 20 gallons becuase thats the size tank i had. Before i bought the small mat i had the 8 x 12 mat and I knew I should have saved it just in case but I didn't.
Should the heat mat be set to 90 like the light was or lower? I currently don't have a thermostat on my heat mat and I have noticed that he doesn't like to lay on the spot it covers when it's on. Granted the room that his tank is in gets hotter than the rest of the house, room stays at about 85 to 90 depending in the day so I don't know if he's just comfortable laying somewhere else or if the heat mats too hot.

 

[Keeboard]

Yep, about 90 during the day and 80 at night. You need a thermostat ASAP

 

[Kfinch901]

Unfortunately my new thermostat won't be ready till tuesday

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I really wish that i had cone to this forum rather than reptile.uk forums when i first got him. Someone there said that i needed the one meant for 10 to 20 gallons becuase thats the size tank i had. Before i bought the small mat i had the 8 x 12 mat and I knew I should have saved it just in case but I didn't.
Should the heat mat be set to 90 like the light was or lower? I currently don't have a thermostat on my heat mat and I have noticed that he doesn't like to lay on the spot it covers when it's on. Granted the room that his tank is in gets hotter than the rest of the house, room stays at about 85 to 90 depending in the day so I don't know if he's just comfortable laying somewhere else or if the heat mats too hot.

:idea: You're on GU now and that's REALLY GOOD NEWS!

I happened by this thread as you edited your post. In the beginning you mentioned Motina (= IntelliTemp ?) heat pads. If you upgrade I'd order Zoo Med's Repti-Therm 8 x 12.

So you live in Missouri. Is the ambient room temp reliably 85-90 F during the days? For how much of the year?

Maybe you need the heat mat just as a backup until the weather cools off and then all the time during the cooler months?

Plug the heat mat into the thermostat. Set the thermostat for 91 F. Many thermostats vary a couple degrees + or -. For instance, the thermostat shuts off the heat mat when the temperature reaches 91. The heat may rise a little more and then drop a couple degrees before the heat mat turns on again. Verify the thermostat's setting with the probe of a digital thermometer.

If you need overhead heat too, buy a second thermostat or a rheostat. A suggested air temp is 82 F.

Here's a temperature guide for all leopard geckos as measured by the probe of a digital thermometer

• 88-92 F (31.1-33.3 C) ground temperature right underneath a leo's warm dry hide
• no greater than 82ish F (27.8ish C) air temperature - 4 inches above ground on the warm end
• no greater than 75 F (23.9 C) air temperature - 4 inches above ground on the cool end

Leave the UTH on 24/7. At night turn off overhead lighting/heating (~12 hours on and ~12 hours off) unless ambient room temperatures drop lower than 67ish*F (19.4*C).

 

[Kfinch901]

During the warm months the house doesn't get over 80, but my room, also the room where my gecko is, gets hotter than the rest of the house and gets to be between 85 and 90 with the A/C off with it on it stays at about 82. During the cooler months the house is at 65 and my room at 70. So I'm wondering if I need overhead light on or not durin these warmer months. I think I will need the overhead light during the winter.
I have ordered a zoo med 8 x 12 from my local pet store but they say it won't be here for a week or so.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

During the warm months the house doesn't get over 80, but my room, also the room where my gecko is, gets hotter than the rest of the house and gets to be between 85 and 90 with the A/C off with it on it stays at about 82. During the cooler months the house is at 65 and my room at 70. So I'm wondering if I need overhead light on or not durin these warmer months. I think I will need the overhead light during the winter.
I have ordered a zoo med 8 x 12 from my local pet store but they say it won't be here for a week or so.

Excellent on the 8 x 12. I hope that works.

I don't think you need the overhead light at all right now during the warmer months.

Get a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) with a rheostat or second thermostat for the cooler months. That bulb is ideal. It emits heat but no light. I have personally had poor experience with Exo Terra CHEs. I recommend CHE's from All Living Things (PetSmart brand).

 

[Kfinch901]

So I just set up my new thermostat and holy crap this little heat mat was cranking out so much heat. I have it set to 91 like you said but this thing was emitting heat at 120 degrees and it's still climbing. No wonder my little guy wouldn't lay on it wit the carpet being thin he was pretty much laying directly on it. My poor boy I feel awful

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

So I just set up my new thermostat and holy crap this little heat mat was cranking out so much heat. I have it set to 91 like you said but this thing was emitting heat at 120 degrees and it's still climbing. No wonder my little guy wouldn't lay on it wit the carpet being thin he was pretty much laying directly on it. My poor boy I feel awful

WOW. . . . . .up to 120* and climbing! That was from the 6 x 8 inch pad!!!

Is your enclosure an Exo Terra? All those I've seen are naturally elevated. That provides needed ventilation for a UTH.

May I ask what brand thermostat you got? It helps knowing what people get and what works for them.

 

[Kfinch901]

Thankfully the pad is now at the correct temperature. I do have an exo terra and I actually bought it becuase of how it was elevated. The thermostat is is a Century digital heat mat thermostat.