Crestie not gainig weight

lizardmom

New member
Hi all, I have a crested gecko that I have had for almost 2 months. He was 18 g when I got him, grew to 24g in the first moth, but has not gained any weight since. He is eating a small amount of pangea mango banana nightly. (I cover the bottom of a small food cup and he eats about 1/2 to 2/3 of what is there). I cannot get him to accept crickets at all. I have tried hand feeding and placing him in a feeder box wit them, and no luck. He runs from them. The local pet store I got him from said he was eating them, but I cannot get him to even show interest.

He is pretty skittish over all and spends a lot of time under the cork bark hide on the floor when the lights are on. He comes out when the plant lights go off and either hangs out on the glass under his ledge or on top of one of the background planters.

He is in a bioactive enclosure and temps hover around 72-75 with about 70 percent humidity after a mist. It gets down as low as 50 sometimes between mists. I have an exo trrea monsoon misting twice a day from 2 nozzles and I supplement that.

Should I be concerned that he isn't gaining?
 

acpart

Well-known member
They often grow slowly and can plateau for awhile. If he seems to be eating and you can find poop, don't worry.

Aliza
 

KattsKritters

New member
Just watch how damp it gets in the tank with that much misting .... I have some that will not touch the substrate floor if it is too wet for them ...
 

lizardmom

New member
He loves the substrate, in fact he spends most of his daylight time buried under a cork round on the floor. He hasn't eaten the last 3 nights. i am just concerned that something isn't quite right with him. When he comes out at all, he doesn't seem comfortable. He clings to the walls of his tank and just sits in one place. Occasionally I will find him on the top of a planter. I am thinking I may try adding some plants for more foliage up high, but with temps what they are, getting anything shipped isn't happening, and the local garden centers have little to nothing right now. I may just have to add in some fake plant for now and see if that helps.

I also worry that handling him may be part of the issue. it seems like he is more likely to start hiding more/ not eating if I take him out and handle him. He is pretty calm while i have him, and most of the time he is fine after I put him back, but not always.
 
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