Teaching P. Klemmeri the Food Bowl's Location

Anon321

New member
I've recently acquired a pair of Phelsuma Klemmeri a little under a week ago. They're housed in an 18x18x24 heavily planted and hardscaped tank, provided with UVB and twice a day misting. Currently they spend the majority of their time in the upper 20% of the tank and I have yet to really see them explore or spend much time in the bottom 80%. Given that I want them to utilize more of their tank, I've elected to place their food ledge containing Repashy's Grub 'N' Fruits and a calcium bowl in the bottom 20% of the tank. It's positioned in such a way that there's a piece of hardscape leading right up to it so they never have to come in contact with the ground to reach it. Despite this comparatively remote location, the male seems to have found it just fine and makes a couple of trips a day to eat out of the bowl but I have yet to see the female follow suit. She's not having issues eating: she's hunting dusted flies and if I put a drop of the CGD in front of her she'll eat it -- she just won't find and eat out of the food bowl. It should also be noted that despite my understanding you should only feed them with CGD twice a week or so, I've been putting the food out every day to teach them where they can find food in their new tank.

Regarding her behavior: she does seem to be a lot less curious and rotates between fewer spots than the male. She also appears to wake up later and retires earlier than the male. It should be noted that the female currently pregnant with two eggs, visible when she clings to the glass and has recently shed a day or so ago.

While it's possible that she's eating when I'm not looking, given that the tank is in my home office and I spend 70% of the time when the tank's lights are on with it in my peripheral vision, I think it's fairly unlikely.

Any advice on what I should do would be appreciated. Should I move the feeding ledge up to the top 20% of the tank where she frequents? Should I just feed her by putting droplets near where she usually basks? Should I start adding more food to the bowl in hopes that it'll create a stronger smell to draw her in? Currently I use a very small scoop of the Repashy as they don't tend to fully finish the bowl anyways.

Thank you.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Welcome aboard, Anon321!

Please tell us more regarding these things:
1. Type of UVB (coil-like bulb or linear?) & photo of UVB that you use?
2. How long per day is your UVB on?
3. Were these P. klemmeri newly mated about 1 week ago?
4. Maybe male aggression is why this female acts like she does?
5. How is their 18 x 18 x 24 inch enclosure heated?
Heat rises to the upper 20%. Perhaps the female loves warmer temps?
6. Be sure to add a 2nd food bowl: 1 bowl in the warmer location & 1 bowl somewhere else.
7. Is this female at least maintaining her weight with the dusted flies you've been feeding her?
8. Have you considered giving each separate enclosures especially because she's gravid?
9. When the eggs hatch, the babies will definitely be prey as it is..
10. Can you buy Pangea brand Gecko Diet with Insects where you live?
 

Anon321

New member
Hello, thanks for your response!
1. Type of UVB (coil-like bulb or linear?) & photo of UVB that you use?
I'm currently using an Arcadia ShadeDweller Pro with their 7% bulb placed right over the mesh.
2. How long per day is your UVB on?
It's on for 13 hours a day, set to a timer. Same as the tank's lights.
3. Were these P. klemmeri newly mated about 1 week ago?
The Klemmeri came mated. The breeder told me that these were the exact pair that mated together.
4. Maybe male aggression is why this female acts like she does?
From what I've observed, there doesn't seem to be any biting or wrestling going on and they occasionally bask a few inches from each other without any issue. On behavior that I've noticed is that when the two spot each other from a distance, they'll sometimes shake their heads at each other and sometimes they'll trample over each other to get somewhere, but no overt aggression.
5. How is their 18 x 18 x 24 inch enclosure heated?
No special heating is provided beyond what's produced by the light and UVB. Using a cheap IR gun, the temps at the top of the tank is about 30-31C (~88 F). The bottom areas of their tank can be as low as 26-27C. So a temp range of 26-31C.
6. Be sure to add a 2nd food bowl: 1 bowl in the warmer location & 1 bowl somewhere else.
For now I've moved the bowl up to the top 20% of the tank. The male seems to have found it again just fine but the female hasn't eaten out of it yet.
7. Is this female at least maintaining her weight with the dusted flies you've been feeding her?
She appears to be maintaining her weight, but it's only been a little less than a week so it's hard to know whether this will hold long term. Her being pregnant unfortunately doesn't help.
8. Have you considered giving each separate enclosures especially because she's gravid?
Is the general practice to separate them if gravid? From what I've read on them, this species tend to leave their young alone for the most part?
10. Can you buy Pangea brand Gecko Diet with Insects where you live?
Yes, I'll try out that brand of CGD next. Are there any specific flavors you'd recommend?

Thank you.
 

acpart

Well-known member
I have never seen most of the day geckos I've owned eat their CGD but I'm pretty sure they do and they have been thriving. Currently I have a gold dust day gecko who's about 8 years old and a young L. williamsi. You could always add another bowl of CGD near where your female hangs out to be sure.

Aliza
 

Anon321

New member
I have never seen most of the day geckos I've owned eat their CGD but I'm pretty sure they do and they have been thriving. Currently I have a gold dust day gecko who's about 8 years old and a young L. williamsi. You could always add another bowl of CGD near where your female hangs out to be sure.

Aliza
Thanks for your reply.

Is that because they prefer to eat live insects to CGDs? Or are they just generally shy/ infrequent eaters?
 

Anon321

New member
A quick update: it looks like she's eating out of the food bowl now. After laying her eggs, she's gotten a lot more active and moving the food bowl up seems to have done the trick. Thank you all for your help.
 

acpart

Well-known member
Glad it worked out. I have a number of geckos that I almost never see eat. I never see my day geckos eat crickets, but there are no crickets in the enclosure when I provide the next round.

Aliza
 
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