My gecko who I've had for a little more than a year (got her last july) has stopped eating all together. She looks healthy, isn't skinny, but just doesn't eat. She is very lazy and I'm guessing I'm doing something wrong. I'm very bad with a feeding schedule and kind of only feed her mealworms. I did some research and in guessing it might be heating. Any help is appreciated, thanks.
#My gecko hasn't eaten in a good while. Please help!!!🙏
raven patio
raven patio
I'm getting kind of worried, if someone could respond, that would be great.
My gecko hasn't eaten in a good while. Please help!!!🙏
daring oak
could you just drop some info into the chat real quick?
mode of heating, whether you have a thermostat or not, ambient and basking temperatures, when was the last time she ate, and a top down photo of her
also how often youre feeding her
raven patio
could you just drop some info into the chat real quick?
mode of heating, whethe...
Sorry, forgot about this post. I think I figured out why she's not eating and how to help her.
raven patio
could you just drop some info into the chat real quick?
mode of heating, whethe...
Here, I have just a heat lamp, not ceramic, emits light. No thermostat It's kind of closer to the mid 70s Fahrenheit in the warm side, I need more heating there. She ate last about two months ago and she always has mealworms in her bowl.
dapper ridge
do you have a pic of the bulb or know what kind it is? and what are you using to measure your temperatures? temperatures are low yes which can contribute to eating issues. but body conditions wise she does look okay so it also could be seasonal like lore mentioned
raven patio
I did have it in the middle but I just moved it to the warm side and it looks like it went up to 80
And the main light is this dinky thing
dapper ridge
ah so this makes sense- that is a very fine beam spot bulb. the concentrated beam does more for basking temperatures than ambient temps. and that type of thermometer is notorious for being inaccurate so id look for some digital ones. we do have some bulb recommendations in our !shoppinglist as well as fixtures, thermostats (if you dont have one that is needed asap), and thermometers. if the links arent working let us know and we can send links directly there was a weird google update that is making it not work for some
royal graniteBOT
raven patio
It's an led
The thermometer links aren't working...
So what Im gathering is I need better lighting and a thermometer
dapper ridge
https://www.amazon.com/AikTryee-Hygrometer-Upgraded-Temperature-Greenhouse/dp/B07QMZL448/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0872X4H4J/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2KZ7X05DCDJDL&psc=1
dont need all these are just different options people use
dapper ridge
So what Im gathering is I need better lighting and a thermometer
i would get different heating and thermometers yes. is your heat source thermostat regulated?
dapper ridge
every heat source needs a thermostat to regulate your temperatures so it doesnt get too hot and cause overheating, burns, or be a fire hazard
have you given the !guide a read?
royal graniteBOT
raven patio
Oh, yes to the guide, no to the question
dapper ridge
alright well there are two thermostat options: an on/off thermostat paired with a dimming dome (cheaper option) or a dimming thermostat itself. all linked in shopping list if links dont work for those too let us know
raven patio
https://a.co/d/bgdq3WI I found this on Amazon as a timer thermometer mix
raven patio
alright well there are two thermostat options: an on/off thermostat paired with ...
So I would have to get a dimming dome for the cheaper one. My budget is basically $60
dapper ridge
im not sure if anyone here has experience with that one i believe many here use bnlink or inkbird on/offs. the reviews for that one u sent seem eh tho for quality
budget seems doable
raven patio
So what would you do with my budget? I have a 20l tank, I'm hoping for a 40 but have literally no room for it
dapper ridge
thermometer
https://www.amazon.com/AikTryee-Hygrometer-Upgraded-Temperature-Greenhouse/dp/B07QMZL448/
thermostat
https://www.amazon.com/Century-Thermostat-Controller-Germination-40-108°F/dp/B01I15S6OM/
dome
for a bulb i personally like the exo terra intense or daylight bulbs
thats at about $60 w a bulb
raven patio
So will the thermostat turn off the bulb if it gets to hot?
dapper ridge
so when paired with a dimming dome it should just dim the bulb down to where it needs to be based on what you set your thermostat to temp wise. but if it gets too hot it will turn it off yes
raven patio
Ok. Thanks so much. Is there any major need for a uvb bulb rn? Or can I wait till I have more money to buy one.
dapper ridge
uvb can wait as long as you have a d3 supplement in your rotation
raven patio
Yeah, I always have the d3 in there, because it's the only supplement I have.
dapper ridge
in the enclosure should be a cap of plain calcium not with d3. even tho i believe the science on how much is too much is still iffy- it is possible to have too much d3. you should have a plain calcium, a multivitamin, and calc with d3. !supplement for more info + supplement chart at bottom
royal graniteBOT
Supplements are a necessary part of a leopard gecko's (or most any captive herp's) diet. In the wild, they would be eating a wide variety of prey, and that prey would be eating a wide variety of foods itself. In captivity, there's no way to replicate this perfectly, which is why offering supplements and as varied of a diet as possible is crucial in preventing deficiencies and illness.
The exact schedule you use for supplements will depend on your individual animal, its age, and your feeding schedule. However, a good place to start is by picking up some calcium, calcium + D3, and multivitamins. If you use UVB, you will likely not need a D3 supplement since UVB allows reptiles to produce their own D3. This takes the guessing game out of how much D3 to provide (they can overdose on it) since they will regulate their exposure and D3 levels themselves. D3 is needed to use calcium in the body, so animals will become calcium deficient without D3. Additionally, make sure any calcium supplements you use are phosphorus free since they generally get enough phosphorus in their diet, and too much will cause a calcium deficiency.
Fluker's Calcium + D3 https://bit.ly/39lMQ9d
ZooMed's ReptiCalcium with D3 https://bit.ly/3f7lHdS
Fluker's Calcium (no D3) https://bit.ly/3ntLUpD
ZooMed's ReptiCalcium (no D3) https://bit.ly/2wrkeN0
RepCal Calcium (no D3) https://bit.ly/35DMY4u
Repashy Calcium Plus Multivitamin https://bit.ly/39kqVPu
RepCal Herpivite Multivitamin https://amzn.to/3lBo4rK
ZooMed Reptivite Multivitamin https://amzn.to/38NMQRL
Fluker's Repta Vitamin Multivitamin https://amzn.to/3lC8TON
If you'd like to learn more about how to assess supplement brands, here's a good article from Reptifiles: https://reptifiles.com/reptile-vitamins-reptile-calcium/
If you'd like to learn more about how reptiles use D3, here's an article from Arcadia: https://www.arcadiareptile.com/d3-cycle/
Example supplementation schedules:
http://bit.ly/3cpFcyO
raven patio
What's the point of having just a cap of calc with no d3? I know my gecko isn't gonna walk over to it and eat it. Sorry for all the questions, I just feel bad for the gecko as it seems like I'm malnourishing her
dapper ridge
i mean they do lick it up sometimes haha but its just precautionary. some people dont have one but most in this server still recommend it to assure they’re getting proper calcium amounts
the feeders we use in captivity unfortunately for the most part have a lower calcium ratio / higher phosphorus ratio than in the wild so thats why we dust with calcium and some recommend adding a little dish of plain calcium in the enclosure
raven patio
Ok, I'll get that. Should I just coat the food in whatever that day's supplement is?
Again sorry for all the questions
dapper ridge
questions are always welcome thats what we are here for. yup so in the schedule linked (which are all just examples, days can be altered if needed) you choose if you have uvb or none then choose the age of your leo and your example schedule for that will pop up
raven patio
Some people said that they feed their adult geckos weekly, since mine is an adult, should I do that also?
dapper ridge
that can depend on individual metabolism. schedules can take some trial and error. if one finds their leo gaining weight from twice a week feedings then moving to once a week would be better. and the opposite, if one finds their leo would do better with twice a week feedings based on weight then that also works
unfortunately not a one size fits all type thing but we can make a generalization like 5-7 feeders 1-2 times a week is what we usually see work well
raven patio
Ok. And I think this is the last thing, should I get the 8.5 or 5.5 inch dome?
dapper ridge
most of us use 8.5 inch domes because it does better for dispersing heat for ambients, but this what we find works best for 40-120 gal+ type enclosures with mesh. 5.5 could probably work for a 20 gallon though however may not do the best when you upgrade
raven patio
Ok, I'll get the 5.5 for now, it will take a while till I'm able to upgrade. Thank you so much for the help. And this is actually the last thing, how do I use the thermostat and thermometer together?
dapper ridge
!setup might help visually for thermostat
royal graniteBOT
dapper ridge
as for thermometer you just have one on your warm side and one on your cool side to measure ambients
believe the one i linked ya is a two pack
raven patio
Yeah it is, that works. Thanks so much, I've kind of been putting her lower in my list of responsibilities and am finally prioritized her over even schoolwork
dapper ridge
leos are very hardy thankfully. glad she’s getting some upgrades!
raven patio
leos are very hardy thankfully. glad she’s getting some upgrades!
Hey, is the exo Terra intense bulb ok with the Dimmable lamp?
daring oak
yea
raven patio
K, thank
raven patio
Oh, I also have an extra 30 bucks to spend on the gecko after buying the 3 things faith recommend. Anything else I should buy?