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Housing for new Geckos (Please help!)

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Post by SACGecko Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:11 am

I am new here and I am hoping that someone can help me. I have one male leopard gecko named Gizmo, who I think is around 2 years old. I adopted him. Today I adopted two more lizards that are about 6 months(no names yet...so suggestions always welcome Very Happy )...maybe a little more. I believe they are both females (97% sure). I have a VERY large terrarium for them. But I am unsure if I should house the male with the females yet. I know first thing some of you are wanting to say "you know they will breed right?) Yes I am aware. I live in the country and know about the circle of life lol...so yes I am aware they can BREED. I am just wondering if it is safe to put them all together or not yet or to wait for a while. Thank you!!!!

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Post by kathstew Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:32 am

First off, welcome to the forum! Smile I'm Kathryn and I hope we are able to help anyway we can.

There are a few things to thing about here:
-A leopard gecko's suitability for breeding isn't about how old they are (at least thats not the only factor), its also the weight of the leo. A female leo should be at least 55 grams approx before breeding. If bred before that, the leo is at risk for a lot of health issues. I would weigh your leos before putting them together if that is what you choose.
- The general rule is 10 gallons per leo. So you should have a minimum 30 gallon. I recommend at least a 40 or 50 gallon.
- Males and females aren't kept together very often because not just breeding, but fighting. Leos aren't social creatures;when kept together they don't like it, they merely tolerate it. Its not recommended to house leos together unless you have leo experience (which you do). You need to know the signs of aggression and stress in your leos. The male may bully the females into breeding constantly. The bigger leo could eat the majority of the food.
- If you do keep leos together you need the same amount of each thing as you have of your leos. So, in your case, you'd need 3 hot hides, 3 cool hides and 3 moist hides. 3 water bowls, and 3 food bowls.
-If they do breed, you are bringing unknown genetics into the leopard gecko world. Since Gizmo is a rescue I'm assuming you know little to nothing on his genetic background (which is fine if you want to keep him as a pet only). By breeding unknown genetics together you could create unwanted leos (such as leos with multiple strains of albinism).
-If you do house them together and they get along, that's great. But always be prepared with an extra tank. There have been MANY cases in which leos that have lived peacefully for YEARS will suddenly turn on one another and fight viciously.
- THIS IS THE BIG ONE!!! Because the females are new you need to quarantine them! This means keeping them in a separate enclosure, preferably different room than any other reptiles you have. This prevents any disease that your females may have to your male. Even though the females may appear healthy, you should always quarantine as many reptiles won't show symptoms during the beginning of an illness. Quarantine time is minimum 30 days, but 90 days is best.

Personally (and I know this is the opinion of many members on here), I would keep them separate. The risks of fighting and chances of breeding (although you don't have to quarantine the eggs) outweigh the advantages of space saving.
I would house them separately.
If its necessary, you COULD house the females together, as females are known to get along better (again tolerating, not enjoying the company). But again, be prepared to house them separately if the need arises.

Also, here is a thread on how to sex your leo: http://www.leopardgeckoforum.com/t1578-leopard-gecko-pore-close-up-sexing
And here is another website with some sexing pics as well: http://vmsherp.com/LCBreedingLeopards.htm

Again, welcome to the forum and good luck with whatever decision you make! ^_^
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Post by SACGecko Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:40 am

I have a 40 to 50 gallon tank for them. It's about a $400 terrarium Smile I do have a seperate tank also for back up cause of quarantine purpose too Smile The people got him from Petsmart I believe it was and the kid just neglected him which is not a shock lol. But I will post some pics soon of them all to see what types of morphs I have. The two females have PLENTY of room to stay away from each other so if they want their own space it should be ok. I will post pics as soon as possible. Thank you for the information and making me feel welcome. I may just save up and get him a nice tank I was just hoping he could share a nice BIG tank lol

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Post by Drip55 Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:48 am

I wouldn't do it less you have the money an time to breed its slot of work an plus the girls are only babys an the male may stress them out
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