Not eating enough?

I got my first leopard gecko a few days after New Years, and when i got him i put a few crickets and a few meal worms in his tank. he never ate the crickets and after they were hopping around a week or so i just took them out. i put his mealworms right on the sand because he didn't find them in the bowl. I actually only saw him eat three, but every few days I would put a few more in. I was a little worried because he usually let them crawl around for a while and wouldn't eat them. well, i just went to give him fresh water and found 6 or 7 living under his water bowl so he hasn't eaten them. he has a heat light on one end of his tank and it's been like 85-90 in that end, is that warm enough for him? his tail isn't very skinny yet but he's only eaten like 3-5 mealworms in 2 and a half weeks. should i be worried?

Hi welcome to the forum I am james, leos take time to settle into there new environment so untill they settle in they usually dont eat, it is not a good idea to leave uneaten crickets in with your leo as they can nibble on them.

I would get rid of the sand first thing as they can ingest it and cause impactation and maybe result in death. also leopard geckos need an under tank heater like a heat mat as they adsorb heat through their underneath they also need it to properly digest their food. I would suggest you read this http://www.leopardgeckoforum.com/t166-proper-housing-for-leopard-geckos and fill in this http://www.leopardgeckoforum.com/t134-please-read-and-fill-out-with-your-health-questions

Cheers james .

okay, I did put a flat rock (which i sterilized) right under his light for him to get heat from, does that work at all? also it might be important that he did shed his skin last week and ate the majority of it, is that a sign of him being relatively healthy?

Not really the rock wont be at the right temp for your leo; I really suggest you get a heat mat and a thermostat to regulate its temp and a digital probe thermometer. leos eat their skin after they shed it as it has proteins and minerals in it.

Hello and welcome to the forum! I'm Kathryn, I hope we are able to help you.
Can you please fill this out?

Care Questionaire:

About your leo:
- Sex
- Age & Weight
- Morph (if you know)
- How long have you owned your leo
- Where was he/she obtained (Pet store, breeder, wild caught, etc.)
- Is your leo wild caught or captive bred

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe.
B) Fecals
- Describe-Do they look any different than normal
- When was the last time he/she went
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem/issue you are experiencing and how long it has been going on

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size
- Type (ex. glass tank, screen enclosure, tub kept)
- Type of substrate (sand, vinyl tiles, ceramic/stone tiles, etc.)
- Hides (how many, location and type (hothide, humid hide, regular hide etc.)
B) Heating
- What is your main heat source (heat bulbs, under tank heat mat etc) **Please include the brand and size of your UTH if you use one**
- What are your cage temps (hot side and cool side)
- Method of regulating your heat source (thermostat, rheostat, light dimmer etc.)
- What are you using to measure your temps (probe thermometer, infrared lazer tempo gun, stick on temp gauge, etc)
- Do you have any lights (describe type (red,blue, basking etc) and cycle duration)
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females)
- Describe health, or previous problems of cage mates

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What are you feeding
- How often are you feeding your gecko and how much per feeding?
- How are you feeding (hand fed, tongs/tweezers, left in dish, ect)
B) Supplements
- What calcium suppliment are you using (please include brand)
- What multi vitimin are you using (please include brand)
-How are you implimenting your suppliment program (how often do you dust with each suppliment, do you leave calcium in the tank 24/7 etc.)
- What are you gutloading your feeder insects with

It will help us to help you.

As James said, sand can cause impaction. I would definitely get rid of that and use either paper towel or tiling (peel-n-stick, slate, ceramic etc), NOT repticarpet as it is a breeding ground for bacteria. Especially if your leo is fairly young, impaction is high risk. Putting the food directly ON the sand as well is dangerous as your leo is likely to eat some of the sand while eating the mealworms.

Leos get their heat from their bellies. They need belly heat to help them digest their food. Your leo may not be eating if he isn't getting the proper heat directed to his belly. Leos need a warm side with an under tank heater that covers 1/3rd of the tank, which gets the side on 88*-95*. You need to measure the FLOOR temperature, not the air temperature. To measure the floor temperature you need a probe thermometer like this one.

The temp you mention in your original post, is that air temperature or floor temperature, and what are you using the measure this temp?

Leos are crepuscular, meaning they come out at dawn and dusk. They do not bask, so the rock isn't really going to help. You really need to get an under tank heater.

If your leo just shed and ate its skin, it may not be hungry. Eating its shed is a big meal. But continued fasting is not good for your leo.

Good luck! And again,welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum... you have been given some very good advice so far but just to add to that... first leos are thigmatherms (thigmathermy)... An animal that draws heat into its body from contact with a warm object in its environment, which mean they increase their core temperature thru belly heat, unlike heliotherms (heliothermy) that get their heat thru basking with an overhead heat source such as bearded dragons. Leos NEED that belly head to regulate core temperature as well as properly digest food. An under tank heat mat (or uth as you'lll see it referred to A LOT here) is KEY here for providing proper husbandry. With out a proper heat source many of your leo's basic functions will not function properly. Shedding, eating, activity, nutritional absorbtion, GI motility, will all be affected. The fact that your leo shed properly is a good thing, and you may not see problems arise for a little while but rest assure they will crop up esp. keeping your leo on sand. It can't maintain the proper humidity your leo needs to properly shed.

Next... the subject of sand... I know it's been mentioned but it really bears repeating... it is a highly debated topic, some say it's find as long as you have proper heat they can pass sand just fine, but ask anyone that has dealt with an impacted gecko and the risk just isn't worth it when there are many more suitable substraits that are more like their natural environment. Leos come from packed earth deserts and live in rocky craigs and crevaces. They seldome come into contact with loose sand, let alone live in it. I wish taht petshops would update the information they operate off of because they are giving out sooo much mis-information on the care of leos it is disgusting. The thread that Kathryn directed you to on proper housing for leopard geckos will give you a complete guide to making a safe suitable set up for your herp.

Feeding... your leo will find feeders left in a clear dish. They will explore their viv when you're not looking and will find food. Make sure to refresh feeders left in a dish every couple of days to keep them active and to ensure they are properly gutloaded. Sometimes leaving a piece of carrot or potato in the feeders dish will increase their activity making them easier for your leo to zero in on them and eat them. Just make sure the food is larger than what your leo can accidentally ingest. Leaving crickets free range in your viv is a bad idea. They will nibble your leo and crap all over the place (as well as likely eat that crap) neither iof which is good for your leo. The constant harassment for the crickets will stress your leo leading to likely putting them off food, not to mention if it persists they could make some really nasty wounds esp. if you are given the more aggressive Jamaician field cricket (see the thread "why to never feed your leo crickets" in the feeder section. We get into that there). Crickets should be used in a limited capacity as they are known to carry parasites that can infect your leo, whereas feeding a diet of worms such as mealies, super worms, silk worms, etc. greatly decreses that risk. Not to mention that crickets don't have the best nutritional values for your leo.

So I think that addressed al your concerns, it would help knowing the age of your leo to help determien if he is eating enough for his age. Adults don't require near as much food as juveniles do. My adult male eats 2-4 super worms every couple days. If you have any other questions feel free to post them or send myself or any of the staff a private message (pm) with your concerns

that's all very helpful, thank you, about the sand issue i realized it's actually not SAND, it's a substitute made from walnut shells that's supposedly safe for geckos. I took that advice and i did put his mealworms back in a feeding bowl, and i've taken out all the crickets from his environment. i'm looking into an under tank heater.

About your leo:
- Sex ?
- Age & Weight ?
- Morph (if you know) rainwater patternless albino? idk i just looked online
- How long have you owned your leo a month ish
- Where was he/she obtained (Pet store, breeder, wild caught, etc.) pet store
- Is your leo wild caught or captive bred. not sure.

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo- every few days for a minute or two, trying to make him used to me.
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how - no
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe.- no
B) Fecals
- Describe-Do they look any different than normal- ? brown and white, kindof hard
- When was the last time he/she went- regularly
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem/issue you are experiencing and how long it has been going on- not sure if he's eating enough

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size- 20 long
- Type (ex. glass tank, screen enclosure, tub kept)- glass
- Type of substrate (sand, vinyl tiles, ceramic/stone tiles, etc.)- walnut shell "sand"
- Hides (how many, location and type (hothide, humid hide, regular hide etc.) one regular hide
B) Heating
- What is your main heat source (heat bulbs, under tank heat mat etc)- heat bulb
- What are your cage temps (hot side and cool side)- 85-90, 80-85 ish
- Method of regulating your heat source (thermostat, rheostat, light dimmer etc.)
- What are you using to measure your temps (probe thermometer, infrared lazer tempo gun, stick on temp gauge, etc) thermometer
- Do you have any lights (describe type (red,blue, basking etc) and cycle duration) red, left on all the time.
C) Cage mates- none

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What are you feeding- mealworms
- How often are you feeding your gecko and how much per feeding?- about 3 at a time
- How are you feeding (hand fed, tongs/tweezers, left in dish, ect)- put in dish with tweezers
B) Supplements- none

also i just took him out of his tank to do a little cleaning in the cage and he was very lively but he does sleep for most of the day in his hide.

sorry for all the questions but i'm new to this. at the pet store the mealworms were refrigerated so mine have been in the refrigerator, is this bad? should i keep them at room temperature before feeding?

Hello,

Walnut shells is just as dangerous as sand for geckos. It can cause impaction. I recommend you throw it out asap and replace with paper towels until your able to buy slate tiles. They are cheap easy to clean and look nice. The temperatures should be in the high 70's on the cool side, 90-95 on the warm end floor. You will need a thermometer with a probe to measure the surface temp right above the heat mat. If your room temperature drops below 70, check the air temp so that the warm side only is at least 80. 1 hide on each end and a humidity hide. You gecko will also need plain calcium that can be left in the enclosure in a small dish. Another bottle of Calcium with Vit D phosphorus free that you will dust the insects with twice a week. A multivitamin supplement to dust the insects with 1-2 times a week. The worms must be gutloaded and warmed up before feeding. I would also suggest feeding a variety of insects for optimal health. Crickets, silkworms, phoenix worms, roaches, hornworms, superworms, ect. Crickets are nutritious if gutloaded and low in fat, but it's best to breed your own or buy from a reputable source.

I hope this helps:)

Hello.

OK, the problems could be caused by a few husbandry problems. Once these are fixed your gecko may begin eating again.

Walnut is also bad for geckos as it can still cause impaction. Replacing it with paper towel or tiling is best. Leopard geckos are not from places with loose substrate. Leos come from rocky deserts (no sand), and dry, hard-packed earth.

You should have a hot side controlled by a heat pad that covers 1/3rd of the floor. This should bee 88*-95*. The cool side should be around the high 70s. There should be at least a 10 degree difference between the hot and cool side. This allows the leo to choose what temp it is.

You should also have a hide on the hot side, and one on the cool side. There should also be a moist hide that is used for shedding. The moist hide can be filled with paper towel, moss or coco fiber that is misted daily. This provides humidity that will aid in shedding the leos skin.

Definitely get a heat pad, as they really do need it And a probe thermometer or a temperature gun. You need to measure the floor temperature of the tank, not the ambient air temperature, as the leo is putting its belly on the floor (its belly is where it gets its heat).

Leos are crepuscular, meaning they come out and dawn and dusk. Its nothing to worry about if your gecko is sleeping during the day.

You need to gutload your geckos. Gutloading is providing food for your feeders. What your feeders eat, is essentially what your leo is eating. By providing healthy foods for the feeders (such as carrots, potatoes, leafy greens - no spinach though!) you are providing essential nutrients to your leo. Gutloading must be done for at least 24hrs before feeding. You will also need to provide supplementation to your leo. Personally, I use reptivite with vitamin d3, and another container of calcium. I dust the feeders with the reptivite twice a week, and leave the calcium in the tank all the time. Your dusting schedule will depend on the brand you choose to use. Without using these things, your leo could face serious health problems in its future such as MBD.

If you can post a picture of your leo, we should be able to ID it for you, as well as determine roughly if its underweight. I recommend getting a scale (a kitchen scale that measures in grams) so you can measure your leo. Its quite useful, especially in cases like this.

Good luck, I hope your leo starts eating again soon!

i ordered him an under tank heater and i'm working on getting slate tiles, i don't want to take the shells out yet because i'm afraid he won't get enough heat, the heat's been a little low as it is. i should be able to replace them tomorrow or the day after.
i left 6 meal worms in his food bowl gutloaded with carrots but he hasn't touched them yet :/

With temps being low and improper theres a chance he could be on the cusp of brumating. I imagine once you get him the uth and off the walnut shell, barring any psychical issues, he'll start eating again. When Eros brumated last winter I was lucky to get him to eat 1 superworm a week, them as soon as it warmed up, voila, back on track

this is Anwar. also i found these black slate flooring tiles, will these be good? do i need to treat them at all before putting them in?

Nice tiles, no treatment needed just make sure you wash them throughly before installing them. Anwar looks pretty good, doesn't look very underweight to me at all.

sweet, that's good to hear. got my tile and UTH hooked up so he should be good to go. one last thing, he's pretty close to ground level and my cat likes to hang out around the tank, i think she likes the warmth. do you think she's stressing him out?

oh and should i keep the uth AND heat lamp on at all times or?

You should monitor temps with a probe thermometer and adjust heating elements as needed. Again no light is required to simulate daylight as long as youre leo is in a room with a window. Of it's a heat bulb use it as needed to keep temps between 89-96*F. Leave the heat may on at all times. Belly heat is most important for thigmatherms to regulate core temperatures.