Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

mike henson · I'm new here... Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

My son has a 4 year old Leopard Gecko who resides in his bedroom in a 29"x10"x12" tank and I'm concerned that he now has insufficient space.

There is a house, a small pond, a "hot" rock and a shaped piece of wood in the tank.

Of late he has become more sedentary. He rarely basks on his hot rock, he doesn't climb the wood and he spends a lot of time in his house waiting for suicidal crickets to wander in; which they do.

Do we have a problem?

An opportunity exists to move him to a quite corner of the living room and into a tank 40"x18"x24" where a full rock and wood landscape could be provided for him to explore.

We believe that he is a male, would the introduction of another Leo help; perhaps a female?

Any help and advice you can offer will be gratefully received.

Scott W · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:23 pm Post subject:

Hi Mike,
The tank size is fine for a sinlge leopard, you could even put another in with him.

The only thing you should change is the hot rock....chuck it out!

Change the heating to an overhead spot light or a heat mat under the viv (covering no more than 1/3), substrate of playsand or calcisand can also be used. You want an ambient temp of 80f with a hot basking temp (surface temp) of 88f - 90f. (you may need both the spot lamp and the heat mat to achieve this.

Without seeing the setup etc, it's hard to say exactly why the change in his behaviour. Check all your temperatures and try to post a photo up.

regards
Scott

mike henson · I'm new here... Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Hello Scott and thank you for your prompt response.

The set-up IS as you describe, in my inexperience I failed to describe it correctly.

The hot rock is not a heated rock it's just a large rounded pebble that get's heat from the undertank heater and a spotlight overhead.

The left hand end of the tank which has the house is the cool end with a temperature of 21c maintained by the undertank heater which is at the right hand end.

The right hand end has the basking rock with spotlight which takes it up to 26c during the daytime. These are temperatures given in the two books my son read before we bought the gecko and are quite considerably lower than those you suggest.

As I have decided to give up fishkeeping it's fairly certain that I shall move him downstairs into the bigger tank and introduce a "mate" which might encourage some activity from him if he has competition for food.

What advice can you give me on the introduction of a mate. Does age, sex or type matter?

Would he be happy sharing his new home with (say) a chameleon or would this result in total carnage?

Stuart · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 7:32 pm Post subject:

You certainly couldnt keep a chameleon in with him under any circumstances.There enviromental needs are very different.

Scott W · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 10:12 pm Post subject:

You can only have 1 male per cage, any number of females is fine. As for mixing species, it can be done (but not with a chameleon!) but it's best to stick to just leopard geckos unless you really know what you are doing.

Age doesn't matter when adding a new lizard, just make sure the size matches, almost all lizards will try and eat smaller lizards.

mike henson · I'm new here... Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 3

Thank you Scott for your sound advice.

We are gradually increasing the temperature to the levels you suggested to see if that encourages more activity.

We purchased him as a male from a retailer who is no longer in business so before adding a companion it seems to me that it would be best to check his/her sex.

Can you or any other members of this board recommend a retailer in the High Wycombe/Slough/Maidenhead/Amersham/Reading/Oxford area?

Scott W · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 7:26 am Post subject:

I don't personally know of any shops (although I'm sure there must be), do a google search.

If not post up a photo of the underneath of the gecko, it should be easy enough to sex from that.

Stuart · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:

Could give Mark a ring at Ameyzoo in bovingdon,not far from amersham.

Daisyleo · Contributing Member Joined: 10 Sep 2005 Posts: 67

I would say that size tank that he is in isn't really big enough for more than one, that's if it is big enough for an adult male, I have my male in a 24x18x18 and he is going to be moved into a bigger 30 inch (length) very soon as he is fast outgrowing that one.
I would also say be careful moving him to anything too large too quickly if he is such a small space at the mo.
Another thing is you may find once he had settled in that he is happy with being very distant, I find they are very much like ppl you get the really out going ones and the ones that are like hermits lol

Matt Lusty · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:19 pm Post subject:

I keep and successfully breed pairs in that size viv. You would be ok as long as they each have their own hiding places Wink

It really is down to whats best for you and your animals. I have had leos decline when placed in larger vivs and only perk up when placed back into the vivs they are used to Wink

Everything Scott has already said is sound advise.
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