getting a pair of leos for breeding

so i am picking up a pair of leos this weekend at a reptile show in orlando what type should i get.. and this will be my first leos ever. so please hit me with all the info you got and i am open to constructive criticism or any type of criticism. i will be doing my own research on the side but i would like to here from people that own leos. i have a 20 gal long tank is that good for 2 adult leos? and i would also like to know about breading links exp etc... so anything will help me


thx jeff

 

well i wouldnt use a 20l for two geckos but it might work, as for keeping them together i suggest you have a seperate cage just in case the male and female doesnt get along. Also with only buying one female you run a greater risk of him over breeding her which can stress her out, if he does this or she gets stressed seperate them. From what ive heard youll need two dry hides on the cool side, two dry warm hides, and two dry moist hides just to give them ample places to hide and well stay away from each other... you dont want to forget putting in a box for the female to lay eggs in mostly i have seen tupperware containers with moist dirt of sorts in them and a hole cut in them to grant the female access... also make sure you DO NOT put sand in the cage, you should use repti carpet, tile or paper towels or basically something they cant eat... make sure the female gets lots of calcium as she will need it for her eggs. Keep an eye on both of them for any sign of dominance and from what i heard "cuddling" is a sign of dominance as well as tail wagging.... thats really all i feel im qualified to comment on at the moment if i find a good breeding link i will be sure to post it here.

 

so i have my plan already. i am going to get a cage (to play it safe) now i just need to find the space and ill be on my way

 

and a few other stuff lol i have a basic list.

4 hides
2 lights
2 under tank heaters
2 tanks

if i am missing anything please let me know
repti carpet

thats all i have

 

you should have a minimum of 3 hides per gecko, 1 dry hide on the cool side and 1 on the hot, and then a humid hide on the hot side.

 

2 digital thermometers, 2 thermostats, then just food, water, calcuim dishes. Good luck with your new leo's. I am glad to hear you are going to keep them in seperate tanks. Much safer for them. :wink:

 

If I may ask... Why are you breeding leos? Just seems like a big step for a first time leo owner! Great that you are keeping them seperated. Your life will be much easier if you buy a thermostat to regulate those UTH's. Each gecko will need a dry hide, warm hide, and moist hide. Calcium and water dishes too. Temps btw 88-90F on the warm side. What do you plan on feeding them? You're gonna have to make an incubator too

 

I agree with what people have said so far, and I see that you are obviously not new to reptiles... although they all do seem young.... I was just wondering what leodee said as well, 'why do you want to breed them?" Breeding is a HUGE responsibility. And you are going to need a LOT more than 2 tanks... Not to totally put you off to leos or anything but breeding is pretty darn difficult to pull off correctly. What will you do with the babies if you cant sell them? One female leo can give you upwards of 20 babies in a season... I have 12 from one pair, and thats not counting the 6 eggs I lost in the beginning of the year b/c of a string of power outtages... do you have the room to house 22 adult leos? the cage furntiture the hatchlings, juvies, then adults will need? the money for possible vet bills if a problem arrises? do you have a full breeding colony of feeder insects, or enough $ to buy food for all the leos and your other reptiles? Do you have in incubator, or 2 incubators if you want male and females hatchlings?
I just say all this because there is a LOT more that goes into breeding than putting two leos together... a lot of people dont realize that. I would suggest purchasing one leo as a juvie or hatchling and caring for it for a year until it is sexually mature and of breeding weight, then thinking about purchasing a male or female to go with it. dont forget about the minimum 30 day (ideal would be 90 day) isolation period so you dont introduce a leo with a disease or bacteria to your healthy one. Then at least you can prepare, save up money, buy supplies, food, enclosures, incubators, heating elements, suppliments, etc., and to be able to think about what you will do with the hatchlings. As well as learning how to take care of a leo 1st hand, we can tell you all we can, and you can research all you want, but there is nothing like 1st hand experience.

 

i forgot to mention, right now is the "off season" the "cooling" period where the females are given a rest and able to fatten up and restore their calcium levels for next year.
And cool pic btw- that must have been pretty darn hard to get, lol.

 

yeah breeding is a big deal and hard to do, ive had my leo for three years and am thinking of breeding but that wont be for a while, if you have some extra leos when you breed pm maybe i can help take one or two off your hands ^^ my friends and i are always looking to adopt or purchase a cool reptile and most of us think leos are the bomb so to speak lol

 

b/c i want to breed herps. and if your worried dont be. i take pride in the health of my reptiles so the leos will have the best stuff.

i do know this in the last 24 hours (i only sleepd 4) i read about 100 care sheets on leos and and i am still reading more i like to soak up as much knowledge as possible and i have alot but i am still getting more lol.

so updated list
calcium dish
water dish(big but shalow)
6 hides
2 lights
2 under tank heaters
2 tanks

and yes this pic was very hared to get

 

When you select your leos, don't forget the quarantine - especially if you get the 2 from 2 different vendors. The separation shld last around 3 months.
Are you planning to buy adults or young ones? Make sure that the leos are atleast 1 yr old andabout 65 gms before you consider breeding them. Some caresheets say smaller is ok, but especially for the female, the added weight can only help.
It sounds like you are already prepared for the separate cages - that's always a good idea even if you're breeding - just get them together (once all the requirements are met) for mating and separate them again. This reduces the stress on the female of too much male attention and she can lay her multiple clutches in peace.

On a side note, I see that you have several different reptile species. Please be careful about handling them together and having them come into contact. Some species may have parasites/diseases that they may have no problem with but can be dangerous to other species.

 

thx spot.. i am getting to adults and yes i want my adults nice and fat be4 they breed

 

Keeping the geckos seperate is important and I like the fact that you are getting two seperate tanks. Please do more research on how to breed them and try to find propper homes for the babies before they are here.

 

i have a place forhe babies

 

ive came up with the names..... in honer of steve irwin i am going to name the 2 geckos steve and terry

 

what gender are you gonna go for with the babies?

 

females then males. i know that heat has every thing to do with it. but is it like that for all herps

 

No, it is not like that for all herps. Cresties for one are not "temperature sexed" when incubating. Also keep in mind that temp sexing is not 100% and the hatchlings should be houses seperately to ensure their health and proper growth

 

yes i do