Hello I'm liz and i have a leopard gecko named Griff he is a blizzard morph, about 5 inches long with a little Indiana Jones explorer personality, he loves shoulders and dark places. however ever since I got him back in September he has lost weight, doesn't drink as much as he should, and he is very pale when I got him he was dark grey with a purple tail now he is a dull yellow with a dull purple tail I don't know whats wrong. he is in a 30 gallon tank with a cool side of 75 (regulated by a thermometer with a probe) and a warm side (controlled by a hydro farm thermostat that keeps the Under Tank Heater at 88 to 92 degrees) he of course has a warm hide over the Under Tank Heater area and a cool hide on the other side. I use paper towels as a substrate. he has gotten better at eating since i got his new hide he eats about 4-5 crickets over the course of the day every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. he used to eat meal-worms but has since lost interest in them I have calcium powder with D3 to dust the crickets with. He does have a heat lamp (not a UVB) strictly for warming up the cool side if it drops too low at night. I'm not sure what the humidity is in the tank. I spray the tank every so often. I just want to know what I'm doing wrong, why is my griffy not gaining or losing weight?? I have tried wax worms, he does not digest them very well
Well your setup seems fine. Keep the hot side from going below 90. 96 is just fine. If you want to change your substrate go to a homedepot or lowes and grab some slate tiles. Easy to clean and adds a natural look to it. It also takes in heat better (I use sand beneath the slate tiles to spread heat out along the tiles). Im sure you have a moist hide. But if not get a cheap plastic container, cut a hole out on the top of it and use some coconut fiber or wet paper towel (and wet it). When you spray the tank it brings humidity up. You never want that. Leo's live in dry areas with little humidity. Just a moist hide (or humid hide for another name) is enough. You could try Superworms they have far more nuetrition than crickets (I refuse to touch roaches gahhh). Feed your feeders 24 hours before you feed the gecko so they are gut loaded. I use carrots and kale. They work well. Is he pooping regularly? As for the color change that does happen with some morphs. They are usually very vibrant as babies to juvies and as they reach adult hood loose some of the brightness. Your best bet is to seek out a reptile vet to get proper treatment. You can google it and find one near you. Try switching to superworms they will help with the weight. I stay away from wax, they are lizard crack basically. But do seek out a vet.
I intend to get a 3rd hide soon. I think i will stick with paper towels. he is doing his business every 2-3 days and yea i know i have an awful fear of roaches as well, i will try super worms. the crickets i get at the pet store are pre gutloaded with all their vitamins etc etc I really don't have the money for a vet to be perfectly honest. i don't know about the temps you suggested, he is still kind of small i don't know if 96 would hurt him or not
96 will be fine. He can move away if he's to hot. So it won't bother him at all. I have had my heat up at 96 and as I gradually move my heat gun down it cools till it reaches about 75 on the cool side. So its ok. 88 is too cool. 92 is pretty much your safe temp and works just fine. 96 won't hurt him cause he can move away. If he's eating and using the bathroom than I don't think you have much to worry about. You just need a cheap dollar store plastic container. (It costs a whole dollar! I use one) and just shove the wet paper towels into that and boom moist hide. The reason why spraying is bad is due to high humidity through the tank causes rot. If humidity is kept in one location he can easily move away from it. Thats why the hide is important to your gecko's health. Also pregut loaded crickets is basically bs. They lose all that after 24 hours if you keep them in a container at home. So thats why you must gut load them yourself. A moist carrot will do. I usually give them shavings. If you go the super worm route they will constantly eat and eat and eat. So you can throw some carrots (cause they last longer than a day) and be just fine. I keep my superworms in a container of top soil. Easy to manage that way. Try not misting for awhile. And see if that helps, could be to humid for him and its causing problems. Get ahold of a dollar store plastic container thats your best bet. They will use it when they want. What vitamins are you using? Repashy is the best Leopard gecko vitamin there is. It has everything they need. You also need Calcium powder without D3. Thats basically their calcium lick. Put some on a small flat plastic lid and he will lick that up. He might need the calcium and they know when they need it and don't. See in the wild they lick everything. This is how they collect calcium deposits. Since the gecko isn't in the wild he could very well need that little boost. Never use the D3 one since most reptile multivitamins have it and it would just make them sick. So get the powder without d3. I understand money is an issue but if your going to keep your little guy healthy its best to just get what you need and suffer a little. I know I did and so far Im $700 in the hole just on all the stuff I get for my little girl (and the spiders are another hundred or so bucks...cat...dogs...oi so many). You can find vitamins on amazon.com usually cheaper than the stores. Try there.
I have plenty of containers, even a water tight one, i will put it back in there. i was told not to just leave the powder in the tank, and i was told to get the powder WITH D3
No you can leave the powder in the tank. No calcium powder with D3. Its a calcium lick and they will lick at it when they feel the need. Repashy has some D3 but its minor and at a healthy dose (which is given every other feeding). To much D3 causes health problems thats why you don't use to much D3. Whoever told you that needs to reread their caresheets and talk to breeders and others who've kept leo's for a long long time. If its the petshop well most petshops have a bunch of morons working for them who follow their own company caresheets or just think its like any other lizard. This isn't true. They all need different care.
