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MacArthur Dec 07, 2003 08:11 PM

okay, so Freddie has a 25wt. blacklight and the air temp is still only 80f and he hasn't grown much bigger scince i got him. but his tail has so are the temps wrong?? The pictures might not be here for a while. sorry about that. thanks for your help P.S. he is about 5-7 inches long and eats 3-5 mealies every other day. and has a bowl of calcium in his cage.

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thanks you for you're help

Replies (9)

aaronhoare Dec 07, 2003 08:19 PM

Hey

The warm side of his cage should be 90* and the cool side like 80 these temps can be achieved by puttin a under the tank heater underneath the warm side this is called a heat gradient he will have an increased apitite I beleive at this temp he appears healthy and fat make sure you have a hide on the warm and cool side.

Hope That Helps

Aaron

LeoEyes Dec 07, 2003 08:22 PM

Yes the temps need to be higher than that on the warm side, they should be 88-90 degrees. You should get an uth, and that would fix the problem :-], also when you warm his tank up more he will probabaly want to eat more.
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Andrea_A Dec 07, 2003 09:04 PM

One reason an undertank heater will be better than another light bulb is that leopard geckos digest their food much better when they can lay on a warm surface. Temperatures should be (as posted above) 88-90 on the warm end and about 80 on the cooler end. Those temperatures should be measured at floor level, not a few inches above the bottom.

It could just be the angle of the picture, but if any of his feet seem to turn in at the wrist (or look bulgy like Popeye's forearm), it could be a calcium deficiency even though you have calcium available in the cage. This year I found out the hard way that some young leopard geckos will not go out of their way to lap up calcium as the adults will. I've been using a liquid calcium supplement with Vitamin D3 to help the leo(s) absorb it better. For hatchlings and juveniles I'd also make a point of dusting their food with calcium powder at least once a week (in addition to a calcium dish).

Once your temperatures are fixed, he will probably be eating 8-10 mealworms an evening.

Good luck with him, you're off to a good start. Post back if you have any other questions!

>>okay, so Freddie has a 25wt. blacklight and the air temp is still only 80f and he hasn't grown much bigger scince i got him. but his tail has so are the temps wrong?? The pictures might not be here for a while. sorry about that. thanks for your help P.S. he is about 5-7 inches long and eats 3-5 mealies every other day. and has a bowl of calcium in his cage.
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>> thanks you for you're help
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Andrea A.

aimee_s Dec 07, 2003 09:13 PM

black light for night time? the temps should be 80F, so that's fine. if its for day - you should have a higher wattage bulb to make the temps around 88F average at the warm side... also - use a UTH to help with digestion... i think u knew that though, because i remember replying to your posts b4. also, he should be eating a little more. usually leos eat 10 mealies per night... mine eats about 15 mealies a night... sometimes she doesn't eat once day each month, but freddy should be eating a bit more... how old is he again?

[aimEe]
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0.1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Marlene)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.2.0 African Dwarf Frogs (Hobo & Bobo)
1.0.0 Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)
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1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)
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MacArthur Dec 08, 2003 06:38 AM

thanks for your help in the last pos. Well guys the sad thing is that he does have a "zoo med repti heater" on the warm side of the cage. and he is about 5 months old. the light only goes up to 25 watts. so should I get an infared heat bulb and a diffrent light?? I know is says store the meal worms at 39-40c in the fridge but is it okay to store them outside like in my room?? I'll try to get cage pics before chrismas. Thank you so much for you're help. P. S. he has some soft sanded bark on the heat side. if i put on sand the ground temp goes into the hundreds.

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thanks you for you're help

aimee_s Dec 08, 2003 09:03 AM

so the air temps are at 80 and the ground temps are in the hundreds?

and it's ok to store mealworms at room temp - just make sure it doesn't go over 85F. i know the warmer it is, the faster they pupate... but i think it's over 90 or 95F that they start to die off. i keep mine in a dark spot in my room (they like it dark), where the room temp doesn't fluctuate too much i've had less deaths than refrigeration, but a ton more pupations than i needed :X

[aimEe]
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0.1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Marlene)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.2.0 African Dwarf Frogs (Hobo & Bobo)
1.0.0 Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)
0.0.2 Hermit Crabs (Kirby & Furby)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)
aimee.i8.com

MacArthur Dec 08, 2003 03:18 PM

he is on "repti bark" over the under tank heater. he has sand on the cool end.

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thanks you for you're help

Fritz Dec 07, 2003 09:15 PM

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The following sentence is true.
The above sentence is false.

4.4 Leopard Geckos
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MacArthur Dec 08, 2003 06:39 AM

np
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thanks you for you're help

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