New Fat Tailed Gecko owner, need some help.

[FatTailedSnail]

Hello! I just got an AFT a 1.5 weeks ago, she spends most of her time in her humid hide and has not eaten, any thoughts?

(day) viv temp: 90 on hot side, 80 on cool side.
(night) viv temp: 80 on hot side, 72 on cool side (room temp).
temp elements: heat lamp, heat mat, and a thermostat.

age: ~2 years, breeder bought her from another breeder, supposedly CB.
food: I tried Mealworms, I am also looking into Dubias and Hornworms.
substrate: controversial, but I use Reptisoil.

Will provide pics of viv if asked.

 

[acpart]

Congrats on your new gecko. Are the temperatures you list ground or air temp? If it's air temp, 80 might be a little on the hot side. Light is good if you have plants but possibly heat lamp and heat mat is too hot. It's not surprising that she stays in the hide a lot, especially being new to you, and it's not that unusual that she hasn't eaten after only a week and a half. Do you mist the cage? When I had fat tails I used coco fiber as a substrate and I misted every evening. Most fat tails won't eat worms, though I've had a few that would eat super worms. It was mostly crickets. I would make sure the air temp doesn't get too high, mist the cage if you're not doing that, consider getting rid of the heat lamp and give her another week. If it's still no go, sometimes my fat tails needed some "assisted feeding" meaning that I would hold it gently and poke a feeder at its mouth. That often jump-started the eating, but I'd give her a little time before you do that. Also, try crickets.

Aliza

 

[FatTailedSnail]

Thanks! 80 is the cool side (ground), I use the heat lamp because I have a few plants in the viv.
I do in fact mist every evening (humidity around 55), I have almost bioactive, just trying to find some good isopods/springtails.
Other than crickets, do you have any opinion on hornworms and dubias?

Thank you once again for your help.

Edit: forgot to mention that the breeder said that she didn't like crickets at all.

 

[acpart]

It makes sense to try each new feeder and see what happens. Hornworms are kind of expensive as a regular feeder.

Aliza