Worried for my baby leopard gecko

[tgecko]

Before you redirect me to another thread, I would like to say the situation in which my leopard gecko is not eating is unique, therefor not covered by the sticky thread. :main_yes:

I ordered two leopard geckos last week. These two were both supposed to be hatchlings, but one was a juvenile when they delivered. So already, one gecko was a bit larger than the other (they are both unnamed right now, by the way), so I was initially worried about feeding. Nevertheless I put them in their tank and placed a bowl of mealworms and a water dish in there as well. Of course, I knew it was normal for leopard geckos not to eat for the first few days, and because they were shipped from Florida, there's a huge time change as well. The juvenile gecko ended up shedding, and after he did so he began eating mealworms out of his bowl like a normal gecko should. On the other hand, the smaller gecko refused to eat anything (he drinks water though).

At the moment, the juvenile is healthy, just finished a meal, and is digesting everything (asleep) on top of his hide. However, the baby gecko literally has not eaten for 6 days, a whole week tomorrow. I have been very worried about him as he is pretty skinny, and it seems as if there is no fat stored in his tail. I know you're going to yell at me for this, but since I was so concerned for his health I force fed him today. I was very gentle with him when I did it, and he did not struggle in my hand when I fed a mealworm to him. I gently stroked and very, very lightly pinched the sides of his mouth (he was not hurt at all, I was probably a little too gentle) and he opened his mouth, and I placed a mealworm in there and he ate it. As I have heard this is very stressful for a gecko, I let him relax in my hand for a bit before placing him back in his tank.

This may not have been the smartest thing to do, I realize, but I just want that little guy (or girl, really not sure) to get something in his stomach. I'm not sure how long babies can go without eating, but a week seems a bit long to me. I am going to let him relax in his tank for a while before I even attempt handling him again, as the last thing I want to do is stress him out even more.

The tank is at a temperature of around 90 degrees through the day, so I know it is warm enough for them to digest food. So, should I leave a bowl of mealworms in there at all times for the geckos to go eat whenever they would like to, or should I only put a bowl in when only one gecko is present (during its feeding)? This baby gecko refuses to eat no matter what I put in front of him. He clearly acknowledges the mealworm is there (he puts his nose right up to it), but still nothing.

I am seriously very worried (I'll admit I lost a little sleep over it), and going to the vet is a pricey option I don't think I can go with right now. I want my geckos to be healthy. They get along in the tank, I have never seen any violence, and they walk next to each other/around each other with no physical contact. However, I feel it's possible that the juvenile has sort of "claimed" the mealworm dish, which is another reason why I am debating if I should talk out the bowl entirely.

Please help me out, I am not sure how long he can last with only one mealworm in him. I apologize if you have answered this scenario a million times, but no matter how much I researched there was always a bit of ambiguity between websites. Would waxworms/butterworms be good to entice him to eat? What about ReptiBoost?

 

[J&M UNE]

First of separate the geckos into their own enclosure. Second STOP handing the gecko until it is eating on its own....do not try to force feed again... Have you tried any other food items... What is your cage setup like what are exact temps and how are you measuring them..also how are you heating the tank?

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[scm133]

Agree, with above. Please separate them. If you feel that you have to feed him, try snipping off the head of a mealworm, and offer it this way. If they are hungry, they can not resist the oozing mealworm.

 

[tgecko]

I just want to note that these geckos really do get along, as in they never fight or anything like that. The little one has had plenty of opportunities to eat while the juvenile was out of the tank, and he still disregarded all of the food. I don't see why separating would be necessary if they never fight. I know it's just to be safe, but even when I watch them during their active periods they never make physical contact. If I wanted to separate them, I would have a long time ago and not posted here. I can't afford buying $100 worth of hides, dishes, lights, and a new tank like I already have.

The tank is heated to around 90 degrees using a red heat lamp, and I also have a brighter lamp (but I do not use this one since it is pretty bright). It is made by ZooMed. The temperatures are measured with a circular thermometer on the tank wall. I have both a warm and cool side, with a rock hide on the warm side and a trunk/maze thing on the cooler side. It has three entrances and a few little hiding spots. My juvenile spends most of his time in there, and the baby in the rock hide. I also have moss in there that I moisten when one of the geckos are shedding. There's also a plant that hangs over the rock hide for extra hiding. I use a tile substrate (does not burn the geckos) so I don't have to worry about impaction or anything like that. Lastly, a water and food dish.

I have tried feeding the little gecko both crickets and mealworms, both with and without calcium powder to see if he was being picky, but I am going to try crickets again soon. I feel like I have tried virtually everything to get him to eat and nothing's working.

So besides separating, what can I do? Should the mealworm bowl be in the tank 24/7 for easy access? How should I feed a gecko (should I take him out of the tank or leave him alone)? Whenever I place the geckos into another bin and drop food in there, they are always too nervous to eat anything.

And lastly, I'd like to say I am very very gentle with these guys and I have never scared or hurt them. When I do handle them they sleep in my hands and crawl around curiously. They always go back into their tank calmly. I am really trying my best, so it took a lot for me to force feed the little one. If you advise me not to force feed, then what do I do? Let him die? I was intending to snip the head off a mealworm today, but you said not to handle the gecko... so I am not really sure how to expose him to it.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Just because they seem to "get along" while you are watching, does not necessarily mean they are getting along while you are sleeping. More than likely the older gecko is bullying the younger one out of food by either size intimidation or other subtle methods you cannot see.

You don't need to buy another tank and hides. You can pick up a storage tub for the smaller of the two and make hides out of food containers you can get at a dollar store until you can afford to buy another tank. They also do not need lights, a heating pad or cable under the tank is better to provide heat with, since they need belly heat. The round analog thermometers are garbage, they sell digital thermometers for around $10 at the pet stores or you can pick up a infrared temperature gun at Harbor Freight for $20.

If you decide to keep them together, they really need a bigger tank and more than 2 hides. When cohabiting geckos they need 2 hides each and plenty of room to coexist together. If they both end up being male, they will fight each other.

 

[scm133]

The above info is correct. I know it is not what you want to hear. It sounds like you really care about these little guys, and that is great. If you separate, and change the heat source, etc like what is mentioned, they have a chance of surviving.

 

[ballpythoncrazy]

I feel it's possible that the juvenile has sort of "claimed" the mealworm dish, which is another reason why I am debating if I should talk out the bowl entirely.

That's exactly what happened. The bigger gecko has established his dominance over the smaller one and isn't allowing it to eat. You don't need to remove the food bowl, you need to separate the geckos. They obviously aren't getting along, even though they aren't physically fighting.
This situation isn't unique at all, whatsoever. It's a classic case of dominance and submission between the two geckos, and they need to be houses separately. Once they are separated your smaller gecko should start eating again.


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