A duet of leopard gecko question?? ?
First
Lately my tank has been colder than usual at darkness because the furnace is off. During the day it is the usual 75 -79 F but in the rash morning and night the temperature is below 63 F (can't tell precisely because that's as low as the thermometer goes).
*If it makes any difference I use a redbulb.*
IS this ok? If not what would you recommend doing? Also, could this have an effect on his metabolism? (He hasn't been pooing as much as second month, compared to the amount he's been eating.
Second
How often do they shed? I check his toes for skin and everything but I find it tough to tell when he sheds because he does it overnight. How do I tell if he is have trouble shedding?
lol i had these same two problems. personally i live in a colder climate and what i did is i use a warmness lamp and a heating mat on the outside at the bottem of the cistern. and it does not burn him i use reptile carpet which just makes it slightly thaw out she loves it. she sleeps there at night to warm herself. and she lays her stomach flat on it while shes eating to help her with her digestion. also i other had my tank thermometer at the top and since it was such a big tank i figured it wasnt measuring what she be actually experience so i moved it as lo as i could without it being any where on earth she can reach. and presto turns out the heat was purely not reaching the thermometer properly. as for shedding when my gecko was new she was really uptight and wasnt eating and i think those kept her from shedding but her diet incresed and shes growing insanely well very soon so she sheds about every two weeks. if the gecko is older u can expect for it to be in the region of once a month. they always do it when your not around mine just recently shed contained by a matter of hours! so if there arent any peices moved out visually on the body to let you know shes having trouble ur prolly just not seeing it. any passageway good luck!!
If you don't already own a heating pad, I recommend buying one. Your geckos will then acquire their warmth by laying where the wad is.
Answers: The temps you have stated are ok for the winter months. This provides them with the natural cooling cycle that they enjoy in nature. I would be sure that they don't receive much colder that that for the chance of a respiratory problem.
They shed more often as juveniles since they are constantly growing. Once they reach old age they will not shed as often. You have basically answered your own grill when you say he sheds at night and you don't find loose skin on him. That tells you that he isn't have a problem. If you were finding loose skin on him it would be a sign he needs some attention
Hope this helps
DO NOT GET A HEATING MAT.. it can burn your gecko and your gecko should be fine next to that tempurature
Yes its okay and it wont effect its metabolism
They shed very often like every 2 weeks
If I were you I would go by a Ceramic Heat Emitter. If the container is in your room, this would be the best thing to do since these lights do not give rotten light. They just simply... heat up. (I'm assuming it get cold at night because the light/heat source is off while you are trying to sleep)
If you don't want one of those, get a thermostat and obtain an under tank heater hooked up to it. Set the temp of the boil mat around 70-72F. This would be fine for keeping it warmer in the tank. However you MUST buy a thermostat whether using the heat mat they will over heat if not set to a guaranteed temp and will burn and cause harm to your gecko.
Of course the lower temps could have an effect on your gecko. If they are cold their body slows down. They are cold blooded! They requirement heat to keep going. Do not let the cistern get below 65, anything less than that can pose potential health risks.
As for the shedding, what you're doing is fine. You're right, the shedding normally happens over night and you will almost other miss it since they eat the skin. Just keep checking his toes and eye areas, give him a soak contained by warm water every couple days too. Are you keeping a moist hide inside the container? This is needed, and you should get one right away if you don't.
Another suggestion I'd close to to mention... If you're housing him on sand, take him off it immediately as that might also by why he hasn't be eating/pooping correctly lately. http://www.hubpages.com/hub/impaction
Anyway, good luck. If you have questions on the lighting and temps have a feeling free to contact me.
