[benjamin]

I got my very first gecko on saturday, its like a albino almost grey in colour. He's about 9 months old (when i got him).
he has everything he needs in his vivarium but im a bit concerned. He hasnt really come out of his hide apart from 1 night when he was laying on his heat rock, he also hasnt eaten anything since i got him. Is this normal????

[willow]

it could be that he is just getting used to the new home,
new smells,new noises,new people.
what are you offering him for food,and at what time ?
heat rocks are not advised as they can cause burns,
you would be better off getting him a heat pad and a thermostat.

[benjamin]

yeah i have read on several posts on this forum site that it can take up to a week or two for them to settle in so i thought it might be that.i've mainly been offering him waxworms (as advised by the pet shop owner where i got him) & a few already dead crickets from a can but not given him many of them. I've tend to just leave the food in his bowl, should i only be putting it in there at only certain times???
oh i didnt know that about heat rocks, it was included in a gecko starter kit i got & he had been laying on it one day when i came home so i thought he seemed ok with it. i already have a thermostat but may look to replace the heat rock with a heat mat then.
Also what would you say was the best substrate to use??? im currently using small woodchip which i was told was best but the 1 time the gecko tried to eat a waxworm he just pushed it into it & it started to burrow in.

[SleepyDee]

I've found that with healthy leos they will generally start eating fairly quickly ~ for your other queries ...
foodwise I really do not recommend waxxies or canned crickets ~ waxxies can become addictive for leos and are quite fatty and leos in general hunt live food not canned. Try instead leaving him a dish of well gutloaded fresh mealworms and a mix of gutloaded live crickets, locusts and/or Roaches
Substrate ~ I personally won't use woodchip as it can pose a impaction risk with leos (it's been known for a leo to accidently swallow some whilst hunting but also even if the feaces (poop) is removed there can still be a bacterial build-up and livefood can hide in it.

[benjamin]

thanks for the info, i have seen on here from several people that it can take up to a week oe two for them to get used to their surroundings and start to eat.
I seem to have been greatly mislead by people about what to feed him as when i got him from the pet store i got as box of mealworms but the guy said waxworms would be better so i got them instead, i might also get some live locusts/crickets for him to eat too.
yeah i had notice that about the woodchip, the 1 time he tried to eat a waxworm he just nudged it down into it & it started to burrow in. i was thinking of replacing it with sand but i know this can be a problem sometimes as it can be hard for them to digest unless its very fine, is there a particular brand u can suggest? maybe a website or store where i could find it?

[Olivine]

If you do decide on using sand, then play sand is probably best, as it's very fine-grained (you can normally get it from DIY stores). Although even this won't be digested if it's swallowed, it will pass through a gecko's digestive system more easily. However, if eaten in sufficient quantities, even very fine sand can cause impaction. Personally, I prefer not to use any loose substrates with my leos; although the risk of impaction may be relatively small, I prefer to be safe rather than sorry, so my lot are all on slate. I prefer slate as it has many advantages (probably one of the most 'natural' substrates for leos (who come from arid, rocky regions); it is extremely easy to clean, as it can be removed from the viv and washed / disinfected, as required; it is an excellent conductor of heat, so makes it easy to attain the temperatures that leos require). However, other keepers use ceramic tiles, lino or kitchen towel equally sucessfully.

Also, try checking out the care sheets on SleepyD's website; they contain excellent advice for new keepers.

[benjamin]

thanks for the tips, i've had to go with the sand for the moment, i got the finest sand i could find & the guy in the shop was the best stuff to use if i was gonna use sand. i may look to slate when i get paid, where would the best place be to get it?

[Olivine]

Aquatics shops often sell pieces for use in fish tanks. It can also be worth checking out sites like ebay (I found some slate placemats going cheap; they're quite thin and so are perfect for the viv as they're not too heavy). Slate roof tiles are also really good, so sometimes it's worth speaking to local roofing companies to see if they've got any broken tiles they'll let you have (fortunately, my mother-in-law has recently had to have her house re-roofed so I managed to nab a few that way). As long as none of the exposed edges are too sharp, they work really well.