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Crested Gecko Babies Dying HELP

debhogman

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I had two separate 10 gallon tanks of 10 hatchlings each from different breeder sets.... I use Eco Earth for substrate... They are kept low 70's during day and high 60's at night...feed CGD daily and mist twice a day... I do not handle unnecessarily. Lately, I have several die. They appear fine and I check at least twice a day. Then I will go in there and they are sitting there lethargic - mouth open with substrate in it and they usually die within hours. Yesterday - I switched them to Kritter Keepers - two to three a keeper so I can make sure they are eating. Same thing happened. What the heck am I doing wrong. Advice is appreciated.... I would like to save the rest of my babies.

Deb Hogman
TN
 
Here is my advice:
1. 10 hatchlings to one enclosure is too many, even if it is a 10 gallon. You need to seperate them and put one baby or two if you must (it's much better to keep ciliatus babies singly) to a small enclosure, such as a small critter keeper.

2. Use paper towel for your hatchlings, not any type of loose substrate. As you are finding out they will sometimes ingest it.

3. Mist the enclosures twice daily: once in the morning and once at night

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you KelliH

Thanks for the advice - my daughter and I separated them all this morning in small kritter keepers and put paper towels down.... Hopefully its not too late for the rest. At what age do you suggest to put on Eco Earth substrate???

Deb Hogman
 
depending on how many you have now/will have in the future; I use 20qt sterilites from walmart ($3-$4 each), and no substrate. I keep two siblings (at most) to a container.
 
Thanks for the advice - my daughter and I separated them all this morning in small kritter keepers and put paper towels down.... Hopefully its not too late for the rest. At what age do you suggest to put on Eco Earth substrate???

Deb Hogman

I agree that 10 in a 10 gallon is too many. Glad you separated them. You want babies in smaller containers. They do much better that way. I have geckos when they are about 10g come off paper towels into a soil type substrate.
Did you mention the weight on these babies?
A lot of people are having a hard time with humidity. If the cage dries out quickly (small KK will dry out real fast as well as cages with paper towels) you have to really watch the humidity. Several people on another forum have lost hatchlings due to this in the last month. You get very dry air with the heat turned on.
Better to keep them separate as well so you can monitor poop. If there is poop, they are eating.
Good luck!
 
By any chance have you had any of the little guys tested for internal parasites? Sounds like what happened to one of my geckos.
It only costs like $15. Take a fecal sample to a herp vet and they can tell you if it's positive or negative. If one baby has it, usually they all do.
Repashy makes an anti-parasite dietary supplement that you can order if need be. It works like a charm.

Hope that helps =]. Good luck with them.
 
I use new Zealand spagnum moss in my enclosures from day 1. It hold humidity amazing, is soft, is very long pieces so if someone get a piece in there mouth they can't swallow 5 inches. Or rather won't try, they just spit it out and try again :) and I feed crickets every other day.
 
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