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Leo Egg's Concerns

L

LizardCrazy

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Hello all, my leo girl just had an egg almost a week ago and I have it incubated. Right now it is sitting in a small plastic container, with some vermiculite which is slightly damp. The temperature is between 84-90 degrees. Just today earlier I noticed the egg was starting to dent. When I woke up earlier I misted it lightly and then noticed it starting to dent later on. I read that the eggs start to dent when there is a lack of moisture, is that true?

I've bought an incubator for it so I hope it is properly incubated. When I checked my leo it looks like she has two more eggs in here belly...(you can see them very well) Is there a way for her to lay the eggs in a set area every time? She last laid it in their water dish.

Currently I have a 20G with five lizards, and no they do not attack or harm each other. I'm not sure how many males and females but I think three males and two females.

I want to breed them for my sake, not to sell, but to raise and give to friends... I have been trying to keep the eggs from denting and that never happens... Maybe I am not doing it correctly, or something is going wrong. If anyone can help me that would be great!!!

Here is a picture of my incubator, the egg's dent, and the temperature.
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The egg doesnt look like its good. If she laid it in the water bowl, its probably isnt. Do you have a moist hide in the enclosure? This is where they will usually lay. Also, never spray water directly on the egg. Its best to spray around the egg or place slightly damp moss over the top of it. Hope this helps.
 
No I don't....most of the time they usually lay it in their water dish or somewhere moist. I was also misting around the egg too...

Whats is the best way to make a moist hide?
 
Well I know how to take care of them...I've had my longest for 5 years now... I just switch their cage up every so often to see how they like it, but thanks for the link. I skimmed through it. :)
 
Great news, my leo laid two eggs in her moss hide I made for them. I just put the whole container in the incubator today earlier. AND I was candling the egg and I saw that the red circle within is getting bigger!!! Not sure how long I've had the egg for... maybe about a week now, but it might be fertile. I'll do it in the dark and see what everyone thinks. So female leo Tinkerbell laid two eggs on 4/12 and one of my other females about a week ago...

So my
 
I don't know why you have any leos for 5 yrs when you are keeping 5 leos in one twenty gallon tank, 3 males together!?!?!
That's SO off, I either read it wrong or you had a serious typo.
 
No its true... lol I have 5 leos all in one cage... I had 7 before ^^
They all get along well and never fight with each other...
I think the total score is 3 males and 2 females...
 
5 leos in 1 20 gallon tank??? Not good... that is what 1 adult needs. I would say get some more caging for those poor cramped creatures......
 
LizardCrazy, you are crazy- I'm sorry. Even IF I believe you that you have 3 true males in a tank and they are getting along, 5 leos in one 20 gal tank is TOO MUCH! That's insane. I would keep 2 and maybe 3 in there if breeding. Your leos are probably insanely stressed- no wonder you have bad eggs there.
 
LizardCrazy said:
Well I don't think so... they are all fine... I don't see why people stress over it... They are always together anyhow..
Click to expand...
I am not trying to attack you here. I am trying to lend some friendly advice. If I put you in a 10' x 10' room with 4 other people, you would be around them all the time too. It doesnt mean you like it or want it, you have no other choice. You have to be around them. Keeping that many leos in a 20 gallon tank is not healthy for them no matter what you believe. Sorry but you are wrong. Do the leos a favor and get some more caging.....
 
Now I have 4 in the 20G. I am looking to get a bigger tank... just need the money.. Also, any more ideas on how I can prevent the eggs from denting? I don't think I've had eggs since the last post on here... maybe, I just don't remember.
 
The eggs are denting from one of two reasons: a.) It isn't fertile, or it went bad at some point or b.) there isn't enough moisture. Also, if your temps are fluctuating between 84 - 90 degrees, that's way too much of a range. The temperature the eggs stay at needs to be pretty consistant, or you run the risk of dealing with severe deformities. You need a good proportional thermostat to keep the temperature steady. I use one by Helix, and it was pretty expensive, but it keeps my 'bator very consistant.

This thread explains a great procedure that I use to incubate my leo eggs. http://www.albeysreptiles.com/incubate-eggs.htm Several other breeder friends of mine use this technique as well. If you're using vermiculite, you need to use 1 part vermiculite to 1 part water. The ratio is a bit higher with vermiculite. (So if there's 60 grams of vermiculite, add 60 grams of water to make a total of 120. ) If you're STILL seeing denting while you're incubating the eggs following Albey's method, you can put a damp paper towel on top of them and see if that helps plump them up. NEVER spray the eggs directly. And ya know, sometimes they're just gonna dent. Last season I had a really s****y season, and that kept happening to me as well.

Get the second tank as soon as possible. My best suggestion would be to keep two in one tank, and two in the other. Even though you're not seeing outwardly signs of stress, they still might be, as leopard geckos are terrific at adapting to whatever surrounds them to be able to survive.

You need to be able to deal with birth defects and deformed hatchlings, and hatchlings that are dead in their eggs. You also need to have a good vet on hand, who you will frequently see, when you need fecal samples analyzed and when medical problems arive.

You also need to plan to keep all the babies yourself if something happens, and your friends decide they don't want the gecko.

Tanks aren't that expensive, they're only around $20 or $30 bucks or so at one of the large chain stores. If you can't afford that, how can you afford the expense of raising hatchlings (which is MUCH more expensive)?
 
Awesome! I actually think I found another 20G tank outside in my side yard... Just need a lid for that. So im thinking of putting one male and female into that, and leave the other two alone in the previous cage.. Hopefully I can be successful for once haha.
 
That's GREAT! Your geckos will be much happier and i'm sure you'll be much more successful. Plus, there will be less competition for food and more room for everybody, as they are terrestrial creatures (as you know). Just make sure you clean it out well. Good luck to you.
 
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