My Leopard Gecko wont eat?

Question

I have heard that leopard geckos wont eat for a few days when you first get them but i have had mine for 7 days and he wont eat the live crickets i feed him. he is in a 10 gallon tank and I have a undertank heater and an overhead light. The substrate is repti-carpet. He stays in his hide on the cooler side most if the time. i have never noticed any of the crickets gone the next day. what is the problem?

Answer 1

i am interested in these animals, and i have wanted one, though i don't have one, so i have studied these a little.  i have heard of cases like yours. wait a few more days, to give him more time. it is also possible he has eaten, just not much.  check him to make sure he isn't sick; make sure his eyes are bright, check his color, and make sure it isn't dull, is he drinking? and is he active?  if you think he is sick call a vet and ask advice, like just say why you think he is sick and mention his eating problem.  if you don't want to or don't have the money to take him in, just ask for advice, and try to say things in a way that shows you aren't planning on taking him in. i hope the site i added may also be informative to you as a new owner.

Answer 2

well... First of all there is ABSOLUTLY no need for an overhead light. Leopard geckos are nocturnal and the light will just irritate them. and do the crickets move around alot? Cause their food needs to be moving. they won't eat anything that's not moving... Also when do you feed your gecko? because they like to eat at night being nocturnal and all. and do you put powder on them? but if this persists try bring it to  reptile house.    

Answer 3

mine went for 2-3 weeks after gettin home without food so dont worry. what size are the crickets you'r feeding? if he's a baby they should be tiny, try to find the smallest ones in the shop... i tried mine on smaller ones and he happily started eating. also find out what the shop/breeder was feeding him, he might be used to a different food, if he is get some of his old food and start offering him a mixture...  

Answer 4

does he have a skinny lookin tail if so it is most likely a disease and u need to take it to the vet if he doesnt have a skinny tail then give him more time

Answer 5

What size crickets are you using? Like the others have said, try using different LIVE foods & always make sure they are properly gutloaded. If worse comes to worst, there is an excellent slurry that Golden Gate Geckos has on the GeckoForums.net website. Best of luck!

Answer 6

he might be ill, or he might just not like them - my smaller leo wont eat mealworms and only eats crickets when there is nothing else for a few days

you can try him on mealworms, waxworms, moths or grasshoppers - but never feed him anything bigger than his head

Answer 7

well it could be to hot on the other side, heating pads get really really hot and shouldnt always be used unless you can control the temp. and they can crack your tank. and the crickets may be to large.

Answer 8

You want to make sure that his tank is the correct temperature for him. If it is not warm enough, he will not want to eat. You can also try offering him some meal worms and see if he will eat those.