Ello Everyone, Newbie Here

[Tigerlord]

Hello everyone. I've read through some threads in a couple areas and you all look like a grand bunch of folk. I am not yet a proud owner of a crestie but am a proud to-be owner(they've got 3 beautiful harlequins (I think) still there now). As of right now I'm waiting on my tank to arrive and getting everything generally set-up, and once that's all together I'll be getting my first crested.

Anywho, I live in VA (Virginia). I own 3 cats (outdoors for now until we move) 2 female and a male. A pretty, what looks to be so far, rainwater patternless baby leo, unsexed. I'll be also getting a betta, a.k.a. chinese fighting fish as some know it. I'll post pictures of the crestie when I get him/her (which may be a week or even a month from now).

I've been planning on going to the Reptile Expo in Richmond on July 25th and would be happy to meet any of you that plan on being there also. I plan to get another crestie and maybe another leo or both.

Glad to be here and I look forward to chatting, learning, and sharing with all of you!
-Tiger

[samanthajane13]

Welcome to Ciliatus, Tigerlord!!

And welcome to your new addiction!!!

You've already checked us out, so continue to read, and if you have any specific questions, and can't in the answers, feel free to ask away!!  We're all here to help each other!!

And please don't feel that your question is too silly-we were all newbies once, and probably asked the very same questions rolling around in your mind.

We don't mock newbies at all!!

Just so you know, there's a "search" button right under the box with your name-and it works pretty darned well!!

So enjoy your new journey to crestie ownership!!!

If you need us, we're here for ya!!!

Hugs-
Donna 

[Tigerlord]

Well, I did it, I got one. It wasn't the one I thought I'd get, nowhere close actually. I'm almost positive it's a she, there are no bulges or pores that I can see and one of her tankmates had a quite obvious bulge giving away his gender. I'll post a better picture sometime later but so far I think its a yellow/creme fire, dalmation, and partial pinstripe (it starts right behind her eyebrows and seems to end just after her shoulders. The picture isn't so great but she is a really yellowish color and also has the cream markings on her sides and just below her knees..

https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo20/b3/ad/60526acfbb1f__1271958924000.jpeg

[samanthajane13]

Awwwwww!!!

She's so pretty!!!

Congrats on your new kid!!!

Good luck with her, and remember-we're here if you need us!!!

[Tigerlord]

Is it normal for them to not be able to climb up on the side of the tank when its a new tank? I didn't notice if she were climbing on the side at the store, but she seems to be having trouble sticking to the glass in the tank. When shes walking on a flat surface, her toes look like they curl upwards. I hope there isn't anything wrong with her, she looks fine just won't stick to the glass, but will stick to other things with no problem.

[samanthajane13]

She may be getting ready to shed.

Try to mist her s little more, and see if that helps with the shedding.

[Tigerlord]

That might've been the case, I was reading up and was going to get ready to give her a bath, but she must've shed and I missed it or somthing because, lo and behold, she jumped onto the side of the tank and had no problem whatsoever climbing up the side. And she didn't have any skin leftover so if she did shed then she didn't have a problem with it.

Her name is also now Shiva. And here are a couple more pics of her cuteness (both from yesterday).
https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo10/f8/a6/3f89f3bff35b__1271999189000.jpeg
https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo06/f8/74/d46d9920b13e__1271999432000.jpeg

I've got her with some baby food at the moment, she wasn't eating crickets and I don't have CGD yet, I'll be able to get it tuesday. She's already defecated and theres a sizeable dip in the food I left in there so I know she ate it. She was a little nippy this morning when I reached in to try and give her a bath, but I ended up leaving her in there because she wasn't having the sticking-to-the-glass problem anymore. Was she nippy because shes still settling in, because its daytime, or is that a sign of her personality? I would hate to find out that she's just a mean gecko and I can't house her with anyone else.

[samanthajane13]

You're going to want to watch out when you get the CGD.

Shiva might go on a hunger strike, but you have to be a good-stubborn-daddy.

Mix it according to directions and DO NOT MIX with baby-food!!

Baby food for geckos is like giving a toddler nothing but coke and chips for dinner!!  They might LIKE it, but it's JUNK.

Mix about 1/2 teaspoon of CGD to 1 teaspoon of water, and put it into a Gatorade cap or something of a similar size.  That way, there's not so much food that you can't tell that she's eating.  And watch for poops.  Poop = eating!!

Leave the dish in with her for 2 nights...some geckos like the flavor better when it's a bit..."fermented"...'cuz in the wild, they usually eat soft, over-ripe fruit.

Also, supply her with a small dish of water-another Gatorade cap will do for now.

As for the nipping...leave her alone for a bout 2 weeks-except for feeding and misting. 

She needs to get used to her new home, plus she needs to get used to the GIANT HAND.  You would be a bit defensive, too, if a HUGE HAND kept coming into your home to grab you!!!  But over the next couple of weeks, she'll learn that you're not a threat because she'll associate you with new food and water.

When you DO handle her, try first thing in the morning.  She'll be tired from a night of playing in her tank, and less likely to snap or hop around too much.  Start by gently petting her head and back, then move on to scooting her into your hand and moving her from place to place in the tank.  A few days later, try a trip out of the tank.  She's going to climb, because she's arboreal, but give her time and patience to learn to trust you.

[Tigerlord]

AN UPDATE!! zomg

So I've been busy, that's why I haven't been on but I have lots of good news!

Turns out she hadn't been eating the baby food really at all, it had just been sinking in, and she eats the crested gecko diet fantastically. I fill a Gatorade cap full and by the third day all thats left is a thin layer on the bottom and she is definitely pooping. She doesn't attempt to eat any crickets I put in there either, I must've picked up a foodie gecko.

Shes stopped nipping, but I've also stopped trying to hold her. She'll let me pet her head and back just fine, but if I make any sort of move to pick her up she starts to get uncomfortable (just the opposite of my leo right now....). She doesn't shy away from my hands right away anymore and I even see her at the front of the tank often times.

July she'll get a tank mate and hopefully she'll look a little less bored (well, more like October after the 90 day quarantine).