Pictus Geckos

[nouserpif]

Hello, I am getting some pictus gex in mid january. So, I thought I should have everything ready. (like to be prepared!)

So, here I have it all.
A glass tank 2.5 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 8 inches tall, with a lid that has 3 inches of screen running down it for vhentilation. (roughly the same as a 27 gallon, only 1/2 as tall)

A heat pad on one end.

A thin substrate of coconut fiber (1"-2" maybe)

Three hides, one is a terracotta pot that is about 9" deep, will be on its side. Another is a margerine-type container used for a wet hide, with hole 2"-3" in diameter in the side, about and inch above the bottom of the tub (to hold the wet paper towels) and another one is a dry version of the margerine tub.

A water bowl (Or should I jsut spray it daily?)

A small bowl for calcium powder

Lotsa meal worms! (or should I give crix?)

Will this do for 0.2 to 0.4 females?
What else should I know?

Thanks,
Dan Conner

[Joe]

every thing sounds great, crix would be the better choice

[DBHerper]

Well as far as diet goes it is very lacking but otherwise the set up sounds like they will be very happy. I have worked with hundreds of Pictus and other Geckos and herps for that matter and I can tell you diet variety is essential. Crickets and Cochroaches are the only feeders around that could make for a steady diety. All the worms are either too high in something or lacking, so they should be left as a treat. Try different foods if possible such as Crickets, Roaches, Mealworms, Waxworms, Butterworms, and Moths. Variety is better for the animals health and well being. Some will only respond to some food varieties so it is key to their survival that you try different things. You will have bigger, healthier pictus and you will produce healthier stronger offspring.

[silke]

well Dan, it's sounds like you are doing great and your picta are lucky and will be very happy
I have 3 females in a 20 long tank...
I have cork bark, rocks, and driftwood for them to climb over, 2 humid hides and playsand substrate (I tested them and they don't eat the sand...i watched for sand 'logs' when they had sand in the humid hides before i used sand as the primary substrate)
They love to hunt crickets and will wait at the front of the tank when they hear the shaking of the crickets getting coated...
I use a water dish but also mist one short glass wall once a week.
I mostly use crix but about once a week i drop in some mealies and they go nuts for those too.

also...my girls produced eggs very early...at 3 months of age !!!
so i'm glad you keep a dish with calcium powder and recommend humid hides so they can lay their eggs. They only lay eggs for the 1st six months ... now that they are adults they reabsorb without any problems.