speed growing?

[mikeyweir]

I just purchased a (hopeful) male leo from my local petstore. I already have 2 females that are 8 1/2 inches long and 7 inches long. The male i got has almost fully developed spots, indicating 6 months of age, but is almost 5 or 5 1/2 inches long. I guess theres probably no way to get him ready to breed this season, but if there is, please let me know how to grow'm fast.

[Tim and Julie B]

Well, if you gut load his food and offer a varied diet of mealies, kings, butters and silks he may be ready this fall. Feed him every day in small amounts and keep him in his own enclosure and he'll probably be much bigger in no time. There's no point in rushing the growth though, sometimes they stay small

Julie

[TLH_Wär§cöötmän]

Yea, I had a male that stayed fairly thin when in the encloseure with females, but when on his own, he gained weight fairly fast, but I made sure he had amply food (excess crickets) and he usually cleaned them up quite wel and loved waxworms with the occasional silk, but refused meal and supers. Maybe try isolating him for a month or two. Might help bulk him up. I'd feed him like Tim and Julie B said, fattyer/high cal foods for short while.

[mikeyweir]

cool, i'll try putting him in his own enclosur for awhile. Can you tell me if there is a special kind of flourescent lighting needed, or is the bulb that comes with the aquarium ok?
thanks

[TLH_Wär§cöötmän]

DO NOT use aquarium lighting, always use reptile specific lights. I use EXO-TERRA Day-glo and Night-glo bulbs myself. UV is not nessesary for Leopard Geckos.

Oh yea I have just removed my male from the females enclosure myself to allow all geckos to gain weight for a few weeks. Some of the females are gravid, so I may keep them isolated fora little longer.

[mikeyweir]

Ok, Thanks