PackMaster
Member
1 male Ambilobe born 7-25-14, 1 male Nosey Be born 6-28-14, aprox 3 mo old when purchased.
Habitat/ enclosure: started out 18" x 18"x 24", then moved to 24" x 24"x 48" aluminum screen on all sides, including floor. Tray underneath to catch access water. Kept indoors when weather does not warm enough. Each male in their own enclosure since arrival, but cages always side by side. Grew up together. When I first noticed them not eating well, I put a visual block between the two enclosures.
Lighting: 18" full spectrum tropical bulb, 15W. 60W deep dome heat lamp/bulb, 60W full spectrum daylight bulb, on each enclosure. I write the da the on the light fixture when bulbs are changed to keep track that they don't pass their date of being effective.
Feeding: gut loaded crickets from Premium Crickets, then fed with Flukers high calcium cricket diet, orange cubes and cricket quencher. Also feed with super worms and mealworms, and now and then wax worms. All calcium dusted (Reptile calcium ultra fine precipitated calcium carbonate with vit D3 by Zoo Med, daily. Rep-cal phosphorus- free calcium with vit D3 a few times a month)
before offered. No wild caught insects offered, due to insecticides, etc.
Humidity: Monsoon mister (very fine mist every hour. Distilled water only)
Dripping water ( distilled only)
Plants: all plants are live, full and vine type (The unofficial name:Angel plants)
Since flooring is screen, easily cleaned out and no over moisture issues like mold. Fecal matter and dead leaves cleaned out ever few days, weekly at most.
I also have Repti-vine strung and looped around( 2 separate sizes ) to allow them to get above the foliage and up closer to the light and heat. Also have fiberglass poles to wrap plant vines around and to add stable waterproof climbing material.
Fecal matter has been "normal" color and texture: med brown with white.
When I first noticed the Ambilobe was not eating well, aprox 3 weeks ago, I began making changes to try to figure out the problem.
First I put a visual barrier between the 2 cages. Thinking now that they are mature, it may upset them to be next to eachother.
Next I put all new bulbs in, even though they were not all needing to be replaced yet. I began adding more variety of worms then usual, hoping to stimulate appetite. The Nosey Be is also slowing down on his eating and pooping.
I've gone over everything I can think of, over and over.
It warmed up outside again, so I have them out in the natural sunlight daily. (still with misting and dripping)
The only thing I can think of is the calcium. Maybe they are actually getting TOO MUCH??? Is that possible? I have always been worried that they wouldn't get enough so I always dust food.
Any suggestions???? I'm at a loss!!
I live in a rural area with no large vet resources close. The vets here are not big on people owning "exotic reptiles"
Someone on the forum asked when I had the fecal matter tested. I never had. I didn't know it should be part of my routene. Any suggestions on where to take it or send it to have it tested?
The Ambilobe started to become more dark in color, staying lower in his enclosure. He has days where his coloring is better and he is more active.
I know with their slow metabolism, once you notice a problem, it's been going on for a while. It's also hard to tell, what changes are helping because recovery is slow also.
They were doing so well, I purchased females ( just juveniles now ) not kept near the males at all. I was hoping to breed them in the future.
Now my males have me worried.
Habitat/ enclosure: started out 18" x 18"x 24", then moved to 24" x 24"x 48" aluminum screen on all sides, including floor. Tray underneath to catch access water. Kept indoors when weather does not warm enough. Each male in their own enclosure since arrival, but cages always side by side. Grew up together. When I first noticed them not eating well, I put a visual block between the two enclosures.
Lighting: 18" full spectrum tropical bulb, 15W. 60W deep dome heat lamp/bulb, 60W full spectrum daylight bulb, on each enclosure. I write the da the on the light fixture when bulbs are changed to keep track that they don't pass their date of being effective.
Feeding: gut loaded crickets from Premium Crickets, then fed with Flukers high calcium cricket diet, orange cubes and cricket quencher. Also feed with super worms and mealworms, and now and then wax worms. All calcium dusted (Reptile calcium ultra fine precipitated calcium carbonate with vit D3 by Zoo Med, daily. Rep-cal phosphorus- free calcium with vit D3 a few times a month)
before offered. No wild caught insects offered, due to insecticides, etc.
Humidity: Monsoon mister (very fine mist every hour. Distilled water only)
Dripping water ( distilled only)
Plants: all plants are live, full and vine type (The unofficial name:Angel plants)
Since flooring is screen, easily cleaned out and no over moisture issues like mold. Fecal matter and dead leaves cleaned out ever few days, weekly at most.
I also have Repti-vine strung and looped around( 2 separate sizes ) to allow them to get above the foliage and up closer to the light and heat. Also have fiberglass poles to wrap plant vines around and to add stable waterproof climbing material.
Fecal matter has been "normal" color and texture: med brown with white.
When I first noticed the Ambilobe was not eating well, aprox 3 weeks ago, I began making changes to try to figure out the problem.
First I put a visual barrier between the 2 cages. Thinking now that they are mature, it may upset them to be next to eachother.
Next I put all new bulbs in, even though they were not all needing to be replaced yet. I began adding more variety of worms then usual, hoping to stimulate appetite. The Nosey Be is also slowing down on his eating and pooping.
I've gone over everything I can think of, over and over.
It warmed up outside again, so I have them out in the natural sunlight daily. (still with misting and dripping)
The only thing I can think of is the calcium. Maybe they are actually getting TOO MUCH??? Is that possible? I have always been worried that they wouldn't get enough so I always dust food.
Any suggestions???? I'm at a loss!!
I live in a rural area with no large vet resources close. The vets here are not big on people owning "exotic reptiles"
Someone on the forum asked when I had the fecal matter tested. I never had. I didn't know it should be part of my routene. Any suggestions on where to take it or send it to have it tested?
The Ambilobe started to become more dark in color, staying lower in his enclosure. He has days where his coloring is better and he is more active.
I know with their slow metabolism, once you notice a problem, it's been going on for a while. It's also hard to tell, what changes are helping because recovery is slow also.
They were doing so well, I purchased females ( just juveniles now ) not kept near the males at all. I was hoping to breed them in the future.
Now my males have me worried.
