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Mak0rz posted:Judging by a few recent posts this seems to be the de-facto rancho thread. Is that right? I've had adult Grammostola go almost a year without eating. Totally normal.
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Dec 12, 2017 20:39
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Chaosfeather posted:I have a deposit down on a hatchling gargoyle gecko, and am slowly accumulating parts of the habitat to set up while it grows a little with the breeder. It would be fine with ambient light from the room. Open one curtain to let some light in.
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Dec 12, 2017 20:42
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Chaosfeather posted:I have a deposit down on a hatchling gargoyle gecko... Gargoyles are nocturnal, although ours tends to come out an hour before the lights go off. But regardless, the gecko should have a day/night cycle in order to regulate with, and occasionally soak up some sunlight. We keep ours on a 12 hour day/night cycle using a UVB flourescent bulb replaced annually, and she's been fine with that for many years, but my understanding is that they probably don't need that UV exposure if you're giving them a proper diet with the right balance of calcium and vitamin D. Another thing to be aware of: gargoyles readily eat crickets when they're young, but often stop when they're older; ours ignores them now, and lives entirely on crested gecko diet plus the occasional treat. Mak0rz posted:Late to this reply, but we didn't bother with this. It's not something I wanted to pay with my own money and it's definitely not something the university would be willing to pay for considering how cheap a new frog would be. If the food items were too big, they might barf them up and slowly starve, but you'd see the frogs getting very thin (skeletal looking with almost no abdomen and the spine and ribs showing) before dying. A healthy frog can easily go a couple weeks without food, too, so you should have had plenty of warning signs of a starvation issue. My firebellies live entirely on dusted crickets fed once a week, and have survived on that for 10+ years. I feed them crickets about a half-inch long, give or take. I dump in about 20 gutloaded crickets or so once a week, and they pick them off over the next day or two, with probably half of the crickets drowning themselves in the process. Our tank has some species of tiny aquatic snail living in it (they must have come in on a plant) that eat the drowned crickets really quickly, so it's kind of a self-sustaining ecosystem. We also have live plants in the tank (right now just pothos) which aid with maintaining water quality, along with the underwater filter, the snails, and the fact we only ever add distilled water. Your mileage may vary, of course. I think this one may remain a mystery. Could be a parasite, a virus, who knows.
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Dec 12, 2017 21:20
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Big Centipede posted:I've had adult Grammostola go almost a year without eating. Totally normal. Okay that's comforting to know. Thank you!
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Dec 13, 2017 01:48
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Here's a couple of pictures of one of my Y. diversipes. I'm not sure why the light I'm using is making all the macro shots look washed out and weird as opposed to just the room light but whatev. The Y. Diversipes are easily the best looking slings I have right now and I'm tempted to pick up a couple more next time. If the vendor still has em.  
Agrajag fucked around with this message at 23:42 on Dec 13, 2017 |
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Dec 13, 2017 22:48
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Goddamn those are cute  E: bruminating dragon makes me so loving jealous still. I want to sleep through winter too! He looks so cozy in his hide
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Dec 14, 2017 04:18
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Movers came last Friday and they wouldn't take Elmore's tank with him in it (go figure). So I brought him to work. Got a cheap little terrarium with a 5W light that wasn't great but at least kept him from freezing for the couple of hours I was at the office. He was exceptionally happy to get back to his heat lamps though. Pics from Take-Your-Lizard-to-Work Day:  
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Dec 14, 2017 17:35
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Zamboni_Rodeo posted:Movers came last Friday and they wouldn't take Elmore's tank with him in it (go figure). So I brought him to work. Got a cheap little terrarium with a 5W light that wasn't great but at least kept him from freezing for the couple of hours I was at the office. He was exceptionally happy to get back to his heat lamps though. Aaw, he's a cute teenage beardie! Every day should be bring your lizard to work day.
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Dec 15, 2017 02:28
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HungryMedusa posted:Aaw, he's a cute teenage beardie! Every day should be bring your lizard to work day.  I agree. He's great and I love him. He's got the best "gently caress you" face I've ever seen on an animal.
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Dec 15, 2017 19:23
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Here are a couple of pics one of my GBB's (1/2 inch slings i think). Wish I knew how to composite two pics into one so I can have both the carapace and abdomen in focus.   and here's one more of my Y. diversipes 
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Dec 16, 2017 01:15
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Zamboni_Rodeo posted:Movers came last Friday and they wouldn't take Elmore's tank with him in it (go figure). So I brought him to work. Got a cheap little terrarium with a 5W light that wasn't great but at least kept him from freezing for the couple of hours I was at the office. He was exceptionally happy to get back to his heat lamps though. I'd get nothing done, because I would want to include that little fella in every meeting.
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Dec 16, 2017 03:35
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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. So a month ago we got a Blue Eyed Lucy ball baby. Handsome devil, great eater. Been in QT. And a day ago I noticed him soaking in the water bowl with tiny black dots on him. I saw one move. Motherfucking goddamnit MITES. HOW THE poo poo DID HE GET MITES AFTER A MONTH QT. I am not looking forward to treating the house. I kinda just want to spread diatom earth everywhere and look like a coke bin. edit: I have not told my mom yet because she will flip out, and also chances are she brought this in. She likes to go 'looking' at snakes at poo poo pet stores and often holds them just because they are so pretty. We have 17 snakes. This is gonna suck. Cowslips Warren fucked around with this message at 13:14 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 21, 2017 13:11
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Cowslips Warren posted:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. Provent-A-Mite and diatomaceous earth will do it. Need to hit them HARD and FAST then put the earth around every cage. That's the best way to nuke them in one go.
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Dec 23, 2017 01:30
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So my girlfriend's gargoyle gecko is kind of an idiot. Or an rear end in a top hat, not really sure. We have one of those feeder ledges for him, and he doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'put head down' to eat. We've never seen him eat any of his food, and it always looked untouched. He was beginning to lose weight, so we hand feed him now, and you need to tilt the food bowl up so it's basically almost dripping out for him to start to eat. Literally, he will be eating, then I'll move the bowl *slightly* downward, and he stops. Tilt it back up, he starts eating again. We're using the repashy grubs n fruit diet if anyone is curious. I don't know what to do, and we don't fancy feeding him like this for the rest of his life. Any advice? Here's the little guy  And a bonus pic of my new hognose 
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Dec 23, 2017 02:51
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Big Centipede posted:Provent-A-Mite and diatomaceous earth will do it. Need to hit them HARD and FAST then put the earth around every cage. That's the best way to nuke them in one go. Local herp store said they use the spray RID. Finding Provent a Mite with asap shipping is a bitch. Can I throw food grade DE in the cages?
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Dec 23, 2017 03:17
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Cowslips Warren posted:Local herp store said they use the spray RID. Finding Provent a Mite with asap shipping is a bitch. Never used RID so I don't know how safe it is. DE shouldn't do anything to the snake but I don't know if I'd throw it in the cage. I imagine it wouldn't hurt the snake at all but I don't know for sure
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Dec 23, 2017 06:00
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ZarathustraFollower posted:So my girlfriend's gargoyle gecko is kind of an idiot. Or an rear end in a top hat, not really sure. Weird. I can't imagine his breeder was hand-feeding him like that. Maybe you could use a food cup holder that goes on the floor of the cage, rather than the ledge type, and just prop it up at an angle? Also, your hognose is totally rad. Cowslips Warren posted:Local herp store said they use the spray RID. Finding Provent a Mite with asap shipping is a bitch. Ugh, mites really suck, and it's a serious pain in the rear end to treat that many snakes and enclosures. I wouldn't put DE in their cages because it's so abrasive. I'd be afraid of it getting under their scales and being inhaled into their lungs. I would try Betadine soaks and a bit of mineral oil. You can get Betadine at a pharmacy. Dilute it with warm water until it's the color of medium-strength black tea. After the soak, use a q tip and some mineral oil to wipe the snake's eyes, heat pits, and the groove under the chin. Edit: I have about the same number of snakes, so I've been seriously considering how I'd treat them all if mites got past quarantine and spread into my collection. I think I'd use a modified evacuation procedure. I live in Florida, so evacuation is always a possiblility during hurricane season. I actually had to design an evacuation procedure as part of getting my Class III Wildlife permit, which is required for selling any reptiles in Florida. I would put all of my snakes into their transport bags and move them into another room. Then I'd treat the enclosures, which in my case are rack systems. (Probably with a bleach solution? Maybe RID or Provent a Mite.) When the racks have aired out and passed inspection, I'd start treating the snakes one at a time with the Betadine and mineral oil, even if I don't see any mites on them, and returning them to their enclosures. I'd use paper towels as substrate for a while so I could more easily see any mites. As the snake bags get emptied, I would put them in ziplock bags and later I'd soak the bags in bleach solution before washing them in soap and hot water. snake and bake fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Dec 23, 2017 |
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Dec 23, 2017 08:48
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Actually saw the fuckers crawling on him tonight. Pulled him from his QT tote for a long bath. He's due to shed any day now; I coated his home with JurassiMite earlier today and will do so again tomorrow, and probably give him a good wipedown too. Does Betadine help stave off infection?
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Dec 25, 2017 04:16
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Absolutely, yes. It's an old school antiseptic, used for treating small wounds or disinfecting skin.
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Dec 25, 2017 06:15
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Did I mention i HAAAAAAATE crickets? God I hate crickets so much, and buying 1k crickets for 16 slings is still way way way too many to feed off before they start stinking up the place. I think I may start feeding my dubias until springtime just because I hate keeping crickets indoors even if my roach colony is still pretty new. Roaches are sooo much cleaner and don't smell and don't jump all over the place. Oh, and crickets are vicious little buggers and I'm scared of putting them into my sling enclosures without first crushing their heads/mouth thingies. Agrajag fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Dec 25, 2017 |
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Dec 25, 2017 17:55
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What about D. hydei fruit flies? I'm not sure the size of crickets you're needing, but they work well for a lot of the things I feed.
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Dec 25, 2017 19:25
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OneTwentySix posted:What about D. hydei fruit flies? I'm not sure the size of crickets you're needing, but they work well for a lot of the things I feed. I haven't noticed any fruit flies being sold at my local reptile expo but I'll check again in Jan. I think currently I'm feeding the next or second size up from pin heads. My P. Sazimais and Y. Diversipes may need something a bit bigger.
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Dec 25, 2017 22:26
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Fruit flies sound like a massive pain to actually collect for feeding. Are they?
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Dec 25, 2017 23:32
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Samila posted:Absolutely, yes. It's an old school antiseptic, used for treating small wounds or disinfecting skin. Daily soaks and sprays so far. I'm thinking of spraying the Jurassi-Mite in every cage as a preventative and plan to spray and wipe down the baby once he's done with shedding.
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Dec 26, 2017 02:03
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Moatman posted:Fruit flies sound like a massive pain to actually collect for feeding. Are they? Yes. Commercial pet stores (Petsmart and possibly petco) sell tubes of wingless fruit flies though.
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Dec 26, 2017 02:24
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It would be so cool if I could buy actual housefly larvae for feeding
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Dec 26, 2017 02:36
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I don't know if they could handle them, but what about baby mealworms? As in you breed and pull out the very small buggers?
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Dec 26, 2017 02:42
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My local place actually does sell maggots. And wax worms, which my lizards prefer.
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Dec 26, 2017 03:05
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Agrajag posted:It would be so cool if I could buy actual housefly larvae for feeding You can - lots of places sell them online. As far as fruit flies, they're not a problem at all. Add calcium to a cup, tap them from container into cup, feed. They don't fly - they're either wingless or flightless. If you have problems with escapees, a piece of fruit in the animal's enclosure or a jar nearby with a little alcohol or fruit juice mixed with water and dish soap will attract and kill any that escape. Don't buy from Petco/smart, etc. Their cultures tend to have mites or be half dead. They also are more likely to revert to wildtype due to wild FFs getting in. Buy online (but not from Josh's Frogs - they've had problems) and the best way to save money is to culture them yourself. I make 9 cultures each week for ~$0.50 each, takes half an hour to an hour; 4 D. melanogaster (smaller, normal-sized FFs) and 5 D. hydei (larger, slower breeding but useful for larger animals). FF culturing is a bit of a pain but is really easy. Mix a big container of potato flakes (one box roughly) with a cup or two of powdered sugar and a cup of brewer's yeast (improves yield, may make flies more nutritious) - this is your dry mix; I like to store it in the freezer to prevent mites from getting in, but you don't have to. Take half a cup of dry mix, add 1/4 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup vinegar - I mix in quart mason jars, or you can buy plastic cups and lids to throw out. Microwave all your cups for a few minutes (to kill mites mostly, but can also change consistency of mix; isn't important) and then push some coffee filters or paper towels or excelsior (wood craft shavings things) into the mix to provide a place for the flies to pupate, and then add flies. Let it sit for 14-21 days (depending on temperature/species - melanos are ~14, hydei are ~18-21) and you've got a new culture. I do this every week, to make sure I have fresh cycles. It's a hell of a lot easier and cheaper than crickets.
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Dec 26, 2017 07:29
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I've been talking to my wife off and on for a while about getting a tarantula and she's agreed that I can as long as I start with a spiderling or juvenile! I plan on getting a beginner setup from jamiestarantulas.com in mid January since the site was recommended in this thread (I believe.) Is this a good idea? Also, how often are itty bitty spiders suppose to be fed?
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Dec 27, 2017 03:31
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Lord Zedd-Repulsa posted:I've been talking to my wife off and on for a while about getting a tarantula and she's agreed that I can as long as I start with a spiderling or juvenile! I plan on getting a beginner setup from jamiestarantulas.com in mid January since the site was recommended in this thread (I believe.) Is this a good idea? Also, how often are itty bitty spiders suppose to be fed? I've never done any business with them, but I've heard good things. For slings, one of two decent sized prey items a week is fine.
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Dec 27, 2017 04:16
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Mite-snake shed and holy bugs alive he made a master poo poo in his QT tub. After I sprayed everything down yesterday, I pretty much chucked it all out. Giving him the night to relax before I start up tomorrow, he's been getting betadine baths daily. A herp friend of mine told me to add a drop of dish soap to gently caress with the mites when he soaks in the betadine water?
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Dec 28, 2017 03:41
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Sunny continues to mock me from beneath his hide. As I go to work, he sleeps. When I come back, he might grace me with a slight opening of one scaly lid. Just so, to peer at me in smug relaxation as he continues to live in opulence. Work sucks, I want to be the lizard.
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Dec 28, 2017 07:38
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Hey all. Figuring you guys may have the secrets to my conundrum. My fiance has kept 2 snakes (Ball Python and a Corn) for a number of years, both having pretty nice tanks. We have also just recently picked up some tree frogs, a chameleon (she always wanted), and I got a pacman as my first foray into herps. My fiance is very knowledgeable about snakes, but less so on frogs, so I have been doing a lot of research. Main problem is my house is cold as poo poo. Thermometer just above the ecoearth in the pacman tank on the heat-pad side reads ~65-70F. While the breeder told me they can deal with this temp, they are more comfy at 75-80F or so. I am trying to figure out ways to heat up his tank more. I have read that heat lamps are a bad idea for frogs as they can dry them out considerably. I spray the tank at least once, usually twice a day, so humidity should be ok, but it is still a bit too cold and I am trying to figure out how to boost the temp without adding an overhead light that could cause other issues. Any ideas?
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Jan 1, 2018 02:15
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Crazyeyes posted:Hey all. Figuring you guys may have the secrets to my conundrum. Heating pad on the side of the tank and a thermometer. Put it on a dimmer. Don't put it on the bottom - burrowing frogs dig when overheated.
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Jan 1, 2018 02:37
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Happy New Year. Learn from my mistakes. So yesterday I treated all my snake cages for the mites. Pulled every snake and water bowl and sprayed the tanks down, let them sit for about 20 minutes. I put back our two young albino girls, the female mohave, the female lesser, and then the albino adult girl and the young male. The last two are in one cage for now because the male's cracked. I remember distinctly putting the water bowl in on the right side of the cage, locking the screen lid there. I remember seeing the snakes there. What I missed was that I had left the left screen lid slightly ajar because that is where I usually put the water bowl in at. So at 3am when I wandered out for bathroom and to check on everyone, guess who wasn't in their cage? I've spent the past three hours tearing the house apart trying to find them, watching the cats to see if they see anything (no but they are freaking out that I'm moving poo poo at 4am). Nothing. No dice. My mom wondered if maybe the cats already found and killed them, or the dogs did, but there'd be blood somewhere. Nothing. I get the feeling both are chilling somewhere and just laughing because we're spazzing out bad and trying to find them before the cats do.
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Jan 1, 2018 14:46
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Escaped snakes sounds scary as hell. How big are they?
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Jan 1, 2018 20:19
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The girl Luna is maybe three, four foot? The male Saul Goodman is about two. We know for a fact they aren't in mom's room because her door has been closed all night. That leaves my room (door was open for a bit this morning), the kitchen, living room, family room, my bathroom, and the spare room which has fishtanks and mice cages in it. Plus side, did a lot of cleaning.
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Jan 1, 2018 20:28
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I have had great luck finding escapees at night. After lights out, I wait for a half hour or so, then go around with a flashlight or just into every room popping lights on. I have found a couple on the move this way. Good luck, it is stressful to have lost snakes. I have found everyone that ever got out in keeping snakes for 15 years. My most stressful escape was an adult ball who figured out how to wedge her head against the glass in a Vision cage and push it open. This was in my parents' house while I was in college. I heard her one night in the drop ceiling of the basement. Every tile I moved, she was too fast for and had moved on into the hollow paneling of the wall. I lost her until the next night when I heard her again. I had to take a thawed rat and hold it up in the ceiling until she came and got it. My mom still doesn't know. I never forgot to lock that cage after that. Agrajag posted:Escaped snakes sounds scary as hell. How big are they? Almost everyone who has kept snakes has an escape eventually. It's way more scary to think the snake could be lost/starve/be too cold/not get enough water than to be afraid it will do something dangerous to a person. Especially ball pythons, even big ones are usually gentle snoot boop noodles.
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Jan 1, 2018 23:45
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One of my snakes decided to hide underneath the fridge. She wedged herself up there pretty good, too. I got her but it was a pain and I don't even remember how I found her.
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Jan 2, 2018 02:01
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