Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Share your real pet photos and stories, tell us about your fav species, promote wildlife causes, or discuss animal welfare

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:17 am

vencrypt wrote:So I recently acquired an African fat tailed gecko about 3 days ago, and he hasn't eaten since I've gotten him? I've only held him twice, once to put him in the tank and the second was to clean his tank. This is him.
I'm a bit worried for him, and I've read on several articles that they don't eat when stressed or going through puberty. I'm going to assume he's about 6-8 months old by how big he is. I don't have a scale yet, so this is just a guess-timate.
I've put about 7 mealworms in his dish and he hasn't eaten any, so I'm worried for him.

I also have a serious question on what type of heat lamp/bulb I should get for him.
So I just purchased this aluminum reflector to put in his tank, since the house right now is about 70 degrees which is good for me but not enough for him. I've been trying to gather information online almost everywhere, but people are saying they can/can't see red light emitted from true red light bulbs at night and I'm not sure what to get! I don't know what kind of light/heat lamp I want to get and I'm so very confused on what to get for him. I do have an 8 watt heating pad in his tank as well, but I don't think that's enough to sustain him.

More: Would a ceramic heat emitter work as well? I'm looking at this one and I'm not sure if black or white would be better.

I'm also wondering if having a night heat lamp is also ok to use during the day. I'm just so confused and want the best for him.

Thank you for any tips!!


If you've only had him 3 days, he's still settling in. Moving into a new environment, especially after traveling, is very stressful for a reptile. They typically don't eat while stressed, so it's recommended to give them a week or two without any interaction besides changing water and feeding and cleaning poo. And then begin to work on taming him. He should start to eat as he settles in and becomes lessstressed.

Don't get any sort of colored bulb, ever. They're never suitable for reptiles. For night time, you'll want a ceramic heat emitter only. There's no differecent besides color for the black and white heads. You also need a ceramic dome for the ceramic heat emitter, as the other domes are not suitable for such high temperatures. You also need a dimmer to go with it, to control the amount of heat it emits, or the temperatures wI'll be too high.
During the day you'll want a halogen floodlight bulb, not spotlight. They'll last longer and are cheaper than bulbs marketed for reptiles but serve the same purpose. Wattage depends on your house and ambient temps.
Or you can look into heat mats/heat tape, which I prefer and recommend for this species, and cut out lamps altogether. Just place a heat mat (on a thermostat! Measured with a temperature gun!) overy 2/3-1/2 of the bottom of the tank for the warm side temperatures and if needed, use a ceramic heat emitter to get the ambient cool side temperatures up to where they need be.
Honestly, this stuff should have been set up and regulated before a gecko was ever brought home to the tank, so it should be done asap. Going without proper heating will prolong the amount of time the gecko won't eat, and if he's not getting the proper heat gradient he cannot digest his food and so should not be fed until the right heat can be provided (provided that it's done within a couple days, as it should be anyway)
Last edited by rose; on Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
rose;
 
Posts: 12384
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:55 am
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby ryukrem » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:19 am

vencrypt wrote:So I recently acquired an African fat tailed gecko about 3 days ago, and he hasn't eaten since I've gotten him? I've only held him twice, once to put him in the tank and the second was to clean his tank. This is him.
I'm a bit worried for him, and I've read on several articles that they don't eat when stressed or going through puberty. I'm going to assume he's about 6-8 months old by how big he is. I don't have a scale yet, so this is just a guess-timate.
I've put about 7 mealworms in his dish and he hasn't eaten any, so I'm worried for him.

~snip


      African fat tails are very similar to leopard geckos, but tend to be more on the timid side. Your new boy is probably just getting used to his surroundings. As for not eating, sometimes they go a few days without food, so don't panic too much. He might not see the food in the bowl so try hand feeding him the meal worms by using tweezers so he doesn't accidentally bite your fingers. Just drop one directly in front of him so he sees it and see what happens. You could also try feeding him small crickets too. I wouldn't suggest putting these in the tank though as they run all over the place and can make him stressed if he doesn't eat them all. I put my boy in a container and put the crickets in that to feed him.

      As for the heating, it's best to get them a heat mat, not a heat bulb. They need to be warmed from the bottom not over top. They also need a moist hide which is very important. If you need more help or information feel free to PM me because I could write a whole novel on the care for them.
Image



    Image
    Image
    Image
    Image


    ryukrem - lesbian - taken <3

    prefer to roleplay off site. pm me.

    roleplay search
User avatar
ryukrem
 
Posts: 8793
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:09 am
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby vencrypt » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:35 am

Ok thank you guys, I think I'll just get a CHE then.
And @ryukrem I already have a UTH but it's not enough warmth throughout the tank and I don't think it's ok for them at 70 degrees.

But thank you for the info!
Image

herpetology | aquascaping | entomology
xxxxthey/them | artist | ecologist

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

❝ ❝
Don't you ever feel like you've been destined for something bigger than your skin?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX❞ ❞
xxHeyo I'm Ven. I like reptiles and fish. Currently in college pursuing
a major in Ecology and Environmental Science degree, with a focus on ichthyology.


Image
Image

xxxxxxxx
img by
crowprince
xxxxxxxx
User avatar
vencrypt
 
Posts: 5946
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:36 pm
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:47 am

vencrypt wrote:Ok thank you guys, I think I'll just get a CHE then.
And @ryukrem I already have a UTH but it's not enough warmth throughout the tank and I don't think it's ok for them at 70 degrees.

But thank you for the info!

Then look into different brands, or look into heat tape. It's relatively inexpensive. The one you have probably isn't enough wattage. And the air ambient can be brought up with the CHE, which will help the heat mat reach the desired warm side temps
User avatar
rose;
 
Posts: 12384
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:55 am
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby vencrypt » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:52 am

control wrote:
vencrypt wrote:Ok thank you guys, I think I'll just get a CHE then.
And @ryukrem I already have a UTH but it's not enough warmth throughout the tank and I don't think it's ok for them at 70 degrees.

But thank you for the info!

Then look into different brands, or look into heat tape. It's relatively inexpensive. The one you have probably isn't enough wattage. And the air ambient can be brought up with the CHE, which will help the heat mat reach the desired warm side temps


It's Zilla brand, and it's 8 watts. I'm planning to get a 50W CHE, though I'm not sure if that's enough. I have a 20g long tank just for more info. I'll probably look for a heat tape as well.
Image

herpetology | aquascaping | entomology
xxxxthey/them | artist | ecologist

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

❝ ❝
Don't you ever feel like you've been destined for something bigger than your skin?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX❞ ❞
xxHeyo I'm Ven. I like reptiles and fish. Currently in college pursuing
a major in Ecology and Environmental Science degree, with a focus on ichthyology.


Image
Image

xxxxxxxx
img by
crowprince
xxxxxxxx
User avatar
vencrypt
 
Posts: 5946
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:36 pm
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:55 am

vencrypt wrote:
control wrote:
vencrypt wrote:Ok thank you guys, I think I'll just get a CHE then.
And @ryukrem I already have a UTH but it's not enough warmth throughout the tank and I don't think it's ok for them at 70 degrees.

But thank you for the info!

Then look into different brands, or look into heat tape. It's relatively inexpensive. The one you have probably isn't enough wattage. And the air ambient can be brought up with the CHE, which will help the heat mat reach the desired warm side temps


It's Zilla brand, and it's 8 watts. I'm planning to get a 50W CHE, though I'm not sure if that's enough. I have a 20g long tank just for more info. I'll probably look for a heat tape as well.


Yeah, it's just not a high enough wattage. That brand has higher wattage ones or there's multiple brands of heat tape. Just make sure it covers 1/3-1/2 of the tank, connected to a thermostat, and use a heat gun to measure the floor temps
User avatar
rose;
 
Posts: 12384
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:55 am
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby maninkari » Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:31 pm

Image

He's helping me with my homework, lol. I'm getting him sexed tomorrow, I'll let y'all know if he's a male or a female.
heck
User avatar
maninkari
 
Posts: 2150
Joined: Sat May 07, 2016 4:20 pm
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby crucifying. » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:36 am

    so i fed my snake yesterday and now he this white thing in the corner of his eye. i don't feed him live mice. i thaw them out for him by leaving them near his heat lamp. he also feels kind of dry, and has like some weird marks on his head. i'm really worried and i feel so stressed out about this. we don't have the money for a vet, i don't know what to do. he always has water, and i change it out, so it's not like he doesn't have water. i turn his heat lamp off at night so i can sleep as well, so his lamp isn't on all day either.
    here are pictures to show what i mean:

    one
    two

    is he just going into shed? he shed probably a month or so ago. i just really need some peace of mind about this.
User avatar
crucifying.
 
Posts: 6677
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:16 pm
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby kivr & fireflii » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:45 am

sixx. wrote:
    so i fed my snake yesterday and now he this white thing in the corner of his eye. i don't feed him live mice. i thaw them out for him by leaving them near his heat lamp. he also feels kind of dry, and has like some weird marks on his head. i'm really worried and i feel so stressed out about this. we don't have the money for a vet, i don't know what to do. he always has water, and i change it out, so it's not like he doesn't have water. i turn his heat lamp off at night so i can sleep as well, so his lamp isn't on all day either.
    here are pictures to show what i mean:

    one
    two

    is he just going into shed? he shed probably a month or so ago. i just really need some peace of mind about this.


Looks like stuck eye cap. The marks on his head looks like damaged scales. Sounds like you need to increase your humidity. Can you share a picture of your set up? What are you temperatures and humidity?
-fireflii
Image
kivr centers | fireflii signs
User avatar
kivr & fireflii
 
Posts: 23629
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:58 am
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby crucifying. » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:05 am

winter & fireflii wrote:
sixx. wrote:
    so i fed my snake yesterday and now he this white thing in the corner of his eye. i don't feed him live mice. i thaw them out for him by leaving them near his heat lamp. he also feels kind of dry, and has like some weird marks on his head. i'm really worried and i feel so stressed out about this. we don't have the money for a vet, i don't know what to do. he always has water, and i change it out, so it's not like he doesn't have water. i turn his heat lamp off at night so i can sleep as well, so his lamp isn't on all day either.
    here are pictures to show what i mean:

    one
    two

    is he just going into shed? he shed probably a month or so ago. i just really need some peace of mind about this.


Looks like stuck eye cap. The marks on his head looks like damaged scales. Sounds like you need to increase your humidity. Can you share a picture of your set up? What are you temperatures and humidity?
-fireflii


is there anyway to increase the humidity? i don't want him to be in a bad environment. i don't know the temp/humidity because i just ordered the thermometer for his tank that you had recommended, and don't currently have one. what should i do bout the scales/eye cap?

also, yes here is the set up at the moment (please keep in mind im a new snake owner, and i'm still trying to get the ropes of how everything works and what i need to do for him!):

one
two
three

any suggestions on what i need, and what will help with this would be lovely. i'm really trying my best to provide him with a good home. i really care about him.
User avatar
crucifying.
 
Posts: 6677
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:16 pm
My pets
My items
My wishlist
My gallery
My scenes
My dressups
Trade with me

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests