Vibrating dish DIY ideas

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NBGwen

Juvie Member
Beardie name(s)
Carl
Hey folks - so I've been trying to get Carl my rescue to eat healthier...and by extension get Charlie (my original beardie) to eat something other than bok choi. Neither one of them has a single appearance of interest in any of it.

What I've started doing is making a mix of veggies, fruits and dried bugs that I puree (hoping the smell of the bugs encourages eating), I've frozen these in portions and thaw them as I use them. When I thaw them, I add plenty of hot water and some freeze dried veggies that absorb most of the excess water. It is stinky, but packed with nutrition for them. Neither one of them will go near it :? I know that they will practically attack anything that moves. Carl, especially, will lunge at moving crickets (Charlie is so lazy).

Is there a DIY way to make the bowls vibrate to encourage eating? I tried the Exo-Terra Vivicator and returned it...it didn't even vibrate (broken out of the box unfortunately). I really want to encourage these guys to eat better. Any ideas are appreciated. I seem to always get the ones that hate fresh veggies and fruits!

Gwen
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Carl
kingofnobbys":27ltt258 said:
https://www.edresources.com.au/littlebits-output-bits-vibration-motor?gclid=CjwKCAiA7t3yBRADEiwA4GFlI64ZKeLQAWyNJY1-tlTF-AWgQEdhxB65dq8Kt4ZiuCqscQC-xL3xLxoCeDUQAvD_BwE

:shock: BAZINGA! That's exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!!!
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
Just my opinion, but I'm skeptable [sic]. :roll:

These kinds of gimmicks might fool owners; I'm not sure they're going to fool the reptiles. (BICBW)
1. They know/can smell the difference between live & dead prey, even if freeze-dried. :wink:
2. Would you eat from a vibrating dish? :shock:

That said, I do have a similar problem. If it doesn't move, ZaRDoZ won't eat it, or even check it out. The Force (feeder instinct) is strong in this one. :laughing6:
The solution so far is serving live prey--with salad cut into mouthful size pieces--mixed together. The bugs/worms crawling around make the salad move. When he goes for a bug/worm, he usually gets some greens with it, and once in the mouth it goes down. I call it, "salad with his steak". :lol: Occasionally, he comes up with a mouthful of salad, and it still goes down. Any larger pieces of salad/greens get spit out. He walked around the other day with a piece stuck to his lip for 4 hrs, which was funny, but it didn't go in so it didn't go down. :(
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Carl
MrSpectrum":ofxy80rd said:
Just my opinion, but I'm skeptable [sic]. :roll:

These kinds of gimmicks might fool owners; I'm not sure they're going to fool the reptiles. (BICBW)
1. They know/can smell the difference between live & dead prey, even if freeze-dried. :wink:
2. Would you eat from a vibrating dish? :shock:

That said, I do have a similar problem. If it doesn't move, ZaRDoZ won't eat it, or even check it out. The Force (feeder instinct) is strong in this one. :laughing6:
The solution so far is serving live prey--with salad cut into mouthful size pieces--mixed together. The bugs/worms crawling around make the salad move. When he goes for a bug/worm, he usually gets some greens with it, and once in the mouth it goes down. I call it, "salad with his steak". :lol: Occasionally, he comes up with a mouthful of salad, and it still goes down. Any larger pieces of salad/greens get spit out. He walked around the other day with a piece stuck to his lip for 4 hrs, which was funny, but it didn't go in so it didn't go down. :(

hmmm...I'm not sure how I'll put it the live bugs in the mixed food :? Oh, the freeze dried bugs are literally pulped up with the food, so they wouldn't be able to see it (it's freeze dried meal worms, which I would never feed them live, but I thought the extra protein would be good for them, specifically Carl). And nope, I wouldn't eat out of a vibrating dish LOL, but I'm getting desperate. Carl loves his crickets, but he also likes superworms...I could put superworms in the food. Charlie would be the harder one - if it's in food, he wouldn't touch it :( ugh.
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
Well, if you skipped the puree-ing part, and used live bugs/worms (supers) instead of dehydrated, I think the rest might work out about the same. Do you gut load your bugs and/or use a vitamin supplement (e.g. herptivite)?

NBGwen":3h9xpzfq said:
"I want the freedom to carve and chisel my own face, to staunch the bleeding with ashes, to fashion my own Gods from my entrails." - Gloria Anzualdua
Dang, that's hard.
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Carl
MrSpectrum":1ttgdnrv said:
Well, if you skipped the puree-ing part, and used live bugs/worms (supers) instead of dehydrated, I think the rest might work out about the same. Do you gut load your bugs and/or use a vitamin supplement (e.g. herptivite)?

I do have fresh supers and crickets that I gut load for the boys, just trying to get more nutrients into them, especially Carl. I started making the puree due to practicality, but have been adding the freeze dried trying to make it look more palatable and occasionally add in fresh bok Choi. Only been doing it a couple of weeks, but...no luck. I'll skip the freeze dried and work on more fresh with bugs.

NBGwen":1ttgdnrv said:
"I want the freedom to carve and chisel my own face, to staunch the bleeding with ashes, to fashion my own Gods from my entrails." - Gloria Anzualdua
Dang, that's hard.[/quote]

Haha yeah, you're the first person to ever say anything about it. I hooked it on after a hugely nasty split from a very nasty ex. Wanted my life back and it stuck.
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Carl
Hey gang - here's what I've been feeding the boys. I thought a visual would give everyone a better idea of what I've been trying ?

87171-7828120705.jpg
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
WOW! Your dragons eat better than I do! Looks (with my aging eyes) like a Mexican platter! :D
Wanna come cook for us? :roll:
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Carl
? that's a mix of that pre-made puree with freeze dried and fresh veggies! I grate up the veggies too. I've been putting supers in the mix and they have yet to eat it. Ugh ?
 

JumpinJellyfish

Juvie Member
NBGwen":1lr8dq5r said:
Hey gang - here's what I've been feeding the boys. I thought a visual would give everyone a better idea of what I've been trying ?

87171-7828120705.jpg
That looks a lot like "chop" for birds (without the bugs in, although some birds might enjoy that as well). My dragon also barely eats veggies so far, but he does take a bite here and there, so there's hope. I just keep offering. Took one of my birds *18 months* of daily offered veggies before he so much as tried any. Now he goes right to the veggie dish when I place it. Hoping Norbert will have that same sort of "on" switch at some point. ?
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Carl
JumpinJellyfish":14a0cyz7 said:
NBGwen":14a0cyz7 said:
Hey gang - here's what I've been feeding the boys. I thought a visual would give everyone a better idea of what I've been trying ?

87171-7828120705.jpg
That looks a lot like "chop" for birds (without the bugs in, although some birds might enjoy that as well). My dragon also barely eats veggies so far, but he does take a bite here and there, so there's hope. I just keep offering. Took one of my birds *18 months* of daily offered veggies before he so much as tried any. Now he goes right to the veggie dish when I place it. Hoping Norbert will have that same sort of "on" switch at some point. ?

HAHA yes, it does look a lot like bird chop! I figure if it looks good to me, maybe it will look good to them... :? My birds shy away from fresh foods, so now I make a mash that's pureed and frozen into serving sizes (a budgie and a parrotlet, they don't eat much)...with my health issues, it was the most convenient way and they love it. I add in pellets that pretty much merge with the mash before I freeze it and I add in a bit of seed to entice them when I serve it. So far, so great! When I had my Indian Ringneck though, it was all fresh.

I'll keep putting it in their enclosures with supers added in (live of course) in hopes of drawing them to it!
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
NBGwen":isk9pcc4 said:
I figure if it looks good to me, maybe it will look good to them... :?
That's what I thought until you told me what's in it. :(

I'll keep putting it in their enclosures with supers added in (live of course) in hopes of drawing them to it!
That's what I thought too, only he goes straight for the supers and ignores everything else--including his beloved num-numz (dubia roaches)--holding out for more supers. They're... insidious! :lol:
At first I was concerned about the higher fat content, but his fat pads aren't prominent or growing, so I'll keep watch while trying to push the dubias (and greens/salads) again. I also keep trying fruits, but he tries something once, then won't touch it again, and backs away when offered by hand/forceps. :dontknow:
 
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Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

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