Found new home

[Bmiller]

Offered “Free” Juvenile BD (Done this rodeo before - no such thing as a "Free" pet). :roll:

Not sure about committing to a “Lizard” so agree on trial basis:

Day 1 – dropped off in evening:
• BD curls up in my hands after circling and scratching like a dog and promptly goes to sleep. Gives me sad look when moved to shoulder.
• Dog (4lb Chihuahua) whines incessantly because BD doesn’t want to play with her. BD sets clear boundaries that sniffing is fine, licking is tolerated, but paws off unless you want your nose bitten.
• Buy Mercury vapor UV/heat lamp but so damned confused by contradictory advice that I’m paranoid I’m going to bake it, freeze it or give it cataracts …

Day 2
• Happily, sits on my shoulder until he decides to climb on top of my head or sees something interesting on desk or floor and takes off like toddler on speed.
• Buy calcium powder and learn how to prepare crickets & greens. Realize I’m going to spend more time prepping his food than mine.
• Wow – he really likes crickets. Wow – guidelines said to let him go until satiated. Ok – he’s still eating. Holy crap this is going to cost me a fortune! Start researching how to breed crickets.
• Dog is now calm around BD but deliberately looks away if held together – if I ignore it then it isn’t there.

Day 3
• BD leaps off shoulder when it sees cricket cage. Stalks crickets with no success – Why can’t I get them? Circles cricket cage then stops turns around and stares at me. How smart are these things?
• Dog and BD have reached detente. All is good.
• By evening dog and BD are asleep on my lap under blanket.

 

[CooperDragon]

Welcome to the forum! I think you'll find your new buddy will be a great pet to have around. We'll be happy to help with any questions you have.

• BD curls up in my hands after circling and scratching like a dog and promptly goes to sleep. Gives me sad look when moved to shoulder.
It's fun when they get cuddly like that!

• Buy Mercury vapor UV/heat lamp but so damned confused by contradictory advice that I’m paranoid I’m going to bake it, freeze it or give it cataracts …
Which MVB did you get? I can help you set it at a proper distance. You want to set it at a good height for UVB output and then add a secondary light nearby (if needed) in order to get a proper temperature gradient. It's helpful to have an IR temp gun or a digital thermometer with a couple of probes to get accurate readings. Decent temp guns are around $15 on Amazon and totally worth picking up.

• Happily, sits on my shoulder until he decides to climb on top of my head or sees something interesting on desk or floor and takes off like toddler on speed.
Be careful letting him ride on your shoulder. He may try to bolt and something and leap right off. Falling from that height may hurt him.

• Buy calcium powder and learn how to prepare crickets & greens. Realize I’m going to spend more time prepping his food than mine.
Get used to it You'll soon develop a routine that works and it won't be so bad.

• Wow – he really likes crickets. Wow – guidelines said to let him go until satiated. Ok – he’s still eating. Holy crap this is going to cost me a fortune! Start researching how to breed crickets.
It's good to hear he has a healthy appetite. Start a dubia colony if they're legal where you are (illegal in Florida and Canada). Otherwise I'd get a big bin and order the crickets in bulk. You'll want about 1,000 per month for a while. Places like Premiumcrickets and Armstrong Crickets will ship in bulk. Their appetite decreases greatly as they approach full size at around 12-18 months. They also transition to mainly veges so it's cheaper and easier to feed them. Stick with it! =)

• BD leaps off shoulder when it sees cricket cage. Stalks crickets with no success – Why can’t I get them? Circles cricket cage then stops turns around and stares at me. How smart are these things?
They're pretty smart. They will remember things (Especially food related) and you can train them to an extent by setting up a routine. They have individual personalities and mood shifts too. You'll start to learn his body language after a while.

• By evening dog and BD are asleep on my lap under blanket.[/quote]
End of a good day!

 

[Bmiller]

Thanks!

MV Bulb is Solar Glow 125 Watt and I have Zoo Med PowerSun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp 100 Watts on order as backup.

Surface temp of wood perch under lamp is 98.3, surface temp of BD while basking is 104.5

Dubia Colony - Hmmm, if crickets get loose wife will be annoyed. Roaches get loose and BD and I will both be looking for new home! :shock: Optimal cricket size for juvi?

1/4" One Fourth
3/8" Three Eights
1/2" One Half
5/8" Five Eights
3/4" Three Fourths
10% Winged

Leaping - figured out that this means "I'm ready for nap and seeking something to curl up under. I'd be quite happy to stick my head under your hand or blanket."

 

[CooperDragon]

I prefer the PowerSun because it has a much wider spread of UVB which makes it easier to bask under. Based on tests the optimal output for the 100w is between 8-10 inches from the bulb so I'd set it about 8-10'' above the highest basking area on one side of the tank. Keep the Solar Glo as a backup. The 125w Solar Glo has a very narrow beam and optimal output at around 8'' that is only a few inches in diameter.

Your basking surface temps are good. You want the basking area to hit around 100-105 with some areas around that in the 90s and a gradient down to about 75-80 on the cool side. Nighttime temps can go down to around 65 with no problem. I like to keep it in the low 70s overnight.

I'd order the 1/4'' or 3/8'' and give them time to grow a bit. They have relatively short lifespans. Offer them some fresh veges along with some grain (you can order this with them or use store bought) and give them plenty of space to hide. You'll want to clean their bin pretty often to prevent dieoffs.

 

[Bmiller]

Very helpful thank you! 1,000 crickets on order :lol: