pooping whole worms (UPDATE 12/10)

[JeepMiller09]

So i made a post before about my Chance pooping whole worms and since then I made big changes to his tank. His basking is at 102-104, I changed out his uvb to a 10.0 RS. I mounted his uvb inside his tank and made sure he can get about 6 inches from it. Also he can get uvb while basking in the heat. Now he is not 6 inches from it then more like 10 or 12. I also cut him down from 50 rep worms twice a day to 25 rep worms twice a day to see if that would help. Well today in his bath he pooped out about 25 whole worms. Now i am not sure if they are the ones i just fed him about 3 hours ago or not. I just added a second lamp in his cage to see if i can keep 100 degrees thorught out the bottom of the cage. The next step i am about to take is not feed him any more wroms for today and tomorrow and just make sure he as a lot of salad he can eat instead. He is about 5 months and little over a foot long. very active. I am out of ideas and any help from you all would be great!!!

Thank you
Miller and chance!

 

[Gail]

Could be he eat a meal a little too close to bed time or maybe not basking enough at the crucial time of digestion. Its also possible he is eating them so fast that they aren't getting chewed at all. I suppose if he keeps passing undigested worms, you might want to look into a different feeder. Maybe butterworms, horns or silkies.

 

[JeepMiller09]

Yeah. He doesn't like to bask in the 100 degree plus heat. he likes the 95 degree stuff....

 

[Meginsanity]

Were they the whole worm or was it like the worm totally flattened out? I ask because Loki occasionally (twice now in maybe 3 months) has passed an entire worm... um, casing, I guess. It was totally flattened out and empty like everything had been sucked out of it. :shock: I think it's fine though.

 

[DragonsNDoodles]

Even if he doesn't seem to "like" the 100+ degree basking area, he needs to bask in 105-110 degree heat. You said he's only a few months old, right?

Maybe you should try a different feeder. Make sure, also, that you feed him at the latest about 2 hours before turning out the lights for the night. This will give him time to bask and digest whatever he eats.

What do you mean about making the whole floor 100 degrees?

 

[JeepMiller09]

What do you mean about making the whole floor 100 degrees?

He has been able to digest these worms before it is a new thing for him.

I thought that the hot side had to be 100 degrees no matter where in the light or out of the light because as of right now the floor temp is 89 to 92 degrees I thought it needed to be a constent 100. Am i wrong on this???

 

[DragonsNDoodles]

The basking spot is the only place that needs to be that hot. It actually needs to be a little above 100... I'd go with about 105-110. If he is spending a lot of time out of the basking area and under a hide, take the hide away from him. He needs the time in the basking spot and he needs to get the UVB light to help him digest his food. The only time a hide should be offered is when the lights are out.

That said, he still needs a place he can go that is out of the heat and not in direct light, but not necessarily in the shade. Some people use a hammock, and their beardies will retreat under the hammock which provides a little bit of shade but the light can still get through a little and the beardie is still getting some UV light.

 

[JeepMiller09]

Ok so i took everything away from him but a branch and his Lizard Ham. He looked to be pissed when he found his cage empty lol..... I just fed him 40 small crickets and want to see if he will digest them. In about an hour i will offer him 10 large worms. No change in his pooping habits yet still pooping out the shells of the worms and a couple whole worms. GRRRRRR Would roachs be the same way? I don't know what else i can switch to that he will digest. His hammock is at 98 degrees but i figure that onces he is up there the added height of hime will put him into the 100's and his branch is 105. My only worry is that he won't get very much uvb light doing this. He is about 7 inches away from the uvb at the heighest point on the branch that is with him on it. His head would be the the heights point and angle down from there. Let me know what you all think of this set up. Thanks for you help!