Starting over? Any help would be great!

[StaceysBuddy]

Okay. I'm going back to square one. This is my setup for Buddy my 9month old male.

ReptiSun 10.0 long tube (month-ish old)
Heat bulbs are a flood light and a ExoTerra bulb (50w)
Tile for substrate
Temps are measured with temp gun
103 basking, 95 warm, 85 cool
I think it's a 40 or 50 gallon tank (it's pretty big) with a homemade screen top.

*can I use a CHE during the day? I think I have to invest in one because my humidity at night is not right, I got rid of any water in there and I think it gets in the 60s at night. I'm not positive though. Advice on humidity?

*I turn off and on the 50watt bulb depending on the temps of the house I guess. Sometimes I need it, sometimes I don't.
I dust his food almost everyday, but he barely eats so I don't know if its even contributing.

*Is the setup okay?
I read another post that they got their beardie to regulate after getting a new basking bulb. Should I get rid of both these and get one good bulb? What brand is best?

I also read that he might have the signs of MBD... I might just be paraniod but the post described my Buddy. He doesn't have any deformaties. But he's not pooping (almost a month now)& barely eating... maybe he's just impacted? I've tried rubbing his belly in baths, oil, applesauce. He's not dehydrated, I bathe him too much and give him water everyday basically.

So.. If anyone could answer any of these, that would be great. I want to make sure that whatever is happening, I'm doing everything on my end to help. I hope it's as easy as changing a bulb but I don't want to waste money I barely have if it doesn't matter.

Big lamp is the flood light, and smaller lamp is the 50watt... if I don't use it, it doesn't always get warm enough. The one in the back isn't anything. I was trying to figure out temps with all the bulbs I have with different lamps. Because I also have a regular house bulb 100watt.

The reptisun is under the hoods, on the inside of the wood.

 

[bdalton]

Don't worry, we all made these mistakes in the beginning, but its great that you are taking the initiative to change it for the better.

Im sorry your buddys not pooping. A month is a long time to not have gone. Even if he's not eating much, he should be pooping something. Everything on your setup sounds perfect. As long as he can get 6-8" of the reptisun, it doesn't matter what lights you use. The 100 watt household bulb may be a few degrees different than a 100 watt flood bulb, so as long as they are bright & white and get the temps you need, it doesn't really matter what kind or how many you use. (obviously I wouldn't put 10 lights on him LOL) Yes, you can use a CHE during the day to raise temps, and that will be good for your nighttime humidity issue as well, since the higher temps seem to lower it a little. You don't want it to go above 80 at night so a low watt CHE will be best.

what exactly and how much/often does he eat?

when you rub his belly do you feel any lumps?

Is his back arched at all?

I would keep with the applesauce with a couple drops of oil, canned pumpkin works too, along with long warm baths while you rub his belly, more so on the right side from his armpit to vent and in circular motion. You can keep adding warmer water to keep the bath warm and keep him in about 30 minutes twice a day if you can.


Let me know if you need any more help and if he goes!


Good Luck!

 

[StaceysBuddy]

It varies on what he eats. In the past couple weeks it's been a few superworms which I've stopped because I'm afriad to give him more solids.
And he's nibbled on collardgreens, cucumbers, & cilantro. "Forced fed" him applesauce and oil with a nose sucky thing. I dusted all these with calcium powder. He usually has more of a variety but he's not eating at all and the greens went bad. So it's been babyfood looking stuff (wierd organic pouches with applesauce or carrot/berry stuff, no sugar or salt added)
I got it for the applesauce. But I will add the calcium powder and oil to it and see if that works. Going to buythe pumpkin today too.

I've checked his belly for lumps, nothing outta the normal. I can't feel any poop or lumps lol

He looks the same to me.

Took that yesterday when he was roaming on my bed.

He doesn't look sick..

 

[bdalton]

Wow, still no poop? Yeah, I would hold off on the solids and protein until he goes.

LOTS of VERY warm baths, apple/pumkin and oil.......hes gotta have to go! Lol

no, he doesn't look sick at all. I don't see any obvious signs of MBD either.


Fingers crossed for some poop!

 

[AtlasStrike]

What is the longest bath you've given him? My guy has been brumating on and off, and I realized at the end of last week that he hadn't pooped in like a month. He was in the bath for about an hour. I just dump it and put more warm water in, and then while he is soaking I add more hot water to the bath gradually and until it is pretty hot. When you are trying to get them to pass, you want to keep very gradually increasing the water temp until they go. They can tolerate (and in this case benefit from) hot baths as long as he temp changes occur gradually and don't shock or burn them.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I've been giving him 30min+ baths, probably not an hour though because I begin to feel bad cause he hates them so much, but if its the way to go I'll do it. I try to keep the temperature around 96* because I read somewhere that's the going rate. I will do what you sugguest and raise it a little as he's in there. Hopefully that's the trick =]

But I got the pumpkin.. mixed a little of olive oil in it. He barely touched it. I tried to force him to eat with a nose sucker thing, got a little in him but not much.
I'm going to keep trying though.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

Buddy pooped!!

I gave him prune/calcium/oil mixture and then let him roam around, gave him a bath with warmer water and he pooped!!
It looked like he was drowning while he was going, I picked him up and he swam off, while pooping.. while looking miserable. =[
But good news anyway! I hope he stays regular from now on. =]

Thanks for all your guys' help!