Stressed

[BrittanyS]

When I first got Buddah, she had tremors. I went out to the store and bought the repcal with vit d3 and the vitamins with beta carotine. I dust with the calcium 5x a week 1 feeding a day and the vitamins 2x a week 1 feeding a day. I got the reptisun 10.0 uvb florecent tube and the closest she can get to it is 5". She is in a 20L tank. Basking temp 99 degrees F. Cool side is about 85 degrees F.

Now, all of the tremors have stopped for about a week and she was doing fine, eating more, regular bowel movements. But yesterday and today she has not eaten or gone to the bathroom for about 3 days. I think she ate about 5-6 crickets with in the last two days. When I went to get her out today she was a dark color and had really dark stress marks on her belly. I've been bathing her, hoping she would go to the bathroom, but nothing.
Now I have her on my chest and she seems to have relaxed and the stress marks have lightened.

Also, most of the crickets I put in her viv have died. I think I shook them too much when I was dusting.. oops.
Does anyone have any advice on how to get her to eat? She doesn't seem to like the undusted crickets neither.

Thanks so much!


-Brittany

 

[rmorse]

Have you tried phoenix worms?

 

[BrittanyS]

No, I don't know where I can get them? Do petstores have them?

 

[diamc]

Hi Brittany, what type of thermometer are you using to check the temps? If it's any type of stick-on, those can be off by as much as 20 degrees. The only 2 ways to get an accurate reading are with either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end. So, just want to make sure you have a good one before I make the suggestion below.

Babies seem to like higher temps than adults. Since yours is a baby, I would suggest you raises the basking temp up a little to help increase his appetite, digestion and pooping. He should actually be eating much more and pooping 2 to 3 times a day. Also, since he seems darker in color, it could also mean that he is darkening to try to absorb all the heat he can as that is what beardies do. Then they brighten up when you hold them because they're absorbing your body heat. So, if you are using either of the 2 thermometers I mentioned above, I suggest you raise her basking site up a little but not the area that would raise her any higher to the UVB because that distance should be 6 to 8". Since the cool side temp is already at 85, it wouldn't be a good idea to use a higher wattage bulb in the basking area because that would raise the cool side too. Would it be possible to post a picture here of your setup? That would really help us to be able to detail how you can make changes to help improve her appetite, etc.

 

[BrittanyS]

I'm using a dig. thermometer with a wire and a probe. Now im getting different readings. Basking-94 degrees F and cool side 75 degrees F. I think I was doing it wrong in the first place. Im already using a 100w ZooMed Basking bulb though so I really don't know what to do. I will post a picture of her setup when I get home.
Thanks

 

[diamc]

So, you do have a digital with a probe end then, that's good. Make sure you lay the probe right on the basking log or rock, then wait about 45 min for the temp to stop rising before you get the final reading, then do the same thing with the probe laying on the bottom of the cool side. Best to check the temps in the afternoon rather than the evening though. Let me know what results you get and we can go from there.

 

[BrittanyS]

Buddahs home. It's a little plain right now I was in the middle of cleaning.

On a good note, I just dusted some crickets and she ate about 7! Still no bowel movement though.

When I take the temps I put the probe on her basking spot and I got 94.7 degrees F.
The cool end was 74.8 degrees F.

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

[diamc]

Hi Brittany, thanks for posting the pictures of your tank. She looks pretty tiny in that tank. :love5: It still seems like you should be getting higher temps with a 100 watt basking bulb in a 20 gallon tank though. When you put the probe on the log, was it actually touching it and did you put the probe at the highest point of the log? If you did on both counts, then perhaps the batteries aren't good in the thermometer, perhaps replacing them will make a difference. Does your thermometer look anything like this?

Does she lay on the log much or is she usually on the opposite side of the tank like she is in the pictures?
The UVB should actually be closer to the basking bulb so that she can get both benefits at once while basking but it looks like the log is too close to the basking bulb.

I suggest you try new batteries, then take the readings again. Let me know if your thermometer looks similar to the picture. If it does, then let me know what the new readings are. It looks like there is enough room to put the UVB diagonally right next to the basking bulb. But it also seems like you might need to move the highest part of the log down a little as it looks like it is up really high. If the cool side temps are still low and with the UVB on the basking side, then you could pick up a small clamp lamp like a 5 to 6" one and use a lower wattage household light bulb like a 40 or even a 25 watt and place that over the cool side to make it brighter and to raise the temps a little. Let me know your thoughts and answers. We'll get this straightened out.

 

[BrittanyS]

No, the thermometer doesn't look like that. It's a little yellow thing. It was only 10 dollars and I just got it so the battery is okay.

She really doesn't spend much time on that side of the cage she was just eating, usually she is on the log.
I will take them temps again today and post them and see of any change.
The bulb i'm using is a ZooMed Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb.. is that good?

Thanks again

-Brittany

 

[diamc]

Hi Brittany, does the thermometer have a long wire & a probe end that looks similar to the picture?

Is the bulb a colored bulb then? If so, I suggest you change it to a bright white basking bulb because they do much better with white bulbs, helps to increase their appetites, energy level, etc. You could even use a 100 watt standard household light bulb, then check the temps again.

 

[BrittanyS]

She is doing alot better today. She ate about 10 crickets so far and had a bowel movement. I will change the bulb. Thank alot again.

 

[diamc]

That's good that she is doing better today and ate 10 crickets, hopefully she'll start eating a lot more soon. Good that you will change the bulb. Let me know if your thermometer has a long wire with a probe on the end and what the temps are once you change the bulb. No problem, always glad to help. :wink: