Warning- poop picture. Concerned...

[usmcfamily]

So....this is going to be about poop. Sorry! Spencer typically poops every day or every other day, almost exclusively in a bath. Today he pooped three times. Two were normal and then there was this crazy thing. It's like mummified Dubia roaches and hornworms. Typical stools are softish brown with a firm white urate connected. This thing is solid (I think...obviously I wasn't going to dissect it) and like 2" long.

Several days ago he seemed big bellied but acted normal and was still eating enthusiastically. He's gaining weight, currently he's 160 grams/14.5" long at 21 weeks of age and that's up from the 60 grams/11" he was at 15 weeks when we got him.

His tank is a 32"x16" viv, basking spot is ~107 degrees, cool side in the cave is about 76. I have a tube uvb mounted in the tank (but am wondering if I need a different kind because of the distance?). Lights are on a timer and on from 7a-7p. He is bathed about 5 days a week for 5-10 mins- this is usually when he drinks and poops). He always drinks his bath water, like mouth under the water and slurping lol. Diet is 15-20 3/4" Dubia twice daily plus a plate of greens left for him to eat all day (leafy mix mostly- he won't touch it if I add shredded vegs). He is currently on his third shed since we got him, his head just went white yesterday.

Please help me figure this out, I am worried that something is wrong and want to fix it ASAP.

Oh, and the picture.


And here's the guy that came from...last week:


Today:

 

[CooperDragon]

If that isn't common, I'd chalk it up to a temporary digestion issue. Perhaps too many hard shells at once and it went through too quickly or some combination. The basking temps are fine so just keep an eye out for now and hopefully things will return to normal on their own.

 

[usmcfamily]

If that isn't common, I'd chalk it up to a temporary digestion issue. Perhaps too many hard shells at once and it went through too quickly or some combination. The basking temps are fine so just keep an eye out for now and hopefully things will return to normal on their own.

Any input about the I be bulb? Currently I think it's a 10.0, came with the viv and I have no idea how old it is. Is this the correct tube light? I thought this could affect digestion, eating habits, and cause sluggish behavior. Spencer is rather lazy, and won't chase live food- he wants to be individually fed. Could this be an issue?

 

[CooperDragon]

Preferring hand feeding to hunting is pretty common. They'll usually conserve energy/effort whenever possible by design.

As far as the bulb goes, yes UVB does have a big impact on digestion and overall health. If you can give me details about the brand of bulb, type (T8 vs T5), distance to the basking spot, and approximate age I can help determine if it is optimal or needs to be replaced. I still think a one off odd poop isn't cause for panic so still keep monitoring that but I'll be glad to help you optimize the lighting if you'd like.