Been away for a while, back in action with a new RhinoRaxx

[astronut1885]

Hey guys. I've been absent from the forums pretty much since the early spring. Had some bad stuff happen, like losing my job, so I've been busy. Before I went AWOL, I had posted a large 3 story gecko enclosure I built. Basically, it was an epic failure. Despite abundant food, 20+ hides, 10+ warm spots, and pretty much everything a colony needs, it went bad, and with no work/no money, I couldn't do a thing about it. Half of my animals lost a lot of weight, and a few were fighting. Thankfully nobody lost a body part. My giant T-albino and APTOR are all but skin and bones right now....I know, I suck. Anyway, I'm back in the saddle with a 10 drawer RhinoRaxx sweater box rack. I love this thing. Now all my little gems have their own space, perfectly controlled heat, and etc. I just gotta get these little boogers back up to weight. Anywho, if anyone has tips for packing the pounds back on, I'd appreciate it. Right now they're all getting superworms that were gutloaded with fruit, veggies, and dog food for 48hrs. Once they're settled in well, I'm going to get some waxies and pinkies and hope they take 'em. Anyway, great to be back. :main_thumbsup:

 

[acpart]

Welcome back. Just keep feeding them and I'm sure they'll eat. It sounds as if you're making a good start. When you have time it would be interesting to hear more about what went wrong with the good enclosure since it seemed like such a good idea.

Sorry about the job. My husband has been unemployed since Feb. Luckily he was just asked to go back to his old place and do a 6 week contract and has another job interview tomorrow, but it's been a long spring/summer.
Aliza

 

[astronut1885]

I honestly don't know what it was, but they just didn't thrive. Temps were right, everything they needed was there, but it didn't work. I don't know if it was stress, because half of my animals were bought from people who used rack systems, and then suddenly they are in a 3 level natural viv. Maybe they're just used to a simple rack.

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

did you have multiple males, wasn't there a mirror on the back side, was there lights inside the showcase?

Were there was in the night they could have fallen from muptiple levels?

was the floor made of glass? if so are you sure it didn't get to hot on the hot spots and too cold on the cold spots, or maybe it was something the wood on the showcase thingy was made out of?

 

[spykerherps]

One word - ROACHES

 

[astronut1885]

Single male, yes it had a mirror on the back, no they couldn't fall, 25W light on upper level only during daytime. They're all pooping now, but the skinny ones are passing diarrhea.

 

[Syris71]

Were they all QT before being mixed together in a colony?

 

[astronut1885]

yes, full quarantine periods.

 

[astronut1885]

I think most of the problem were some variation in size and some of them are just straight bullies. Plus my big male humps anything that walks lol...

 

[astronut1885]

Well, the failure is now complete. Yesterday I found my giant tremper albino het raptor dead in her tub. She had stopped eating after waning down to skin and bones. I tried assist feeding her with minimal success. She was my fiance's gecko, Smoothie. Everyone else has started eating like pigs which is good, the Aptor especially, and nobody has funny looking stools, so I'm thinking that it was just my setup and stress that caused this. I'm pretty upset with myself. She was one of my more personable geckos, and only about a year old. I'm breeding and gutloading my own mealies now, and after showing them all where the food dish was and what it had in it, they're all bellying up to the trough... It's going to take a while to get the skinny ones back up to weight, but I'll get it done.