My new little buddy Naga :)

[Embrace Calamity]

What kind of containers do you guys keep your mealies in??

I use just a plain ceramic dish made for reptiles, and it works fine.

Do you guys dust them,then put them in there?

Mealies don't hold calcium really well. I use Repashy Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus, and I put the mealies in the dish and sprinkle some of the powder on them, then shake them around a little. They only hold a little though. I assume you use a pure calcium supplement in the enclosure and a calcium + D3 supplement that you dust with? I use Repashy so I don't have to worry about that.

What about leaving something for the mealies to eat,like carrots??

I doubt that's necessary unless they're in there for weeks.

I also noticed that since I turned off his heat lamp,he spends alllll of his time in his warm hide..Though I do see him out more once all the lights are off at night in my room. Is this okay?

They're generally supposed to spend most of the day hiding, so it's fine. Are the temps warm enough?

~Maggot

 

[mommisgurl]

Is the dish see through? And how tall is it? No escapees??
Ahh I see! I'll do that tonight. And you are right! I use the Repashy's all in one whenever I feed him..And then plain calcium without d3 in the cap in his tank. I don't want to over use anything,so I just went with that..Can't go wrong with it!
And I have the Hydrofarm thermostat set to 95F,and thats it. The reason why I had the 75w bulb too was because the tank he is in is alot higher than that of a regular 20L. It's the same length,about .5cm shorter width wise,and about 4in taller..So his air temps were a little cold..I tried a 50w,and it didn't reach all the way to the floor on his hot side..so I bumped up to a 75w,which got all the way down there..I used to have it set to 93F,and then had the bulb on..What do you think I should do? I don't want him to be cold or anything! Lmao

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Is the dish see through? And how tall is it? No escapees??

One like this (I couldn't post the actual one because the filter blocked out the store of pets name):

Never had any escapes.

And I have the Hydrofarm thermostat set to 95F,and thats it. The reason why I had the 75w bulb too was because the tank he is in is alot higher than that of a regular 20L. It's the same length,about .5cm shorter width wise,and about 4in taller..So his air temps were a little cold..I tried a 50w,and it didn't reach all the way to the floor on his hot side..so I bumped up to a 75w,which got all the way down there..I used to have it set to 93F,and then had the bulb on..What do you think I should do? I don't want him to be cold or anything! Lmao

How are you monitoring air temps? And where? You only really need to worry about the temps a few inches above the substrate. Higher than that is pretty much irrelevant unless there's something in there for your leo to climb and he actually does.

~Maggot

 

[mommisgurl]

Got it! I think we have dishes like that at where I work,just for small animals lol
And I use the Zoo Med digital thermometer with the probe. I have used that in a few of my other reptiles' enclosures. I put it directly on the paper towel on which he is on. His cool side is 72F. His warm side is whatever the Hydrofarm says it is,which is kind of interesting. They correspond correctly to each other. And he doesn't have anything like that to climb much higher,except for on his hides. I can snap a quick picture!

 

[Lindz0518]

As long as the air temp doesn't drop below 65-70 then you should be fine, and if they do you can get a low watt (like 25 watt) black night heat bulb to keep your air temps, or even a CHE.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I've never used a UTH with thermostat. I use a digital thermometer with probe that's sitting right on top of the substrate and generally stays in the low 90's. As long as your digital thermometer says temps are fine, then you have no reason to worry.

~Maggot

 

[mommisgurl]

I think I also worry because his tank is on the floor still (in the process of putting it together) and I don't want it to be too nippy in there,but even on the floor on his cool side it was 72F,so I think I'm okay! Once I put him above the floor,the temps will rise.
Thank you sooo much guys!! I just wanted to be sure he was good to go. Poops alot,eats well :main_laugh:

 

[mommisgurl]

Yay! When I went to feed him a bit ago,he is shedding!! I put him in his moist hide,but he only stayed in there for a bit. Will he seek out the moist hide,or should I make it more obvious??

 

[Lindz0518]

Yay! When I went to feed him a bit ago,he is shedding!! I put him in his moist hide,but he only stayed in there for a bit. Will he seek out the moist hide,or should I make it more obvious??

They will seek it out if they need it. I have one that is in there the whole day before and a day after shedding and then one of my others doesn't even use it when he sheds and does just fine.

 

[mommisgurl]

Yep,it looked as though he got it all off himself! Unless he went into the hide while I was sleeping :main_laugh:
The light being off has helped alot! I can see he is still around and about at night because he poops in different places,and he eats his calcium in his cap. Tonight,for the first time since I got him,when I tapped on the glass to let him know I was coming in to feed him,his little head popped out of his warm hide,and he munched down 20 mealies easy! I was like my goodness! Someone is hungry! Lmao but I think I have a good little schedule down. Just thought I would do a little happy rant Thank you to everyone for the help

 

[DrCarrotTail]

One like this (I couldn't post the actual one because the filter blocked out the store of pets name):

Never had any escapes.

I know I'm jumping in late with this - but I picked up some large clear glass votive candle holders at Ikea that were about the same size as this bowl - I think they were 6 for $2 or something close to that and they seem to work well as food dishes! I have mealworms escape more from the dishes made to keep them in than this shape of dish

 

[mommisgurl]

Yeah,I noticed that with the little dish made to prevent escape..One or two always get out!
I now just drop in one at a time for him,just to make sure he eats everything. The crickets I dump in and watch him hunt It's awesome! He seems to be doing great

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Yeah,I noticed that with the little dish made to prevent escape..One or two always get out!
I now just drop in one at a time for him,just to make sure he eats everything. The crickets I dump in and watch him hunt It's awesome! He seems to be doing great

Just be careful no substrate is accidentally ingested (if you have a kind that can).

~Maggot

 

[mommisgurl]

Paper towels..? Are they? I havn't seen him accidently get any in his mouth..I watch him while he hunts down the crickets,and I hand feed the mealies..So far he seems to be getting nice and healthy..and fat! Lol today when I had him out to clean his tank,I notcied that he is starting to turn pink? Like around his tail,and on his sides..Have you heard of this happening? He just shed two days ago..lol it kind of shocked me to see the pink!

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Paper towels..? Are they? I havn't seen him accidently get any in his mouth..I watch him while he hunts down the crickets,and I hand feed the mealies..So far he seems to be getting nice and healthy..and fat! Lol today when I had him out to clean his tank,I notcied that he is starting to turn pink? Like around his tail,and on his sides..Have you heard of this happening? He just shed two days ago..lol it kind of shocked me to see the pink!

If it's paper towel, then you're fine. We'd have to see a pic, but it could just be a color change. Leos change a lot as they age and it usually shows up after a shed.

~Maggot

 

[Lindz0518]

Maybe it's just pink where her skin is stretching... like if she has a really big meal or something... I am more or less just thinking out loud. Lol.

 

[mommisgurl]

If it's paper towel, then you're fine. We'd have to see a pic, but it could just be a color change. Leos change a lot as they age and it usually shows up after a shed.

~Maggot

I will take one tomorrow if he still has it on him when I take him out. It was just quite odd..I was hoping he didn't get like,burned or something..though I don't know how he could..but I'm just a worried Leo mom..lol I was looking up how to sex one..but just to be sure,males will have pores in a V shape? And pronounced bulges?
But thank you for all your help..Everyone has been patient with my little rants and questions.

 

[mommisgurl]

Maybe it's just pink where her skin is stretching... like if she has a really big meal or something... I am more or less just thinking out loud. Lol.

Please do think out loud! I need all the little advice as possible!

 

[CambGeckoUK]

Very Nice little leo

Phil