Grumpyface growing...

[Maggie3fan]

So I've had Grumpyface since he was about 24 hrs old. He started eating right away, and gained 1/2 a gram a day. He started at 8 grams, went to 27 grams, I added to his diet and he dropped to 25 grams.That kinda worried me, and also he has started to not eat as good as he did. His heat and enclosure is good. I'm just kinda worried a bit about that...
Here is Grumpyface when I brought him home so little

and now

now

then

and now


Grumpyface then...

Grumpyface now

 

[Ink]

He is so cute.

 

[ZenHerper]

Adorable. He looks really good! Legs nice and chunky. Round dome.

It is hard in environments where all the cues say: WINTER - BURROW AND WAIT.

All the usual ideas to try and wake them up early:
-try long daylight period
-add a UVB bulb to bump his Sunlight detection (filtered through plants)
-warm up to 80*F
-feed what they reliably eat and return to variety later

But a seasonal metabolic slow down will pull their weight down as fat burns. Make sure your scale is calibrated/tared and that you use the exact center of the platform each time you weigh.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Adorable. He looks really good! Legs nice and chunky. Round dome.

It is hard in environments where all the cues say: WINTER - BURROW AND WAIT.

All the usual ideas to try and wake them up early:
-try long daylight period
-add a UVB bulb to bump his Sunlight detection (filtered through plants)
-warm up to 80*F
-feed what they reliably eat and return to variety later

But a seasonal metabolic slow down will pull their weight down as fat burns. Make sure your scale is calibrated/tared and that you use the exact center of the platform each time you weigh.

Thanks so much for the advice. I didn't know about placing him exactly so exact in the middle of the platform was important. I moved his enclosure and set it up differently then it was and he has his own light and CHE. I am afraid of roasting him, but I cannot bring the temp up, a consistent 70 degrees.. I am looking for something bigger so I have more room to mess with. But the pet store I use has been closed to indoor shopping since last March. They have a big selection of wood and glass used containers. The containers I do have are too open.
Maybe a new type UVB bulb, a more modern one would be better, one of those fluorescent 5.0?

 

[Yvonne G]

Thanks so much for the advice. I didn't know about placing him exactly so exact in the middle of the platform was important. I moved his enclosure and set it up differently then it was and he has his own light and CHE. I am afraid of roasting him, but I cannot bring the temp up, a consistent 70 degrees.. I am looking for something bigger so I have more room to mess with. But the pet store I use has been closed to indoor shopping since last March. They have a big selection of wood and glass used containers. The containers I do have are too open.
Maybe a new type UVB bulb, a more modern one would be better, one of those fluorescent 5.0?

You can close it off by adding some potted plants to give more shade.

 

[ZenHerper]

Thanks so much for the advice. I didn't know about placing him exactly so exact in the middle of the platform was important. I moved his enclosure and set it up differently then it was and he has his own light and CHE. I am afraid of roasting him, but I cannot bring the temp up, a consistent 70 degrees.. I am looking for something bigger so I have more room to mess with. But the pet store I use has been closed to indoor shopping since last March. They have a big selection of wood and glass used containers. The containers I do have are too open.
Maybe a new type UVB bulb, a more modern one would be better, one of those fluorescent 5.0?

I would guess the low temp is more an issue than light at this point.

Winter indoor air is quite dry - incremental dehydration will affect overall weight in a teeny tiny. Apply your Engineer's cap to this this feature. Over-wetting the sub will drop the temps even more, so Yvonne's idea to cover damp sub with furniture is the way to go. Placing a basking terra cotta under the CHE may transfer warmth into the sub as well (won't get as hot as slate/rock). Consider a larger CHE bulb or add a second one for day time hours. Set up a tent over his enclosure if that can be done safely.

Try scrambled egg (cooked on veg oil not butter). Also makes a nice jello-y base to mix other nutrients in.

A scale is only as reliable as the techniques we apply to their use. In order to get a scientifically repeatable value, you have to perform the test the same every time. Grams are very small units, so small variations in test performance can affect the outcome.

 

[Maggie3fan]

You can close it off by adding some potted plants to give more shade.

I have a Pothos rooted in water winding around there. I need a better enclosure,

See how small it is. Grumpyface has simply gotten too big for his house, and I have to figure out a better bigger enclosure
You see the UVB bulb and the CHE hanging

 

[ZenHerper]

An under-tank heater placed on the back side glass panel can help raise the air temp remarkably.

 

[Yvonne G]

It would be fairly easy to tent that whole thing by draping a sheet of plastic over the light stand

 

[Relic]

This is what I found my three toed hatchlings would eat like candy...just wet it a bit to soften.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DI16A/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[SasquatchTortoise]

Losing a little weight during winter wouldn't concern me too much

 

[nicoleann2214]

I have a Pothos rooted in water winding around there. I need a better enclosure,
View attachment 316966
See how small it is. Grumpyface has simply gotten too big for his house, and I have to figure out a better bigger enclosure
You see the UVB bulb and the CHE hanging
View attachment 316967

I’ll send you my old grow tent LOL.