Maryalice
Member
This is a continuing saga of my baby sulcatas - Frankie is 6 months old and Harriet is 4 months old. Frankie is my first baby who I suspect was started dry. He's been thru a lot - RI in his 4th month and was treated with 6 antibiotic shots for 2 weeks; 1 stone-hard urate; and irregular pooping which was (temporarily) addressed by 1 gram of Bene-bac probiotics. So after a few days of no issues, both Frankie and Harriet have been barely eating for the past 3 days. Since Harriet is now involved, I suspect it is something that I am doing, as they have identical set-ups, diets, and routines, but in separate enclosures. (Harriet was well-started and lived in a humid closed enclosure with 24/7 access to water, when I got her 2-and-a-half months ago. Now at 4 months old, she weighs 119 grams - 10 grams heavier than Frankie.)
Current set-up, diet, routine: Each of them is housed in a 50-gallon glass tank, with top covering of mesh wire which is in turn covered by cardboard wrapped in plastic. The plastic-wrapped cardboard is taped to the mesh wire. It is not a perfect seal, as small slit gaps remain where the wire passes or in between the top cover and the glass. Overall, I am able to maintain 78%-99% humidity, having to mist once every 1-2 days. Temps are set to a max of 36C during the day and 33C at night. To clarify, the probe of the thermostat that is set to 36C in the day and 33C at night, is right next to the basking spot which is in the middle of the enclosure, while temps in the left and right side of the enclosure range only from 31C- 33C. I only use incandescent bulbs during the day and CHE at night (6pm-7am), as they get an hour and a half of yard walk and grazing, each day (except when it rains), from 8:00-9:30 am. Water is available 24/7. Their substrate is Reptibark and they have a hide in each corner of their enclosures - 2 of which have misted cocobark.
Daily diet consists of 50% grass (buffalo grass mixed with Napier grass); and 50% mixed greens, given intermittently, with at least 2 kinds at any day: nalta jute, hibiscus leaves, mulberry leaves, pechay (dark green variation of the bok choy), moringa leaves, sweet potato leaves, romaine lettuce. Every 3 days, I sprinkle either chopped oregano, basil, and coriander. I also add grated "fruit" every 3 days, alternating between squash, zucchini, and cucumber. And twice a week I give them Mazuri or Exoprime. Between them, they consume about 2 cups (not packed) of grass and mixed greens everyday.
Routine: Food is given around 6:30-7 am; yard walking and grazing at 8-9:30 am; soaking at 9:30-10 am (longer for Frankie, 45- 60 minutes, who likes to take his sweet time to poop and expel urates). When they are put back into their enclosures, a fresh batch of food is given if they have consumed the early morning batch. At around 2-3 om when they are out of their hides, we add another batch of greens. At 6pm, all remaining food is taken away, and lights are replaced with CHE and temps reset at a max of 33C. Lights are put out in the room where they are in, and only a glimmer from a street lamp seeping through the curtains are vsible. I check on their temps before I go up to bed, usually around 11pm.
We (my househelp and I) have been very diligent in their routines, yet it seems it is not enough to keep them thriving. (They are almost as much work as raising my human babies!) Would appreciate your advice to get them to eat normally again. Btw, I used to soak Frankie in Gerber mixed veggies or squash or carrots, when he was not eating and pooping. Should I keep doing this? He's turning yellow orange with all the Gerber soaking he got.?
Current set-up, diet, routine: Each of them is housed in a 50-gallon glass tank, with top covering of mesh wire which is in turn covered by cardboard wrapped in plastic. The plastic-wrapped cardboard is taped to the mesh wire. It is not a perfect seal, as small slit gaps remain where the wire passes or in between the top cover and the glass. Overall, I am able to maintain 78%-99% humidity, having to mist once every 1-2 days. Temps are set to a max of 36C during the day and 33C at night. To clarify, the probe of the thermostat that is set to 36C in the day and 33C at night, is right next to the basking spot which is in the middle of the enclosure, while temps in the left and right side of the enclosure range only from 31C- 33C. I only use incandescent bulbs during the day and CHE at night (6pm-7am), as they get an hour and a half of yard walk and grazing, each day (except when it rains), from 8:00-9:30 am. Water is available 24/7. Their substrate is Reptibark and they have a hide in each corner of their enclosures - 2 of which have misted cocobark.
Daily diet consists of 50% grass (buffalo grass mixed with Napier grass); and 50% mixed greens, given intermittently, with at least 2 kinds at any day: nalta jute, hibiscus leaves, mulberry leaves, pechay (dark green variation of the bok choy), moringa leaves, sweet potato leaves, romaine lettuce. Every 3 days, I sprinkle either chopped oregano, basil, and coriander. I also add grated "fruit" every 3 days, alternating between squash, zucchini, and cucumber. And twice a week I give them Mazuri or Exoprime. Between them, they consume about 2 cups (not packed) of grass and mixed greens everyday.
Routine: Food is given around 6:30-7 am; yard walking and grazing at 8-9:30 am; soaking at 9:30-10 am (longer for Frankie, 45- 60 minutes, who likes to take his sweet time to poop and expel urates). When they are put back into their enclosures, a fresh batch of food is given if they have consumed the early morning batch. At around 2-3 om when they are out of their hides, we add another batch of greens. At 6pm, all remaining food is taken away, and lights are replaced with CHE and temps reset at a max of 33C. Lights are put out in the room where they are in, and only a glimmer from a street lamp seeping through the curtains are vsible. I check on their temps before I go up to bed, usually around 11pm.
We (my househelp and I) have been very diligent in their routines, yet it seems it is not enough to keep them thriving. (They are almost as much work as raising my human babies!) Would appreciate your advice to get them to eat normally again. Btw, I used to soak Frankie in Gerber mixed veggies or squash or carrots, when he was not eating and pooping. Should I keep doing this? He's turning yellow orange with all the Gerber soaking he got.?