Emaciated Gold Dust Help Needed

[Elizabeth Freer]

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Thank you Elizabeth. I might buy a full kit terrarium for him maybe. I really want to try feed him some real bugs first before catching him. . I’m very frustrated though, no one on the island sells fruit flies, and all stores are out of crickets. The island is supplied by one cricket guy and he’s days behind schedule. Everyday they say it’ll be tomorrow. I’ll have to over night live bugs but being a holiday might not get them till next week Wednesday.

Also I just saw another GDG outside on my lanai. Possible it’s the same one who walked 40ft to the building and climbed up 6 stories.

After 600 licks was your GDG's belly full? Are you on the Hawaiian Islands?

It's OK if he doesn't "stick" to the glass right now. Hopefully he will soon. The supplies I suggested will permit him to catch those tiny flies just by walking up the twisty vines and when the flies land on the sphagnum moss near the ground. Once he's thriving in his smaller home, you could upgrade him to an 18 x 18 x 24.

Can you have vestigial-winged drosophila overnighted? Keeping very small crickets alive for a small gecko and properly fed (gutloaded) will be more difficult than culturing fruit flies. Fruit flies breed on a special medium. You'd need to order the medium too or make your own as suggested by this YouTube video. It's important to get a culture that's already producing flies so you have some to feed off right away.

If this GDG doesn't survive, you could catch another one. GDG thrive without UVB rays too, just on lightly dusted bugs.

I would ONLY use Zoo Med's Reptisun brand UVB fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent bulbs or a similar bulb or tube from Arcadia. It all depends on the UV Index. You might join Facebook's Reptile Lighting group. Dr. Fran Baines, 1/5 admins, takes your setup and gecko under her wing. Besides Dr. Baines or Reptile Lightings' other admins, a Solarmeter 6.5R costs about $200. A Solarmeter 6.5R gives you the correct UV Index for a GDG.

Get Drosophila melanogaster. They are easy to breed. Don't get Drosophila hydei.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P55XAY9rSc4
2. Easy Gardener Landscaping Fabric is a porous "netting" that breathes. Landscaping fabric could cover the entire terrarium to contain these flies and the fly deli cups too.https://www.acehardware.com/departme...8&gclsrc=3p.ds

If you get a 10 gallon, heat from either a 15 watt or a 25 watt bulb would reach the ground. My Ace Hardware still carries those low wattage incandescents. I don't know what temperature they like. Maybe low 80s like your condo?

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[Elizabeth Freer]

Thank you Aliza. If I get a terrarium I would get a 18x18x24 so if I’m able to save him he’ll have a nice home. What type of light would I need to warm down to the floor since he can’t climb yet?

Another question. How much powdered food does a GDG eat? I just saw a video of someone mixing a toothpicks amount. I mixed a little bit of zoo med gecko diet powder with papaya this morning and he licked the juices over 600 times. Not sure how much nutrition that equates to.

John ~ Just so we're on the same wavelength. Sticking to the glass with his toe pads is a bit different than climbing something slanted and rough like Exo Terra twisty vines or sphagnum moss. Do you think he could not even climb sphagnum moss or textured vines?

Is his climbing getting any better? How about his seizures?

[Fallingspeaker]

His walking is not normal. Back legs look stuff or inflexible. Though when he saw the mealworm he rushed right over to check it out. I saw him try to raise himself against the corner of a cabinet but fell down.

I don’t think I can ship live insects to Hawaii. State law it seems like. At least what I’ve found on some of the online stores like josh frogs etc.

Found a store with pin heads and small crickets. Bringing my ruler to go check them out right now.

He ate this morning and came out this evening but skipped the food. Is that because he’s full from morning or just not interested? Normally he gives it a smell before walking away from food he doesn’t like.

[Elizabeth Freer]

His walking is not normal. Back legs look stuff or inflexible. Though when he saw the mealworm he rushed right over to check it out. I saw him try to raise himself against the corner of a cabinet but fell down.

I don’t think I can ship live insects to Hawaii. State law it seems like. At least what I’ve found on some of the online stores like josh frogs etc.

Found a store with pin heads and small crickets. Bringing my ruler to go check them out right now.

He ate this morning and came out this evening but skipped the food. Is that because he’s full from morning or just not interested? Normally he gives it a smell before walking away from food he doesn’t like.

Since he had 600 licks this morning, he's probably full.

Maybe this GDG suffers more from his injuries than we initially believed.

[Fallingspeaker]

I got him to eat 2-3 pinheads and he seemed to enjoy them. I killed many more in the process though. Problem is that he seems to have moved hides again without eating his fruit breakfast. I think me being close to slowly drop crickets made his freak out. The new location is about 12ft away. I’m unsure if he’ll come back to his fruit bowl now and wondering if I should leave a new one in his new spot.

[Elizabeth Freer]

I got him to eat 2-3 pinheads and he seemed to enjoy them. I killed many more in the process though. Problem is that he seems to have moved hides again without eating his fruit breakfast. I think me being close to slowly drop crickets made his freak out. The new location is about 12ft away. I’m unsure if he’ll come back to his fruit bowl now and wondering if I should leave a new one in his new spot.

Great job, John! Have you given this little guy a name?

I use this "trick" for catching small crickets. Scoop them up with a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon like one uses for measuring ingredients. I have a dedicated tablespoon next to my crickets that I use all the time.

Try leaving fruit bowls in both locations. See what happens.

Can you order some food to feed the crickets prior to feeding them to your GDG? How about Professional Reptiles' Pro Gutload diet from mainland USA? It's inexpensive and quite adequate. One pound costs about $3. Keep Pro Gutload in an airtight container. Don't get Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Food. It's NOT high calcium at all.

I realize you'd like an 18 x 18 x 24 inch mansion for him. Judging by your reports regarding his climbing skills, I sincerely feel that such a mansion would overwhelm him. His mansion would be difficult to heat properly. He'd need heat near the floor where he currently would be living. That would mean most of the environment would be excessively hot and drying. It would be difficult to keep it adequately humid.

Some manufacturers make smaller enclosures with sliding fine mesh screen tops. That screen is similar to screen door mesh.

I think he'd love a standard 10 gallon where he could be King. Feeding him would be much less stressful. Maybe try blue shop towels as the ground.

Take care,
Liz

[Fallingspeaker]

I think he'd love a standard 10 gallon where he could be King. Feeding him would be much less stressful. Maybe try blue shop towels as the ground.

What about the 12x12x18? Would that work with a 25w bulb? Any recommendations for a 10 gallon one good for his rehab? If I pursue a glass aquarium do you have recommendations for screen tops?

Thank you so much again for the help

[Fallingspeaker]

Liz, his name is Midori-Chan because he’s green. I went surfing after he switched hides this morning and when I came back he had walked the 20ft to get back to his favorite basking spot, the one where we caught the intruder two days ago. I made a small zoo med watery diet, with some juicy papaya and he had 825 licks. So at least I know he’s hydrated and has some of the nutrients front the fruit and mix.

Plus now he’s in a much Warmer spot and easier place to feed and catch if need be.

[acpart]

I have to say I'm blown away that you're counting licks! It sounds as if the care he's getting is as good as possible. I agree that it would be a good idea to start him in a small enclosure, 10 gallon or 12x12x18. If he survives, he could upgrade to the larger habitat. My gold dust is in a 18x18x24 and doing really well. She was in a 12x12x18 and it was really too small for her, but she was a healthy adult.

Aliza

[Fallingspeaker]

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I have to say I'm blown away that you're counting licks! It sounds as if the care he's getting is as good as possible. I agree that it would be a good idea to start him in a small enclosure, 10 gallon or 12x12x18. If he survives, he could upgrade to the larger habitat. My gold dust is in a 18x18x24 and doing really well. She was in a 12x12x18 and it was really too small for her, but she was a healthy adult.

Aliza

Thank you Aliza. I sit on my couch with a pair of binoculars to watch how he’s doing. I keep track of his licks. I’ve convinced my wife to bring live crickets and worms into the house. And now she’s even handled a worm to try and catch the intruder.

I’ll catch him one of these days but if I can get some dusted crickets in him tomorrow and he drinks another big pot of juice then I’ll leave him where he is for a little while longer. Tons of warmth and sun throughout the day and out of the way of the humans.