Emaciated Gold Dust Help Needed

[Fallingspeaker]

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1. What type finish does the inside of your 8.5 inch shallow dome have: white paint or metallic finish? The metallic finish is more reflective.
2. Have you located Midori-Chan's incandescent bulb on one side of the 10 gallon, so your gecko has a thermal gradient?

The UV Index needs to be just right. Otherwise UVB could damage your gecko's vision. Will you need Zoo Med Reptisun's mini-compact, regular compact, a 5.0 or a 10.0? I don't know how to set up UVB for your GDG within a 10 gallon.

Please join Facebook's Reptile Lighting group. Admin Frances Baines may jump in and let you know how to do it.

The 8.5 is metallic. Yes it’s on one side of tank. He loves basking under it on his high sticks or leaves of the Pothos. I don’t think it’s too hot since he chooses to stay there throughout the day.

I’ve been trying to give him a few pinheads a day. This morning immediately after waking up he climbed into the Plastic cricket Holder looking for more food. So today I decided to feed him till he’s full. He ate about 15 dusted pinheads and abruptly left the container with another one left Inside. So I’m assuming he’s full. I’m building more bamboo perches and bridges as time allows.

He has choices between mango smoothies and papaya smoothies but loves cricket buffets.

[acpart]

If you have a mesh cover for your 10 gallon, you can use a florescent tube which you would place on top of the mesh, and at that height I'd recommend the 5.0.

Aliza

[Fallingspeaker]

If you have a mesh cover for your 10 gallon, you can use a florescent tube which you would place on top of the mesh, and at that height I'd recommend the 5.0.

Aliza

Thank you Aliza. How do I fit the incandescent dome with a tube and cover?

[Elizabeth Freer]

The 8.5 is metallic. Yes it’s on one side of tank. He loves basking under it on his high sticks or leaves of the Pothos. I don’t think it’s too hot since he chooses to stay there throughout the day.

I’ve been trying to give him a few pinheads a day. This morning immediately after waking up he climbed into the Plastic cricket Holder looking for more food. So today I decided to feed him till he’s full. He ate about 15 dusted pinheads and abruptly left the container with another one left Inside. So I’m assuming he’s full. I’m building more bamboo perches and bridges as time allows.

He has choices between mango smoothies and papaya smoothies but loves cricket buffets.

Thanks so much, John! Midori-Chan is thriving under your care.

Perhaps Aliza already does what she's recommending. That would be helpful to know.

Dr. Fran Baines has all the knowledge, skills, and tools she needs to help with your UVB setup. We could get the UV Index rating for GDG, but that's just "half" the worries. The Solarmeter 6.5R which you'd need to measure the rays costs ~$200+.

I wonder why you're hesitant to reach out to Dr. Baines? She helps geckophiles all the time. There are 4 variables I shared above. In addition, Dr. Baines recommends that a linear fluorescent (tube) not reach across the entire length of the tank -- just about 1/2 the length or so. Zoo Med Reptisun's 5.0 tubes measure 17.25 inches long (minus the pins). You'd also need a Slimline fixture for the tube. Amazon sells non-reflective linear fixtures. Still the fixtures would span a 10 gallon's length.

I just wanna be safe rather than sorry. UVB is a science. It's NOT as easy as 1, 2, 3.

[acpart]

Thank you Aliza. How do I fit the incandescent dome with a tube and cover?

Put the cover on the cage, lay the florescent fixture across the top right on the mesh and then put the dome on one side. I'm including a picture taken of my GD day gecko's cage from the top. you can see the metal florescent fixture and the white puck light next to it (the plant to the left is the new home of my repotted jade plant). I know that my enclosure is bigger than a 10 gallon, but with a little creative maneuvering, you should be able to fit both, or else get a smaller dome light.

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[Fallingspeaker]

Thank you Aliza and Liz for all the help so far.

The rehab appears to be working. I’ve dropped his diet to 5-6 slightly bigger pinheads each morning with fruit smoothies always available. He eats about 3-4, and then comes back in an hour to eat the rest. Although he still looks skinny and you can still see his spine, I’ve noticed his tail is getting a little longer and definitely has gotten fatter. It has now matched the girth of his butt. It seems that his new tail stopped growing during the 3-4 weeks of trouble and now all his nutrients is going into growing his tail. He’s starting to wag his tail now too. Before I think it was too small and only cartilage, but with all the extra size he seems to now be able to control it.

We will keep it up with the goal to get his body plump. I’m assuming this will happen after his tail is complete.

He seems super lazy. Eats till he’s full then sleeps all day long in different spots. Though sometimes we catch him jumping around. He’s getting a lot faster when running and jumping into his cricket bowl during breakfast.

[Fallingspeaker]

Midori-Chan has been resting a lot during the day after eating a lot. But tonight he started to shed again. It's only been 13 days since the last shed when he needed help.

I wonder if he's eaten so much and grown so much in the past week.

On another note, there were two other gold dusts in our condo today. One came in from outside, stared at my wife, and then left. The other one is hanging out in a cabinet under our TV. I don't want another rehab.

One pic is the day he shed 13 days ago playing dead in my hand. The second pic was a week later.

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[acpart]

In the second picture the gecko looks a lot better! I kind of wish I had geckos showing up in my house instead of spiders.

Aliza

[Fallingspeaker]

Our gecko ate so much yesterday I thought his stomach would pop. I Wonder if geckos lacks self control. He also pooped in his cricket container twice with crickets still in there so maybe he does lack it.

The intruder gecko hangs out in our house every day now and stares at my wife all day long. She fed him a fruit smoothie and he ate all of it and thanked us by pooping all over. I wonder if it’s his first fruit ever since they all live in a concrete high rise.

[acpart]

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I find that if geckos eat too much (at least with my leopard geckos) they will regurgitate and often "learn their lesson". It sounds as if you're on your way to becoming a day gecko sanctuary!

Aliza