Leopard Gecko feeding dish and eating challenges

[MicheleVicchitto]

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Sometimes leos like to eat in private.

1. What dimensions is this enclosure?
2. Did you order non-adhesive shelf liner?

Had I known you planned to buy Arcadia's ShadeDweller lighting so quickly my recs may have been different.

Anyway, a slate substrate or a slate basking area is a superior stone for absorbing heat! Amazon has ~16 x 12 x 0.25 inch slate, coaster sized slate, & something in between.

For link 163 click: Slate Cheese Trays 16" x 12" (11.8 inches = actual width) x 0.3 inch for Leo Substrate . . . . . . Gutler & Odinsmom -- November 2020 (update)

For link 157 click: ***** Best Practices using UVB through mesh with a 20 gallon long enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall for a leopard gecko . . . . . . GU's Marillion, Fran Baines DVM, & Elizabeth Freer -- April 2022 (heat source update) *****

OK the enclosure is 12x30x16.
Yes, I ordered non-adhesive shelf liner, but I'm not 100% determined to use it for him. What he has in there now is ceramic tiles (I had read about having to treat slate because it is porous and that ceramic works just as well).

OK, so what recommendations will change with the ShadeDweller?
1. Does it add any significant amount of heat? The Ultratherm UTH + a CHE was way way too much heat. Is that going to become a concern with the ShadeDweller? (I already have a digital timer for it).

2. Because his enclosure is 16 inches high (versus the 12 inches being discussed in the link you provided), I know I'm going to have to adjust his Calcium D3/Vitamin schedule, but I'm not sure how much. Should the D3 be eliminated entirely? Used every other week? I have the plain calcium carbonate powder as well. Would I use that instead of the Calcium D3?

3. When you say eating when he feels like it, I'm assuming you mean roaches in a dish they can't escape from so that he can eat at his leisure? That's what I'd like to do. Because he seems to be a bit of a grazer. He'll eat 3-4 roaches in a sitting and then he's done.

If I can get things so that the roaches can't get out of his food bowl (so I have some idea of how much he's eating), leaving him a selection of them to nibble on when he's hungry is probably going to be the best way to make sure he's eating enough.

The past couple days, he's been staying in his humid hide a LOT (although he comes out during the night to use his bathroom area). I know this is a food/feeding forum, so if you prefer I set up a question about ShadeDweller under the housing forum, I can do that, but based on the photos, what other suggestions do you have? (I got the ShadeDweller because I hadn't completely realized how dark my desk area is even during the daytime.)

[MicheleVicchitto]

After considering your options, I think Herpin Man's recommendation for a feeding dish is the best option we have.

1. Take a shallow container, ~3 inches tall and ~5-6 inches in diameter.
2. With a soldering iron melt a hole in the lid big enough for Donovan to climb through.
3. Add dubia,
4. Snap on the lid & wait.
5. Please leave bugs in this container even when you're not present

.

Donnie doesn't seem especially about eating in front of me, but he does seem to prefer small meals.

So, the container....basically a plastic lunch container? Or should it be something stoneware-ish to make sure it doesn't tip over when he climbs on it? Maybe a 2x2(ish) opening?

I'm really liking this idea!!

[Elizabeth Freer]

Donnie doesn't seem especially about eating in front of me, but he does seem to prefer small meals.

So, the container....basically a plastic lunch container? Or should it be something stoneware-ish to make sure it doesn't tip over when he climbs on it? Maybe a 2x2(ish) opening?

I'm really liking this idea!!

A plastic container should work fine! I'd find one about 3 inches tall. I think a plastic sandwich container would be too confining.

You might locate it in the cool end up against the corner right where the skeleton head is???

[Elizabeth Freer]

I know this is a food/feeding forum, so if you prefer I set up a question about ShadeDweller under the housing forum, I can do that, but based on the photos, what other suggestions do you have? (I got the ShadeDweller because I hadn't completely realized how dark my desk area is even during the daytime.)

No worries. Stick to this thread.

There's an easy way to add light to your enclosure. Take a Westinghouse 15 watt incandescent bulb, dim it to half power with a Lutron rheostat, place the bulb in a 5.5 inch diameter Fluker's dome, and place it on a timer.

The ShadeDweller won't add significant heat. The ShadeDweller is all about UVB. That's why distance is important. Don't unbox your ShadeDweller until you hear back from RL.

I see you've seen my PM. I'll be back later today.

[MicheleVicchitto]

A plastic container should work fine! I'd find one about 3 inches tall. I think a plastic sandwich container would be too confining.

You might locate it in the cool end up against the corner right where the skeleton head is???

I'll definitely be setting this up over the weekend and I'll post photos once it's prepared.

[Elizabeth Freer]

Have I missed your thermostat? What brand & type do you have?

Is some probe lieing on the floor inside Donnie's warm dry hide? I wonder if you reduce that temp to 90-92*F as suggested in ReptiFiles' Leo Care Guide (linked by Fran), if Donnie would spend time there too.

2. Because his enclosure is 16 inches high (versus the 12 inches being discussed in the link you provided), I know I'm going to have to adjust his Calcium D3/Vitamin schedule, but I'm not sure how much. Should the D3 be eliminated entirely? Used every other week? I have the plain calcium carbonate powder as well. Would I use that instead of the Calcium D3?

Once Donnie is "reliably" basking below his Shadedweller & halogen bulb, switch to Schedule 155.

For link 155 click: UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 155 for leopard geckos 12-18 months old

[MicheleVicchitto]

So, I joined the Reptile Lighting group on Facebook and have added lighting according to the recommendations of Dr. Baines.

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And I added a new food dish set up so Donovan can eat at his leisure.

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And I got to take a couple pictures of him this morning. He still looks like he needs to gain some weight, but I'll be feeding his roaches with Pro Gutload. And now that he can eat when he wants, hopefully he'll fill out the way he should.

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[Hilde]

MicheleVicchitto, I've merged your update thread with this one, since it's basically just a continuation of the original.
There's no need to start a new thread when your question is related to something in a recent thread you started.

[MicheleVicchitto]

MicheleVicchitto, I've merged your update thread with this one, since it's basically just a continuation of the original.
There's no need to start a new thread when your question is related to something in a recent thread you started.

Thank you. And I'm sorry.

[Elizabeth Freer]

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@Herpin Man ~

Your food dish recommendation IS a HUGE hit with Donovan!