Completeleopard
New member
Hello,
How's your Leo's?
How's your Leo's?
Fearing the worst...
- Thread starter MommyShanna
- Start date
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Hi MommyShanna ~
How have things been going for you all?
How have things been going for you all?
MommyShanna
New member
Thanks for all your advice... but I'm very sorry to report that we lost Allie yesterday. She spent all afternoon Sunday in her water dish soaking. I got her out for her feedings, and she would crawl right back in. Isolation and improving her temps had helped her appetite quite a bit- in the last week she had actually eaten a couple meal worms and one tiny cricket. She was no longer fighting the syringe feedings, occasionally opening wide for them. I do not understand why the sudden turn for the worst =-/ She ate her supper around midnight and spent a few minutes active in her tank Sunday night... then crawled back in her water bowl to sleep. At 6am, she was moving around the tank again, she got up to greet me when I checked on her. At 10am, she was laying belly up- it looked like she had fallen from her favorite perch on top of her cave (beside her water bowl).
Her 2 more sickly previous tank mates are now in a 20gal tank, and the healthiest of the bunch still in the 10gal. I hope to save them. I can't say their appetites are great, but they are still drinking and eating a bit...
Her 2 more sickly previous tank mates are now in a 20gal tank, and the healthiest of the bunch still in the 10gal. I hope to save them. I can't say their appetites are great, but they are still drinking and eating a bit...
Completeleopard
New member
Very sorry of your loss, may she rest in peace.
Any chance of pictures of the others?
Any chance of pictures of the others?
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
MommyShanna ~
Thanks for sharing Allie's passing. You helped her a lot in her very fragile condition. Now she has crossed that Rainbow Bridge.
Good wishes for the health of your three other leos.
:idea: If we can be of help, please let us know.
Thanks for sharing Allie's passing. You helped her a lot in her very fragile condition. Now she has crossed that Rainbow Bridge.
Good wishes for the health of your three other leos.
:idea: If we can be of help, please let us know.
Completeleopard
New member
Hello,
Have the other Gecko's been eating OK ?
How have they been acting? (Lethargic etc)?
What are your temperatures at?
Have the other Gecko's been eating OK ?
How have they been acting? (Lethargic etc)?
What are your temperatures at?
MommyShanna
New member
My other 3 aren't eating well, but I just did tank upgrades (now 2 in one 20gal, one alone), and I'm having to tinker with heat bulbs trying to get everything settled. I'm keeping the temps about 75 on the cool side (and at night) with the warm side being about 86. I'm ordering dual dome lamp fixtures so I can switch between a 100watt bulb during the day (keep closer to 90 tank temp, 85 warm hide) and a 75watt night bulb so the warm side won't dip below 80
MommyShanna
New member
I've also added a digital thermometer and humidity monitor that alarms at me if the temp drops below 75 or humidity below 40%. If I hear the alarm, I immediately tinker with the lamps to adjust. I'm still having problems keeping humidity up in the 10gal warm hide, so I replaced it today to match the cave that seems to do well for the other tank.
Completeleopard
New member
Do you have a Under Tank Heater? 86 is too low temperature for your Leo 
The moist hide needs to be moist, don't worry about it being humid in the warm hide!
Connect the UTH to a thermostat, this will make it easy to maintain temps!
The moist hide needs to be moist, don't worry about it being humid in the warm hide!
Connect the UTH to a thermostat, this will make it easy to maintain temps!
MommyShanna
New member
I have an UTH on the 20gal, but the one on the 10 doesn't seem to be working very well at the moment. Pet store was out of the 10gal size, so I may have to order online and use a standard heating pad for a couple days until it gets here. Like I said, I'm not happy with temps since I tried moving things around. I bought stronger heat bulbs today. I'm hoping to have my temps back up in the 85-90 range by tonight
Completeleopard
New member
OK, I can understand how this is stressful for you! Are you lamps on thermostats?
Be careful with moving everything around a lot, your Leo's will be stressed as it is, more stress will just make their immune systems weaker.
Be careful with moving everything around a lot, your Leo's will be stressed as it is, more stress will just make their immune systems weaker.
JIMI
New member
You also want to be careful that you don't raise the air temps too high trying to raise the floor temps with the heat bulb! A strong heat bulb in a 10 gallon is a bit concerning. Are you monitoring the air temps as well?
Completeleopard
New member
It will be best to:
Have a UTH connected to a thermostat to get floor temp correct.
Connect a ceramic heat emitting bulb connected to a dimmer to get the air temps correct.
Recommended temps.
Recommended temperatures for all leos regardless of size
88-93 F (31-34 C) ground temp at warm end inside the warm dry hide
no greater than 85 F (29.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the warm end
no greater than 75 F (24.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the cool end
Have a UTH connected to a thermostat to get floor temp correct.
Connect a ceramic heat emitting bulb connected to a dimmer to get the air temps correct.
Recommended temps.
Recommended temperatures for all leos regardless of size
88-93 F (31-34 C) ground temp at warm end inside the warm dry hide
no greater than 85 F (29.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the warm end
no greater than 75 F (24.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the cool end
MommyShanna
New member
Spot And Pipi Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
Spot and Pippi (less than pleased that I yanked their warm hide up to take this pic)
20gal Setup Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal From Top Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal setup from side and top
I replaced the corner cave I took for the 20 in the 10, so now the 10g for Kitty is set up exactly the way it used to be.
My temp ranges are:
73-87 air tem 10gal
76-90 air temp 20gal
Digital probes reading 80 (20) and 79 (10) in warm hides, but both hides FEEL warmer than air... Anyone have experience with All Things Living brand thermometers? Wondering if they're inaccurate.
My air temps are monitored by both digital and analog side of the tank thermometers, so I feel they're pretty accurate.
Spot and Pippi (less than pleased that I yanked their warm hide up to take this pic)
20gal Setup Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal From Top Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal setup from side and top
I replaced the corner cave I took for the 20 in the 10, so now the 10g for Kitty is set up exactly the way it used to be.
My temp ranges are:
73-87 air tem 10gal
76-90 air temp 20gal
Digital probes reading 80 (20) and 79 (10) in warm hides, but both hides FEEL warmer than air... Anyone have experience with All Things Living brand thermometers? Wondering if they're inaccurate.
My air temps are monitored by both digital and analog side of the tank thermometers, so I feel they're pretty accurate.
MommyShanna
New member
Spot And Pipi Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
Spot and Pippi (less than pleased that I yanked their warm hide up to take this pic)
20gal Setup Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal From Top Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal setup from side and top
I replaced the corner cave I took for the 20 in the 10, so now the 10g for Kitty is set up exactly the way it used to be.
My temp ranges are:
73-87 air tem 10gal
76-90 air temp 20gal
Digital probes reading 80 (20) and 79 (10) in warm hides, but both hides FEEL warmer than air... Anyone have experience with All Things Living brand thermometers? Wondering if they're inaccurate.
My air temps are monitored by both digital and analog side of the tank thermometers, so I feel they're pretty accurate.
Spot and Pippi (less than pleased that I yanked their warm hide up to take this pic)
20gal Setup Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal From Top Photo by MommyShanna | Photobucket
20gal setup from side and top
I replaced the corner cave I took for the 20 in the 10, so now the 10g for Kitty is set up exactly the way it used to be.
My temp ranges are:
73-87 air tem 10gal
76-90 air temp 20gal
Digital probes reading 80 (20) and 79 (10) in warm hides, but both hides FEEL warmer than air... Anyone have experience with All Things Living brand thermometers? Wondering if they're inaccurate.
My air temps are monitored by both digital and analog side of the tank thermometers, so I feel they're pretty accurate.
Completeleopard
New member
Hello,
How are your Temp's now?
How are your Temp's now?
MommyShanna
New member
20gal air temps ranging from 75 cool to 90 warm with the warm hide being 87 (the All Things Living brand thermometer IS inaccurate! Switched to a zoomed probe and got 10* warmer!)
10 gal is ranging 70 cool to 86 warm air and 86 in the warm hide. Kitty ditched the warm hide and moved into the cool side all day.
10 gal is ranging 70 cool to 86 warm air and 86 in the warm hide. Kitty ditched the warm hide and moved into the cool side all day.
Completeleopard
New member
Unfortunately that is too warm, have you got an UTH and thermostats for your heat lamps and UTH yet? The reason your Leo's on the cool side is most likely because the air Temp's are too warm.
MommyShanna
New member
I swear this is driving me batty! I've never had such a battle with temps!
The 20gal apparently needs a 50watt heat bulb because 75 is running it up into the low 90s on air temps, but the 10gal is holding steady between 85&86 on the warm side with a 75watt. I had to add TWO 10-20gal sized UTH to get the warm hide to settle at 84-85 (mild fluctuations of a degree or two depending on if AC is on... Not sure why since they aren't near a vent, but I finally figured that out)
I do not have a thermostat, and the folks at the pet store looked at me blankly when I asked for one... Any suggestions on what to order online?
I was excited to find calci-worms (which I was told are Phoenix worms) at the store, but they're all dead Looks like I'll be taking those back tomorrow.
Pippi (in the 20gal) did come out to be social while I was changing bulbs this evening- she ate 4 meal worms, but neither Spot (her tankmate) nor Kitty (10gal) would talk about eating.
The 20gal apparently needs a 50watt heat bulb because 75 is running it up into the low 90s on air temps, but the 10gal is holding steady between 85&86 on the warm side with a 75watt. I had to add TWO 10-20gal sized UTH to get the warm hide to settle at 84-85 (mild fluctuations of a degree or two depending on if AC is on... Not sure why since they aren't near a vent, but I finally figured that out)
I do not have a thermostat, and the folks at the pet store looked at me blankly when I asked for one... Any suggestions on what to order online?
I was excited to find calci-worms (which I was told are Phoenix worms) at the store, but they're all dead
Looks like I'll be taking those back tomorrow.Pippi (in the 20gal) did come out to be social while I was changing bulbs this evening- she ate 4 meal worms, but neither Spot (her tankmate) nor Kitty (10gal) would talk about eating.
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
I swear this is driving me batty! I've never had such a battle with temps!
The 20gal apparently needs a 50watt heat bulb because 75 is running it up into the low 90s on air temps, but the 10gal is holding steady between 85&86 on the warm side with a 75watt. I had to add TWO 10-20gal sized UTH to get the warm hide to settle at 84-85 (mild fluctuations of a degree or two depending on if AC is on... Not sure why since they aren't near a vent, but I finally figured that out)
I do not have a thermostat, and the folks at the pet store looked at me blankly when I asked for one... Any suggestions on what to order online?
I was excited to find calci-worms (which I was told are Phoenix worms) at the store, but they're all dead
Pippi (in the 20gal) did come out to be social while I was changing bulbs this evening- she ate 4 meal worms, but neither Spot (her tankmate) nor Kitty (10gal) would talk about eating.
Here's a link for Phoenix worms online: http://www.phoenixworm.com/servlet/StoreFront
I recommend and use a Hydrofarm MTPRTC thermostat available from Amazon for about $35. It has a small metal probe and a digital readout. Tape a digital thermometer's probe to the thermostat's probe and keep under the warm dry hides. That will verify the readouts.
How are you doing for actual ground coverage of your UTHs? Irrespective of the gallon size on the package, good to have the UTH be 1/3 the length of the enclosure and as close to the width as possible.
If you need to tweak the overhead heating, either get a dome with an inline rheostat or use a Lutron rheostat.
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