Help with Weight of my Leo please?

[JessJohnson87]

I'm confused. Use Calcium with d3 2 times a month and reptivite without d3 every feeding or the other way around?

 

[CWilson13]

While feeding only the Phoenix worms (which don't eat) or the hornworms (which eat a special chow), I would very lightly dust some prey with D3 Reptivite 1x per week. When you move to a different feeder that is not calcium rich and that consumes the beardie food 24/7, then I'd dust with D3 Reptivite 2x per month and D3 calcium the other 2 weeks per month. I'd alternate:

• 1st week: D3 Reptivite
• 2nd week: D3 calcium
• 3rd week: D3 Reptivite
• 4th week: D3 calcium

/\ all very lightly dusted

This was posted by Elizabeth in #55. Obviously I had to cut some irrelevant (to the current topic) parts out.

 

[CWilson13]

Side question real quick; Does anybody else notice if their Leo(s) seem to retreat away from food if the insect touches them? Apollo does this when they touch his feet, almost with an "Eww it touched me" expression, and just now he spit out one that looked like the feet had reached down to his chin.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Oh ok. So one time per week with the calcium with d3. I only have calcium with d3 right now and I feed the dubias the beardie food.nd

 

[CWilson13]

That's the same thing I give the Supers and Dubias. I add some collard, mustard, and turnip greens a day or two before I know I'm going to sacrifice them to Apollo.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Ok. I dusted 2 of the roaches tonight and fed him a hornworm, so should I dust again next feeding or no. That's what I'm confused about lol.

 

[CWilson13]

I would say no, since you obviously feed Ziggy more than once a week. Next Tuesday's feeding or so should be fine.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Ok, now I understand better, gut loaded insects = dusting with calcium+d3 once a week. Need to go into a coma and catch up on my sleep to quit having blonde moments.

 

[SamTheGecko]

Well I have a 8 in female and she is 79 g but that's a bit hevy! anywhere from 60-80 is awesome just feed something fatty every week as a treat! maybe butter worms and waxworms....

 

[CWilson13]

Apollo is slowly gaining weight, he is now around 56-58g [MENTION=56589]SamTheGecko[/MENTION] but thank you! Out of curiosity, how old is your female?

 

[CWilson13]

If all it took me to stop having blonde moments was sleep... Well I am about 5yrs behind schedule then lol

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

#54

So, I picked up some Hornworms for Apollo at the Manchester Expo. Also got to meet Aliza Sadly it got very crowded in there and I do not do well in crowds so I ended up leaving after just a couple hours of browsing.

Anyhow, along with the Hornworms I picked up the Zoo-Med Reptivite. Thought I had grabbed the No D3 one but alas... With D3. So, my questions are;
1. Should I dust the hornworms with anything (I have calcium, calcium with D3, reptivite with D3)
2. Is it ok to still use the Reptivite w/ D3 2x a week for Apollo since he is getting so much Calcium from his Primary food of Phoenix worms?

#55

......

Reptivite contains calcium too. However, I think using Reptivite 2x per week provides too many vitamins.

While feeding only the Phoenix worms (which don't eat) or the hornworms (which eat a special chow), I would very lightly dust some prey with D3 Reptivite 1x per week. When you move to a different feeder that is not calcium rich and that consumes the beardie food 24/7, then I'd dust with D3 Reptivite 2x per month and D3 calcium the other 2 weeks per month. I'd alternate:

• 1st week: D3 Reptivite
• 2nd week: D3 calcium
• 3rd week: D3 Reptivite
• 4th week: D3 calcium

/\ all very lightly dusted

Nice picking up some hornworms! If they are a good size to eat right now, are you set up to keep them @ about 55*F 24/7 so they don't grow huge?

The reason I recommended the above schedule, Cory, is that you picked up D3 Reptivite by mistake at the Manchester Expo. I really prefer Zoo Med's D3 Repti Calcium and Zoo Med's no D3 Reptivite. The reason why is that I prefer to use D3 Repti Calcium 1x weekly and no D3 Reptivite 2x per month (or alternate weeks). This schedule is IF you are feeding insects or worms with Zoo Med's Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food 24/7.

• 1st week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x+ no D3 Reptivite 1x
• 2nd week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x
• 3rd week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x + no D3 Reptivite 1x
• 4th week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x
• (no 5th weeks allowed) ;-)

 

[CWilson13]

I'm following the first schedule since I am feeding the beardie food 24/7... Now though I have a schedule for when Amazon finally (it has been over a week since ordered) delivers the no d3 Reptivite.

 

[JessJohnson87]

The reason I recommended the above schedule, Cory, is that you picked up D3 Reptivite by mistake at the Manchester Expo. I really prefer Zoo Med's D3 Repti Calcium and Zoo Med's no D3 Reptivite. The reason why is that I prefer to use D3 Repti Calcium 1x weekly and no D3 Reptivite 2x per month (or alternate weeks). This schedule is IF you are feeding insects or worms with Zoo Med's Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food 24/7.

• 1st week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x+ no D3 Reptivite 1x
• 2nd week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x
• 3rd week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x + no D3 Reptivite 1x
• 4th week: D3 Repti Calcium 1x
• (no 5th weeks allowed) ;-)

Thanks for clarifying that for me as well. Don't want to OD Ziggy on d3

Also Cory, I just went 38 hours without sleep so my brain is fried.....

 

[CWilson13]

38 hours?!? Why on Earth would you do that, you definitely need sleep Jess. Tell little man to watch Ziggy and write down everything he does lol jk obviously, as a parent I know not only how that would turn out, but how irresponsible it is.

 

[JessJohnson87]

LOL, no the hubby was in port and was 12 hours ahead so Skype at 1-3 in the morning and I didn't sleep at all Sunday night and finally went to bed Monday night. I've done it before, used to work night shift at a nursing home and go to school all day with no sleep. I feel refreshed today though and my son would not feed the gecko, he won't let him crawl on his arm or hang out on the bed with him, we're still working on that.

 

[CWilson13]

I remember when i was able to work two jobs and not sleep... Glad those are only memories now lol
Still a bit nervous can be a good thing. It gives him time to learn more about how to handle Ziggy and how to take care of him.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Yes! The guinea pig was supposed to help him learn responsibility of another creature but alas, I'm the one that takes care of her to. It's funny though bc the guinea pig loves my husband more than me....traitor....

 

[CWilson13]

That's funny, my wife refers to her cat as a traitor too. Same reason, except I usually am the one who feeds him. Though she did take him to get "fixed" so he may have some underlying resentment lol

 

[Zux]

Hey guys,

So on the subject of Phoenix Worms, you guys talking about them earlier reminded me I meant to share something with you guys.

Long story short I ordered some for the first time, medium size and was shocked at how small they were, many barely visible in the container. My Gecko who normally has a very strong feeding response barely noticed these guys even in large numbers, so I started to dig around about what I could do to grow these guys on a little.

Now I am aware certain retailers of the Black Soldier Fly Larve (those branded "Phoenix Worm" in particular) urge us not to feed the worms once we get them but that never made much sense to me if you can careful about what they are fed and change their media as needed, they are in fact known for their strong antimicrobial properties, including lipid coated viruses, coccidia, clostridium and protozoa.

So anyways I found a thread on the bearded dragon forums (I don't have a Dragon Im just obsessed with obtaining, breeding and learning about all the different kinds of feeder insects) made by a girl who had the same problem as me and found a VERY effective solution to help the worms grow and thrive.

My once tiny worms are now over an inch long and 3/4 of an inch wide and are multitudes of times more active and healthy looking. This process took just over a week to do and they are still growing as we speak.

If it is something you guys might be interested in I will update my own Leo's thread with details on how I do it, just let me know.


- Shane