Gold dust unexpectedly had babies - help?

[Elizabeth Freer]

Another update

I've had them lick some RescueCal once a day for the past two days now and there have been no improvements so far The new bulb isn't scheduled to arrive until the 10th.

Also I'm still not 100% sure on what's going on with the toes, if it's the sticky fruit mix that's gluing them together or if that might be involved in their climbing difficulty. It's difficult to try and soak them because of how tiny they are and they keep jumping away when I try to squeeze out water droplets on their feet. But before I've been able to carefully get the toes on one of their feet to separate after wetting them down so I don't believe it's stuck shed holding them together.

I've been keeping them at an ambient temp of around 80F (no basking spot, cages too small) and have a UVB tube light propped up about 8 inches from the lids.

Any UVB tube 8 inches from the lids won't provide much UVB at all.

I'm worried about the mom too.

All 3 gold dusts need adequate UVB rays, if you plan to keep them this way (without powdered D3 supplements). A UVB tube should sit on the screen top with enough shaded space for a gecko to retreat when necessary. Even a top-notch UVB tube should be right overhead. 8 inches from the screen top is much too far away even for the best of tubes (Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0).

Are you keeping them in separate containers? Are the hatchling containers in with the mom?

If the hatchlings are still in the containers you originally pictured I don't see what's preventing them from getting food on their feet. There's just not enough space to romp and play.

Place several layers of wet (wrung out) paper towels on the bottom of their containers.

Are they eating? Try adding a little powdered D3 to their mixed dry diet.

 

[fragment]

The mom is doing great actually, I planned for her so I was able to do research and set up everything properly . The temps are all good and she already has a Reptisun - the only reason the hatchlings didn't was because I pretty much had to rush out and grab whatever I could get at the store and I didn't realize that brand of bulb was *that* much worse. Also the prey she eats are much larger so I don't have a problem dusting those. It's just those teensy little things like fruit flies and pinheads that throw me off.

Her fixture is sitting on top of the lid. I put the hatchlings' eight inches above because it's usually recommended that the UVB sits about 12 inches from the animals, but maybe that was kinda dumb, I dunno...I'll move it lower. All of them are in separate cages and I have the two hatchling cages sitting on the floor of my room with the light fixture propped up with books on each end.

Still working on finding bigger containers that I can still rubberband mesh around the top - I think I might have to move my search online.

But they are eating yup, I've even seen them grab prey a few times. And they're still lively other than the climbing issues

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

The mom is doing great actually, I planned for her so I was able to do research and set up everything properly . The temps are all good and she already has a Reptisun - the only reason the hatchlings didn't was because I pretty much had to rush out and grab whatever I could get at the store and I didn't realize that brand of bulb was *that* much worse. Also the prey she eats are much larger so I don't have a problem dusting those. It's just those teensy little things like fruit flies and pinheads that throw me off.

Her fixture is sitting on top of the lid. I put the hatchlings' eight inches above because it's usually recommended that the UVB sits about 12 inches from the animals, but maybe that was kinda dumb, I dunno...I'll move it lower. All of them are in separate cages and I have the two hatchling cages sitting on the floor of my room with the light fixture propped up with books on each end.

Still working on finding bigger containers that I can still rubberband mesh around the top - I think I might have to move my search online.

But they are eating yup, I've even seen them grab prey a few times. And they're still lively other than the climbing issues

Thanks for sharing! I love details. :biggrin: I'm happy their mom is doing well. Has she a Reptisun 10.0?

I've "heard" that if the UVB tube is doing it's job, that's ALL the UVB that's recommended. In that case dusting with any D3 calcium supplement, especially Rep-Cal with it's 400,000 IU/kg of D3, is overkill and can be harmful. Already the mom is getting good UVB with a Slimline fixture containing the Reptisun tube sitting right on top of her screen!

I just use Reptisun tubes for my Phelsuma barbouri's UVB. I have their Slimline fixtures perpendicular to the length of the tanks with the heat sources separate. (They can access the heat and the UVB rays separately.) They get no other vitamin D3. They do get Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins without D3 at 1 feeding per week. I feed them crickets.

About the hatchlings:

• I recommend "a little more" Repashy's RescueCal+ today and June 9th.
• What about cheesecloth (cloth "netting" from a craft store or cloth on top) to cover a 32 oz deli or a medium Kritter Keeper while the fruit flies are inside? Any of these would contain the ff and still let the hatchlings breathe.
• An advantage to very small crickets is that they don't fly.
• I can't wait till their Reptisun tube arrives on June 10th!
• I use 1/8 inch crickets for some current hatchlings. I put a little powder in the base of a tall deli, add the small crickets, and swirl. I use a tablespoon-size measuring spoon to transfer the crickets to the gecko's enclosure.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

As for the extra care info, I've been misting twice a day. I did attempt to feed pinhead crickets but my order of 250 all ended up dying within 3 days of arriving for some reason and that was basically $20+ wasted. So I'm hesitant to order more in case it happens again so I'm not sure what to do there.

I've been ordering 1,000 1 wo (1/8 inch crickets) from Armstrong's. Have them packed in a cylinder for easy transfer! They do well for 3+ weeks.

• I keep my crickets in an uncovered 56 quart bin.
• Feed them finely ground Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food.
• Also feed them high calcium, low phosphorus, vegetables like collard greens, pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens, mustard greens, turnip greens.
• Place the cricket food on the bottom of the container.
• Then add 2 egg flats torn in half and stacked to provide hideouts for the crickets.
• Layer 2 paper towels on top of the egg flats.
• Thoroughly wet the paper towels under the faucet each night.
• Squeeze out the paper towels before replacing.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

How's everybody doing?

Did your new Reptisun arrive today?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

How is everything going?

 

[Neon_Day_Geckos]

I was just reading another post under the "other day geckos" page, and even though it is a different species, this persons problem sounds very similar to the issue that you described with the toes sticking together. There seemed to be a lot of helpful suggestions in this post about proper nursery set up, so hopefully it will help. Sorry if the link doesn't work.

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/other-day-geckos-lygodactylus-gonatodes-sphaerodactylus/78589-help-lygodactylus-williamsi-babies.html