Nearly 1 year old!

Queso is nearly 1 year old is roughly 10 inches long and weighs 75 Grams.

How do his stats look for a guy his age?

IMG_8777.jpg

I feed him 4 - 6 crickets 6 times per week and alternate dusting between Reptivite without D3 and Repticallcium with D3. He occasionally gets mealworms when I've run out of crickets.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!
 

Loki The Leo

New member
He looks healthy and you're doing a great job. Maybe try to raise his weight to 80 g? What's that white stuff on him? Calcium?
 
He looks healthy and you're doing a great job. Maybe try to raise his weight to 80 g? What's that white stuff on him? Calcium?

The white stuff - He is shedding. He's taking a lot longer than normal with this particular shed.

80 Grams...Wow, I was thinking I was going to be told he was overweight...He's got a nice belly working.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Queso is nearly 1 year old is roughly 10 inches long and weighs 75 Grams.

How do his stats look for a guy his age?

View attachment 46042

I feed him 4 - 6 crickets 6 times per week and alternate dusting between Reptivite without D3 and Repticallcium with D3. He occasionally gets mealworms when I've run out of crickets.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!
Right now Queso may be getting too much Reptivite and too much D3. My vet ONLY recommends using a pinch of Reptivite at 1 feeding per week.

What size is his enclosure?

When Queso reaches 1 yo, cut back his feedings to 3x per week. Feed him more at each feeding if he'll eat more. When he turns 1 yo follow Supplement Schedule 126.

Weekly Schedule 124 for Leopard Geckos 0-12 months old
(without UVB)

Crickets or dubia >> Monday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3
Mealworms >> Tuesday
Crickets or dubia >> Wednesday - lightly dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW human brand calcium) without D3
Crickets or dubia >> Thursday
Crickets or dubia >> Friday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3
Mealworms >> Saturday
No food or free choice >> Sunday

Future weeks:
Continue on since all weeks are identical. . . . . .


Weekly Schedule 126 for Leopard Geckos 18 months old +
(without UVB)

Crickets or dubia >> Monday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3
Crickets or dubia >> Thursday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3
Mealworms >> Saturday - no dusting

Future weeks:
Continue on since all weeks are identical. . . . . .
 
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Right now Queso may be getting too much Reptivite and too much D3. My vet ONLY recommends using a pinch of Reptivite at 1 feeding per week.

What size is his enclosure?

When Queso reaches 1 yo, cut back his feedings to 3x per week. Feed him more at each feeding if he'll eat more. When he turns 1 yo follow Supplement Schedule 126.

Enclosure is 3 x 20 - Photos here.

IMG_8787.jpg
IMG_8788.jpg

Heat lamp and under mat heater on the left and a UVB light on the right. UVB is on a timer for about 12 hours per day.

On teh supplements, should I cut both back to once per week?
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Enclosure is 3 x 20 - Photos here.

View attachment 46047
View attachment 46048

Heat lamp and under mat heater on the left and a UVB light on the right. UVB is on a timer for about 12 hours per day.

On teh supplements, should I cut both back to once per week?
Yes! Definitely cut back both those supplements to all feeders @ 1 feeding per week each! Use both as these schedules recommend. Vitamin D3 is fat soluble. One dose sticks around for several days. Most multivitamins should also be lightly dusted at one feeding per week.

How about adding a warm moist hide and getting most of the heat from an Ultratherm heat mat -- either an 11 x 11 or an 11 x 17?

  1. How often is Queso out absorbing the rays?
  2. Which brand and strength is your UVB bulb?
  3. How tall is your 20 gallon?
 
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Yes! Definitely cut back both those supplements to all feeders @ 1 feeding per week each! Use both as these schedules recommend. Vitamin D3 is fat soluble. One dose sticks around for several days. Most multivitamins should also be lightly dusted at one feeding per week.

How about adding a warm moist hide and getting most of the heat from an Ultratherm heat mat -- either an 11 x 11 or an 11 x 17?

  1. How often is Queso out absorbing the rays?
  2. Which brand and strength is your UVB bulb?
  3. How tall is your 20 gallon?

Ok. Here is my go forward plan on the vitamins - Will dust on Mondays with the "With Calcium" and will Dust on Friday with the "Without Calcium"

Tank is 30 wide by 20 tall

I was mistaken in what i typed.

Heat Lamp is on right side of tank with an under mat heat mat
ExoTerra UVB100 light is on left side of tank - Also have a moist hide on the left side of tank as well.

Queso is generally out and about - I see him on the hammoc and on on top fo the ramp mostly. He also speds some time either inside of or outside of the enclosure that is below the hammoc.

Spends a little time inside of his moist hide...Funny thing with the moist hide - He often kicks dirt out of the hide before he goes in there - Sort of like a dog.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Ok. Here is my go forward plan on the vitamins - Will dust on Mondays with the "With Calcium" and will Dust on Friday with the "Without Calcium"

Tank is 30 wide by 20 tall

I was mistaken in what i typed.

Heat Lamp is on right side of tank with an under mat heat mat
ExoTerra UVB100 light is on left side of tank - Also have a moist hide on the left side of tank as well.

Queso is generally out and about - I see him on the hammoc and on on top fo the ramp mostly. He also speds some time either inside of or outside of the enclosure that is below the hammoc.

Spends a little time inside of his moist hide...Funny thing with the moist hide - He often kicks dirt out of the hide before he goes in there - Sort of like a dog.
Queso looks GOOD! He is well proportioned for his length. From what you describe he is making good use of his entire enclosure!

Often leos have 3 hides: warm dry, warm humid, and cool dry. It's good to have the moist hide on the warm end just like the warm dry hide. When it's mostly closed off it keeps humidity better. Another moist hide substrate is sphagnum moss.

I think it's beneficial to have supplements "balanced" throughout each week like calcium with D3 on Mondays and multivitamins without D3 on Thursdays.

What do you feed Queso's bugs and worms?
 
What do you feed Queso's bugs and worms?[/QUOTE]

I feed him Crickets almost exclusively. Mealworms maybe two to three times per month...Usually when I run out of crickets.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I feed him Crickets almost exclusively. Mealworms maybe two to three times per month...Usually when I run out of crickets.

What I mean is what food do you feed the crickets and mealworms before you feed them off to Queso. If you don't feed them anything, their guts are empty. With full bellies of nutritious food the crickets and mealworms are much more nutritious. Otherwise they're like ravioli with no filling.

I recommend ProGutload diet for them 24/7. It's good without being expensive.
 
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What I mean is what food do you feed the crickets and mealworms before you feed them off to Queso. If you don't feed them anything, their guts are empty. With full bellies of nutritious food the crickets and mealworms are much more nutritious. Otherwise they're like ravioli with no filling.

I recommend ProGutload diet for them 24/7. It's good without being expensive.

Got it. Carrots and Romaine Lettuce
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Got it. Carrots and Romaine Lettuce


Here's a good professionally made dry diet that covers all those basics vegetables can't provide.
Already ground Pro Gutload diet (by Professional Reptiles)
In addition, here's a list of good and better veggies:
"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here is a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers & leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."

Click: #6---Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......Olimpia -- August 2013
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Would I also continue carrots? They need to get hydration don’t they?

Carrots are fine! Crickets need hydration, just not too much.

I keep crickets in 56 quart bins. I place 5 half egg flats vertically back to back, then front to front, etc, to create hiding places for the crickets.

Lay a double layer of paper towels right on top of the egg flats. Once daily thoroughly moisten the paper towels under the faucet and squeeze out excess water.

/\ that can easily be adapted to the cricket container you use.
 
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