Young crestie - I have a few questions!

Funk · (#1)

Good evening all, am new to crested gecko ownership and found the forum via Google. As with all fora, I'm sure that buried deep in the archives are the answers to many questions, but I have become a little worried by a couple of things and am hoping to get some swift accurate advice..

I took on my young crestie from a friend of mine as I'd been looking for a pet and a crestie seemed to fit the bill nicely. He's (I presume it's a 'he'!) is in an ExoTerra 'Starter' tank, 45cm x 30cm x 30cm and with the coconut fibre substrate they provide. Temps are fluctuating between 21degC and 27degC (69F to 80F). As I write, it's currently at 23.4degC (74F). We've had some hot weather lately and it's been difficult to keep tank temps down. The hygrometer shows 75% humidity. The tank has a 25w light which mimics moonlight at night. I mist the sides of the glass and plastic hanging plant I've put in there in the morning and again before bed.

Lately a couple of things have concerned me. He wolfs down mini mealworms (which is good) but I'm struggling to find a babyfood he'll eat in any noticeable quantity. Trying a few different ones every few days to give some variety. Obviously I'm using organic stuff with no added anything.

Up until a couple of days ago, turds had been fairly uniform (and conveniently on the glass, so easy to spot and clean up. However, yesterday there was what looked like a mealworm carcass, and some fluid running down from where it was stuck on the glass. I can only assume he didn't pass this properly and regurgitated it. I've kept mealworms as a 'treat', allowing maybe a couple a week (I really want him to get onto the babyfood properly). I also have CGD but I need a littl advice and guidance on how it should be as whenever I've mixed it up, it doesn't look enough like a paste. Does anyone have any pictures showing the correct sort of consistency?

Tonight I noticed that the holes behind his eyes appear to be slightly blocked (as best I can tell - he doesn't stay still long enough to be properly studied). It looks like a slightly cloudy substance. From memory they are normally clear. He's also been somewhat less sociable and less willing to be handled.

I'm guessing something isn't right, but I'm unsure as to where I'm going wrong and also how to rectify it.

Any ideas..? I'm a little concerned for the young chap's well-being.. :-(

Funk · (#2)

Well this is a little disappointing, it seems there's very little happening on this site.

Olivine · (#3)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funk

Good evening all, am new to crested gecko ownership and found the forum via Google. As with all fora, I'm sure that buried deep in the archives are the answers to many questions, but I have become a little worried by a couple of things and am hoping to get some swift accurate advice..

I took on my young crestie from a friend of mine as I'd been looking for a pet and a crestie seemed to fit the bill nicely. He's (I presume it's a 'he'!) is in an ExoTerra 'Starter' tank, 45cm x 30cm x 30cm and with the coconut fibre substrate they provide. Temps are fluctuating between 21degC and 27degC (69F to 80F). As I write, it's currently at 23.4degC (74F). We've had some hot weather lately and it's been difficult to keep tank temps down. The hygrometer shows 75% humidity. The tank has a 25w light which mimics moonlight at night. I mist the sides of the glass and plastic hanging plant I've put in there in the morning and again before bed.

Temperatures sound perfect for a crestie. With regard to the humidity, does it fluctuate at all? 75% is probably too high if it's constant: for my Rhac vivs, I aim for a peak humidity of around 80% immediately after misting, then let it fall over the course of the next day to around 50% immediately before misting again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funk

Lately a couple of things have concerned me. He wolfs down mini mealworms (which is good) but I'm struggling to find a babyfood he'll eat in any noticeable quantity. Trying a few different ones every few days to give some variety. Obviously I'm using organic stuff with no added anything.

Up until a couple of days ago, turds had been fairly uniform (and conveniently on the glass, so easy to spot and clean up. However, yesterday there was what looked like a mealworm carcass, and some fluid running down from where it was stuck on the glass. I can only assume he didn't pass this properly and regurgitated it. I've kept mealworms as a 'treat', allowing maybe a couple a week (I really want him to get onto the babyfood properly). I also have CGD but I need a littl advice and guidance on how it should be as whenever I've mixed it up, it doesn't look enough like a paste. Does anyone have any pictures showing the correct sort of consistency?

Personally, I'd try to wean the littlun off baby food and onto CGD, as problems can arise if you don't get the balance of supplements in the baby food right. What brand of CGD are you offering currently? As a rule of thumb, most brands recommend a powder: liquid mix 1:2-3 (essentially the CGD should be roughly the same consistency as a thin milk shake...or think of Heinz tomato soup).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funk

Tonight I noticed that the holes behind his eyes appear to be slightly blocked (as best I can tell - he doesn't stay still long enough to be properly studied). It looks like a slightly cloudy substance. From memory they are normally clear. He's also been somewhat less sociable and less willing to be handled.

I'm guessing something isn't right, but I'm unsure as to where I'm going wrong and also how to rectify it.

Any ideas..? I'm a little concerned for the young chap's well-being.. :-(

Yes, his ears should be clear: has the littlun shed recently (some geckos can get grouchy around the time of shedding)? Has this cleared at all?

Funk · (#4)

Hi Olivine,

Thank you for replying; I was beginning to wonder whether I was all alone..!

After careful monitoring, it seems that he was indeed shedding - I found the last remnants of it on the tip of his tail the other day. He seems to be much more lively again, up on his legs when he's moving around (as opposed to having his belly on the deck) and tail alert and up. His ears look clear again which is good.

Re. humidity it fluctuates between around 60% and 80%; I'm not going overboard with it, just enough to keep the sides of the terrarium misted so he has fresh water at all times. Re. diet, I think he's looking a little on the thin side and guess he doesn't much like the CGD. I can't remember the brand off-hand but will post it later once I've made his fresh food later tonight. I've been adjusting the mixture with different types of baby food to get him used to it and a varied diet. I've also picked up a few small live crickets. Dusted one in calcium last night and he wolfed it down. I'll have a play with the mix of CGD - I had it looking a little thin I think, but I didn't want to over-cook it with the amounts. I'm not surprised he doesn't like it though, it smells pretty grim to me..!

Pleased to report that his colouration is more back to normal and he seems to be alert and active once again. He's quite small so I'm hoping he'll grow significantly once I get him onto a diet he likes.

Thanks again for the reply.

Olivine · (#5)

Glad to hear that the littlun has perked up: they can sometimes be a tad lethargic and grouchy when they're shedding.

I've found that my Rhacs tend to be more enthusiastic about their CGD if I mix it with pureed melon or mango rather than water (both these have a consistency virtually the same as water when pureed, so mix well with the CGD). You could also try adding a very small amount of Manuka honey to sweeten the mix (literally the teeniest blob on the end of a teaspoon).

imananimeaddict · (#6)

Hello,

I haven't had my gecko that long, but in regards to the CGD i have found that Lashes WONT eat the 1 part mix, it completely refuses and backs away from it.. however i have been experimenting with the two part CGD, with which i have had alot of susses. Lashes willing licks it of my finger or out of the tub

so far i have only tried mango and peach flavors peach is the best so far.

i don't mix it with anything, just 50/50 mix and water, keeps in the fridge for a while. i can't find it locally but sites like sticky feet deliver at a reasonable price

Funk · (#7)

My little guy seems to be ok on the whole, he's still on the baby food/CGD mix. I've also started introducing some mini mealworms and small crickets (both with calcium dusting) to his diet. Oddly enough, I bought some today and I think they might be a little big for him. He certainly didn't go for one and backed away. He's eaten crickets before so it's not that; I just think these might be a little too large. Apparently Cresties know what they can and can't cope with, size-wise.

Starting to think about heat as we head into autumn/winter. I'm going to switch his substrate to moss (as recommended by my local store) and possibly put a stat-controlled heat mat under the moss. I'll let you all know when I've done a little investigating...

Funk · (#8)

Just an update on the above; apparently heat mats aren't the way to go with keeping a crestie's viv warm. I've purchased another half-canopy with a red heat bulb and a thermostat to control it. This is, allegedly, a much better solution.