| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| darrkang3l |
Posted - 21/04/2012 : 14:47:03
your crestie seems like a happy chappy and im about to upgrade my leos home to a longer one rather than the tall one shes in and then set it up ready for a crestie now i have some questions if you have the time to answer i will appreciate it ALOT! :D
1. how do you heat the viv? heatmat same as leo and corns or different?
2. how humid do you keep the viv and how do you do so?
3. what substrate do you use?
4. what do they eat and how often?
and finally! do they like being handled? or more of a leave me alone type? .. i know its alot of questions and im sorry :P but i like to do alot of research before getting anything new and hearing it from another person is my best method! :D! thanks |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 26/04/2012 : 01:09:35
Just keep the same temps |
| Kopite_Di1965 |
Posted - 25/04/2012 : 22:19:43
Should I turn the heat mat off at night or keep it at same temps ? |
| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 25/04/2012 : 17:06:31
Dubia c0ckraches, they are more 'meaty' than crickets i think, look like woodlice when small, only since they look like that i can handle them lol. Fudge took AGES to eat crickets, now stalks and pounces on the dubias! |
| Kopite_Di1965 |
Posted - 25/04/2012 : 07:46:36
Thanks again Lotabob :) going I set his tank up properly today :).
Scottishbluebird, I haven't tried Dubias what are they ? I hate crickets and was advised against them as they can nip the crestie :/ I used locusts to feed my bd so i am ok with handling those and as I only intend to give them as a treat 1 per week or so I don't mind them sitting in a box :) x |
| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 25/04/2012 : 01:17:16
quote:
Originally posted by Kopite_Di1965
Lotabob thank you for cool advice, I watched him eat a locust tonight which was cool :) What size heatmat should I have as I think the 1 I have is too big it is 6x11" 7watt do they come smaller ? And should it be at the top or bottom of the enclosure , I was thinking of putting it at the back behind the polystyrene wall climber thing ? So you would recommend using a different substrate like paper towels ? Sorry for all the q's just want to make him happy healthy and comfortable,
If you dont ask questions, you wont learn, i asked my own too, just like you and others we just want the best for our pets, and if any of the advice i have given is wrong, i would certainly want to know so i can correct it!
The locust for cresties, would they be any better nutritionally than dubias, as Fudge prefers the roaches over crickets, (suits me the little gits escape!)i am not keen on bugs, but for Fudge i persevere!
And unlucky on buying, then finding you could have got a better price! |
| lotabob |
Posted - 25/04/2012 : 00:03:01
If its glass then outside is fine and probably better as high humidity will eventually kill a heat mat. The stat probe on the other hand should be inside with the thermometer probe. I have my crestie in a wood vivarium so the mat has to be inside and very well sealed to prevent it dying from moisture getting inside.
When its outside it will create a warm spot on the glass where crestie can sit. I fix my probed with hot glue as its non toxic and sets quick. |
| Kopite_Di1965 |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 23:34:08
Shouldn't the mat be on the outside of the enclosure ? I have had a few pets from them and all have been ok , got the gerbils 3 years ago and are still going strong :) |
| lotabob |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 23:23:35
I wouldn't worry about the substrate unless there is a problem.
I dont think it matters about heat mat size, mats are contact heaters so as long as its big enough for the crestie to sit/dangle on it will be fine.
I dont think P@H are all that bad, they aren't perfect but as big companies go they do OK. Plus a good friend of mine is a manager of P@H and she asks me for snake advice all the time, I'm even set up ready for if any of her snakes dont eat etc they are coming to me to settle. I paid £49 for my crestie from a local shop but this was at a time of year they were like rocking horse muck to find. |
| Georgina |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 23:17:29
suprisingly for reptiles they are not that bad :) and 49 is cheaper than rounder her anyways :) |
| Kopite_Di1965 |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 23:15:42
Lotabob thank you for cool advice, I watched him eat a locust tonight which was cool :) What size heatmat should I have as I think the 1 I have is too big it is 6x11" 7watt do they come smaller ? And should it be at the top or bottom of the enclosure , I was thinking of putting it at the back behind the polystyrene wall climber thing ? So you would recommend using a different substrate like paper towels ? Sorry for all the q's just want to make him happy healthy and comfortable,
Darrkang3l. Thanks :) and Scottishbluebird. Seemed the perfect name really :)
Georgina Stumpy came from the dreaded pets at home , should of been £49 but only cost £39 due to lack of tail , I know lots of ppl dont like the shop but my snake Cilla was from there and has been fine, although after I brought her I found out it was from my daughters friends parents who breed them :/ |
| Georgina |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 19:40:46
i went to look at some cresties yesterday, they were a week old but 85 pounds each! i might look to rehome a male and a female rather than babies. x |
| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 19:38:37
Stumpy is a popular name lately lol
Look forward to pics! |
| darrkang3l |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 17:20:12
quote:
Originally posted by Kopite_Di1965
and lastly sorry to hijack your post darrkang3l :)
no worries :) |
| lotabob |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 17:11:08
Hello Kopite Di, I have a crestie so think I can answer this. The coco bricks are fine and hold humidity well but the easiest way to tell if they are eating is when they poop which when on coco brick is not the easiest thing to spot, most of my cresties poo looks like a mouse dropping with a white end. You'd also need to keep on top of cleaning these up as it will mould quite quickly in the high humidity environment. If the hygrometer is 60% I would suggest raising it slightly, I keep mine at around 80% it helps keep their skin soft and when they shed it comes off cleanly. I keep a heat mat on the side of the enclosure at a constant 25oC, the ambient temp will drop at night as I like to be cold at night and open the windows but he has somewhere warm to go if he chooses, I used to not heat the enclosure at all but he seems to appreciate the option of heat and can go sit on the mat if he wants, I have glued the stat probe and thermometer to the heat mat as that is where the heat actually is and to be honest I dont monitor ambient temps because he has somewhere warm if it gets too cold for him.
You are right, they dont understand water bowls (stupid squishy's) so you need to spray the foliage at least once a day. I wouldn't use baby foods unless its a treat as most contain banana which although its safe for them to eat it binds calcium (or something sciency like that) which can give you problems. I give gecko diet 2 days then 1 day break, they eat a tiny tiny amount as babies maybe 1 or 2 licks so you just wont tell they are eating it other than the pooping and growing bit. I also feed mine calcium dusted bugs and the very occasional Nutrobal dusted bug, they seem to really like dubia roaches but you can also give them crickets, locust, meal worms and wax worms, basically if its smaller than the distance between their eyes in length its safe to feed it to them (you really dont want them choking on it as they swallow bugs whole).
I would leave him about a week before handling, give him a bit of time to get used to his new home and then be prepared for an animal that is like holding a bar of soap that jumps, they are very very quick so be close to the ground should he suicide jump he wont hurt himself. Then the next thing to remember is lots of pictures are required to be posted on here for us to all say aww at.
Good luck, hope that helps. |
| Kopite_Di1965 |
Posted - 24/04/2012 : 15:04:56
hi I have been reading with interest as I have just got my crestie baby, sadly he lost his tail when he was a few days old as he was attacked so we called him Stumpy, I have him in a 30x30x45 exo tank, he has 2 fake plants, a bendy vine and the polystyrene wall which came with it, I also have the type of substrate that comes in a brick and have to put it in water... now I would just like to check I have his set up correct as he dont seem to move around much,I was told they eat pureed food ie baby fruit puree is this ok? again I cant tell if he is eatng, i also have the zoo med gheko food which i make into a paste... his food is in a dish but i only put a teaspoon of food in and I was advised not to put a water dish in as they drink the drops from leaves his hygrometer reads 60 and the temps are at a steady 25 during the day and not below 65 at night without the aid of a heatmat although I do have a mat and thermostat just in case and more for winter, as I live in Wiltshire temps are warmer all round than up North, where should the thermometer probe be, at the top bottom or middle of the tank? mine is in middle where he spends most of the day .. again how long will I need to leave him before handling him, I got him last Saturday , and lastly sorry to hijack your post darrkang3l :)
|
| darrkang3l |
Posted - 22/04/2012 : 13:41:25
quote:
Originally posted by scottishbluebird
I use the dreaded sellotape, since it is on the outside it was ok, as i said not below 20 or over 30, i keep my temps between 23 and 26. dont know if this is any use, this is a weight chart i got from the Dark Side, i added the pic i thought it was cute lol
awesome! thanks for all the advice! just need this breeder to hurry up and contact me!! ahah |
| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 22/04/2012 : 01:52:47
I use the dreaded sellotape, since it is on the outside it was ok, as i said not below 20 or over 30, i keep my temps between 23 and 26. dont know if this is any use, this is a weight chart i got from the Dark Side, i added the pic i thought it was cute lol
|
| darrkang3l |
Posted - 22/04/2012 : 00:38:46
thanks! that's why i am asking you because i have seen vids and pics of fudge and he seems very happy! :D how do you get the heat mat to stick to the side of the viv without doing it permanently? i read that too much heat can be worse than too little heat with these little guys. so do you stat the mat quite low so it never gets too hot? thanks again! xD |
| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 22/04/2012 : 00:31:40
I would like a waterfall! but like you said only for an adult, milk lids do for both food and water dishes, although Fudge now has a jam jar lid for water lol, not all can see standing water, so it is more to help raise the humidity, anything deeper is not ideal for teeny ones.
£25 is an amazing price, i paid £45 for Fudge, £85 is just ridiculous
For a teeny one, i placed the heat mat on the bottom, when is a bigger home, id advise the side as most prefer to be at the highest point, although mine is on the bottom as Fudge splits his time between top and bottom i did move it to the side, but put it back.
The paper towel gets damp when sprayed at night but dries out through the day, i only spray at night when he is awake so he can get a drink, i know others have read when doing research they spray twice a day, personally i find once is fine, he sheds just fine with the humidity as it is, never had any retained shed.
Please ask any questions, but just remember this is my first crestie, but i have to admit that he is healthy and confident so i must be doing ok so far! |
| darrkang3l |
Posted - 21/04/2012 : 23:55:06
brilliant! :) well im currently kitting out an exo terra 60x45x60 over time with a waterfall. sturdy branches and lots of foliage ect ect as my next project! but that would more suit an adult for when i have one! im hoping to get a baby soon! there is a breeder in colchester where i live advertised 3 for £25 each on pre loved. waiting to hear from him. as they are like £85 each in the shops here. how do you place the heat mat? underneath the rub or on the side? and also do you keep your paper towel substrate wet? sorry for all the questions been doing research all day but soo many people say different things! |
|
|
