#Hi its me again I have a few questions.

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

gentle finch
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I have made a post or two but i have a few more question

arctic socket
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what's up

gentle finch
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oh hi

arctic socket
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also did the store actually give you an age? 😮

gentle finch
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8 months!

arctic socket
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oooh! He looked like an adult to me so i gave you the wrong dusting schedule last night 😭

gentle finch
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Ohhh

arctic socket
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ANYWAYS what's your questions lmfao

gentle finch
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He isnt that big it was a close pic

arctic socket
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(i'll send the correct one in a second)

gentle finch
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so my mom obv thought the worker was right so hes staying with the carpet

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will he be okay?

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We are gonna get him a dig box when hes an adult so in around 8 months

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but not the whole floor]

arctic socket
gentle finch
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oh

arctic socket
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besides holding bacteria because it cannot be truly cleaned, they can get their nails and teeth stuck in it

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and hurt themselves

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paper towels will be your safest option if you cannot do loose substrate

gentle finch
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1 sec

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but would he be okay with the carpet i just dk if hell be okay

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ill send a close pic of the original box rq

arctic socket
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We've said no it's not safe

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It's a health hazard

gentle finch
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ok

arctic socket
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!repticarpet

limber totemBOT
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If you are set on using a solid substrate (even just for part of the enclosure), repticarpet is not a good option.

Repticarpet has several issues. The first is that it holds onto bacteria and therefore must be cleaned very frequently or it will become a hazard. Once a week minimum with soap. This is difficult because it is both time consuming to wash it frequently and to wait for it to dry (which takes quite a while).

Repticarpet is also prone to getting teeth and nails stuck. This issue may be noticed less in new carpets, but as you continually clean it and it undergoes normal wear and tear from being in the enclosure, the fibers become more loose and will likely start catching on teeth and nails frequently. You can trim fibers that appear more loose as time goes on, but this will not entirely negate the issue. Getting teeth or nails stuck is dangerous for your leopard gecko since, at the very least, it is stressful for them, and at the worst, it can lead to injury.

Repticarpet is also very unnatural in general and not enriching for your gecko. If you plan to use partial or full solid substrate, rock tiles are a far better option.

Note: sand mats, which are often seen as a more natural counterpart to Repticarpet, should also not be used for some of the same reasons.

gentle finch
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so i have a ritile carpet right?

arctic socket
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yes

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tiles from a hardware store are also an option but paper towels are far cheaper and easier to clean

gentle finch
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he hasnt seemed to get stuck yet

arctic socket
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It’s not a matter of if he has it’s a matter of he can and it’s a risk qvq

gentle finch
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if im not able to get substrate for him would he die? Ive seen people with the repticarp on yt and their geckos seem healthy?

arctic socket
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Besides your mother is there a reason why you don’t seem to want to use paper towel?

arctic socket
gentle finch
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1: Because she would think its a waste of money to take out the carpet
2: She listens to whatever a worker says

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its mostly just her not wanting to not listen to a worker

arctic socket
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I see.

gentle finch
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i sent her the vid

arctic socket
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Also YouTube is not a good source for information just as a future heads up qvq most of them support outdated care

gentle finch
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oh okay

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also he doesnt come out much

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of his hide

arctic socket
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He’s new so that’s normal

gentle finch
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ok

arctic socket
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It’s stressful being in a new place

gentle finch
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he also hasnt drank anything

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i have a water pool for him so he can drink or if he wants sit in it to cool down

arctic socket
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So! With leopard geckos they get most of their hydration from feeders who have been gutloaded (which is feeding them with veggies and such!) we still provide them water to drink but I’ve rarely seen mine actually use their bowl

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They also aren’t an animal who actually soaks commonly. If your leopard gecko is frequently soaking there may be something wrong with the temperatures and such

gentle finch
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Heres some tank pics btw

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im getting him some more plants and another hide

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i need to feed him veggies?

arctic socket
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The insects not him

gentle finch
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OHHH

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Ohkay

arctic socket
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You feed the insects something like baby carrots

gentle finch
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yeah

arctic socket
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And then feed the bugs to him

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C:

gentle finch
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i feed crickets these water orange things and roaches carrots

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and mealworms dont get to eat

arctic socket
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All bugs need to eat lmfao

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They can all eat carrots

gentle finch
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oh okay also

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is there anything else i can do to my tank to improve it?

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Also shes said no to these

dapper comet
gentle finch
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1: Thermostat
2: Substrate (I asked again)
3: New UVB as she googled it and shell beleive anything

dapper comet
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Talking about a leo?

gentle finch
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ye

dapper comet
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No 😭

gentle finch
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is he okay with 10. uvb?

arctic socket
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No

dapper comet
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Pls research diets n needs before getting an animal

arctic socket
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They’re 13

dapper comet
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Oh okok

gentle finch
dapper comet
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Have you linked him the guide ?

gentle finch
gentle finch
arctic socket
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I’m not sure what else I can offer your mother besides offering her to talk with one of our breeders here or members who work in the pet store field. We have sent the guide yes and it has the most up to date information

gentle finch
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i read most of it but my mom is paying for most my stuff

arctic socket
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The one downside to the internet is that anyone can post something and a lot of information is outdated because of it

gentle finch
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what if he stays with a 10uvb?

arctic socket
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Most websites don’t follow scientific data and still post information from 20 years ago

gentle finch
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would he die?

arctic socket
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UV burns are a thing iirc but let me double check on that

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And he really needs a thermostat because an unregulated heatsource is a major health risk

dapper comet
gentle finch
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oh

arctic socket
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Empeon please disclaim what you say.

dapper comet
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More about fungus and bacteria/ infection

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Fuck didnt i ?

gentle finch
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w

dapper comet
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Sorry I'm not a professional, I own geckos so I only talk about experience

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Apologies for not clarifying it before, I'm hopping between conversations

gentle finch
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its ok

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He also has alot of shade so if he gets hot he could move

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one side of the tank is cool with no lighting the other has heat and uvb

arctic socket
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One question. Is your mother willing to pay to take the animal to a vet if something happens to it

gentle finch
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she would

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she loves animals

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she would rly do anything to keep one alive if it gets sick

dapper comet
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The carpet stuff is more expensive on the long run, since you'd have to disinfect it regularly due to feces and insect remains building up bacteria

gentle finch
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and i mean if he GETS sick

arctic socket
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Without buying the proper uvb , heat regulations and substrate the gecko could get injured and yes it could die

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Burns are not something to be risked, necrosis is not something to be risked. Everything we’ve suggested it to keep the animal safe

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You have no way of telling how hot your actual bulb is getting which could accidentally lead to the gecko being burned because it ends up being too hot

gentle finch
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is their anyway i can lower the uvb without a new one? such as putting a black screen under it?

arctic socket
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Turn it off. And get supplements to dust with

dapper comet
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Also most decoration I see are rock stuff and they get extremely hot

gentle finch
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rn she tells me "The people that have soil probably have to take the gecko to the vet to unclog its throught after it accidentally eats the soil"

dapper comet
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Not rock but like- heat substracting stuff

arctic socket
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I will be blunt in the fact that most reptile store workers have 0 fucking knowledge on updated husbandry. And only suggest what they sell because it makes money or it’s something they heard years ago and think it’s still okay to use.

gentle finch
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yeah she doesnt beleive me

arctic socket
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With proper husbandry and care loose substrate will not harm your gecko. We have countless people here who have had their animals on it for years and they are perfectly healthy because their care is correct

gentle finch
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i also could use my own money, ive been saving for a laptop but i think it would be better to use on him

arctic socket
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It would

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The laptop is fun but his health and care is more important now that you have him

gentle finch
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how can i tell her he wont choke on the soil

dapper comet
dapper comet
limber dawn
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We can't replicate their soil a 100% yet but what we have currently is close.

dapper comet
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It shouldn't be free eating from soil

gentle finch
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yeah but i mean the crickets run freely and he catches them

limber dawn
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They can easily pass the soil we recommend with proper overhead heating.

dapper comet
gentle finch
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i could tell u how hot the light is rq

limber dawn
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What tool are you using to figure that out?

gentle finch
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a thermometer

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where should i mesure the heat from?

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floor up to the light?

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rn in the 95-102 range

limber dawn
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Send a picture first.

dapper comet
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Infrared thermo or traditional one?

gentle finch
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k 1 sec

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idk she said no to substrate all about "🤡 impaction"

dapper comet
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Easy:paper towel

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Or- no substrate

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Ja?

gentle finch
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thats the thing she said no to all that

dapper comet
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Mama mia

gentle finch
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All she says in inpaction and no soil

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so idk what to do

dapper comet
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You cant get a refund can you ?

gentle finch
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no we cut it to fit the tank

limber dawn
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Can you show her the guide?

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That has scientific sources.

gentle finch
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shes at work rn i will when she gets home

limber dawn
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And have her read through it.

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If you wish for her to talk to one of us then she can.

dapper comet
gentle finch
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Wdym

dapper comet
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Pay her back if thats the issue

gentle finch
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Oh yeah but not rn

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Can u send guide?

dapper comet
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I will vemo you istg

gentle finch
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!guide

gentle finch
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Oop

dapper comet
gentle finch
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ok ty ill show it to her

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i just want him to be okay without a hipocrit not letting me help him

dapper comet
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Btw, geckos love to dig

gentle finch
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ik

dapper comet
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So repticarpet is like

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Antigecko trap

gentle finch
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she said we can get him a dig box when hes 18 months

dapper comet
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It makes me so sad

gentle finch
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ikk

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i love him alot but i just want him to be ok

dapper comet
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He cant get a dig box before that

gentle finch
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yeah

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thats why 18 months

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when hes an adult

dapper comet
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Wtf

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No fucking way

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Do they not dig before that or what ?(sarcastic)

gentle finch
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idk

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i guess they do but a worker said 18 months i have no idea why

dapper comet
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If impaction is the issue she shouldnt be considering a dig box

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Fishy

gentle finch
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yeah

dapper comet
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Do you have a cat ?

gentle finch
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yes

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i close my door

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im allergic so they cant come in

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and now i have him they def cant come in

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y?

dapper comet
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Maybe repurpose the carpet as a scratcher

gentle finch
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its my mom tho

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she wont

dapper comet
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So it doesnt needs to be thrown out

gentle finch
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shes not gonna throw it out

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shes already said no substrate

dapper comet
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Idk what else to say

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Good luck

fluid pebble
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something like textured tile/paper towel will probably be easiest for your mother to transition to since its not loose. it also isn’t recommended to have loose substrate unless your heating/temperature situation is following that of the guide so before any talk of loose substrate id assure other husbandry aspects are able to be taken care of since it seems she makes the decisions.
if you have any further questions flops please ask here

gentle finch
gentle finch
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tyy

fluid pebble
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you could also bring up the fact there might be potential vet bills with the use of carpet since they can get stuck to it and potentially have necrotic toes. sometimes those types of conversations will persuade a parent into changing it since its their finances that would be used

gentle finch
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Ive tried but of course all workers that work at a tropical fish and reptile store know everything about a certin species

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in quotes

gentle finch
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why no😭

dapper comet
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Sorry reminded me of exactly the shop i go at hahah

gentle finch
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LOL

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Im from the US

dapper comet
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Worth the shot

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Ive had a lot of crazy coincidences

tacit sandal
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i work at petsmart if she'll listen to me.

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fed also used to work there, iirc so did red.

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some others here work at petco, dont remember who

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but yknow.

as someone whos in charge of cleaning reptile carpet every week, its absolutely filthy.

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i feel bad for any reptile that has to step on it.

gentle finch
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We are getting him texture tiles

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@tacit sandal is that ok?

tacit sandal
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paper towel is literally so much better and easier

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not sure why yall would rather spend more money than just use paper towels

gentle finch
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It's not me it's her 😭

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But is it better than the carpet?

tacit sandal
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what kind of texture?

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is it soft?

gentle finch
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Thus is the farthest I could get her to budge

arctic socket
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!substrate

gentle finch
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What should we get?

arctic socket
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make sure it's like what the first image suggests

gentle finch
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We didn't get yet

arctic socket
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non slippery, shiny coated tiles

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rough textured slate stone tiles etc

gentle finch
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Should we get rough like sand

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Ok

tacit sandal
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not rough like sand lol

arctic socket
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you mainly just wanna avoid the tiles like you would have in your home. the coated kind

gentle finch
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Yeah

arctic socket
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"rough" as in just rock

gentle finch
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Oh ok

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Can I put the repticarpet in his hide?

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Would it be more comfortable

arctic socket
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no he'll be okay without it

gentle finch
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Okay

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Anything we can use it for?

arctic socket
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if you wanna use it around your house somehow sure

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for him though no

gentle finch
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Okay ty

tacit sandal
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repticarpet could work for an art project lol

arctic socket
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maybe a coaster for your drink

tacit sandal
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tank cover lmfao

fluid pebble
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tape to outside of tank for a background perhaps

gentle finch
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@tacit sandal I upgraded his tank, worker said until he's 18 months be weary of the carpet but then use a mix of soil and sand!

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Finally a smart employee

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So he can have soil at 18 months

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Old

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Here's the new cage

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He's exploring rn

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There's alot of places to hide

tacit sandal
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he can have the soil and sand mix when hes out of quarantine only if his heat and temperatures are correct

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that cant be regulated without a thermostat

gentle finch
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it says its 81f and 30% gumidity in the middle

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@tacit sandal

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Is that okay

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on the warmer side its in the 90s on the cooler ints around 80

winged pollen
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NQA still suggest removing the repticarpet for paper towel. As peachy has explained its much safer and its cheap

Is there a humid hide, warm hide, and cool hide?

gentle finch
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yep!

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we also change from 10.0 uvb to a 5.0 uvb

fluid pebble
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what are these temperatures being measured with

gentle finch
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a suction cup thing that goes on the tank

tacit sandal
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thats a thermometer, not a thermostat

gentle finch
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ik

fluid pebble
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what does it look like, i am assuming analog thermometer which is very inaccurate

gentle finch
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ill send

winged pollen
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I was told to remove mine tbh

gentle finch
gentle finch
winged pollen
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Ooh my bad! Those arent what i thought you meant haha, disregard my statement abt it

gentle finch
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oop

fluid pebble
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i cant comment on the brand quality but is it always outside the tank like that? or was it just for the pic

gentle finch
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idk where to put it

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inside or outside

winged pollen
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I thought you meant the circular ones that come with the tank bundles

gentle finch
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ohhh

fluid pebble
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most people recommend one on the cool side, one on the warm side. it goes inside the enclosure

gentle finch
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he seems to like the new plants and hides now

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ohhh

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btw is it normal for him to stay on 1 side alot?

fluid pebble
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the decor is looking good so far great job

gentle finch
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He stays more on the left

gentle finch
fluid pebble
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you just got him right? so yeah

gentle finch
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yes

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also we changed from 10.0 uvb to 5.0

winged pollen
gentle finch
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we also got him some more vitamin things

gentle finch
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will he ever go to cool side or humid

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?

fluid pebble
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also, for basking temperatures you will need a temperature gun. ideally your basking spot should be something like slate/rock which you could easily find outside as long as it isn’t porous and you clean the rock. we have a link in !shoppinglist but there are other brands too

gentle finch
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he stays in this most of the time here

winged pollen
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Id assume so! NQA my two use them when needed or wanted, my female is shy though so she only comes out at night

gentle finch
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in pic top left

winged pollen
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I use slate slabs for my basking spots

gentle finch
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that like stair thing

winged pollen
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Must like it there then. Since he’s new he may take a while to get used to the other hides NQA

gentle finch
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also is it normal that he onlt explores when im not in the toom?

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room

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ill walk in and hes in another part of the cage than his normal spot

winged pollen
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NQA yeah, mine did that for the first while

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We are big scary humans at first haha

gentle finch
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my cat did that when i first got him too

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i guess alot of animals do it

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my tank is more of a tropical vibe idk why but ust the greenery

winged pollen
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I own hamsters and they do too, its just going to take time for the animals to get used to us!

gentle finch
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so when he is done with quarentine the worker that is educated on leos for once said 20%sand and 80%soil?

winged pollen
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NQA i think 70:30 of soil:playsand is most reccomended, it might be 60:40 i forget

gentle finch
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they can digest soil right?

winged pollen
gentle finch
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and also does he look healthy rn i cant tell?

winged pollen
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NQA from what i see he does actually, let me see if i can use the command

gentle finch
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i fixed the carpet btw

winged pollen
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!weight

gentle finch
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he looks healthy!

winged pollen
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For example my two fall into the first middle image tbh

limber dawn
winged pollen
limber dawn
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You're good.

winged pollen
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There it goes again UWAAAH

limber dawn
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I was a bit confused.

gentle finch
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I feed him every 3 days 3 crickes with c powder, 2 gobee roaches, and as a snack everyday 1-2 mealworms

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is that a good diet?

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i feed the bugs too

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carrots and stuff

winged pollen
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NQA how old is he first?

gentle finch
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8 months

winged pollen
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Seems like its alright to me, NQA i fed mine every other day till they were abt a year i think

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NQA whatever they can eat in 15 minutes

gentle finch
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i just feed him alot every 3 days 🤣

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also 2 meal worms as a snack a day is ok?

winged pollen
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I feed my adults once or twice a week

gentle finch
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he will even come out to find them

winged pollen
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NQA im sure thats okay if they’re smaller

gentle finch
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and is okay to let the crickets and roaches run free in the tank when i feed him so he has to catch them?

winged pollen
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NQA since he’s currently on repticarpet id definitely suggest them being in a bowl so he doesnt get any teeth caught

gentle finch
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i put the mealworms in a bowl

winged pollen
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But take my answers with a grain if salt, im not for qualified advice on this but am saying what i know from what ive asked here before c:

gentle finch
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i also put them in his hide so its easier for him to catch them

winged pollen
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I, too, have a parent who believes pet store employees on these things, and I understand the struggle sometimes of trying to convince them about this stuff

gentle finch
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yeah

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thats exactly her 👹

winged pollen
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My dad for me. Then my mom believes him. It took some articles and a lot of pitching in with my money

gentle finch
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I just hope he likes his home

winged pollen
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It took me a year or so, and im still working on the tanks actually, and their husbandry

What matters is that you’re willing to listen and try to improve love_frog

gentle finch
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btw is a 30 gallon tank big enough for him?

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and is it to cramped?

gentle finch
winged pollen
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NQA clutter is good! 40 gallon is the thriving minimum though

gentle finch
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so i need a bigger tank?

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and should i move things around

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on the pics thats how it is rn

fluid pebble
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it is a 36x18x12 right?

gentle finch
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30 gallon and idk else

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if u can tell by pics

gentle finch
fluid pebble
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yes i saw it appears to be that i just wanted clarification if you knew

gentle finch
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idrk

fluid pebble
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if it is that size then upgrading is not a priority rn. floorspace is meeting minimum thriving requirements just lacking the proper height for climbing and could potentially cause problems with uvb being too close/uvi too strong

gentle finch
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5.o uvb

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rn

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5.0

fluid pebble
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what brand? and what type of bulb?

gentle finch
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its a tropical one bulb since it was 5.0 instead of 10.0, no dif except uvb

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brand is

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zoo med

fluid pebble
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i think you sent the wrong link but i assume zoomed reptisun. would have been a red and gold packaging

gentle finch
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no

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all same brand

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zoo med

winged pollen
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this?

fluid pebble
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i know what zoomed is yes

gentle finch
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YES

fluid pebble
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so its a compact bulb

gentle finch
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ye

fluid pebble
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ideally youd want a t5 bulb i dont think i have any charts for the compact version uvi but i can go check if there are any. those bulbs aren’t recommended for reasons stated in !lighting

gentle finch
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yeah my moms not getting anyting else 😩

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we also have d3 supplements

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for him

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so he should get it from that too

fluid pebble
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they arent the most reliable style of bulbs and occasionally have the potential to be dangerous due to this spotty output. is it 13w or 26w

gentle finch
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13

winged pollen
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NQA It would probably be better to not use the uvb bulb you have atm and just supplement more often with d3 especially bc those bulbs arent the greatest also w/ the 12in tank heating/uvb in general can be iffy. There's a supplement/feeding schedule somewhere for gecko w/o uvb iirc.

gentle finch
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ima gt bed but ill be here tmrw!

tacit sandal
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peachy provided a list of things to get in order of importance

gentle finch
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gn!

tacit sandal
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got buried

fluid pebble
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this is all ive got as of charts for that bulb depending on how you have it set up. its not precise unfortunately. leopard geckos are in ferguson zone one which is ideally a uvi of .5-1.5 max. i personally do not recommend that style of bulb and wouldnt use it myself even with a solar meter however but hopefully these charts help

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i do understand parental limitations so i wont be pushy with needing everything exact and perfect as long as a reptiles wellbeing isnt in danger

tacit sandal
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yeah i think there are definitely leos in much more dangerous situations out there. but if youre gonna take anything out of this thread, its gonna be that you need a thermostat over all else

gentle finch
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@tacit sandal Hi hes moving around his cage more with me around is that ok?

tacit sandal
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just means hes getting used to you

gentle finch
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also

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i was trying to feed him a meal worm and he bit the tweezers before i set it down

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is he o?

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ok?

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he didnt seem hurt he just kkept chasing it

tacit sandal
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nqa yes thats just what they do. anything that moves is food

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are your tweezers metal or plastic

gentle finch
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metal

tacit sandal
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ah okay, if he keeps striking the tweezers get rubber tipped ones so he doesnt hurt himself too bad

gentle finch
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but is he ok rn?

tacit sandal
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yes hes fine

gentle finch
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ty

winged pollen
gentle finch
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Hi @tacit sandal again, I have a few more question

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So yk he's 8 months old, all these are coverd with c powder, I feed him 2 meal worms every day, and every 3 days 3 crickets and 3 roaches

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Is that a good diet?

tacit sandal
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so your feeder rotation is great, but youre not meant to be feeding him everyday because hes already 8 months

gentle finch
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@tacit sandal

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How much calcium should i put in his bowl?

tacit sandal
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nqa a little.
i just filled up a bottle cap

gentle finch
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he cant overdose right?

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it has no d3

tacit sandal
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you also dont need to ping me every time you ask a question

tacit sandal
gentle finch
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and also

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nstead of feeding hhim every day with 2 meal worms

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should i feed him every 3 days 3 cricets 2 roaches and 2 mealworms?

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Becausw i would ust ive him worms as a snack

tacit sandal
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nqa yes. better to feed an 8 month old once every few days rather than every single day

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seems like a good amount

gentle finch
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and instead of using his carpet we got a safe liner thing thats textured

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is that ok?

tacit sandal
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can i see?

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liners are generally also not super recommended because they can offgas under heat and uvb

gentle finch
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we didnt get yet

tacit sandal
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okay

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thats good

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dont get a liner