Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

scottishdragon · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:35 am Post subject: Please help.

I have recently hatched baby Yemen's some are 1 week old now.

Yesterday I put approx 20 size 2 crickets in for the 1 week old chams they went crazy for them and started eating them right away, about half an hour later I noticed 3 of them started to twist their wee bodies and gape with their mouths. Then they went limp and just let go of the branch they were on and hung by their tails. I have spent a sleepless night worrying about my wee babies. When I looked in this morning all seems to be ok but I was really frightened I had hurt the little ones. I understood that the food size offered should not be bigger than the width between the baby chams eyes. The ones I offered I hand picked out of the pack and was sure were smaller than this.

Is this related to the food items being too big?
Any help would be much appreciated.
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3 bearded dragons.
3 leoaprd geckos.
1 crested gecko.
1 pictus gecko.
2 veiled chameleons.
1 blue tongue skink
1 red tail boa.

scottishdragon · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:56 am Post subject: Please Help - The set up's

The setup's we have are as below:
We are using the two Exo-Terra vivs as nursery vivs and planned to move the wee ones into a larger Flexi-Viv once they are a bit older.
The lights you can see in the pic are Euro Zoo Neo Plus pro - 4 colour spectrum UV-A and UV-B emission lamps 60 watt.

This viv contains 20 babies

This one contains the remaining 14 babies.

Please advise if we need to change anything in the light of the problems described in my posting earlier.
_________________
3 bearded dragons.
3 leoaprd geckos.
1 crested gecko.
1 pictus gecko.
2 veiled chameleons.
1 blue tongue skink
1 red tail boa.

kroakykaren · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:49 pm Post subject:

Not sure of the cause but i would stick to fruit fly and pin head crix for a while, size 2s maybe to big. Fruit flys have a soft body and so are easier to digest for the little ones, i have never reared baby yemens but have reared pygmy chameleons and i start them on vestigal winged flys then move up to hatchling crix or fruit flys. Hope this helps you a little i am sure Rick will see this post and add his advice.
Love Karen

Peter Parrot · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject:

Good advice Karen Wink

. The set ups are fine as they are for the time being also. Smile

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Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:20 am Post subject:

Karens advice is spot on. All I would add is that you have some powerful lighting going on there. As long as thye have a good heat gradient so thye can thermoregulate thye will do fine. Size two crixs I would avoid until they are older as thye will be hard to digest at such a young age.

Nice set ups and congrats on lots of wee chams!
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk

scottishdragon · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:04 am Post subject: Thanks once again.

Thanks again for all your advice. I have a basking area of 94f with a cool area at 75/80f As mentioned before I also have a Flexi Viv of 2.5 foot high by 17 ins by 17 ins to move them into when they get a bit bigger and stronger.

This is my first time at breeding baby chams and my nerves are frayed at the edges as I am always concerned for the animal and want to do this right. Compared to my Leo's breeding which is a walk in the park these guys are causing me sleepless nights worrying.

Thanks again for all your help. Will keep you all posted on my progress and the wee ones pic's.

John
_________________
3 bearded dragons.
3 leoaprd geckos.
1 crested gecko.
1 pictus gecko.
2 veiled chameleons.
1 blue tongue skink
1 red tail boa.

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:25 am Post subject:

Sounds perfect, it is obvious you care a great deal good for you! Baby chams can also do well with a slightly lower basking area than adult requirements. maybe even down to 85-88f.

Sounds like you hAd a really good hatch rate to SUPERB!
_________________
www.rickslivefood.co.uk

scottishdragon · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:09 am Post subject:

Thanks I do care a great deal about all my herps and try to do the best for them, at the moment I have another 2 eggs with the wee guys heads poking out with another 6 still looking good. I incubated them at 79f with humidity at 86-94% I find it hard to keep the humidity steady any hints. I use vermiculite as a medium, the incubater I made myself out of a poli box with heat mat, and a pulse thermostat, in there I have 2 trays for the eggs which were about an inch apart, and a hygro in/out thermometer so I can check the temps in the trays as well as in the box itself oh and I have a tray in there filled with damp spag moss just to keep the humidity up. Let me know if this sounds right as my female is about to lay again (she realy is one nice looking cham by the way) Very Happy

thanks again
_________________
3 bearded dragons.
3 leoaprd geckos.
1 crested gecko.
1 pictus gecko.
2 veiled chameleons.
1 blue tongue skink
1 red tail boa.

Rickeezee · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:15 am Post subject:

Well I think the results speak for themselves! You have had great success with your hatchlings, I would keep on the same way. If it's not broke don't try to fix it!

I think regulating humidity is very difficult. IMO you can do no more than you are doing.
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www.rickslivefood.co.uk