Setup Pics and Questions

[Fatal_S]

I moved my fatties into some bigger bins so I could fit more stuff for them. I think I like the size, but I'd appreciate comments and suggestions on the setup. These aren't the final bins, just temporary, I need a rack that's designed for bigger bins (my baby BTS rack is just too small).

Photos:
3-bin setup.

Top view.

Left/dry side:

Right/moist side:

My biggest question is about the moist hides. I modelled the hides after a friend's leopard-gecko-moist-hides. The hole is on the top. So far I haven't seen these girls go into the hides at all. Should I have done side-entry instead? They're also pretty full of moss, should I take some out?

Basically, could you tell me what the ideal moist hide is? And does the moist hide double as a lay-box for breeding?

The dish has some calcium (w/ D3, should I use no D3? I'll go buy some). It also has a bit of dried leopard gecko food (flies) just to see if they'd try them. No go on the flies, but the calcium was either licked up or spread around.

My room is starting to get cold at night (probably under 70). What's too cold for these guys?

I realize most of this is on caresheets, so I'm going to go re-read a bunch now. I'd still appreciate answers, suggestions on what to improve, and any photos of your setups for AFTs.

Many thanks,
Melanie

 

[Carinata]

Fat-Tails are a lot like a Ball Python. They like very small confined spaces, high humidity, and dark area's to hide in. My babies I house in pencil box racks from Reptile Basics. They are 12X3X2. I put damp paper towel and a little hide in there. They do very well with that set up.

For adults I use a 6qt Iris box. Newspaper bedding, a humid hide with either damp paper towel or a peat moss and vermiculite mix. They also are provided a water bowel. Fat-Tails isually don't lick up calcium so I only provide it dusted on their food. I keep them at 92F on the hot side.

They do very well in these small set ups and I've never had any issues getting them to feed or settle in.

It doesn't matter where the hide box hole is. I usually use damp paper towel in my hides as it reduces any smell, but after females are bred once I swith to the peat moss vermiculite mix.

I hibernate my Fatties at 70F and lower. In my opinion too cold is under 80F.

Fat-Tails are not like Leopard when it comes to feeding. Movement attracts them more than anything. I feed all my Fatties Lateralis Roaches, because I hate crickets. You can offer you Fatties mealworms but not all will take them.

Hope this helps!
Dave

 

[Fatal_S]

Thank you for the reply, it does help. These are all adult girls now, but I should be getting a bunch of babies soon. I have the pencil-size bins for my baby BTS rack, and that's what these girls were in the past 2 weeks.

The amel girls could possibly be gravid (both bred with a stripe male, laid lots of dud eggs, one laid the day before coming to me). So I want to give them moist hides they can lay in if needed. Would using just some vermiculite work? What benefits does the moss give?

These girls have all happily eaten tons of crickets and the occasional pinky mouse. They ignored hornworms. Haven't offered other worms yet. The leo food was just an experiment; my leo wouldn't touch it either. I also hate crickets, but I made a deal with my parents to give up my roach colonies in order to get more reptiles, so I'll stick with crickets for now and move to roaches as soon as I move out (house hunting now).

What should I do about nighttime temps? Should I have the heat left on? Or is the nightime drop under 70 okay? They'll have their own rack soon, so I can do whatever temps will be best for them. Right now the warm half gets to about 85 (I'll move it back if up to 90 is okay, the rack they're in is set to 95 for the BTS) and the front half is in the low 70s (room temp). I haven't measured night temps (I will tonight) but it certainly feels cold to me.

I don't plan to hibernate any this year, since I won't have any possible pairs until next year at the earliest.

 

[geckobabies]

If you are not brumating I think those temps are to low. I keep my fat tails with a 90f degree hot spot 24/7 and the cool end gets in the low 80s during the day and drops into the high 70s at night, but the hot spot remains at 90f.

I use both moss and paper towels for my hides. For hatchlings and juvies I mainly use paper towels and side holes. With my adults I use moss and a top hole to help keep the moss in.. otherwise they kick it all over the place. The advantage of moss over paper towels is they can burrnow and nest in it better as well as dig a hole to lay their eggs in. Many people use vermiculite and report success.. I just don't personally like it. You could also look into coco fiber which many people like.

 

[Fatal_S]

Awesome, thank you for the replies. I'll start leaving the heat on for them at night. The temps will still drop a bit, but there will always be a warm spot.

Good news, I caught one of the girls in the moist hide So I guess they can figure it out and I should stop worrying about that. Next time I'm at the reptile shop I'll grab some vermiculite too. Always good to have supplies on hand.

I really appreciate the help. Many thanks.

 

[geckobabies]

Yay! I'm glad they found the hide box. You're welcome