When will he eat?

jbd123 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 03:10 PM

Hey guys, as some of you know, I got an Ackie monitor yesterday. It hasn't been interested in eating anything: crickets, ground turkey, etc...like the breeders as proexotics recommend...

I soaked the little guy with some paper towels and he drank ALOT of water. I plan on doing it again today, he actually seemed to enjoy it quite a bit!

His temps are also correct-o-mundo. 130 on the basking spot and 75-80 ambient temp. He's also got plenty of water and gets sprayed in the afternoon and before he goes to bed.

At night it's lights out but I keep a heating pad on top of the cage (a people heating pad) which keeps it no less than 82 degrees in the basking spot, and 75-67 throughout the rest of the cage.

I've heard of people getting baby monitors that would refuse food for weeks after they get them...then start eating like little pigs! Is this normal for baby ackies?

Please give me as much advise as you have. I really just want peace of mind on the situation.

ChadRamsey · #2 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 03:19 PM

well lets see it!

jbd123 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 03:23 PM

New Ackie!!

Here's pics of my Ackie.

DRZRider · #4 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 03:52 PM

Two of the biggest problems that causes animals to not eat is stress and dehydration. Since you said the ackie drank a lot of water, it must be dehydrated. Ackies very rarely are seen drinking and generally do not soak in water. I would keep the the substrate moist but not wet and let it have areas to hide under things where it is moist. The most important thing is to cover the screen top to keep humidity in the enclosure. Otherwise the heat lights will dry things out very quickly with out you even noticing. Misting will get things wet, but won't keep the humidity up for days on end which the ackie seems to need.
You can build a custom top out of wood or simply cover the entire screen top with aluminum foil. Keep a hole for the heat light to shine through. Here are some tops I have used with my ackies whenever they were in an aquarium.

My female ackie has no toes on her front feet and is missing some on her back feet from a previous keeper who kept her in too dry of an enclosure. She had shedding problems on her feet and eventually lost her toes because of it. When I got my male he had a badly swollen foot and infected from being kept in a dry and septic enclosure. I took him to the vet and gave him antibiotics every other day for a month. Both ackies are doing great now that I have worked so hard to get and keep them healthy.

jbd123 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 04:04 PM

Thanks so much, I will cover the tank to keep the humidity up. I will also try to keep the substrate moist. He's got plenty of hide spots under "furnishings" in his tank that are quite moist areas...yeah, he probably is dehydrated, I was VERY suprised to see him drinking so much!

But even if I get all that stuff a-o-k, when do you believe that he will start eating for me?

DRZRider · #6 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 04:40 PM

When he gets hydrated he should be fine. It could be today or in a few days. Good luck!

jbd123 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 05:16 PM

Thanks so much, I will keep you posted for sure!

Brandon28 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 05:28 PM

Great post, DRZ! We need more people like you on this site!

razeraze · #9 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 10:30 PM

Do you handle him? If so you may want to stop until he takes food? How do you feed him? My water would only eat at night with all the lights off and no one in the room.

jbd123 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 10:44 PM

I JUST got him yesterday, I had to take him out of the box he was shipped in then when I soaked him as well.

I also held him today to soak him again, and that's it. I'm only holding him when I have to do so...but he is very friendly, but when he gets warm, he's very fast!!

Well, he still won't eat, but he did drink more. Temps and humidity seem fine, so hopefully he'll eat when he gets re-hydrated.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful info, Especially you, DRZ!!

razeraze · #11 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 11:15 PM

I just checked out your enclosure again, All of the shelves need to be covered in pond liner or coated with an epoxy or they will rot. Keep the humidity around 60+% and do not take him out to soak anymore.

Do you leave the crickets in the cage? Also provide a lower water dish easy to climb in and soak.

DRZRider · #12 (**permalink**) 03-19-2008, 11:47 PM

I second what Razeraze said.

I wouldn't worry about the wood in the enclosure. When it rots, replace it. Also google "retes stack". Ackies love to hide in tight places since. They are naturally found in rocky areas where tight hiding places are common.
Ed

crocdoc · #13 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 12:34 AM

As you've only had the monitor for a day or so, I'd do as the others have recommended and just stop handling it until it starts feeding. It's just been shipped (probably half way across the country), which is pretty stressful, and is in an entirely new, unfamiliar ienvironment. Picking it up will only prolong the stress.

jbd123 · #14 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 12:41 AM

I know that this wood with eventually rot: I wanted to replace it and make it better suited next time I replace it to suit his needs better.

I actually got this idea from Retes stacks....I just didn't make them look the same. It's not very tight because I honestly thought the ackie would be quite a bit bigger than that...lol

I will add more "levels" so that it has more spaces to squeeze into.

And I'm putting crickets in the enclosure, but I"m removing them after a few hours because I don't want them to chew on his toes! Do you recommend that I leave them in there longer? How long would it take a cricket to really do damage? His toes are VERY thin and small...

And I won't soak him anymore...he actually loves that water "bowl" and goes in it now and again...he's not drinking anymore but I think he's getting into it to cool off. I actually already moved the water bowl to be "in" the dirt, like a pool. It's no longer on a level like in the pics.

I've also added a sheet of wood on top of the cage and the humidity and temps rose to perfection.

61% humidity right now.

jbd123 · #15 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 01:20 AM

*bump*
How long should I keep crickets in the enclosure with my ackie?

spike06 · #16 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 01:24 AM

i hate crix. lol. only leave them in for a little while. if its not eating, i wouldnt leave the crix in there...they can stress it out.

jbd123 · #17 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 01:39 AM

Yeah, I know! I hate them too....I honest to god think that crickets shouldn't be left in the encosure for more than 2-3 hours before you take them out but that's just me...I'm hoping that someone with more monitor-opinioness can give me a straight forward answer but who knows? The amount of time might not matter: if the cricket is going to chew on the monitor it will do it when it feels like it.

Crickets are stupid. They are all over my mom's house right now because she has veiled chameleons that eat 24/7...and crickets always find a way to escape their prison...I'm finding them dead all over the place...x_X

crocdoc · #18 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 04:22 AM

whenever I offer crickets to small monitors I leave a piece of carrot in there for them to chew on, rather than the lizards. Just put a plastic jar lid in there, upside down, with a couple of carrot pieces on it.

jbd123 · #19 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 11:59 AM

GREAT idea. I will definately do that. Thanks!

razeraze · #20 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 04:26 PM

Sounds like you are on the right track, keep up the good work. If you leave the crickets in be sure to get a head count so you know if the ackie ate any.

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