Baby Leo - Page 2

smitty92 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-02-2008, 02:30 PM

Very cute! Looks like he/she has grown up a tad bit! I love the pics!!

What the others mentioned is good advice! I would add more hides since it looks like hes making his own on the top of that wall! lol. Yup, I use thermometer guages that measure the surface temp of the floor of the tank w/ my leos rather than the air temp. The floor temp is more important since leos use tummy heat to digest food. Usually a good temp gradient is 90 degrees on the hotter side and 80 on the other. But make sure the leos tummy does not get burned since it looks like you are using paper towels. If you notice your leo walking around and kindof flicking its feet to get off the floor quicker then the floor is too hot!
The thermometers i use are the ones from meijer that are metal backed like the old fashioned kind. They are in the fish section and are 3-5 dollars i think. This way you get an accurate reading of the actual floor temp. Put 2 in the tank(one at each end) at least. If your leo still looks to hot then kick the temp down a bit more. Definetly dont go over 90 but not under 70. You can keep track of how your leo likes the tank's temp by watching its movement throughout the tank during the day. (whether the leo stays in the hotter side or moves between both ends or stays on the cooler end. Adjust from there)
You can also get a rheostat from a pet store. Petsmart has them. They allow you to adjust the temp easier. You plug the rhoestat in and then plug your heating device into the rheostat. Then turn the adjuster nob. They are around 15-20 dollars. Then check your temp guages and adjust it to the correct temp.

You have different options though! This is just what I use w/ my leos and they seem very happy with it this way!
Hope this helps you!

-Angie

froggsong · #12 (**permalink**) 08-02-2008, 02:46 PM

you can also get a light dimmer from walmart for around 9 bucks (or wire your own and add more plugs). A dimmer switch does the same thing as a rheostat, they are just called different things. I get good results with the one that I got from walmart, the only thing I don't like is that I have to plug the cord into the back side of the plug for the dimmer, making it stick out from the wall more than I like (especially since there is a dresser right in front of the plug). Otherwise, I get good temps with little fluctuation, even though my room temps fluctuate so much. Walmart also sells a dimmer that you screw into the light socket, and then screw the bulb into the dimmer. I think that those would work very well for clamp lamps with light bulbs or CHE in them, for a little less, and no cord clutter.

smitty92 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 08:30 PM

Yup. Thanks for mentioning those froggsong! I almost forgot! haha i almost got those but dont have the need at the moment. They work good to though and are cheaper i beleive!

echo871 · #14 (**permalink**) 09-01-2008, 03:56 AM

Thought Id drop in for an update. Hes growing a tad. I took out the paper towels and lined the bottom with hard pack clay and got a second hide. Moss is in the right hide.

JohnEDove · #15 (**permalink**) 09-01-2008, 08:35 AM

Awesome!!!
Wondering, did you research the natural habitat for the hard packed clay idea or just do it?
I did research their natural habitat and learned they naturally live in that type of an environment.

echo871 · #16 (**permalink**) 09-01-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnEDove

Awesome!!!
Wondering, did you research the natural habitat for the hard packed clay idea or just do it?
I did research their natural habitat and learned they naturally live in that type of an environment.

I thought I had read about that somewhere, but I dont remember where. I was going to to go with sand, but with all the pros, cons, and debates about it, I went with clay, and I think it looks better than sand anyway.

JohnEDove · #17 (**permalink**) 09-01-2008, 10:36 PM

When I did the research I learned that in much of their range they have a very similar environment to my local. On much of their range they have calcium bentonite which explains, to me anyway, why they instinctively tend to eat substrates for additional calcium. Of course since they can't ingest large masses of particles in the wild they do not have the impaction problems that many calcium deprived captive Leos suffer and sometimes die from.
One of these days I am getting back into Leos if I can aquire some unaltered wild types. At a reasonable price that is. LOL