DAS ZWERGGECKO-FORUM

Hallo,
I have several young S. torrei from my pair. However, some of them go well and some not. All are kept in similar conditions - separated in small plastic boxes with "air conditioning" on the side and at the top. The substrate is a mixture of sand with coconut mulch 1:1 and it is dry (because my first two NZ died according to the moisture), and only a piece of bark, leaf of artificial plant, and a little plastic bowl with water are there. Under the box is a heating pad, which is always put under only about 1/3 of the box. I feed in summer with insects from the garden, in winter with pine-head crickets.
However, to this time 3 of 8 juveniles had the same problems with shedding. They were unable to put the skin down, especially on legs. I tried to shed them with warm water and pinzette, they after that could not crawl but ate, but the next shedding was the same or worse. I thought that the reason is the humidity but I recognized two another possible reasons:
1) there were no such problems during the summer, so it can probably be connected with the food,
2) in all cases the juveniles did not eat so well as the others and some bigger crickets lost in their boxes with them (stress).
Has somebody similar experience and could give me an advice? This species is very beautiful and I hate this situation when the juvenile has problems and I cannot help it...
Thanks,
Petr

_________________
--------
Phelsuma breviceps, guimbeaui, guttata, hoeschi, inexpectata, klemmeri, madagascariensis, nigristriata, pasteuri, standingi
Sphaerodactylus torrei, Tympanocryptis tetraporophora, Platysaurus intermedius und andere Echsen und Schlangen

Hi,
My first guess is the heat pad, they do not really need a lot of warmth (in fact if you make it too hot, you can have shedding issues). A small light tube will suffice for heat for young Sphaeros and most adults. I use an 8w HE 4000K lamp above my enclosure for the young and 2x 14W HE T5 4000K & 6500K above my adult enclosures.

The juvie enclosure is misted lightly once daily.

Another possibility you mentioned is the food stressing them. For mine I do not offer much food, but small bits offered every other day. I feed woodlice, micro crickets & small fruitflies with springtails available at all times. All food is dusted with high quality supplements.

How old are your juvies?

_________________
Maureen Winter
---
Viele verschiedene Paroedura, Ebenavia, Phelsuma, Lygodactylus & Sphaerodactylus Arten

Deutsch ist nicht meine Muttersprache, seid bitte nett! : P

Hello Maureen,
thanks a lot for the advice. What temperature do you think is the best for S. torrei juveniles? My room temperature is about 23°C dring the day and 19-20°C at night. I am trying to put the heating pad only under a smaller part of the enclosure to make the temperature a bit higher...
I mist the boxes every evening similarly like terraria for Phelsuma species.
I give them food every other day in small amounts -crickets are always dusted with two types of vitamins (one with much calcium and the other with AD3). However, they do not like to eat fruit mixture like phelsuma. Only occassionally some cricket remains in the box.
Best wishes,
Petr

_________________
--------
Phelsuma breviceps, guimbeaui, guttata, hoeschi, inexpectata, klemmeri, madagascariensis, nigristriata, pasteuri, standingi
Sphaerodactylus torrei, Tympanocryptis tetraporophora, Platysaurus intermedius und andere Echsen und Schlangen

If your room temp is at 23C° adding only the bulb for them would be enough extra heat, anything extra would be overkill. My tank only goes up to 25C° during the day for my juvie.

Personally I would mist in the morning if possible, too late in the day and you risk them dehydrating.

_________________
Maureen Winter
---
Viele verschiedene Paroedura, Ebenavia, Phelsuma, Lygodactylus & Sphaerodactylus Arten

Deutsch ist nicht meine Muttersprache, seid bitte nett! : P

OK, thanks. I try to do it similarly as you
Best regards,
Petr

_________________
--------
Phelsuma breviceps, guimbeaui, guttata, hoeschi, inexpectata, klemmeri, madagascariensis, nigristriata, pasteuri, standingi
Sphaerodactylus torrei, Tympanocryptis tetraporophora, Platysaurus intermedius und andere Echsen und Schlangen