Monitor and calcium

[Pinoy]

Hi all,

I did a quick search and couldn't find anything along the lines of what I'm looking for so I'm sorry if this has been asked before.

I have a little ridge tail (8cm body) who eats like a champ but refuses to eat anything with a bit of calcium powder on it. He does have a uv light next to his heat lamp that he can get within 30cm of. My question is, will he be ok if he never takes dusted food? And if not, what can I do?

Thanks in advance,
Pinoy

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[blakehose]

Given that it has a hot enough basking spot to allow it to digest/absorb the calcium from whole prey items there shouldn't be a need to dust the crickets mate. Just make sure you continue to give it whole prey like the inverts it's currently getting and then move it onto small rodents when size allows. Mince etc doesn't contain the nutrients neccesary for optimal growth.

 

[Pinoy]

Only problem is, the only whole prey items he can eat are crickets.

He's still tiny. Would it be worth dicing up some mice or something? I have some spare hopper mice.

 

[sesa-sayin]

I, for one, don.t know, but when the weather warms and his appetite improves, he/she might take the dusted insects then.., and also he/she is probably very young, and their feeding habits might change, as it ages .i like to make the occasional minced-meat sandwich with all the powders tucked into it, to ensure they get enough of the powders, but they will take this only in warm months, not during the cold.

 

[blakehose]

It still should be fine for him, as it's still very small its nutrient needs are on a smaller scale and will be met adaquetly by crickets, roaches etc. Some cut up mice will be good though.

 

[Pinoy]

Ok, cool. Thanks for that, appreciate it

Also, sesa-sayin, what type of mince do you use? I want to use the best, leanest mince I can, but not sure what that would be? Kangaroo mince perhaps?

 

[imported_Varanus]

I rarely dusted my insect prey, but added a "Mega Ray 100W self-ballasted" for UV and basking, provided an escape/ predator proof outdoor enclosure for sunnning on warm days and offered commercially available crickets, woodies and wild caught insects (locusts, huntsman spiders were a real treat) when available. I try to stay away from diet supplements(calcium/vitamins) as you never know how much is too much. Though, calcium would be less of a worry than vitamin sups, I would think.

 

[Pinoy]

Ok, thanks for the replies guys

One less thing to worry bout

 

[sesa-sayin]

Ok, cool. Thanks for that, appreciate it
I use a 5 pack mince-beef from Aldi, called "Silvester's gold ", but I am an Aldi-Junkie. Coles/Woolies do a similar one....from the cold section, not the frozen section. 5 x 4 inch sachets each slab....but i think there might be better products, but i have always found them sufficently good for my purposes..the idea is that you freeze the whole slab, cut off 1 division at a time, and thaw it in the ord.'fridge...too much 4 ur purposes, i know..good luck...i am sure you will not end up with the only Ackie in the world, which will not take dusted insects, when the warmwe weather comes
Also, sesa-sayin, what type of mince do you use? I want to use the best, leanest mince I can, but not sure what that would be? Kangaroo mince perhaps?

longer now

 

[dozerman]

check your petfood doesn't contain preservatives. many pet foods contain preservative 220 which is reputedly bad for reptiles. Once your monitor is eating the pet mince you can start to add small quantities of chopped mice etc. then slowly reduce petfood and increase the whole prey, it works a treat