Posted by:
Zagermeister
at Sun May 8 06:29:34 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Zagermeister ]
Hello everyone.
Before I ask any questions I just wanted to say thanks to anyone who has posted here in the past about "taming" (building trust with) monitors. Awhile ago I read what turned out to be very successful advice for allowing my Nile to tolerate my presence around him. Specifically it involved letting him get used to me on his own terms. I know there was many posts about this that I read, & I remember one where Crocdoc, as well as many others, was very particular about telling someone not to force handle their monitor. Allowing my Nile (Xerxes) to acclimate to me on his own time, has been working spectacularly! He's around 6 months or so(of which I've had him for about 6-8 weeks), & he already smells my hand & allows me to touch & hold him on a semi-regular basis, especially in his water tub.
So, on to my question...I was reading up on calcium/D3, & vitamin/mineral supplementation today, & I'm second guessing the amounts that I'm giving him. His diet consists of raw ground turkey with crickets, superworms, & goldfish mixed into it, & pinkies (alternating daily). The crickets are fed Orange Cube & calcium pellets, & the superworms are fed the same calcium pellets & dry oatmeal. I add a mix of calcium/D3 & vitamin/mineral powder. 2 pinches of calcium & 1 pinch of vitamin/mineral powder last about 3-5 feedings of the ground turkey concoction, I don't dust the pinkies since they have bones (albeit not very well developed).
The temps in his enclosure (5Lx2Dx2.5H) are 120F-130F @ the basking spot (95-100F ambient), 90F ambient in the middle, & 85-88F on the cool side where his water tub is. Humidity is around 70%. I have a 4' Exo-Terra 10.0 UV bulb in the enclosure, & the closest he can get to it is about 16".
My question is two part -
1st - does he need the D3 or should I switch to plain calcium since he has the UV, which as I understand should allow him to produce D3 himself?
2nd - are the amounts of supplements correct?
Any input is appreciated - Thanks!
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 Supplement/UV advice for Nile, "taming" - Zagermeister, Sun May 8 06:29:34 2011
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