Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone help me out here?

I recently purchased an alligator and have it set up in a 30 gallon tank (for now), which is good size for it. The alligator is only 7 inches long. The water temp is low 80s I believe and the air temp is about the same. Is this going to be warm enough for the gator?

Also, do you guys have any suggestions on what I should be feeding my gator? I gave him crickets the other day, he ate about half of them and the rest are still alive a day later. I don't know if he doesn't like them or if he was full from 5 crickets? Should I be worried if he didn't eat much?

Please just post your opinions.

you did not give much info. does he have a spot light for basking. i have the best luck when i keep the water shallow 2 or 3 inches a rock or block to bask on and a spot light over the rock plus a minimal amount of clutter in the cage keep it simple until the baby is well established. ok i have to say it do not hold him he is a gator not a ferret. these are great captives not great pets. let a gator be a gator. good luck if you get chris deiters book and follow a few simple guide lines he will out live you.

Considering only the information provided, here goes.....

If the water temperature and the air temperature are pretty much the same, that's not a good thing. Thermoregulation is a very important part of your animals natural behavior. If the temperature is all the same, he will not be able to properly thermoregulate.

I generally have water temps no lower than 76 and no higher than 79-80. Generally, 78 degrees or so would be perfect IMO. Air temperature needs to be approximately low to mid 80's with a basking spot to help boost his temperature to their preferred body temperature (PBT) of 88 degrees. A basking temperature of about 105 should be sufficient. Typically, when I setup a basking site for my crocs, I setup the lamp so that there is a main beam which will be directly heat of about 110 degrees, however, there is enough space on dry land that they are able to move away from the beam as they see fit therefore, lowering basking temps from 110 to 100 to 95, etc, etc. This will allow for proper thermoregulation and in the end will make your animal much healther.

That's just for starters. Variety is the key to a healthy crocodilian. You also want to make sure that you are using a good vitamin supplement. Miner-all is a good supplement and I am sure there are others out there as well. Chris Dieter states that he has had luck simply using a human adult multivitamin. If you choose to go this route, then you want to be certain that you aren't going overboard on the amount given if he is only 7 inches long. I would only provide maybe about a quarter of the full sized pill.

I could go all evening, but it appears you have some research cut out for yourself. To help you out, here are a few sources of information.

www.crocodilian.com/crocfaq (Dr. Adam Britton's website)
www.crocodopolis.net (Israel Dupont's website which has alot of different links to provide you with research materials)
www.thecrocodileexperience.com (Chris Dieter's website, yet another excellent source)
www.herpfanatic.com (My personal website, just click on the "crocodilians" link and have at it.)

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

So, I do have a heating lamp for the guy ... I have one for during the day, and a night lamp for at night .. so the air temperature is consistently around 85 ... the water temp is anywhere from 76 on one end of the tank to 86 on the other end (where the water heater is) ... i was able to pick him up the first day i had him without him hissing at me and making his typical noises...a day later, he has a new demeanor and resists a lot ... i'm guessing he doesn't like me much anymore ... anyway, is there anything else I should be doing besides getting a calcium pill for him?

I think you need to ensure a good basking temperature. 95-100 degrees. I would keep live fish in the water area for a month or so and offer small rodents and insects as well.

I would also recommend using a pelleted diet in addition to the above items. The pellets can be either Mazuri or any of the common pellets used for other aquatic reptiles.
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CDieter
'Reason, observation, and experience; the holy trinity of science.'