Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all. I bought a baby caiman, about a foot tall a week ago. The person who sold it to me asked me to feed it after 2 days.
I have tried giving him small crickets, a very small piece of chicken. It has not touched the food yet. I even threw in a gold fish to see if it would eat it. No go. I have some worms, but I doubt it will eat that either. The water temp is 86-87 degrees and gets hotter at times. I have the basking lamp on for 11-12 hours at night, but it wont come up to shore. Air temp of house is 75-80 most of the time. If we are not around, its the happiest and swims. If we are around, he closes his eyes and hides in one corner. Any ideas why he wont eat from the symptoms I just said ? It hisses at us around noon - 2 pm everyday. Then its quiet again.

Well looks like both the goldfish are gone now. What other kind of fishes (except goldfish) can I get that are good for the croc ?

Yeah, stay away from goldfish. You can give it fish like:

panfish (various species of sunfish)
baitstore minnows (cheaper and healthier)

Stay away from capelin and herring. If you do feed fish like these make sure you supplement with vitamin E and B1.

For smaller caiman like yours you can also get some Rosy Red Minnows or feeder Guppies at pet stores. They tend to be a little cleaner than bait shops but they are smaller in size.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the good info. Where can I get vitamin E and B1 - like from petsmart or petco ? How do I feed it to the croc ? Not sure, havent done it before.

Get it at any drug store.

Vitamin b1 amount is 25 mg I believe and Vit E is 100. The amount is listed as IUI on the bottle. Just use standard vitamins you find in the store.

Nice picture of that croc by the way. Is it 2 feet or 3 feet ? It looks pretty cool. I am sure its fast and bites sometimes if not careful.

Crocodilians must be kept at their optimal temperature of approx. 32 degrees C.or 90F. This is the best temperature for metabolism in Alligators.
It is also important to manage stress to ensure that the crocodiles immune system is functioning at its best. Various forms of stress include trauma from capture and handling, thermal stress from incorrect temps or using cold water to clean out and refill, and inconsistent noises, particular base type thumping noises.
Crocodiles are like other animals in that they are individuals and they adapt differently, or condition themselves, to various or changing situations. Thus, changing their owner or diet will probably result in loss of appetite. Don't despair. They survive without food easily.
Feed them at night on a diet to which they are accustomed, and then leave them alone

Thanks Geoff / Pfan51,
I saw the croc basking in the dry land finally after 10-12 days. I was kind of glad to see him basking. But as soon as he realized I was in, he ran into the water I gave him 2 guppies, looks like 1 is gone. So atleast he has been eating. He only eats at night. Never when I am around. I think as you all mentioned, he is getting used to his space. Temp is usually 85-87. Its never lower than 85. Thanks.

86-87 is too hot IMO. Especially if you say it gets hotter at times. I would bring the water temp down to 79-80. I would also totally cover all 4 sides of you cage until he settles in and starts eating better. If you can get a fecal sample I would take it to the vet to check for parasites. I had the best luck getting mine to eat live hopper mice when I first bought them. Once they were eating that well I moved to frozen thawed rats and that is what they are fed pretty much exclusively now aside from the occasional blue gill. The most important thing is to leave them alone as much as possible until they are well established. I have had mine for over a year and they still will not eat with me in the room.
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John Vandegrift

Caiman has been eating bigger worms. It eats 2-3 worms when its hungry. Never eats in front of me. I think its finally settled in its new home. It doesnt freak out now when he sees me

Congratulations! I can't wait until I can get mine!