Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am having problems with my leos this winter. I recently moved into base housing and have discovered that my leos are getting flakey skin all the time. This house is super dry. To the point that you wake up wondering where your voice went. A quart of water later and you can talk...lol. It is drying out my leos. I fill thir water daily and I mist their humid hide evey two days but they still have this flakey skin. I am using moist vermiculite in my hides, but it seems to dry up very quickly.

My question to you all is: What do you recommend using in your humid hides? I have heard it all from vermic, to moss, to perlite. I just wanted all you learned leo peoples' opinions. My leos are in good health, but all that dry skin has got to be annoying.

I apreciate your help

Thanks,

Tim
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LEOs: 6.9.0
1.3 High Yellows-Barney,Betty,?,?
2.0 Hypo Tangerines-Bam-bam,Rex
0.3 SHCT's -Journey,Wiggy,Lil'bit
1.0 Rescued Normals -Shleprock
1.3Tremper Albinos Mr.Slate,?,?,?
1.0 Tang Tremp Albino - Rocky

I use damp sphagnum moss in all my nest boxes/humidity chambers. Works great! You should only need to mist it once a day at the most. I normally mist mine 3 or 4 times weekly (when I am checking for eggs/feeding and/or cleaning).
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Peace-
Kelli Hammack
H.I.S.S.
email me

I always wondered what that stuff was your leos were standing on. Can you tell me the procedure for using it? Such as how much water to add (dripping wet or do you wring it out?). Approx how much do you use in a hide (I am using 1 qt. Ziploc continers). I heard you must wash it first before use? do you wash it in a bleach solution, or do you just rinse it out. Thanks for your help.

Tim
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LEOs: 6.9.0
1.3 High Yellows-Barney,Betty,?,?
2.0 Hypo Tangerines-Bam-bam,Rex
0.3 SHCT's -Journey,Wiggy,Lil'bit
1.0 Rescued Normals -Shleprock
1.3Tremper Albinos Mr.Slate,?,?,?
1.0 Tang Tremp Albino - Rocky

I always wondered what that stuff was your leos were standing on. Can you tell me the procedure for using it? Such as how much water to add (dripping wet or do you wring it out?). Approx how much do you use in a hide (I am using 1 qt. Ziploc continers). I heard you must wash it first before use? do you wash it in a bleach solution, or do you just rinse it out. Thanks for your help.

I just fill their nest box about 3/4 full with sphagnum moss and spray it down really well with a spray bottle. I mix it up with my hand to make sure all the moss gets damp. I definitely do not wash it out with bleach, and in fact have never even rinsed it before using. Never had any problems.
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Peace-
Kelli Hammack
H.I.S.S.
email me

Hi

Another thought that might help, is if you drape a towel over the top of your tank, leaving a space at the end for enough air exchange.

Take Care, TLB