Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Oh man I never thought I would be posting for a health problem if that indeed is the case. Ok my female crested who has been laying eggs regularlly only 3 clutches so far is shivvering. To be more precise her muscles kinda twitch/shivver when she is held and when left on her branch I observe her toes twitching for no apparent reason. I feed her a great diet of CGD mixed with bolthouse smoothie (all my cresteds do great on it) and calcium dust crickets for her every 3 days. I also this morning found cintipedes (babbies) in the tanks soil. I don't see any wound or bite mark. The male in her tank is completlly normal. And I keep the temp at about 73-76 degrees. I have to leave to go get new soil but untill then thank you for any help you can offer.
-Eli

i just nursed one of my orange breeder females through the same thing. i came into the room to find the exact same thing and came to conclude that it was from a bit of mold that i found at the base of a branch in the cage. her head was fairly close to it so i believe she was breathing it in. it's been about 2 weeks now and she's eating and doing great. it went from a toe twitch and very little control of the hind legs. to nearly entire body spasms especially in the lower half of the bottom. and a LOT of biting when trying to handle. i syringe fed her 100% apricot juice, and baby food mixed with cgd.
i know the differenc between mbd ( which usually isn't an issue with cresteds) and this and this was definately an issue with lack of oxygen in the blood ( from what i was told).
feed her as much as possible and get her into a well ventilated cage. be sure to change the food you're feeding every day, rather than letting it set in a day too long. that is another issue i've had if you're not using all water to mix with the cgd. the food will mold if there isn't enough ventilation.
if you need anymore info you can email me to make sure she gets through it...
mylude90@gmail.com

Sounds like she is suffering from calcium deficiency.Making the shells for her eggs wiped out her calcium reserves and caused her to crash. I have had one of my younger females show the same symptoms after her third clutch. Is her tail still straight or does it look like it is kinked? I dont know about centipedes? But I wouldnt think that is a good thing. I would start increasing the calcium and get some uv light on her. Is she still eating? Good luck

it sounds like a good idea, but it really isn't, unless you have plenty of time to maintain it properly. trust me, im speaking from experience. i setup several of my cresteds in a naturalistic vivaria after reading about it in vosjoli's book, after a couple months i tore them all out.

use newspaper or some type of tank liner at the bottom of the tank, it is much easier to keep clean.

if you are getting mold, then your tank is way too humid, and you aren't getting enough fresh air flow and it's getting stagnant.

the thing about a naturalistic setup, and im not saying this is you, but a lot of people dont clean them as often as they should because it tends to be a lot more work cleaning something that is planted and with the soil its hard to remove feces, unless you stir them in like the book recommends.

i actually use the heavy duty paper bags from the grocery store as tank liners, i just cut them to fit the tank, they work GREAT, they hold up much better than newspaper, they dont retain all the water like newspaper does when it gets wet, it works very well.

my tanks also get plenty of fresh air flow, a ceiling fan, screen tops, and if its warm enough outside i leave the window cracked open for fresh air.

just some things to think about.

i wasn't using soil... i never said i was.
i was actually attempting a more basic system with paper towels on the bottom and ended up with more problems than when i had eco earth and real vines in the set up.
but you were right, the problem was not enough ventilation which i've removed all from the tupperware ( with TONS of holes) until i can get a good ventilation system going.

sorry, i see where you saw the part about soil, i thought you were speaking more directly to me.

i should have clarified, my post is directed at the person that started this thread.

Just for the record I've maintained over 20 all natural set ups with no problem at all ( for a long time now). It's simply a matter of watering the plants, irrigating the soil, and that's about it. There not hard to maintain at all, at least in my experience. And as far as cleaning is involved you really don't have to (well a little) the tank becomes it's own ecosystem and the feces breaks down with watering to provide organic fertilizer for the tank. Yeah I didn't see any mold either when I replaced the soil. I enjoy the beauty of a natural setup and honestly I sleep better at night. But thank you so much for the advice, I really appreciate you taking the time to post, and thanks to everybody who did.
-Eli

Ps:My females doing fine and it appears that it was a calcium crash after all. I had just run out of liquid calcium which I always give to a female after laying, and was going to pick some up later in the day. I've never seen one start to crash because well I'm very attentive to all their needs.

i tried live plants in with my auriculatus and they trashed them. they made a game out of it and lept from high perches and landed on the plants tearing them up. i had tillandsia and bromeliads. what plants do you use that hold up to the cresties?
do you use a full spectrum light for the plants too?
what type of soil do you use?
thanks
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1.1 Gargoyle geckos
0.0.1 asian golden tree frog
1.0 oriental firebelly toad
0.1 european firebelly toad
1.0 albino betta
1.0 orange tabby
0.0.1 asian painted frog
1.0 broad headed skink
0.0.1 fowlers toad
0.1 red eyed tree frog
1.1 red eared sliders
476.769.47 feeder crickets

I use all kinds of plants, mainly ficus, weeping figs, rubber plants, palms, and a few others but I honestly can't remember there names. I look for a few things in a plant for my terrarium. I check for strong trunk support and sturdy limbs, color, and size. Some are used for shade and some are used for supports. I also incorporate large pieces of treated wood to help support the more delicate plants. I use professional grow lights which produce UVB as a added benefit. As far as soil goes I use an all organic brand (no chemicals)and sift out any big chunks. Also if your thinking of creating a natural set up make sure to wash your plants thoroughly and remove as much of the soil from the plant roots as possible (the white Styrofoam is a choking hazard). Good luck
-Eli