Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone! I've only had my blue tongue for about a month and a half, so I'm still new to this. I keep my skink in a 55 gallon tank. I have a bottom layer of peat moss and half of the tank has a layer of jungle mix. The other side is moss. I bought crickets for him twice. Yesterday I noticed a bunch of baby crickets in the cage. They were all eating on a wild flower one of my girls put in the cage. Should I leave them in there or change the entire substrate. Also how often should I clean the entire cage? I spot clean it every day. Thanks in advance! Danielle

I would change it and get the crickets out, also you should get rid of the moss because they don't really need it. If you live in a dry area and he needs help with shedding, just give him a water dish large enough to soak in. Also, crickets aren't very healthy, have a read of the care sheet at bluetongueskinks.net for other food ideas. This is also a very helpful site for any other questions you might have about blue tongues.

Danielle,
Depending on the size of your bluey, the tiny crickets may not bother it - but I would definately place a carrot or slice of apple in there for the insects to eat. This will keep them away from your bluey's toes at night. As they grow, maybe you can catch them and remove them.

I hope you are providing more than just crickets as the primary food source. Crickets are often the poorest form of nutrition unless gutloaded. Blueys need a better diet than just crickets. Depending on age, they should be given a good amount of protein along with greens and fruits.

We don't use moss in the regular part of our bluey enclosures, as they might ingest some with a meal, and possibly cause a blockage. If you want to provide a moist hide for ease of shedding, put the dampened moss in a plastic shoebox with a hole cut in the side - the bluey can climb in there when he/she wants.

Most bluey owners use care-fresh/aspen chips/bark for a substrate. Many decorate the enclosures with cork rolls and logs and even silk plants. They provide an area for basking (a piece of slate or tile), on the warmer side of the tank.

Most bluey keepers spot clean as needed and change out the substrate after a shed. Once per 4-6 weeks is a good average for general cleaning.

Hope this helps some,