Oh yea man he looks better than many I've seen! The fact he can hold his head up, (or so it appears), is very good. Id make sure the substrate is as dust free as possible, if it is moist it should be fine. paper towels also work great for recovery stakes. Id make sure he has a heavy/sturdy spot to really get under/push up agaisnt, they are heavy bodied and like feeling very secure as you said. Id even put a flat piece of rock down on the substrate with just a slight decompression under it and Im sure he will find his way under there.
The light isnt helping him at all, ambient light from the room is enough to satisfy his photoperiod needs and the heat mat will do fine on the 20 gallon. pay attention to the cages internal temp now that it is winter tho. The overhead light can make him feel insecure and also contribute to drying out. id just set him up simple, moist, warm and secure and leave him be for at least 2-3 weeks. let him get real darn hungry haha. keep up the good work man, good luck!

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]