Beginner questions?

[ZombieBTS]

Hello guys I am planning on buying a BTS?

Now I need a little help. So I am gonna use Aspen bedding, use a 40 gallon for now. Also get a 100 watt heat lamp with 5 UVA/UVB bulb and put that on the cage. Then get a water bowl. Would that work out good?

Another question. Would it be better I buy a BTS from BigAppleHerp.com ( they are 170$ ) or should I wait until November 20th and go to a expo with my dad and hope they are there? I still need to get the bedding and lamps. So which one?

Also are BTS skittsh? I am planning on getting a baby. How long do I wait until to take him or her outside into sun? Do they need to take baths?
Thanks!

[Katrina]

Welcome!!

Good job on doing your research before getting your pet.

100 Watt bulb might be a bit too hot for the 40 gallon, but you will need to set it up and see what your temperatures are. You want the surface temperature to be about 100 F right under the heat lamp for basking with the cool end somewhere around 80. You can probably purchase a lower watt bulb to start with, but it depends on your set up. Everything else sounds great.

I don't have experience with BigAppleHerp but from the website it looks like they have imports. I would wait and try to get a captive bred one from a breeder. You might even see if someone on this forum (aggiegirl, maybe?) can ship you one. You will be much better off getting one from a breeder so you know the history etc rather than a wild caught one that is possibly sick. Have a look at the classifieds section to see pics of aggiegirls babies that are available.

You can take them out in the sun right away as long as it is warm enough. They don't need baths unless they have stuck shed on - I almost never bath my skink, but some people do it more often. It isn't necessary but doesn't hurt.

Some BTS are skittish. The ones from BigAppleHerps likely will be. If you get a baby from a breeder they probably will be very tame. Good luck!!

[ILoveMyMonsters]

Hello guys I am planning on buying a BTS?

Now I need a little help. So I am gonna use Aspen bedding, use a 40 gallon for now. Also get a 100 watt heat lamp with 5 UVA/UVB bulb and put that on the cage. Then get a water bowl. Would that work out good?

Another question. Would it be better I buy a BTS from BigAppleHerp.com ( they are 170$ ) or should I wait until November 20th and go to a expo with my dad and hope they are there? I still need to get the bedding and lamps. So which one?

Also are BTS skittsh? I am planning on getting a baby. How long do I wait until to take him or her outside into sun? Do they need to take baths?
Thanks!

1. Yes, that should work. CareFresh (especially Basic or Ultra) is another great option. The paper pulp tends to absorb more moisture and helps keep the humidity lower . As for the lighting, Mercury Vapor (MV) bulbs work as well, but they can be very pricey, but last a long time. For a 40 gallon, I would try a 60-75 watt bulb first. 100 watt in that size tank overheats very easily (I know this from experience). Keep daytime basking temp between 75-85 degrees F and basking between 90-100 degrees. Humdity can range from 20-50%, but optimal is 25-40%.

2. As for the skink purchase, wait until the expo, or go online through a breeder and have it shipped. Forgive me, but I am about to intitate soapbox mode:
I wouldn't recommend a big reptile farm like Big Apple Herp. Most of these tend to be wild caught or are the reptile equilivant of puppy mills. I also don't recommend buying form a large corporated pet store, even though they're cheaper, for the same reasons. Oh and ALWAYS ask questions: ask who the parents are and request pictures, ask DOB and subspecies if they don't specify. If they cannot tell you any of that, or you have a bad feeling, look elsewhere. I had the chance to buy an 1.5 year old IJ (hybrid?) from my work for $80. They could not tell me anything about him, even claiming that it is impossible to tell the subspecies until they're much older (COMMON LIE! ). I waited another month to pay almost $200 for the Northern baby female I have now. She came from a high-quality breeder and is worth every penny.

*ahem* okay I'm done. Anyway...you need time to get the terrarium set up, plus time for you to adjust lighting and stuff as needed to meet the specifications if needed. You rarely (if ever) will get all the stats dead on the first time. It took me a couple of weeks. Also, the extra time enables you to get in the habit of a lighting schedule - or when you need to turn the lamps on and off. I usually have mine 9-9 for day and 9-6 for basking.

3. Depends. Some adults may be tamed already, but this is not always the case. And breeders do not always handle the babies. They can be skittish and aggressive when you first get them because they are in a new enviornment with new people. Give them a week or two to settle in before you touch them. Afterwards, you can start by petting in the cage, and gradually move to food from the hand to establish trust and getting them out. Once they are out of the skittish stage, you can take them outside (weather permitting), but always keep a close eye on them. They do not need baths to my knowledge except for any stuck shedding, but they do occasionally need nail trimming. There is a section on this site's care sheet to explain that process.

Hope I could help and good luck on your future bluey!

[Spindown]

just my experiences with my 4 skinks:

My indo: bought as a "6 month" old, from a pet store. (i know, my bad), shes a year and a half roughly, and she is still skittish and scared. We're still working with her, but I dont think she'll ever really be comfortable exploring or hanging out.

...but...my New Merauke was bought from a breeder as a 2 yo and shes SUPER! I actually take her to outreaches shes so calm. we LOVE her <3's

...and theres my IJ. Got as a 2 month old from a breeder, hes very cage aggressive, but calming down gradually. (hes now 9 months). Hes fine out of the cage.

...my Northern we got from someone on the forums, hes about 3. Hes also very calm, and when he wakes up from brumation will be coming to outreaches too.

So I guess my point is, they all have their own personalities, but getting from a breeder is usually best. You also have less of a chance of parasites and other health problems (although ALWAYS quarantine and if you can, vet check) than if you just buy from a random person on a classifieds. Also, it seems like they calm down as they age, so your baby could be skittish and calm down as it ages.

I use aspen personally. I really like it.

you might find that a 100 watt is a little hot for a 40 gallon, i use a 100 and i had to put it on a dimmer since for me, it was hitting 130 degrees O.O But you can always play with wattage, and distance

hope that helped, sorry if its a TMI about my skinks lol

[ILoveMyMonsters]

just my experiences with my 4 skinks:

My indo: bought as a "6 month" old, from a pet store. (i know, my bad), shes a year and a half roughly, and she is still skittish and scared. We're still working with her, but I dont think she'll ever really be comfortable exploring or hanging out.

Stories like this are why I will never purchase another pet store animal, especially a reptile.

you might find that a 100 watt is a little hot for a 40 gallon, i use a 100 and i had to put it on a dimmer since for me, it was hitting 130 degrees O.O But you can always play with wattage, and distance

hope that helped, sorry if its a TMI about my skinks lol

130 degress? Omgsh! Thank goodness your skink wasn't in there for that! When I had a 100W, it was only hitting 95 before I switched to a dimmer wattage.

[ZombieBTS]

So should I use a 75 watt? And also I am confused what's a mercury bulb? I am so confused about heating can someone help me with it? I live in Florida btw. Thanks!

[ILoveMyMonsters]

Try a 60W first and see how it ranges. Upgrade to a 75W if needed. There's more info about MV bulbs on the care sheet

[ZombieBTS]

I'm on a iPad cuz I don't have a pc right now. But every time I go there it just keeps freezing and stuff.

[Katrina]

So should I use a 75 watt? And also I am confused what's a mercury bulb? I am so confused about heating can someone help me with it? I live in Florida btw. Thanks!

You probably don't meed a mercury bulb, you can just stick to a normal heat bulb. I would try either 50, 60 or 75 - if it is too hot, buy a dimmer from a hardware store and dim it a bit. It is easy. 75 watt with a dimmer should be just fine.

[ZombieBTS]

[quote]You probably don't meed a mercury bulb, you can just stick to a normal heat bulb. I would try either 50, 60 or 75 - if it is too hot, buy a dimmer from a hardware store and dim it a bit. It is easy. :D 75 watt with a dimmer should be just fine.[/quote]

Then would a 5 UVA bulb in the back be good?
Also how long do I keep the basking and the UVA bulb on? Do I need a night bulb?

[Katrina]

A 5 UVB would be fine. Just follow the manufacturers instructions for how far away to mount it and how often to change it.

[ZombieBTS]

[quote="Katrina"]A 5 UVB would be fine. Just follow the manufacturers instructions for how far away to mount it and how often to change it.[/quote]


How long do I keep the basking bulb on? What about the UVA bulb?

[Katrina]

You can have it on for about 12 hours a day - a timer makes this easy.

[ZombieBTS]

[quote="Katrina"]You can have it on for about 12 hours a day - a timer makes this easy. :D[/quote]
Ok thanks!!! What about what kind of calcium do I buy? And also what do they eat again? I was thinking canned dog food,mango,crickets,mealworms,rasberrys,blueberrys, and strawberrys would be good?

[ILoveMyMonsters]

Hee hee, I apologize, Zombie....I wasn't trying to confuse you about the mercury vapor bulbs lol

[Katrina]

You can have it on for about 12 hours a day - a timer makes this easy.

Ok thanks!!! What about what kind of calcium do I buy? And also what do they eat again? I was thinking canned dog food,mango,crickets,mealworms,rasberrys,blueberrys, and strawberrys would be good?

If you are providing UVB then you can buy a normal calcium powder or else just finely crush up egg shells (I use a blender to get it to a powder) and sprinkle some on. Just make sure you don't get a calcium powder with any phosphorus in it.

As for diet - canned dog food makes a great staple protein. No need to feed crickets or meal worms, unless just for fun. They aren't very nutritious. All fruits mentioned are great treats, but shouldn't be more than 10% of the skinks diet. Add in a few greens and veggies - try grated up squashes, green beans, greens like dandelion, collard greens, beet greens, arugula, endive or mustard greens. This part should be about 50% of the diet. Don't feed lettuces, they aren't very nutritious. You can make it super simple by sticking to dog food and frozen mixed veggie or greens if you want, or you can buy different greens and veggies if you will eat them as well, and share them with the skink.

[Nae]

For the food, theres a food chart in the caresheet - The dog food is good, but I would keep all of those fruits for treats. Instead, veggies like rocket (again, theres a list in the caresheet) would be A LOT healthier

[Katrina]

There are links and info here that you will probably find helpful:

http://bluetongueskinks.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16120

[Bird_Brain]

Welcome and thank you for doing your "homework" before getting your skink! That makes everyone happy on the forum.

I am not sure what type of heat bulb you are using, however, I prefer to use the typical household lightbulb. I can buy a 4 pack for under $2. I typically use a 60watt bulb for the cages on the lower level and 40 for the cages above.

I always tend to start with a 60 watt bulb and check temperature with an Infrared temp gun. If you dont have one yet, Id highly recommend on (www.tempgun.com will provide info as well as purchasing option, or just check out ebay, etc).

As far as Calcium, I prefer Rep-Cal brand. What ever you choose to use, I'd recommend it be a 100% calcium. Do not use the 2:1 that contains phosphorus.

I would not recommend the diet you plan to use. I dont think a skink needs fruits in their diet. I would eliminate all the fruits and just use them as treats. I would skip the crickets and mealworms as well. They are more hassle than they are worth.

For diet I feed canned dog food with mixed veggies. The veggies are typically frozen that I thaw out by running under cold water. The kind of veggies vary. Its amazing what they already have chopped up and frozen at the grocery store. I also use the frozen greens.

[ILoveMyMonsters]

Welcome and thank you for doing your "homework" before getting your skink! That makes everyone happy on the forum.

I am not sure what type of heat bulb you are using, however, I prefer to use the typical household lightbulb. I can buy a 4 pack for under $2. I typically use a 60watt bulb for the cages on the lower level and 40 for the cages above.

I always tend to start with a 60 watt bulb and check temperature with an Infrared temp gun. If you dont have one yet, Id highly recommend on (www.tempgun.com will provide info as well as purchasing option, or just check out ebay, etc).

As far as Calcium, I prefer Rep-Cal brand. What ever you choose to use, I'd recommend it be a 100% calcium. Do not use the 2:1 that contains phosphorus.

I would not recommend the diet you plan to use. I dont think a skink needs fruits in their diet. I would eliminate all the fruits and just use them as treats. I would skip the crickets and mealworms as well. They are more hassle than they are worth.

For diet I feed canned dog food with mixed veggies. The veggies are typically frozen that I thaw out by running under cold water. The kind of veggies vary. Its amazing what they already have chopped up and frozen at the grocery store. I also use the frozen greens.

I just wanted to add that Fluker's is another good calcium/D3 supplement.