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HI EVERYONE IM A NEWBIE

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:52 pm
by BLUE_TONGUE
:D im totally new to this site and owning a blue tongue lizard which arrives on the 26th oct a baby at 7weeks so cant wait have a set up organized so will put up pics when he/she is settled in new home, im using a glass aquarium till it gets bigger and will buy a better enclosure
i have bought a D3 compact 23w reptile lamp its 7% UVB, just need to get a heat source lamp

i have a couple of ?? do u have the light on the left, heat lamp in middle and the cool side on the right ?? also how much of a distance do i have for the UVB light from top to bottom ?? also whats better to feed my lizard at 7weeks?? does he need feeding daily??
cheers in advance

Re: HI EVERYONE IM A NEWBIE

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:29 pm
by Rani-May
Hi there and welcome to the site :D

I personally wont comment on the lighting arrangement simply because i am one that does not use UV lights, i just have my basking light to one side (doesnt matter which side as long as they have a side that is cool and a side that is warm/basked)

For a skink that young, I personally feed my baby bluey every day but every second or third day is fine too as long as you offer enough. They need a little extra protein in their diet while young too. Do you have calcium supplement D3? I recommend it with or without uv lights due to the fact that it hasnt been proven that uv lights do anything for them. :)

Do you have a name ready yet? I look forward to some photos!

Re: HI EVERYONE IM A NEWBIE

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:08 pm
by BLUE_TONGUE
cheers for ur reply and comments, have bought some repotolife plus nutritional supplements
no havnt a name yet thought id wait to i get him

Re: HI EVERYONE IM A NEWBIE

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:19 am
by tylociraptor
BLUE_TONGUE wrote::D im totally new to this site and owning a blue tongue lizard which arrives on the 26th oct a baby at 7weeks so cant wait have a set up organized so will put up pics when he/she is settled in new home, im using a glass aquarium till it gets bigger and will buy a better enclosure
i have bought a D3 compact 23w reptile lamp its 7% UVB, just need to get a heat source lamp

i have a couple of ?? do u have the light on the left, heat lamp in middle and the cool side on the right ?? also how much of a distance do i have for the UVB light from top to bottom ?? also whats better to feed my lizard at 7weeks?? does he need feeding daily??
cheers in advance


It doesn't matter what side you put each on, but generally the rule is that the lamp and uv source would be both on the same side. I don't have it that way because of the cages' set up, but I provide lots of hiding spots for her to get out of the UV anywhere she wants.

As for feeding, yes... daily feeding as a baby. Dust with calcium + D3 every other or third day. I offer treats once a week at least, and by treats I mean special stuff I pick up at the store for her... some times it's banana, hornworms, f/t pinkies... this week it was snails! I like to change it up every weekend so she gets a good variety. :)

I would reccomend reading the detailed care sheet on this site if you haven't already. While some of the information on it... UVB vs. No, Dog Food solo diet vs Dog food with veggies/greens, etc. might vary for person to person, I found as a newb it was easier to follow it to a T and learn with my skink, Misha, what worked best for her. For instance, she got about a MONTH before any serious handling took place, rather than a week or two. She was handled a little bit a week after I got her, but it wasn't until a month later that I would take her out for extended periods.

Also, keep in mind it's very dependant on species too. For instance I have a Northern- their care is pretty much the average. Irian jayas might light it a little more humid, and from what I understand shinglebacks, a little bit drier. If you want to know about your specific species, there are lots of people here with experience on them. :)