Question about feeding

[acovert]

I hope so
When I first got him all I had was a travel-safe cage and the little bit of bedding that the lady who had him gave me. I had to make-do with whatever I could find for a water dish. I kept him close to my computer so he could stay warm. Eventually I was able to get hold of a paper towel tube for him to hide in. Things are much better now.

[chris-uk]

They love kitchen roll tubes (toilet roll tubes are too big for the small fellers), they will drink from whatever you put water in (the wife insists on reptile bowls, but small food tubs work just as well after a wash out), and there's plenty of other stuff you can put in the tank to keep them curious.
I've done the sitting them next to the laptop fan to keep one warm in a RUB when I was working and wanted to keep an eye on her. I should really run some ducting from the exhaust vents of my server and use the heat for snakes.

[acovert]

I actually just redesigned his cage since I had to take the old bedding out. Somehow it got damp - the desk was probably bumped and the water spilled - and I started to notice a smell. So I cleared out the old bedding and put in new. Now he has three hiding spots and a nice rock up near the lamp to sun himself on, since he loves to do that. I bought a reptile dish for the water because it was cheap at Petco and looked nicer than what I was using before. It also works better for feeding him fish.

[EasternGirl]

It does sound like you know what you are doing and have everything pretty much covered. You don't need your temps higher than they are for a garter...in fact, my temps run lower than that most of the time...but yours are fine. I would say that my day temps on the warm side of the tank range anywhere from 75-87...87 being the absolute warmest over the heat pad spot...usually it stays under 80 degrees though for an ambient temp( probably more like 75)....and stays around 71 on the cool side....and probably stays around 70 at night. For humidity 40-50% should be good...although there are members that will argue it should be higher for good sheds. I have been trying to get my humidity higher by using bowls of sphagnum moss in my tanks...but it hasn't been working. I just mist a lot when the snakes are going to shed and make sure they have water to soak in. I would make sure you clean out that tank that the lizards were in with a good bleach solution, I use a one part bleach, 3 parts water spray...spray out my tanks and then I make sure to spray them with regular water to get rid of all of the bleach...and then I air them out real well before I put the snakes in.

[acovert]

On the warm side it runs about 80ish degrees. On the cooler side it runs down to about 75ish most of the time. I worry more about nighttime, when the temperature in the tank goes below 65. I happen to have the coldest room in our dorm suite. Which is why I sneak out late and turn the heat up.

I plan on misting once he starts shedding. I don't do that otherwise, though, unless the humidity manages to drop past 40%. The lizards I had before needed a humidity of 70-80% so I'm used to misting.

As for the tank...it's been about five years since anything lived in it. It's been washed with bleach before, but it's been sitting in a rather disgusting garage for about a year and a half, and I need to get it out of there. I don't trust my grandmother to keep it clean. But it will be cleaned again and aired out. My mom knows how to do all of that, since we've had to clean stuff like this out before. She'll help me, I think, since I have problems with bleach.

[tress29]

On the warm side it runs about 80ish degrees. On the cooler side it runs down to about 75ish most of the time. I worry more about nighttime, when the temperature in the tank goes below 65.

I have my guys in a 20L with a UTH at one end. The temp over the heat pad is @88 but the ambient temps are anywhere from 67-70. I've provided a range, they can move around to suit themselves!

I think I'll worry more when my AC is set to 80 this summer. Will those ambient temps be too warm for them?

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...I don't know Tress...probably not as they are used to living outside in the heat in the summer. As other members have pointed out, they are used to surviving some pretty harsh conditions outside. I would make sure they always have bowls of cool water to soak in. Maybe some other members can give you some ideas about that when the time comes.

Ashley...It sounds like you have everything covered. As far as night temps go...garters are used to dealing with it getting pretty cold outside at night. You're only there for a couple more days...as long as he has his lamp on during the day so that he can get his temp up...he should be okay during the night. Did you say you have a night lamp? No...okay...just looked back...he should be okay for a couple more days.

[acovert]

No, no night lamp at this point. It won't be an issue when I get home. Mom keeps the temperature at 70 in the house.

[EasternGirl]

Sounds like you'll be good then.

[acovert]

Trying the nightcrawlers again. I put them right outside the entrance to the hide. He showed some interest in fish today, so I'm hoping he's hungry enough to try worm.