In terms of waxworms and butterworms, which of the two would be a better choice in fattening up an underweight Chinese Water Dragon?

His staple diet is crickets, dusted every second feeding, and occasionally a side dish of mealworms. He usually only gets one or two waxies a week as a treat.

But he always seems too skinny.

Thanks

Try considering some night crawlers, nicely gut loaded. Is he big enough for a pinkie mouse?

Are you gutloading the crickets you get?

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Not big enough for pinkies yet, he's 14" snout to tail length.

I'm gutloading them most of the time but not as often as my dragons do eat fruits and veggies too, more fruits than veggies though.

Hmm, we don't usually get many nightcrawler sellers out here, and I don't want to go to baitshops in case they have contaminants.

There is always a debate about bait shops feeders. I usually keep my nightcrawlers (purchased from a bait shot) in my fridge with scraps of veggies and soil for a week or so. This allows me to make sure they are healthy and gut loads them.

I actually saw a show about people who breed worms and I can't imagine breeding would be any different between pet suppliers and bait shops.

Go to your store and look at a pinkie. They are smaller than you may think. Heck my whites tree frogs eat pinkies.

__________________
My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

If hes eating alot but not putting on weight I would get a stool check on him chances are hes eating for more then just himself

Yeah, I was concerned about parasites too,but one factor I think is my other dragon bullying him. Of course I've never actually seen the bullying. But the other dragon is larger than him. So lately I've had to take him out of his enclosure to feed.

I'm working on building a bigger enclosure for the two

Before I had just placed in crickets and the mealies in a bowl for them. But I noticed that he was losing weight as they grew into their upgraded tank size.

They are at the stage where the tank they are in now are just at the edge of being too small.

Yeah, two of my geckos were like that. Even when I got them one was bullying the other, added with the bad state they were in I was surprised Jaz hadn't already killed Jackie. When they were little Jaz had apparently eaten Jackie's tail. So once I got them into my care I started feeding Jackie with tongs to make sure she was getting enough food and now they both still live together and Jaz no longer bullies her because Jackie is an even more aggressive eater than Jaz and they both get along so I'm not worried anymore. So if you don't have room or money to give them there own enclosures I suggest your should start feeding her with tongs to make sure its getting everything it needs.

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0.2.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Corn Snake
0.3.0 Green Frogs
0.0.1 Eastern Garter Snake
0.0.1 Green Tree Frog
1.0.0 White's Tree Frog

Thanks! Yeah, he's doing good with the hand-feeding luckily.
Partly I've noticed that he's not as good with catching the crickets as the other dragon is.

I would try separating them for a while and see if this improves matters any. And I don't mean just separate while feeding.

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Yup, one is going to be dominating over the other, its stressing your one guy out and he isn't getting the proper food. Its time to separate.

__________________
My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.