I know it's been about a month since we've stopped by. I apologize.

I searched the forums last night because it looks like our Leo is losing some weight and it has me concerned.

My searching led me to buy a Under Tank Heater today, and it also led me to want to ask a few questions.

First a bit of background. We got the Leo about 7 weeks ago. At the time I didn't know better, but we had gotten her from petsmart. I now know that wasn't the best place to go. Hindsight though.

Anyhow...she wasn't real big when we got her, but she was an ok size. However a couple weeks ago, I noticed she wasn't eating much at all. Her tail isn't fat anymore like it was. (certainly not plump like the pictures I've seen here, and in comparison to pics when we first got her, it is thinner.)

I had been putting crickets and meal worms in for her. It took her the longest time to eat the meal worms (I don't even think she realized that they were there) and it took her almost 2 weeks to eat 3 crickets I had put in. In fact she finally ate all three in one fell swoop on Friday night.

She is having bowel movements, so I know she is eating but it's very slow. She has a constant supply of mealies, and I keep count, but it's maybe 1 mealie every couple days.

She has NOT had a shed since we got her. Is this bad? Since she isn't growing, I wouldn't think she'd have one because what is there to shed?

Anyhow, She has a heat lamp that is on during the day. She has a favorite hide. She goes to the bathroom mostly in the same area behind (not under) another hide.

I got a new thermometer today, because the other one I now know is broken. WIth the heat lamp it's at 70 during the day. I think I had it too far away. Before on the other thermometer it said it was at 90 I'm thinking this is too low. And at night it's probably dropping down to about 65.

I'm going to move her tank to a warmer part of the house. And, like I said, I got a Under Tank Heater today.

My question with the Under Tank Heater is, where under her tank to I put it. Under her favorite hide? Do I leave it on 24/7 or just on during the day? Also, Should I continue to use her heat lamp during the day as well? If so, should it be on the ooposite side of the tank as her Under Tank Heater??

I also got some wax worms today too. Can they go in the same dish as the meal worms?? I know how much I've put in today and I will check tomorrow to see if any, how much she's eaten.

I change her water daily. She has a repti carpet for her substrate.

When I move her to a warmer part of the house, it will also be in a less traffic area for my kids. I don't know if the stress of my kids is a factor or not? THey don't do anything to her, they just look at her and talk to her during the day. But it could be stressfull I guess??

Anyhow, I just don't know why her appitite has slowed so much and I want to fatten her back up. I couldn't find a local place today to get butterworms or silkies. So I got the wax worms. So in her tank she has wax worms, crickets and meal worms.

Any other ideas?

Hello,

Have you read our caresheet yet? It is located here: http://www.herpcenter.com/showthread.php?t=2731

70 degrees is FAR to cool for a leo to digest its prey. That would explain why the little guy hasn't had an appetite. he can't digest what he is eating fast enough to get hungry again.

The Under Tank Heater should go on one end of the enclosure. The heat lamp only needs to be used to create the gradient. If the temperatures need rising, use the heat lamp.

Once the leo warms up some, he should have an appetite increase. Leave the Under Tank Heater on all the time. There is no need to turn it off. The enclosure should have a hide over the Under Tank Heater and a hide on the cool end as well as a moist hide.

The leo will move around to regulate his own temperatures.

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Yes, I had read the care sheet, but the prior thermometer was broken I found out today. It read 90. When I put the new thermometer in today, then it said 70 and I was well THAT might be the problem then.

I'll keep an eye on her eating for the next few days and I'm hoping for a radical change.

BTW before I put her Under Tank Heater under the tank, just now, the thermometer read 77. Still quite low though.

WIth the heat lamp that I have, should I still turn it on during the day for her light source (but further away so as not a heat source) or would just natural room light during the day be ok?

Hello,

Before you can decide if you will be using the heat lamp for light or heat, you will need to see what the Under Tank Heater does to your temps. Odds are, you will still need to use the heat lamp over the basking area as the Under Tank Heater doesn't do much for the ambient temperatures.

You should have a thermometer on the cool end of the enclosure as well. If you did move the heat lamp, it may warm the cooler end too much and make it difficult for the leo to thermoregulate.

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Thanks Rich.

And one other question, should the moist hide be on the cool or warm end?

Hello,

Moist hides seem to do well in the middle. They evaporate less quickly and they maintain a decent temperature.

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Thanks again Rich.

She ate two crickets last night out of the 4 that were in there, none of her mealies or wax worms though. But something is better then nothing.

This morning she was even poking her head out of her one hide and looking around a bit. Usually she's just completely hidden from view by that time. But she was actually a bit active.

So I'll keep an close eye on her and I hope to see her fatten up here in the near future. I moved her tank to a warmer spot of the huose, have the Under Tank Heater and her lamp. AND a working thermometer...sigh.

Hello,

The temps should make a huge difference. Now she has the ability to digest the food properly so her appetite should increase. Once she starts feeding regularly, she should plump right up.

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Well, it definately was the temps. She ate three crickets during the night last night and this morning when I went to turn her light on, she was laying out in the open over the Under Tank Heater. So in the past two days she's eaten 5 crickets. Thats more then she had eaten in the past two full weeks.

She still isn't eating her mealies or wax worms though. I'm not sure she knows they are there? They are in a dish where they can't get out, but then she can't really see into it either unless she crawls up on it. I'm wondering if I should take the top half of the dish off so that she has easier access?