Cleaning Question

[Striving Spark]

Hoping this is the right place to post - but basically, I'm planning to clean Autumn's enclosure soon, but I'm unsure if it's too soon? Like, I know you want to clean it on a weekly basis, but seeing as how this is her very first week and I've been told not to handle her until after she's acclimated, I'm unsure what to do? Do I wait a second week, so that it'll be less stressful on her when I take her out of the tank? Or is it better to just get it over with, even if it's a bit stressful for her? (She's also a baby, so it kinda feels like if I do clean up this week I need to do it fast so she can get back into her enclosure as soon as possible...)

 

[Sadie]

Hoping this is the right place to post - but basically, I'm planning to clean Autumn's enclosure soon, but I'm unsure if it's too soon? Like, I know you want to clean it on a weekly basis, but seeing as how this is her very first week and I've been told not to handle her until after she's acclimated, I'm unsure what to do? Do I wait a second week, so that it'll be less stressful on her when I take her out of the tank? Or is it better to just get it over with, even if it's a bit stressful for her? (She's also a baby, so it kinda feels like if I do clean up this week I need to do it fast so she can get back into her enclosure as soon as possible...)

Spot clean w/ some vinegar/water 50/50 spray bottle- deep clean once a month w/ some F10 vet disinfectant found on Ebay - or you can use a heat machine or chlorhexidine - I use F 10 its a concentrate you mix w/ water - it will pretty much kill everything - I also use the vinegar and water -

 

[Striving Spark]

Spot clean w/ some vinegar/water 50/50 spray bottle- deep clean once a month w/ some F10 vet disinfectant found on Ebay - or you can use a heat machine or chlorhexidine - I use F 10 its a concentrate you mix w/ water - it will pretty much kill everything - I also use the vinegar and water -

I have ready to use F10, and some "cleaning vinegar" that will need to be heavily diluted, but which should otherwise be safe I think. I've been spot cleaning so far (not that there's much to clean - she's only pooped once since she got here...) and I figure I can at least replace the paper towels after the first week is over, to be safe. I also wash the food and water bowls daily. There's guides out there that recommend sanitizing literally everything once a week, though, and it feels too early to disrupt her habitat like that.

 

[Sadie]

I have ready to use F10, and some "cleaning vinegar" that will need to be heavily diluted, but which should otherwise be safe I think. I've been spot cleaning so far (not that there's much to clean - she's only pooped once since she got here...) and I figure I can at least replace the paper towels after the first week is over, to be safe. I also wash the food and water bowls daily. There's guides out there that recommend sanitizing literally everything once a week, though, and it feels too early to disrupt her habitat like that.

She should be pooping every day at least once - when they are little they poop a few times a day- what are you feeding? How much is she eating? Shes going thru relocation stress so her eating is going to be off - but her age she should be eating 20-25 crickets per feeding -- salads -- dubia roaches around 10-15 appropriate sized ones - maybe some BSFL great for babies -

 

[Striving Spark]

She should be pooping every day at least once - when they are little they poop a few times a day- what are you feeding? How much is she eating? Shes going thru relocation stress so her eating is going to be off - but her age she should be eating 20-25 crickets per feeding -- salads -- dubia roaches around 10-15 appropriate sized ones - maybe some BSFL great for babies -

I feed her salad every day - usually I pick out one of the greens, maybe two, and tear it into tiny pieces. I change up what it is every day, but the basic options are mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, cilantro and shredded carrots. (I make sure to cut said carrots into small pieces, too. By hand, so far.)

I also feed her about 15 dubia roaches a day (a mix of small and extra small) and maybe a couple mealworms, as well. I've also got some black soldier fly larvae coming, so that I can further diversify her insect diet.

She's definitely eaten at least a little - I've seen her eye and then gobble down insects I put directly in front of her, now and again - but I'm not entirely sure whether she's eating on her own just yet? Sometimes it seems like the greens have diminished dramatically, but it could just be wilting from the heat. Same with the insects - I'm pretty sure there's less than I put in, but I can't entirely rule out miscounting on my part.

Worth noting that the breeder essentially raised her with standing food in the cage. I'd prefer to do the whole "as much as she'll eat within 15 minutes" thing but if she is eating she's only pecking at it rather than gobbling things down as fast as possible. Which is why I'm focusing primarily on portion control over timing.

 

[Sadie]

I feed her salad every day - usually I pick out one of the greens, maybe two, and tear it into tiny pieces. I change up what it is every day, but the basic options are mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, cilantro and shredded carrots. (I make sure to cut said carrots into small pieces, too. By hand, so far.)

I also feed her about 15 dubia roaches a day (a mix of small and extra small) and maybe a couple mealworms, as well. I've also got some black soldier fly larvae coming, so that I can further diversify her insect diet.

She's definitely eaten at least a little - I've seen her eye and then gobble down insects I put directly in front of her, now and again - but I'm not entirely sure whether she's eating on her own just yet? Sometimes it seems like the greens have diminished dramatically, but it could just be wilting from the heat. Same with the insects - I'm pretty sure there's less than I put in, but I can't entirely rule out miscounting on my part.

Worth noting that the breeder essentially raised her with standing food in the cage. I'd prefer to do the whole "as much as she'll eat within 15 minutes" thing but if she is eating she's only pecking at it rather than gobbling things down as fast as possible. Which is why I'm focusing primarily on portion control over timing.

Please no more mealworms------------ these will cause impaction in babies-- if you want treat worms super worms every other day 1-3- small hornworms-- or butter worms- this might be the cause for not pooping every day like she should

 

[Striving Spark]

Oof, noted. The breeder was feeding them to her, so I just sort of assumed they were okay... I've been trying to avoid anything that can bite, so I'll probably give her some small hornworms. I mostly just want a third type of insect I can feed her now and again for the sake of diversity in her diet.

The good news is that she did, in fact, finally poop! The bad news is that part of it looked white? With a tinge of red at the end... I'll be keeping an eye on her stool and if that happens again I'll probably call the vet... (I'm not panicking quite yet, because it was only the tiniest tinge of pink at the very end, but I'm definitely wary.)