Help :(

[coldblooded]

You think just having a red bulb on all day and night is ok?

Without a UTH? No. What are you floor temperatures?

EDIT: I do know people that use lamps, but UTH's are more efficient and often (especially if your house is cold/drafty) a lamp by itself is not sufficient.

[coldblooded]

Sorry for the double post, but also:

Are you bothering him a lot? Frequent handling can stress them and make them go off food. How old is he? Juvies eat A LOT more than adults. My adults eat every 2-3 days while my juvies eat everyday.

[Immy]

No, I meant having a light with a UTH (I have 2), but If heat lamps in general isn't recommended then I won't get one. The temperature on the cool side is 75, and the temperature on the hot side is 95. My room is usually drafty/cold so that's why I asked about the red bulb part to keep ambient temps up and not just his tummy. I do handle him, but not all the time. Whenever I try feeding him I have to take everything out so he can get the worms or crickets moving about. I try just giving him the food by using tongs but he just looks at it, licks it and turn his head away. I don't know, sometimes I have the bug just crawling right in front of him and It looks like he doesn't even see it, so I have to wait patiently until he notices it and snatches it. It's really strange. For the age, It used to be my friends little brothers gecko and they said I could have him because the tank he was in was dirty and no fresh water and heat. He had the gecko for 3 years. I'm surprised the guy Is still alive..

[coldblooded]

No, I meant having a light with a UTH (I have 2), but If heat lamps in general isn't recommended then I won't get one. The temperature on the cool side is 75, and the temperature on the hot side is 95. My room is usually drafty/cold so that's why I asked about the red bulb part to keep ambient temps up and not just his tummy. I do handle him, but not all the time. Whenever I try feeding him I have to take everything out so he can get the worms or crickets moving about. I try just giving him the food by using tongs but he just looks at it, licks it and turn his head away. I don't know, sometimes I have the bug just crawling right in front of him and It looks like he doesn't even see it, so I have to wait patiently until he notices it and snatches it. It's really strange. For the age, It used to be my friends little brothers gecko and they said I could have him because the tank he was in was dirty and no fresh water and heat. He had the gecko for 3 years. I'm surprised the guy Is still alive..

Well, if you have two UTH's and your temps are 95 you don't want them to go higher.

Taking all of his stuff out is stressing him out. If he's three years old he's also not going to be eating every night. Give him time and when you go to feed him drop one or two in at a time and if he's hungry he'll go for it. Have you taken him to the vet to get a fecal exam done?

[Immy]

Have you taken him to the vet to get a fecal exam done?

I haven't yet, how much is it? and how do I preserve the fecal matter?

[coldblooded]

I haven't yet, how much is it? and how do I preserve the fecal matter?

Needs to be fresh so don't let it dry out. Best thing to do is try to get a sample either at the vet or right before you go (sometimes handling them make them poo. Your vet might be able to get it to poo, too.)

Price varies per vet so I can't answer that

[Clementine_3]

You can put it in a baggie in the fridge (on the door shelves) and it will stay 'fresh' for a day, no longer than 24 hours. The fecal float itself is usually pretty cheap, less than $20 but the visit will be more. Some vets will just do the float w/out a visit and then if there is something there you would have to bring him in for meds etc. See if your vet will let you drop the sample off without an appointment...worth a shot anyway.