Basilisk not eating

[Ivanator]

Hey guys. I just got this guy about a month ago. A subadult brown basilisk and lately it hasn't been eating. I've offered it everything from Dubia roaches, super worms, silkworms, wax worms, crickets and all sorts of veggies. It's not losing weight at all and it's extremely active, constantly jumping into the water bowl from the highest branch. The only change I've noticed is that it's been doin a lot of head bobbing lately. Do these guys stop eating during the breeding season? How old do they need to be to breed? I didn't think this guy was old enough to but maybe he is? Thanks guys.

[jpsteele80]

I really don't know anything about these guys but I'll ask what the others will ask, what are the temps like, pics of the set up will help as well

[Ivanator]

Cool areas around 82F, the hottest spot is around 110F but he always basks in the spot where it's around 105F. I do a heavy mist every morning and evening to keep the humidity up and there's 2 UVA/B bulbs. The dimensions of the tank are 48"x18"x18". The lizard itself snout to vent is about 6-8". With the tail, it is closer to 2'. If you need any more info, i can provide it. http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t465/aw3s0m31/5A0C19A7-0A1B-4F92-8704-FFB09CFB756E_zps42lsqoua.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/aw3s0m31/media/5A0C19A7-0A1B-4F92-8704-FFB09CFB756E_zps42lsqoua.jpg.html) http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t465/aw3s0m31/9B336F13-E900-400E-BC8A-D24C4E595FD4_zpshsmzvgkf.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/aw3s0m31/media/9B336F13-E900-400E-BC8A-D24C4E595FD4_zpshsmzvgkf.jpg.html)

[jpsteele80]

No such thing as humidity in a screen top tank, it just goes right out the top but I don't know what the humidity levels are supposed to be for these guys

[Ivanator]

That pic was actually taken a few days after it was set up. I have placed plastic wrap around parts of the screen to help hold in humidity. Sorry I forgot to mention that

[jpsteele80]

Good idea, tin foil is also another good option, don't know how plastic wrap would do around the heat lamps

[Ivanator]

That's actually a great idea! I'll tear off the plastic and replace it with tinfoil later today. Hopefully someone can chime in on the feeding issue though

[jpsteele80]

Yeah wish I could help, never had one or researched one before, I'm sure someone here can and will help you, that's what this place is for :D

[Ivanator]

Haha ya. Neither had I until my gf came to my place with this guy and said it was for me. Good thing I had stuff laying around that I could use.

[Sublimeballs]

Well you definitely need more cover(branches and fake plants). My old brown basilisk never went off food at any point in the year. Temps seem fine. If you've got something over the lid to keep humidity that should help, what's the humidity at? Is he WC? Do you handle him?

[murrindindi]

Hi, I don`t keep these lizards but I can tell you the present setup is not ideal by any means (no disrespect, this is just about the animal). You need to cover the screen as completely as possible, they require relatively high humidity (a range between approx. 60 to 80%), they are semi aquatic and semi-arborial, meaning this fishtank isn`t anywhere near tall enough. Any water used for "swimming"/soaking needs to be heated to the mid 70`s to 80f (that small dish is almost useless).
How are you measuring the temps and humidity?
Sexual maturity is more to do with size, not age, in particular the SV length, usually around half or so adult size.
Edit: What type/wattage of heat bulb are you using for the basking site, also, how many inches or cm from the surface of the UVB tube to the surface of the animal, and is there any screen/plastic between the tube and lizard? It`s also recommended to have the UVB close to the basking area so the animal benefits from both heat and UVB at the same time.

[Ivanator]

I have no idea if he's wc or cb. There are a lot of branches and vines but he keeps knocking them down when he has his random sprints. I've got all the exposed screen top covered with plastic wrap to kept the humidity but I'm gonna replace it with tinfoil when I get home later tonight. The humidity is about 70% right now. I measure the temp with a zoomed temp gun and humidity with just a normal humidity gauge. The uv bulbs are approximately 14" from the lizard at its lowest point and 6" at its highest. I have 2 heat bulbs, 1 150W during the day and at night a red 100W. I would just like some info on why it would go off feed though. The previous owner got it as a baby and kept it in a 20 long. I knew that was far from adequate for it and had this spare viv in my side yard. I am aware that they live water but this cage was not meant to hold water so I cannot put an aquatic section in it.

[murrindindi]

You can use a plastic container that holds several gallons of water heated with a 50w aquarium heater (very cheap to buy and extremely economical to run 24/7).
I cannot see anything other than a very small portion of the branch that would hold much heat, if the animal cannot raise it`s core body temp sufficiently it will not eat (nor will it be able to digest food), though it may still appear relatively active.
I would suggest using a piece of flat stone/tile/slate as a basking object, you can raise it so it`s closer to the heat and UVB.
By the way, the screen is blocking perhaps 80% of the UVB, so at present those tubes are of no benefit in that respect.
Can you fix a piece of 1/2 inch plywood with tight fitting cutouts for the tubes/heat bulbs in place of the mesh, which will help to stabilise both temps and humidity? If you could do that I believe you will only need a relatively low wattage bulb to create a basking area (halogens are excellent), instead of the 150w which is also drying out the air.
Edit: If by "normal" humidity gauge you mean analogue, they can be as much as 15%+ out, you need a digital hygrometer (I think you can buy them in Walmart for around $12 U.S.).

[murrindindi]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that if you can fit a solid plywood top it will need to be sealed with several coats of water based polyurethane varnish.

[Ivanator]

What I was actually thinking about doing in a few weeks after finals was completely replacing the mesh with acrylic with small holes drilled in for ventilation. Then making a cutout the size of the uv bulbs. Then I'd also drill a bigger hole so that I can stick the heat bulbs actually inside of the cage. I don't know if the explanation is very clear at all but if you can imagine what I just described, you think that would work? If I have time, I'll probably build a cage this summer using melanin and liquid rubber to make the entire bottom part aquatic and throw some fish in there and possibly grab a female or 2.

[Ivanator]

Sorry. I was having difficulty picturing what you were describing.

[Ivanator]

Thought I'd update you guys. He started eating again and it turns out its because it doesn't like Dubia roaches. It only eats mealworms and super worms and ignores everything else including crickets. It won't touch veggies either :/ how can I get it to eat a variety? I've been mixing Dubia's with the super worms and it picks off the super worms and leaves the roaches. It doesn't even chase after the crickets so they just hide making it impossible for me to find them. I just bought a colony of Dubia's and now it feels like a waste if he won't even eat them. How can I get him to not be so picky?

[UwabamiReptiles]

I didn't read every post so I apologize if I repeat anything that was already said. Now first off I don't have any hands on with these guys but I have good deal of experience with water dragons who are very similar in care. Being a brown basilisk, I'd guess that he is wc. Not a huge deal but can definitely make him a lot more finicky. If you are going to stay with the setup you have with the changes to the screen to keep humidity up, I would also get a background and put a six inch or so barrier around the whole tank to keep him from seeing out. Water dragons, basilisks, and sailfins are notorious for being nervous and running into glass because they can get stressed out and they don't get the concept of glass. As far as the feeding, it could be stressed related. It could just be him being picky. The best thing to do with these guys is to provide variety and be patient. When I had water dragons, mine would other eat certain things during specific times of the year. So if he isn't eating something now, don't stop offering it. Also try to offer it in a different way.

I would also throw some fake plants in the branches you have in your setup if you have it the same way as your picture shows. Basilisks are known for being skittish and nervous animals by nature so anything you can put in his cage to add to him feeling secure would help out tremendously. The best thing to do is try different things and see what makes him the most comfortable. I don't remember the details of your setup picture but you could also have a branch that is right above his water dish. They are known to perch above water so if need be they can dive into the water. Tons of things you can try. Sounds like you are on the right track since he is starting to eat for you. Keep us posted!

[Ivanator]

Thanks for your input! This is NOT gonna be his permanent enclosure. I just needed time cuz I had finals this week so now I have time to actually set up a permanent enclosure. A lot of the info you mentioned was already brought up but I appreciate all input I can get. I realized he wasn't eating bc I was trying to get him to eat Dubia roaches, I've been feeding him super worms, and it turns out he just doesn't like them. He actually won't even eat crickets :( only superworms and mealworms. I've been trying to feed him veggies as well but he just grabs them then spits them right out. The main concern I have now is trying to give him a varied diet. I've pretty much been making him a bug salad by mixing in earthworms, superworms, Dubia roaches, hissing roaches and crickets and he just picks out the superworms and leaves everything else. It's really frustrating. I don't know how old he is but I have a feeling that all the previous owner fed him was mealworms so I have no idea what to do to get him to eat anything else.