Checking my husbandry - am i doing it right?

[jovamabob]

So i've had Sebastian for about a year now - he's 2 and was a pet shop rescue. He was skinny when i got him and underwent some serious feeding up! I'm wanting to check if my husbandry at the moment is good for him. I've been doing my research this last year, but want to check i've researched it right!

He's currently in a 2x1x1 glass viv with 2 shelves, switching to a 3ft melamine vivarium soon. He has a heatmat that covers half of the main floor, and then he has the two shelves to escape the heat. His thermostat is set to 31 which i've checked with a temp gun - he prefers it warmer or he'll just refuse to eat if it goes lower than 31. He has a hide in the cool and hot end of the bottom layer, 1 on the 2nd layer and he occasionally works his way behind the water bowl or under the kitchen roll on the top layer when he's thermoregulating. He also has a large natural piece of rock that gets nicely warm on top of the heatmat. He likes to soak occasionally so he has a large dog bowl of water at the furthest point away from the heatmat. Im careful to leave the lid off for around 45 mins a day when i handle him to make sure humidity doesn't get too high - i assume this will change somewhat when he's in the bigger viv. He got a few recurrent respiratory issues when he was on aspen bedding (before he had the bigger water bowl) and although they weren't bad enough to warrant medication, i was advised to switch to shredded kitchen roll. He hasn't gotten one since the switch at all - its also so much cheaper and easier to clean. He's a fussy eater so he is always fed in his viv, but i clear an area of bedding on the shelf and he doesn't swallow any bedding. He's been on a feeding up diet this last year but is now at a decent weight of 95g at 28" and is now alternating between a peach rat fuzzy and a small mouse each week which he takes down like a champ! He's just started on these sizes but im hoping to move him up to medium mice/regular rat fuzzies soon. He has reptavite multivitamin/mineral supplement every other feed (i know some people don't use this but i personally prefer too). He differers between strike feeding and getting it later on when all is quiet, depending on the time of year. He poops well and sheds fantastically in one piece! He loves being handled and is the friendliest little guy! Now for some photos!

Housing


Feeding on a small mouse


And just cause he's a cutie

[Lankyrob]

You said you clear an area to feed him and then show a picture of him eating on the substrate??

Personally i would say 31c is fine and from what you are saying he is eating/shedding/pooping fine so nothing to worry about.

I also dont like aspen, find it very dusty (which could be causing the RI symptoms you mentioned - what symptoms did he have?). I use reptibark and my corns seem to get on fine with that

[jovamabob]

You said you clear an area to feed him and then show a picture of him eating on the substrate??
Ah that particular occasion he had refused a few feeds then when he got that feed on the large piece of bark where he was already sat he got very excited and dragged it away to the bedding. His feeds are defrosted at room temp not in water so nothing sticks and i kept an eye on him though and he was fine.

I also dont like aspen, find it very dusty (which could be causing the RI symptoms you mentioned - what symptoms did he have?). I use reptibark and my corns seem to get on fine with that
He did a weird hiss kinda like sneezing, drank a bit more than normal and i saw him open his mouth to breath once or twice. I asked around and people seemed to think it was the aspen and kitchen roll would be best for him.

[Lankyrob]

Thats similar symptoms to the what i noticed with my snakes on aspen. Have had zero issues since switching.