# new dwarf caiman not active? Pls help!



## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

Just got a baby schnieders dwarf caiman yesterday @ 8".I wanted to ask expeiranced caiman keepers how long it took for their caiman to adapt to it's new surroundings?All he does is just chill in the water.I just wanted to know if this is normal and how long it usually takes to get used its new tank..thank you.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

I dont keep them personally, but I have been around quite a few and they arnt very active creatures by nature, alot of the time they will just sit there like a statue for hours on end, I wouldnt worry too much about it, all animals need a bit of time to settle though.


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## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

as a crocodilian they will spend the vast majority of their time chillin in the water..and it will take him a few days to get used to the new surroundings.

Have you got a basking site set up for him out of the water?

you'll know when he's settled in because he will start to defend his territory! 

have fun


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## Declan123 (Dec 29, 2007)

Yes, they are ambush predators... they are ambush predators, therefore just sitting and waiting..


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## Viper (May 10, 2008)

They are referred to as statues, i assume you understand why now !!


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

*sobs* everyone has one but me. :lol2:


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## Viper (May 10, 2008)

Lucifus said:


> *sobs* everyone has one but me. :lol2:


Actually very few people have them !!


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## Hardwicki (Jun 18, 2007)

Lucifus said:


> *sobs* everyone has one but me. :lol2:


i dont have one:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Mine never settled in because there was something wrong with it, but Jerry Cole exchanged it for me and the one I have now is very active and leaps at you the second you open the glass to feed (or do anything really!)



sweet !


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## Viper (May 10, 2008)

fangsy said:


> Mine never settled in because there was something wrong with it, but Jerry Cole exchanged it for me and the one I have now is very active and leaps at you the second you open the glass to feed (or do anything really!)
> 
> 
> 
> sweet !


Nice proper caiman style !!


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

fangsy said:


> Mine never settled in because there was something wrong with it, but Jerry Cole exchanged it for me and the one I have now is very active and leaps at you the second you open the glass to feed (or do anything really!)
> 
> 
> 
> sweet !


Wish mines was more aggresive like that.do you think mine will ever get that way?Maybe because hes only a year old.


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

These pictures are when i fist got him released him onto his basking area.I never seen him chill on his basking spot not once since i got him?The lil booger is pretty shy,He spends most of his time underwater and in between the two rocks with his head popping out.When he sees me or hears me unlock the door then he hides underneath the cave,right where the second rock is located.Hope he snaps out of this stage and gets more active more like fangsy's caiman.enjoy!




















[


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

He looks healthy enough ....

thay say that once they get over a year old , or over 1 ft in length , thats when they get more aggresive and harder to handle.

Steve


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## Jake89 (May 30, 2007)

MAROWANALUVR how much you pay for it?
also how much did you D.W.A cost and how hard was it to get it and how long did you wait to get it? If you dont wana post this info up, will you P.M it me please as ive been looking into Caiman


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

I have just had a thought ........

I think you need to give him / her a hide , I have a hide on the land area ,

also some floating plants in the water area , I have this and mine likes to swim under and come up into the floating plants...

Just a thought ....

Steve


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## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

totally agree with Steve

you need to get more stuff in the water and a hide on the land area for him to hide in.

All crocodilians at that age will spend most of their time under cover in and around the waters edge.


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## Viper (May 10, 2008)

I would also get a hide !!


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

fangsy said:


> I think you need to give him / her a hide , I have a hide on the land area ,





RMG said:


> totally agree with Steve
> 
> you need to get more stuff in the water and a hide on the land area for him to hide in.





[email protected] said:


> I would also get a hide !!




Errrrrrrr yep !


LOL .....


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

fangsy said:


> Errrrrrrr yep !
> 
> 
> LOL .....


what kind of stuff you suggest i get for the water area plants cork bork ideas etc..?can you please give me names, i want it to look as natural as possible?And where should i put the hiding place at first or second rock?Thanks fellas.


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## Lorenzo369 (Apr 19, 2008)

This may be a really really stupid question(im pretty new to all this) but i take it you do need a DWA to own a dwarf caiman?


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## Thrasops (Apr 15, 2008)

MAROWANALUVR said:


> what kind of stuff you suggest i get for the water area plants cork bork ideas etc..?can you please give me names, i want it to look as natural as possible?And where should i put the hiding place at first or second rock?Thanks fellas.


I've never kept a caiman (looked after them at the zoo, though). How about trying Water lettuce (_Pistia_), _Elodea_ or Duckweed for floating cover?


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## Thrasops (Apr 15, 2008)

Lorenzo369 said:


> This may be a really really stupid question(im pretty new to all this) but i take it you do need a DWA to own a dwarf caiman?


Yup, all crocodilians come under DWA.


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

Thank you all for your help!My caiman is as happy as ever can be.Thank you fangsy for the set-up enclosure.My caimans loves it and more comfortable with the plants and the hut i put in.He is eating like a pig.Fangsy what substrate did you mix your gravel with cause mines looks to dry.I was thinking of mixing it with bark mulch and sphagnum peat moss?


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Nothing , just gravel .....

But I have got the pipe returning the water onto the shelf , so it keeps part of the gravel wet.

Steve


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

Where would be the ideal place to put the hiding place, by basking area or by the water area?I will post some pictures up later.You can see where i put the hiding place it is covered with plants.

check out my videos. http://www.youtube.com/MAROWANALUVR


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Hi , im very concerned , looking at your video : YouTube - Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman(Paleosuchus palpebrosus)

That is how mine was , and it was very sick , you are trying to force it to eat and it is snapping in a defensive mannor, not to eat, but to say stop trying to do this to me.

This is not a good sign, my first Cuviers was just like that and there is nothing that I could do to rectify this, the Cuviers I have now leaps at the open part of the tank when you open it , and nothing the represents what it eats lasts more than 5 seconds ....

Im really sorry , I dont know what to suggest , I swapped mine for another one from the shop , and I have wrote on a couple of occasions to ask how the first one I had is doing and they have not replied, even though I have offered to purchase another one from them aswell. (This is not a slate against the shop before I start to be attacked !)


I would get it looked at , or get in contact with where you got it from , sorry that I could not be a better help than that ...

Steve


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

:blowup:mods please delete.Thank you


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

hello,
fangsy i don't think my caiman is stable yet?I just got it last thursday.I fed it on friday and left a chunk of beef with some calcium on it and ate it with no problems.He probably is still stress form delivery.he's doing much better now.I used to have a trig but ended up selling him and bought the cuvier's.

here is are a couple of pictures let me know if i can rearrange anything?

Meet chopper.










Chopper's head shot.










Chopper on land.










side shot angle full tank shot.










water area from top angle.










Basking/landing area thanks to fangsy for the great idea.









Full tank shot.










side shot from water area.










side shot (2)









Underneath landing area.


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Looks good ....

Hope it gets like mine as it gets older, they usually say after they get to be a year, or a foot long, my one, as you open the sliding glass in the top of the tank he comes from his hide or wherever he is to greet your fingers / hand ...

Or any crickets / locusts or anything really you drop into the water he munches all them too ...

Good luck ....


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

I think he's doing just fine.he won't eat from the tongs so i just leave his food in a little dish by the water.I finally see defacation so thats a good sign.Fangsy how long did it take for your caiman to get acclimated to you and your enclosure?


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

The old one never did (It was unwell)

The new one , same day , this is what I was trying to explain to you , but the new one was over a foot when I got it .... and a relentless killer from day one ...


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

I just found the pinky i thought he ate.Is their any way i can stimulate this lil guy to eat.i know for sure the last time he ate was on saturday and i fed him a chunk of beef.And i contact the seller and said that she just left feeder fish in the enclosure for them to eat.How cruel of them not to feed them a varied diet.so if anyone can help or give me ideas on how to stimulate his feeding i will highly appreciate it.


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## carisma02uk (Sep 14, 2006)

what temps are you basking spot and water? i used two spots one above a certain spot in the water with a ''fixed'' cork bark raft... then one on the land area...

what are yoou using to feed?

Jon


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

landing area is at 93 rite now and water is 80's.i just talk to the seller again and she told me she was feeding them fish feeders and crickets and the hatchling was born 4 months ago on april 1st 2008.so do you guys think he is too young to eat meaty foods.I'll go out and get some crickets and see if he eats them.cause i had a smooth front caiman prior to this one and he ate everything you can feed them with no problems at all.


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## carisma02uk (Sep 14, 2006)

i wouldnt have strayed from them anyway imo these can be one of the (if not the) best way of getting nurtients (mirco and macro)and clacium into your animal.


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

do you think i should take some water out he's in a 100 gallon tank.i got about 50 gallons in it right now.


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

You could try and contact
Peter Heathcote @
www.budgetvets.co.uk
He's probably Britains leading expert on all things croc/cami/gav/ali etc......
Well if he ain't he got him on speed dial....... Worth knowing if you want reassurance or a bloody good vet


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## JusFTW (Feb 10, 2008)

My caiman loves to just relax in shallow water most the time. In my opinion you should either remove alot of water or set up something under the land area that he can keep his head above water and belly on the ground. I'd think he would like that alot.

Example: Lower the water level about 2-3 inches. Buy a small acrylic box or something, that gives about 4-5 inches of space under your land area. Cover it in pebbles like the rest of your tank. Leaving about 2 inches open air under the land. Make it so the water area is no deeper then a inch & half. It would be very nice hide for him as he can sleep in the water while laying comfortably and feeling secure.


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

Finnaly seen my darn caiman eat some damn crickets.so i guess he is used to eating crickets and fish feeders just like the seller said.


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## carisma02uk (Sep 14, 2006)

yeah nice one matey, now keep him on them and introduce pinkies twice a week...
make sure your guttloading your crix 0r dusting he may be in need of some good vitamins...

good luck and get some updated pics Jon


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## carisma02uk (Sep 14, 2006)

oh and try not to feed goldfish or anything from that family, these can be bad for most animals due to having a growth inhibiting hormone in them...
it CAN dramatically reduce your animals life span and just think what happens to them in pets shops, its like feeding 2day old mac donalds everday lol...
try breeding mollies etc... high water temps some salt added to the water and a up turned mop head and bobs your uncle free gutt loaded healthy feeder fish...

Jon


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## MAROWANALUVR (Apr 16, 2008)

I only have a couple in their from the last caiman i had,I think theirs about 5 left and growing.how often should his/her meals be dusted with vitamin and calcium?


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## carisma02uk (Sep 14, 2006)

well imo as its still young a 50/50 ratio daily wont do any harm..

but il let the experts comment further..

ive only kept cuviers for a year or so..
Jon


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