# Caiman update



## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Hi all, just to let you know my Caiman is doing fine, apart from not eating very well, has to be force fed pinkies, but seems to eat locusts and black crickets ok , apart from having the stealth of a breeze block ...

Anybody have any other feeding suggestions ? do you feed yours something different ?

Thanks

Steve


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

fangsy said:


> Hi all, just to let you know my Caiman is doing fine, apart from not eating very well, has to be force fed pinkies, but seems to eat locusts and black crickets ok , apart from having the stealth of a breeze block ...
> 
> Anybody have any other feeding suggestions ? do you feed yours something different ?
> 
> ...


your in Stevenage arent you? would you mind if i popped over to meet you?


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Should be ok ....

When ?

why ?


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## ChrisBowman (Jan 1, 2008)

what sort of caiman???????:lol2: because theres the crocadile caimans lol


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

have you tried feeding it fish? it is a curviers dwarf caiman isnt it?


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

Hi, yea its Cuviers as stated before on here , I have tropical guppy and neons swimming around all the time in the enclosure , but none have ever been eaten .....


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Gold fish?


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

is it possible to post your set up? i'd like to help but without an idea of how it is kept...???


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

fangsy said:


> Should be ok ....
> 
> When ?
> 
> why ?


no reason, its just i work in stevenage and its nice to know other keepers that arent far from me.


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

I was told goldfish was the worst ...... due to a vitimin defeciency .....

Not too sure though , as lots of places have mixed opinions ....


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## Daredevil (Jul 10, 2007)

Lets have a look at your set-up then!! Perhaps try scenting with fish or feed live??


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## badboiboom (Oct 22, 2007)

ive seen the pics of when you 1st got it but could you take a pic of the viv as a whole?
would be cool to see what its kept in!


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

*Already done*

I have already put these here ... but just for fun :



















Steve


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i can't see the bugs.. they must be hiding. do you have a hot spot?


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## fangsy (Sep 17, 2007)

That was when it was first setup, and I now have a slate rock under the powersun ...


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

where i bought my emeralds, they sell them and have this info...you probibly already know this stuff but i will post it just the same. i never had a dwarf only spectacled so i can't say first hand what to do without picking your brain anyway:


Origin:
Found along the Amazon River basin in South America. 
Description:
Males can reach a size of up to 5 feet and females up to 4 feet in total length. The dwarf caimans are primarily nocturnal and 
spend a large amount of the day in a burrow. 
Housing: 
The dwarf caiman is one of the least aquatic of all of the crocodilians. In the wild, it spends a lot of time in heavily shaded 
and rapidly moving waters. In captivity, dwarf caimans seem to dislike high light levels, preferring instead dim lighting and 
shade. At night, they perform a large amount of land activity so give them a large land area in which to roam. They also enjoy 
flowing water but this is not a necessity. A ten or twenty gallon aquarium is a good starter tank for hatchlings. This allows them 
to feed with more efficiency and helps them feel more secure. These caimans tend to do better in smaller surroundings for the 
first month or two. As the caiman grows and is feeding well, the accommodations will need to be larger. A 55 gallon or 100 gallon 
aquarium would be the next best size. Every habitat should have an area with a basking spot. This area could be as simple as a 
rock, a piece of floating cork bark, a piece of fixed driftwood or a combination of cork bark, driftwood, rocks and plants. We use 
a day light bulb during the day and a heat light bulb at night in the basking area. The wattage of the light will depend on the 
size of the tank. Ceramic heat emitters may also be used instead of the lights. The basking area should have a temperature of 90 
degrees to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The water in the aquarium should be changed weekly unless a good, effective filtration system is 
used. With a filtration system, the water may only be changed every month or so but the water must still be monitored so that it 
is not polluted. Note: This species is probably the most cold tolerant of the caiman group. Therefore, it is our personal opinion 
and recommendation to use cool water when initially setting up these caimans or when changing the water in their tank. It has been 
our experience that this caiman does not do well when warmer water is used under the circumstances mentioned above. Someone else 
might disagree but this is just what we have experienced ourselves. 
Feeding:
Dwarf caimans are carnivores. They can be fed live pinkie mice, crickets, superworms, crayfish or earthworms. You may also feed 
turtle pellets or krill. Feeder fish should be available at all times. It has been said that feeding exclusively goldfish may 
cause a deficiency of Vitamin E so try to feed a variety of feeder fish including bait fish such as minnows. A calcium supplement 
is a good idea especially in young, growing animals. You can “gut-load” your live prey with a number of commercially available 
diets. A hatchling should be fed every day or two. Sub-adult dwarf caimans should be fed 2 to 3 times per week using properly 
sized food items. Adults can be fed 1 to 2 times per week with properly sized food items. Try to feed a variety of prey items that 
can be easily swallowed whole. The movement of these prey items will trigger a natural feeding response. There is a dry 
crocodilian diet (2 sizes available) made by Mazuri that can also be fed.


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## pmpimbura (Jan 12, 2007)

Becarful with fish, crocodillians tend to get hooked on them and its a pain trying to get them to eat anything else, which in turn will lead to deficiencys, usually vit b1. I offer fish once a month with vitamin supplements. Try leaving the food floating in the water over night it may not take it initally but this tends to work eventually. Paleosuchus are quiet a secretive species so give him more cover to increase his confidence, this will improve his feeding response.

Iri


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## Magik (Jul 22, 2008)

Any updates on him fangsy?How is he getting on now?


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## Viper (May 10, 2008)

Jesus how long ago was this thread !


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## DannyCRS (Jul 8, 2008)

Thought the dwarfs had been taken off the DWA?


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## DannyCRS (Jul 8, 2008)

Just been checking up, they haven't but there was talk about it.


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