# Caiman NOT feeding!!!!



## ChopChop

Hi, my Cuviers dwarf caiman has stopped feeding. She as people can see from my vidoes is normally a very good feeder in fact she's such a good feeder I had to put her on a little diet because she began getting a bit fat and this is where my problem has started. I didnt feed her for about a week and a half ( I normally feed her 2-3 times a week ) so i put her a chopped up rat in on a plate on the land. She left it!! So I gave her a couple days then put a mouse in ( she normally eats two at a time ) this was left but she is active at night because shes in the bedroom we are always woken by her digging and splashing about, so she's obviously walking right past the food. So i gave it a couple more days and i put her a cut up chick in ( wich she loves ) this was also left!!!! Well we are on 3weeks now NO food and I'm worried now!! I let a nice bit of beef heart in last night and its been left 

So I've done a water Change to see if this is the problem ive also removed my gravel wich i am shocked at the amount of crap it held even to my filter is capable of filtering twice the amount of water my enclosure has! I won't be using gravel from now on!

So tonight I'm going to raise my water temps to 29-30 and raise my air temps. I buy tropical fish for my water small ones so there harder to catch and last longer ther is still 4 left in there from before her diet but they are tiny. So tonight I'm Gona throw a load more fish in and a gold fish ( I know gold fish are no good for caiman ) but they easy to catch and ide rather it eat one gold fish that nothing at the moment!

I've phoned the vet and told him if there's no improvement in 2weeks I'm gona call him out...

I'm pooing my self abit now tho I cant think of anything else to do?

I'll post a pic of her from two days ago when I was doin the water change she still looks in good condition but obviously I want her feeding!

Cheers 
Seb


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## ChopChop




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## gav.b1984

*crocodile*

Had a problem with my first crocodile like this,really would'nt start to panic at 3 weeks with no food!!

With my crocodiles I have learned that if I disturb them as in water change,handeling,drop/raise in temps,other people around them etc it puts them off feeding for atleast 1-2 weeks somtimes!!

when my crocodiles have been off food I tryed using off trout/salmon and used tongs to thrash it about which has allways got them back on track and also but don't think yours would manage one unless you found a smaller one a rainbow crab,my bigger croc would never refuse one!!it's just expensive treat!!

just some stuff I tryed??Im sure it will be o.k,crocs are well hard!!


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## gav.b1984

*healthy!!*



ChopChop said:


> image


looks nice and healthy,maybe full up and like you said higher the water temp and food will pass through quicker!!


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## ChopChop

gav.b1984 said:


> looks nice and healthy,maybe full up and like you said higher the water temp and food will pass through quicker!!


Not full up pal that's after 3weeks no food! You should of seen him before the diet he look like an American aligator LOL. Cheers gav ill let you know how I get on


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## fangsy

Mine had times like this mate , remember they are very very shy .....

But mine soon started eating again ....

Im sure he will be fine .....


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## ChopChop

fangsy said:


> Mine had times like this mate , remember they are very very shy .....
> 
> But mine soon started eating again ....
> 
> Im sure he will be fine .....


Yeah but mine ate the day after I brought it back from Dublin after being in a box for over 12hours, it even feeds if I've handled it that day, it eats worms as I throw them in the water and it eats out of my hand...

Nothings different just that i put it on a diet and now its wont eat?? This is why I'm worried moths the amount of time its not eat for?


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## AJ76

Did you have an under gravel filter?


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## ChopChop

AJ76 said:


> Did you have an under gravel filter?


No It's a big external filter and it sucks water threw the heater if you understand what I mean?


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## Emeraldandy

*Caiman not feeding*

Hi Chop Chop,

I have seen this quite a few times with young caiman being fed on a high protein diet, I would try large locusts or even large crickets to get him/her feeding again, the movement gets them excited. I would also only feed high protein food such as mice etc once a week, juvenile caiman tend to feed on invertebrates,frogs etc The tail and body condition look good so try not to worry

Good luck

Andy


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## ChopChop

Emeraldandy said:


> Hi Chop Chop,
> 
> I have seen this quite a few times with young caiman being fed on a high protein diet, I would try large locusts or even large crickets to get him/her feeding again, the movement gets them excited. I would also only feed high protein food such as mice etc once a week, juvenile caiman tend to feed on invertebrates,frogs etc The tail and body condition look good so try not to worry
> 
> Good luck
> 
> Andy


 
hi, yeah cheers. shes fed on mice, beef heart, rat pups and the occasional day old chick...but i do feed her mario worms and crickets that i throw in she also eats the tropical fish i hear her catching/trying to catch them all the time so ive stocked up got some nice sized ones so there easier to catch. hopefully they will start disappearing1

another thing a couple times we have been awoken by what sounds like frantic scratching against some thing in the tank? it sounds like its against the wood. but when i wake up in the morning the land area is spotless not a chipping out of place but plants around the water have been pulled in the water? 

my GF has also pionted this out to me she hasnt eat since we removed the terrapin that lived with her. i cant see why this would make a differance but just thought ide mention it?

cheers
seb


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## ChopChop

here is a video of her stalking mario worms we were throwing in for her...

Welcome to Facebook

hope it works

if not this...

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=212592785490299&set=vb.100002187365365&type=2&theater


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## Emeraldandy

Hi 

Your girl friend may well be right, a collection I work for have a spectacled caiman which used to live with a monitor lizard, the monitor went to another collection and he went a bit sulky. My old female spec would go on hunger strike when moved, but the male was always fine

Andy


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## ChopChop

Emeraldandy said:


> Hi
> 
> Your girl friend may well be right, a collection I work for have a spectacled caiman which used to live with a monitor lizard, the monitor went to another collection and he went a bit sulky. My old female spec would go on hunger strike when moved, but the male was always fine
> 
> Andy


well the dates match up almost perfect because i got rid of the terrapin (because is was a scruffy bugger and there was always food left over cause the currents strong in the tank & it also eat the fish in the tank) the same time i got my anaconda and the day after i gon the snake i defrosted two mice one for snake one for caimen and that was last time it eat?

i bloody hope its that! also in the past few weeks the weather has droped quite servierly here in oldham weve had snow and bad frost in the last 3weeks or so. do you think its felt the temps drop slightly? the encloseris in the bedroom so it would of only bin slight but ive raised air temps and water temps now anyways.

im not worring bad but obviously even after three weeks it playing on my mind i keep checking on her and trying to think of ideas. i know it is worst case thinking but if anything happened to that caiman i would NEVER forgive my self!!! ive been reading about them stopping feeding and i know its quite common for them to just stop and ive read about a guy whos caiman hadnt eat for 4months :gasp:

hopefully this doesnt happen to me i would age 10years in them 4month from stress!!!!!!


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## Berber King

Ive always found locusts work best with young caiman.Also,putting a lot of floating plants (real or plastic) in the water area makes them feel more secure,and they can stalk locusts clinging to the plants.Upping temps like you have suggested will probably help too.


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## ChopChop

Berber King said:


> Ive always found locusts work best with young caiman.Also,putting a lot of floating plants (real or plastic) in the water area makes them feel more secure,and they can stalk locusts clinging to the plants.Upping temps like you have suggested will probably help too.


Yh i have plants going into my water also plenty of hiding places. I tried him on Mario worms last night he didn't bother with them normaly he eats them when I throw them in. I'll try the locust today tho.

Cheers


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## ChopChop

This is my water area...


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## ChopChop

She fed last night  

I have left her since I did the water change, up'd the temps and added more fish. And for the last couple days I've heard slight splashes like she's going for the fish. So i tryed her on a chick, I left it on the land and before ibshut my eyes I heard her climbing on the decking and dragging it to the water, then smashing it about before eating it. :no1:

Cheers to everyone who helped


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## fangsy

Fantastic news mate !


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## ChopChop

fangsy said:


> Fantastic news mate !


Cheers, I know three n half weeks not realy along time for her to go with out food but it was horrible for me couldnt get to sleep at night from thinking about it, staying awake trying to listen to what she was doing, feel like a weight has been lifted from my sholders pal honest LOL


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## fangsy

Been there mate


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## Razorscale

Delighted she ate for you mate!


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## gav.b1984

*top news lad!!*



ChopChop said:


> She fed last night
> 
> I have left her since I did the water change, up'd the temps and added more fish. And for the last couple days I've heard slight splashes like she's going for the fish. So i tryed her on a chick, I left it on the land and before ibshut my eyes I heard her climbing on the decking and dragging it to the water, then smashing it about before eating it. :no1:
> 
> Cheers to everyone who helped


glad everything gone back to the wat it was,no doubt it will happen again it has to me,its like someone said they are shy and sometimes go off the food but come wright in the end:2thumb:

Top news!!


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## ChopChop

gav.b1984 said:


> glad everything gone back to the wat it was,no doubt it will happen again it has to me,its like someone said they are shy and sometimes go off the food but come wright in the end:2thumb:
> 
> Top news!!


Yeah think I got a bit over worried! first time its happend. Cheers


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## mikeyb

If i remember rightly and i know nout about crocs. From watching inside natures giants they have some huge fat store on them and can go months and months with no food but i can understand how concerning it is something not eating my mbk hasnt eaten for 3 weeks now


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## ChopChop

mikeyb said:


> If i remember rightly and i know nout about crocs. From watching inside natures giants they have some huge fat store on them and can go months and months with no food but i can understand how concerning it is something not eating my mbk hasnt eaten for 3 weeks now


Yeah but obviously the larger the croc the larger the fat store the longer it can go with out food. Mines only 18" and she was abit fat so i wasnt worried bout the lenth of time more the the reason why she wasnt eating. And yeah wasn't nice.


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## mikeyb

ChopChop said:


> Yeah but obviously the larger the croc the larger the fat store the longer it can go with out food. Mines only 18" and she was abit fat so i wasnt worried bout the lenth of time more the the reason why she wasnt eating. And yeah wasn't nice.


did u try any fish ive heard that piranah are like crack to caimens expensive choice i know to get a 3inch piranah for food. Just summint id overheard a while back


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## ChopChop

mikeyb said:


> did u try any fish ive heard that piranah are like crack to caimens expensive choice i know to get a 3inch piranah for food. Just summint id overheard a while back


I stocked the tank up with tropical fish and I heard her catching them for a coupke nights before she fed so I think it was them that kicked her back into feeding along with the higher temps. And no no tried piranhas I have piranhas but don't fancy throwing one in for her LOL


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## mikeyb

ChopChop said:


> I stocked the tank up with tropical fish and I heard her catching them for a coupke nights before she fed so I think it was them that kicked her back into feeding along with the higher temps. And no no tried piranhas I have piranhas but don't fancy throwing one in for her LOL


yh use gloves ive seen someone lose the end of there finger in maidenhead aquatics store down here. ive even heard of them being sold in the pet trade with there teeth removed due to the severity of damage they can cause with one bite its like surgically sharp lol


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## ChopChop

mikeyb said:


> yh use gloves ive seen someone lose the end of there finger in maidenhead aquatics store down here. ive even heard of them being sold in the pet trade with there teeth removed due to the severity of damage they can cause with one bite its like surgically sharp lol


Removing piranhas teeth? I think someones pulling your leg pal they need ther teeth to feed and pose no danger to humans unless you try catching it with your bear hands


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## Shane D

Just on this topic this is my first post as i only joined the site last night, i bought a 3 month old female caiman last week and upon bringing it to its new home it has no eaten yet

I had a guy at the pet shop have a look at her the other day and he said she was very healthy and that she would eat when she wants

I feed its locusts 1-2 every second day, there is 2 live ones in the tank now and the croc just seems a bit dis-interested in them

Any ideas?

I contacted the guy whom i bought him from and he said he never had any issues with it feeding and that it always ate when he owned her

Thanks in advance

p.s this is a pic of her


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## Razorscale

Shane, you didnt happen to buy this of that Marcin guy did you? if so thats your first problem.

I also noticed the locusts you have in are adults, why? they are too big for it right now, try 4th crickets and 4th hoppers, pinkie mice aswell, i would also suggest getting rid of the sand and buying a piece of glass to make the tank 70% water and %30% land, just silicone in it and leave it for a few days, keep the caiman in a tub while it drys.
Use orchid bark for bedding as they cant eat it. I would also suggest moving the lid off the tank slighly at the bit, to help release some humidity, my little guy here got a RI because the humidity was stupid high.

Hope it helps, if you want any more info pm me and ill do what i can.


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## Gibbs

something like this happened with a speccy i was working with, it didnt eat for ages. i was advised to squirt honey in its mouth while trying to feed it fish, it worked a treat. an idea for the future maybe


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## rmy

razorscale said:


> shane, you didnt happen to buy this of that marcin guy did you? If so thats your first problem.
> 
> I also noticed the locusts you have in are adults, why? They are too big for it right now, try 4th crickets and 4th hoppers, pinkie mice aswell, i would also suggest getting rid of the sand and buying a piece of glass to make the tank 70% water and %30% land, just silicone in it and leave it for a few days, keep the caiman in a tub while it drys.
> Use orchid bark for bedding as they cant eat it. I would also suggest moving the lid off the tank slighly at the bit, to help release some humidity, my little guy here got a ri because the humidity was stupid high.
> 
> Hope it helps, if you want any more info pm me and ill do what i can.


agreed!


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