Cage Upgrade!! Can I still use the smaller one?

[Humble]

Hello all!!
Oxylus is about to get his upgrade! His 24x24x48 enclosure came in and now I have been getting it all ready for him. I go tomorrow to get a stand to put it on and he should be moved over by Sunday.
I was curious though, could I still use this 16x16x30 enclosure for outside time? I'd like to give him some natural UVB time once a week on my off day, would it be okay to just let him chill in this one outside?

I think he's between 5 and 6 months? I plan to get at least two more of the 24x24x48 enclosures in the future, one for outside once he's big, and then another just to double what he's about to have.

 

[Humble]

As of today he has started trying to get out when I open the cage. He will either try to jump to the door. Or he had started climbing onto his food bowl that I hold and then tries to go for the door. I let him. He seems to be going for my curtains.

 

[GrannyK]

He is one handsome fella!! I think that would be fine for outdoor adventure but supervised. Not sure of your weather, I always worry about overheating.

 

[elizaann2]

He is gorgeous!

 

[Humble]

He is one handsome fella!! I think that would be fine for outdoor adventure but supervised. Not sure of your weather, I always worry about overheating.

I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
It gets pretty warm and humid out in the Summer.
There are too many neighborhood cats out for me to be willing to leave him out there alone
But the evenings are decent. But late summer and early winter we have some good weather. We are investing in some fans and such before we do outside time.

 

[Sherbertsmysunshine]

what a pretty fella!

 

[Beman]

Hey there. I would not use the baby cage for him. He has now outgrown it even just to be outside for a bit.


Looking back at pics of him when you first got him and now. May I ask a few questions?

 

[Humble]

Hey there. I would not use the baby cage for him. He has now outgrown it even just to be outside for a bit.


Looking back at pics of him when you first got him and now. May I ask a few questions?

Of course! Ask away, helps me know if I'm messing up anywhere.

And I was iffy about the smaller cage... Knew he was too big for it for everyday use, but unsure if just two or three hours in it would be okay outside.

 

[Beman]

Of course! Ask away, helps me know if I'm messing up anywhere.

And I was iffy about the smaller cage... Knew he was too big for it for everyday use, but unsure if just two or three hours in it would be okay outside.

How is he doing with food intake? Are you seeing growth to his body in the last month? Reason I ask is he looks to be about the same size as he was in one of your first posts.

 

[Humble]

How is he doing with food intake? Are you seeing growth to his body in the last month? Reason I ask is he looks to be about the same size as he was in one of your first posts.

He is an eating machine.. Our main food was crickets though with some horn worms. Just got my order of dubia roaches, silk and horn worms in. Loves his worms. Takes his sweet sweet time with the roaches.. He was eating his crickets great. 15 - 20 a day.. As well as he chomps on a plant once a day..
About a week or so ago I started cutting back on how many bugs I was giving him because we are guessing he's around 6 months old. I've been seen that around this time I should cut back on the number of bugs I'm giving him a day. So closer to 10 crickets, a horn worm or two every few days. The last 3 days, I've been using the roaches and silkworms. Two silkworms, two horn, and 4 or 5 Dubia roaches. Like I said, he takes his time eating them, but he eats them.
He's shed once since we got him in June (week of the 4th of July) His cast it bigger for sure, And I feel like he's got a bit more color to him. His little spikes are a tiny bit more defined,

 

[Humble]

Cast is for sure bigger. His body is a bit bigger but not a substantial amount.. I am hoping because he's in his big cage now he will be more comfortable.. It hasn't been a full 24 hours and while I can tell he's getting used to his new surroundings, he doesn't puff up as soon as I walk in the room anymore now that he's much more high up I am assuming. If I was gone for an extended period of time and walk into the room too fast, he would gape at me and give me a hiss, turn around and walk off.

 

[Beman]

He is an eating machine.. Our main food was crickets though with some horn worms. Just got my order of dubia roaches, silk and horn worms in. Loves his worms. Takes his sweet sweet time with the roaches.. He was eating his crickets great. 15 - 20 a day.. As well as he chomps on a plant once a day..
About a week or so ago I started cutting back on how many bugs I was giving him because we are guessing he's around 6 months old. I've been seen that around this time I should cut back on the number of bugs I'm giving him a day. So closer to 10 crickets, a horn worm or two every few days. The last 3 days, I've been using the roaches and silkworms. Two silkworms, two horn, and 4 or 5 Dubia roaches. Like I said, he takes his time eating them, but he eats them.
He's shed once since we got him in June (week of the 4th of July) His cast it bigger for sure, And I feel like he's got a bit more color to him. His little spikes are a tiny bit more defined,

Go ahead and wait to reduce him. Once he hits 9 months that is when you will cut him back to 10ish a day. Then work him into an every other day feeding schedule by 10 months old of the same amount. Then week by week you will reduce by 1 feeder so that by the time he hits 12 months old he is roughly getting 4-5 feeders every other day. That is when you start watching his casque girth and cheeks to ensure that your amounts and schedule work to avoid gaining weight but maintain the weight.
Right now he is still in his time for growth. So he is not going to get fat because all the feeders will convert for growth not weight.

 

[Humble]

Go ahead and wait to reduce him. Once he hits 9 months that is when you will cut him back to 10ish a day. Then work him into an every other day feeding schedule by 10 months old of the same amount. Then week by week you will reduce by 1 feeder so that by the time he hits 12 months old he is roughly getting 4-5 feeders every other day. That is when you start watching his casque girth and cheeks to ensure that your amounts and schedule work to avoid gaining weight but maintain the weight.
Right now he is still in his time for growth. So he is not going to get fat because all the feeders will convert for growth not weight.

Thank so much!!! I think I'm going to have to get some crickets and try out a different bug.. He's seeming to avoid the roaches I have in there.. They have been in over an hour and he's not even looking at them anymore.. He all but ran to me when he saw I had his worms.. I hand feed all his worms.. And hold the bowl with his bugs. simi clear bowl so he can still see my hand. But sometimes I will just place the bowl in there on his sticks.

He attacks his crickets. He's just unsure of the roaches or just isn't liking them?? I made sure they were not too big.

 

[Beman]

Thank so much!!! I think I'm going to have to get some crickets and try out a different bug.. He's seeming to avoid the roaches I have in there.. They have been in over an hour and he's not even looking at them anymore.. He all but ran to me when he saw I had his worms.. I hand feed all his worms.. And hold the bowl with his bugs. simi clear bowl so he can still see my hand. But sometimes I will just place the bowl in there on his sticks.

He attacks his crickets. He's just unsure of the roaches or just isn't liking them?? I made sure they were not too big.

When your introducing a new feeder especially roaches you want to have the feeders they are used to mixed in. I always do my roaches smaller so that when they target a known feeder they may hit the new ones as well. They then grow accustom to seeing the new feeders and will accept them.