excessive sleeping is a warning sign of metabolic issues.
just so you know, imo, of the most commonly recognized feeders, waxworms are the single worst thing you can feed a xanth.
higher, in fat than protein and an astronomically adverse Ca/P ratio.
ime, excesssive xanth sleeping is usually caused by metabolic issues, usually caused by some form of over supplementation, or (less frequently) environmental factors. imo, it would be a good idea to submit a full helpform before things get out of control.
that being said. a distinction should be made between taking a brief snooze while basking and actually sleeping. imo, if your xanth appears to be soundly sleeping during the day, for more than 15min at a time, i would consider that a warning sign of serious metabolic issues brewing.
ime, otherwise healthy xanths can go weeks without food, and since the issue is likely caused by supps/diet or both. whatever the problem is it is most likely supp/diet based, my advice would be to stop feeding or supping until you have had a chance to get your help form reviewed.
if its not pathogenic ( a definite possiblity since its a new cham and im assuming no fecal analysis has been done yet). if its not pathogenic, whatever is causing it, is likely something to do with your supp/diet regimen. continuing on the same course will only exaggerate whatever proccess is already in motion, possibly to the point where it is irreversible.
clean water should be available during all daylight hrs. howver continuing an imbalanced diet or supp regimen will only make things worse exponentially.
if it is a diet/supp issue, which imo, is most likely. then the best thing you can do is withhold most food/supps until it has had a chance to do some flushing out.
my advice would be to;
1. stop feeding waxworms alltogether. period. waxworms even on an occasional basis is enough to cause serious even fatal metabolic issues for a xanth.
2. since the issue is most likey diet/supp related, i would recommend discontinuing any food or supps, [other than a matchead of plain no D3 cal 1x a week on 3or4 small feeders, (not waxworms)], until you have had a chance to have your help form evaluated and get a sense of what is going on.
3. a better alternative still, would be to feed bsfl in the meantime. bsfl are high in calcium and also lauric acid. if you feed exclusively bsfl, no plain cal is required in the meantime. lauric acid is said to discourage coccidia (not suggested as a treatment for coccidia). bsfl have a rubbery skin which is hard to digest, they should be fed moderately and you should nick them with a nail clipper to make the easier to digest.
4. even continuing imbalanced feeders like cricks will greatly extend the problem. cricks arent a good staple for xanths. continuing food practices (even at a reduced rate) that may have caused the problem, will only prevent it from flushing out excessive vites/phosphorus.
5. i would submit a help form asap, sleeping during the day is an indicator of advanced metabolic issues that should have been caught earlier. every day counts when xanth metabollic issues are brewing. depending on the issue and its stage of development, a single day or 2 can mean the difference between recoverable or irreversible.
6. other things commonly overlooked; xanths should have a nitetime temp drop preferably at least 10* colder than the ambient daytime temps of your cage.
if you are using an ir temp gun for your temps be aware that ir temp guns have a number of issues which can cause them to give significantly misleading readings, particularly for cham keeping. (one of them being, they do not measure air temp, they only measure the temp of solid surface objects which may be considerably different). with xanths 3 or 4 degrees too much can be a serious or possibly fatal issue. i recommend using a digital thermometer/hygrometer like the $20 zilla in my cf albums. i would also recommend lowering your basking temps to<80* until you have had a chance to submit the help form.
7. xanths are most comfortable when their basking spot is kept at eye level or above and frequently do not do well in high traffic areas
8. dripper water should be changed every 48 hrs min.
9. the better job you do filling out the help form, the better advice you are likely to receive. please include any known history or anything else you can think of that is not already asked on the help form. there are many very similar sounding supps , please list all supps by their exact full as labeled name, thats the only way for us to determine vitamin values.
10. not all veggies are cham healthy. please dont just use the words veggies, please list them specifically, and please be specific about any gutload qtys or other vitamin info, jmo
ps just noticed the comment on the red light . imo infra red bulbs have no place in xanth husbandry. all it needs for heat/uva basking is a 40 watt incandescent housebulb. all it needs fo uvb is a new lineal reptisun 5.0 They should be replaced atbout every 8-12mths max. xanths rquire a drop in nite temps for optimum health. nite temps down into the 50's are no problem for healthy xanths, its helps keep them alert and vigorous, therefore a no nite heat of any kind is recommended in an indoor setting and if you can get nite temps into low 60's or even lower (without using fans), then, imo thats a good thing.
jmo, infrared basking will make your xanth lethargic and is likely a player in the scenario,. that being said imo, metabollic issues are not usually caused by a single factor. jmo
