Any advice for diamond keeper?

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Iguana

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Hey everyone, I know I've asked about this stuff a few times, but I wanted to get some feedback on some setup ideas, I haven't implemented any of them yet, I just wanted to make sure i'm not going to do anything wrong.

My diamond currently is kept at 24-27 on the hot end constantly 24/7 via timer, around 24-22 cool end, (this was advice given to me by several people). He has no UVB/UV/UVA just a florescent tube on a timer 8am-7pm. If he gets really close to the light for a long period of time his skin temp gets around 29-30, but he does this rarely.
I'm always worried about DPS (or whatever causes the horrible symptoms that commonly occurs in diamonds), I know there is quite abit of debate on what causes it and if it's even real, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Until I move up north and get him into a aviary, he's kept indoors.

I was planning on getting a 5% UVB tube or Exo-Terra's calcium and D3 powder supplement (https://www.amazingamazon.com.au/exo-terra-calcium-powder.html), I was planning on putting it in his rats, but since he doesn't eat a huge amount anyway i'm not sure how effective it is. Would the UV be a better idea? I would prefer the powder supplement but I want whatever will work best.

As for temps, I heard that 28-30 is alright but only for a few hours, maybe from 8-11 in the morning and 5-7 at night?
I've seen a ton of different temps, but from these forums people seem to like the couple hours in the morning and at night approach. The house is around 21-22 on average during the day in the cooler months, but it can get pretty low during the nights, maybe 15 degrees.

He didn't seem to want to brumate, but he was fed far less and his temps were a little cooler, but I didn't 'fully' brumate him, do they need to be fully brumated? I'm not planning on breeding him, but is brumating a diamond recommended? or does it not make any difference?

Thank you in advance to any advice :)
 
Brumation would probably be the most important factor in reducing the risk of dps.

Re heating, over winter I offer 6 hours a day at 30-32c, which is rarely used. No heat at night.
In summer I offer 4 hours at 30-32c.

I'm not sure what the latest thoughts on dps are,....as one point I read it had something to do with the pituitary gland malfunctioning due to over heating, then I read it was a virus and killed a coastal that was housed in the same cage that had previously housed a diamond with dps,....is there any new info on it?
 
I can tell you what works for me though I'm sure some will have other ways of keeping their animals. I only have my personal experience with this species to go on.
UV....Waste of money in my opinion. Won't do any harm but unlikely to add any benefit to the animal.
Heat.....I offer a hot spot of around 35 for 4 hours a day from mid spring through to the end of Autumn. (10am to 2pm). In winter I will reduce to a minimum of 2hrs. Enclosure is plenty big enough for the animal to escape heat if it feels the need.
Brumation I agree with Chris is vital in maintaining the animals well being. It's an opportunity for the animal to burn off fat storage & too 'recharge the battery's' so to speak. Even if there is no plan to breed a specific animal I put them through a period of cooling/no food every winter after one year old.

DPS. Is there really such a thing? I'm not sure there has been any evidence to support that it is anything more than a husbandry problem where keepers try to keep Diamonds in conditions similar to those of 'warmer climate' snakes. My belief, (without any actual evidence I might add) is that DPS is actually stress induced from keeping this species too hot for too many hours a day, nowhere for the animal to escape the heat & a failure to brumate. These factors I believe contribute to the animals metabolism not getting the rest it needs for good health & over an extended period of time leading to what we refer too as DPS.

As I said this is my opinion based on my experiences of the 13 or so years I have kept this species. Others will have different ideas on what is 'ideal'. Its up to you as the keeper to do what you believe is best for your animals.
 
Brumation would probably be the most important factor in reducing the risk of dps.

Re heating, over winter I offer 6 hours a day at 30-32c, which is rarely used. No heat at night.
In summer I offer 4 hours at 30-32c.

I'm not sure what the latest thoughts on dps are,....as one point I read it had something to do with the pituitary gland malfunctioning due to over heating, then I read it was a virus and killed a coastal that was housed in the same cage that had previously housed a diamond with dps,....is there any new info on it?

Thank you for the info, I will try your recommended temps out. I read about the coastal too, since then though, I don't think any new 'breakthroughs' have been made, 'DPS' still remains a large mystery.

- - - Updated - - -

I can tell you what works for me though I'm sure some will have other ways of keeping their animals. I only have my personal experience with this species to go on.
UV....Waste of money in my opinion. Won't do any harm but unlikely to add any benefit to the animal.
Heat.....I offer a hot spot of around 35 for 4 hours a day from mid spring through to the end of Autumn. (10am to 2pm). In winter I will reduce to a minimum of 2hrs. Enclosure is plenty big enough for the animal to escape heat if it feels the need.
Brumation I agree with Chris is vital in maintaining the animals well being. It's an opportunity for the animal to burn off fat storage & too 'recharge the battery's' so to speak. Even if there is no plan to breed a specific animal I put them through a period of cooling/no food every winter after one year old.

DPS. Is there really such a thing? I'm not sure there has been any evidence to support that it is anything more than a husbandry problem where keepers try to keep Diamonds in conditions similar to those of 'warmer climate' snakes. My belief, (without any actual evidence I might add) is that DPS is actually stress induced from keeping this species too hot for too many hours a day, nowhere for the animal to escape the heat & a failure to brumate. These factors I believe contribute to the animals metabolism not getting the rest it needs for good health & over an extended period of time leading to what we refer too as DPS.

As I said this is my opinion based on my experiences of the 13 or so years I have kept this species. Others will have different ideas on what is 'ideal'. Its up to you as the keeper to do what you believe is best for your animals.
Thank you for the detailed response :), I won't bother with the UV. I'm going to try using Chris's temp (32) for your hours, 10-2, would now be a good time to start using this method as it is kind of spring? Also, do you provide any heat in summer? Or is it just no heat summer, 10-2 spring to autumn, and in autumn-winter 10-12?
I will make sure to brumate my diamond from now on, How do you go about brumating yours? What temps do you use and around what time of winter/autumn do you start? when do you 'wake them up'?
I pretty much just use DPS as a group term for a bunch of symptoms that arise from poor husbandry or sickness in diamonds, since it's a term everyone knows the symptoms for it. I agree with your statement in that there is a link between heat/stress in diamonds, and it leading to sickness. But I think a lot more research is needed, especially in the cause.
Thank you!
 
4hrs of heat is provided throughout summer.
I have just got back to 4hrs and it will stay there until late autumn.

Brumation is simply a case of trying to follow natural day light hours so reducing the photo period through autumn. Reducing the tank lighting in line with natural daylight hours. I stop feeding late autumn & dont feed at all throughout the winter months.
 
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