Newbie saying Hi + some questions

[areyoubeewhy]

Hi everyone, new to this forum (and forums in general). New to reptiles as well, I only adopted a BTS a couple years ago from an old housemate who was caring for him terribly ([emoji30] kept in a shoe box with no lights or heat or sunlight and fed nothing but cat food). I got a new roommate and named the lizard Outstanding.
At first the little guy was very disinterested in food and hated being handled, he had a dip in his back from what I though was an empty stomach but now think was MBD. Now he eats okay (I wish he'd eat more) has never shown interest in any live foods I've tried to feed him. And he's very friendly when handled, he even likes to come over and investigate whatever I'm doing if he's out and about on the floor. And the dip in his back has gone away.
I'm upgrading his enclosure ATM cause I want him to have as much space as possible and have been considering getting another lizard.
There's a couple of things I'm concerned about and would love some advice on
A) can a tank be too big for a lizard? The new one is 2m by 90cm and 90cm high and at my best guess Outstanding is 3yrs old. I figured as long as I have the temperatures and lighting right having as much space as he can is a good thing right?
B) is there any way to test for mbd in lizards? He's improved so much since I got him, the dip in his back is gone and he seems to move around easily. I've read though that it can never be fully reversed and that the animal might be in a lot of pain without you realising.
C) am I posting in the right forum? This is pythons and snakes but I can't seem to find any current blue tongue specific forums. If you know of one please let me know.
I have a whole bunch more questions but I figure that this post is long enough for now!
Thanks for reading and double thanks if you've got any advice for me [emoji41]



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[Buggster]

Hi! And welcome to the wonderful world of reptile keeping!
Despite the name, this forum is for all Aussie reptiles, so yep, you're in the right place!

I've got the opposite problem with my bluey- he almost exclusively eats live! The only thing to do is to keep offering as many different types of food as possible, and hopefully Outstanding will broaden their food selection. I got mine from a similar situation where the previous owner had 0 idea on how to keep blueys. No heating, and fed on only icecream and strawberries! It's been 7+ years, and still going strong. Very fussy, but will eat a range of fruits, some veg, live, raw meat and pellet food. If you've gone straight to trying to feed crickets or woodies the lizard might get a bit put off with all the movement. I started with mealies mixed in with fruit or plain yogurt- now she can't get enough of them!

No such thing as 'too big'- the bigger the better! The only problem you might have his getting the correct temperature gradient, which may take more than a single globe.

I'm no expert on MBD- luckily enough my guy escaped only with a kinked tail despite 4 years of appalling care. From what i know, with proper diet and care, the condition can be improved and managed but never completely reversed. So long as they are eating and moving about properly, there isnt much that can be done to improve their lives

Best of luck with Outstanding!

 

[pinefamily]

Welcome to APS.
It is always great to hear about people taking on neglected animals; well done! With the MBD, I don't think it is reversible as such, but if it was caught in time, there may not be any permanent damage, so if he is moving around normally, he is likely to not be in pain. Normally blueys don't need UV, but in your case I'd recommend it if you don't already have it. Have you tried him on snails? Most blueys love them, but just be careful where you get them from and they haven't eaten bait.
To answer your questions, no a tank can't be too big for a lizard, but the height is probably a waste for a bluey; 50 to 60cm would be plenty of height.
If you are really worried about his MBD, get him vet-checked by a reptile vet. Personally, I wouldn't worry unless he starts to show signs again. With the correct diet, heat and UV, he should be fine. Get hold of a product called Multi-cal; it's a powder of vitamins and calcium. Dust his food a couple of times a week.
And like Buggster has said, this forum is for all reptiles, and amphibians and even invertebrates.
Oh, and photos are a must.