Verify your eight items today. Anything missing is a postponement, not a 'we'll figure it out.'
The pre-arrival checklist, in priority order.
Eight items, ranked. If you do not have items 1–4 ready before the animal ships, postpone the ship date.
Order matters. (1) Cage assembled and operating for at least seven days before arrival, so temperature and humidity have stabilized. (2) UVB bulb installed, gradient measured with a Solarmeter. (3) Basking surface temp verified with a probe thermometer, not an IR gun. (4) Misting schedule running automatically and tested. (5) Dripper installed and tested. (6) Live plants in place and rooted. (7) Branches arranged, including diagonal climbing routes. (8) ARAV-listed reptile vet identified with appointment availability confirmed.
If you do not have a vet identified before the animal arrives, you do not have a vet. Most ARAV-listed reptile specialists book three to six weeks out. Find one before you need them.
DSQUARED Reptiles — Living Art. Curated Genetics.
From the field notes archive.
The morning baseline photograph.
A single weekly photo, taken at the same hour and angle, will tell you more about your care than any forum thread ever could.
Tightening screen tension on a year-old cage.
After twelve months of misting cycles and live plant weight, screen panels sag in ways that quietly compromise climbing surfaces.
A 72-hour gutload window for dubia roaches.
Dubia gutloads peak somewhere between 48 and 72 hours after the colony moves onto a fresh diet. Here's the schedule we run.