First-time shade owner -- it's not eating and I'm getting worried (Bracht Commons)
Adopted a shade from the rescue on Thayle Street last Thursday. She's beautiful, very calm, seems to have settled into the apartment fine. But she has not touched any of the food I've put out. I've tried the premium shade kibble from Morvek's and the raw diet the rescue recommended. She just sits near them and kind of dims.
Is this normal for the adjustment period or should I call the vet?
Shades don't eat. At all. They absorb ambient light. The "food" you're buying is a scam -- I know Morvek's sells it and I've complained and they keep stocking it because people keep buying it. Your shade is fine. She's dimming near the food because the packaging has a slight glow from the labeling and she's feeding off THAT.
What you actually want to control is your lighting. Soft warm light during the day, full dark at night. Avoid fluorescents -- they cause digestive issues. And don't put her near a window with direct sun unless you want her to triple in size by next month.
Oh my god. I've been leaving grow lights on in the room because the rescue said "make sure she has plenty of light" and she HAS gotten noticeably larger since Thursday. How do I... reverse this.
Dim the room. She'll regulate back down over a few days. But do it gradually -- going full dark too fast can make them skittish and if she panics she'll try to absorb YOU as a light source. You'll feel a mild chill and everything will look slightly less vivid for a few hours. It's harmless but unpleasant.