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Striking, but not eating

BooBoo18

BooBoo18

Just 1, no 2, ok 3, um 4
So, I've posted about my baby, Luke before. I've had him about a months now give or take a week. He's over two months old now. He has not eaten at all. I've only been trying once a week to get him to eat so I don't stress him. I've also tried danging/dance the pinkie, braining it, cutting into smaller pieces, tuna juice, rubbing it on a lizard, and leaving it over night. So far he has not even tried to eat. He has only ever been on f/t pinkies, never live. He's sides are looking sunken and I'm sure he lost weight so I don't want to wait yet another week.
Last night, I but him in his feeder cage, wrapped a towel around it to give him darkness and privacy and dangled a tuna soaked pinkie inside it for about two hours, he struck repeatedly at it, but refused to latch on and eat it. The striking it new, he never did that to the pinkies before. After two hours I tried to set the pinkie in his mouth, hoping he'll start swallowing, but it didn't work. When left alone, he also ignored it. I sat with him for two more hours and he still struck at the pinkie when I moved it, but never once tried to hold/eat it.
Does the aggression mean he's hungry? How do I get him to actually eat? With losing weight, is it time just to start tube feeding for a day or two?
I am a Vet Tech, so I have the experience to tube feed him a gruel/chicken baby food recipe I found on this forum.
 
And for details, I have him in a 5gal aquarium. The temp is 78 degrees day and night. Yesterday night I added a heater and it jumped to 90 at night. I'm not sure whether it's better at 78 or 90, but I can't seem to get it in between.
To eat, I do put him in a much smaller cage or a butter bowl.
He is drinking. He drank plenty of water last night.
 
78 is okay for the cold side, but he needs a warm side too. An undertank heater (bought at petco/smart) on a thermostat set to around 85 degrees will be perfect. Without under belly heat or temperature gradients he's going to have problems digesting. This might be the whole reason he is not eating. I would also try a live pinky. I've had to start a few of my hatchlings on live and then they switch over just fine.
 
we have a uth now which is making the temp about 90 degrees on the bottom now on the warm side.
 
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