cricket count

I just want people to shed some light into about how many crickets a baby bearded dragon should eat a day....

I have read a lot of people say that their baby dragons eat 50 crickets a day!!! ... or even 80!
Both of mine combined probably don't even eat 30 in a whole day.
I put in crickets around 3-4 times a day. When hungry they eat around 3 of them and then become disinterested. The remaining crickets roam around the cage and the dragons snack on them randomly throughout the day until the next feeding.
The crickets I feed are around the size between their eyes.

Any info on cricket count per day would be great. I personally think 50-80 crickets for one baby dragon sounds crazy..... but that may be because I never see mine eat close to that.


Info:
I have two baby dragons , one is about 5 inches and the other is a little more than 6 inches.
They both are alert and active.
They have a temp. gradient of 75 degrees to 95 degrees with the basking spot being around 102 degrees.
They eat basically only crickets, and have just begun to "taste test" the greens.

Thanks in advance for the feedback

- Dave

Basking temps for babies should be around 110F, this might help increase their appetite. The UVB plays a big part in their appetite too- what UVB are you using?

A lot of baby/juvi beardies do eat up to 100 crickets per day, however, mine only ever ate about 30-40 crickets per day at the most (when she was 4 months old). Sometimes the lack of eating can be down to lighting, temps etc but I also think some beardies have smaller appetities than others. However 30-40 between them per day is a bit concerning, it could have an effect on their health and growth. Are you going to separate them as its very risky to house beardies together- they may be showing signs of dominance already, hence the small appetites. Its good that they are beginning to eat their greens

the basking spot is 110 exactly*** . I don't know why I put 102, prolly just typing fast or not thinking straight.

I'm using a Reptiglo 10.0 compact bulb but I don't have a screen or anything separating it from the dragons. It's about 6-8 inches above their heads right now.

As for dominance , I see a little bit of it going on (one bearded usually arm waves more at the other one). However , both of them take turns eating first so it's not like one of them is always eating up the crickets and leaving only a few for the other one.

Hmmm.... maybe it's because I'm not dumping in enough crickets at a time? I only usually dump around 6-10 in at one time and see how many they eat. If they eat them all up I put more. If not I just let the remainders roam around.

and lastly , I don't really want to separate them. They seem to really enjoy eachother and love to lay on eachother and bask near each other. I've also never seen them show any aggression or mistake a toe/tail for food. I do have another tank (20G high) but I'd rather not spend the money on more domes/bulbs and dishes/thermometers etc. if I don't have to.

Ugh this is frustrating but also a good challenge to me to try to figure out the problem. I would love to see them eat 30-40 each a day but right now it's just not happening.

Thanks for the suggestions keep em coming

Just a few things I noticed and would suggest to have changed... Not sure if they're the exact reason for the lack of appetite, but they are potential concerns:

- Compact bulbs are typically not suggested, as they tend to cause some issues with the eyes. There may be other complications, but I think that's dependent of the brand as well, though compact bulbs are generally not recommended. If you could change to a good MVB or a Reptisun 10.0 tube bulb, that may improve not only their appetite, but may also prevent potential long-term health problems.

- I know you're trying to give them as many opportunities as possible to eat by leaving the crickets within their terrarium throughout the day, but please note that crickets can bite your bearded dragons if left unattended for an extended period of time. If you notice that your bearded dragons will not eat the crickets, they may not even fight back if they are "nibbled" on by the crickets. And trust me, they do bite, and can cause some infectious wounds. If you're looking for some food to provide them throughout the day, I would suggest some kind of worm (black soldier fly larvae, under the brand names Reptiworms and Phoenix Worms; silkworms; etc.) placed in a dish that they cannot crawl out of.

- You mentioned they "eat basically only crickets"; have you tried any other live feeders such as the worms mentioned above, or certain roach species? I know there are some bearded dragons that are relatively picky with what they eat, and when some refuse to eat a certain type, a taste of another may spark an interest.

- As for the housing them together and dominance issues... Please note that bearded dragons are solitary animals in the wild, and do not need the company of another, other than to mate. When you house them together, you put both of them at risk of harming or stressing out one another. You've noted that you've seen a "little bit" of dominance going on, when in actuality, it seems like more is going on than you know of. The idea that they "really enjoy each other and love to lay on each other" is your own human personification, when in reality, laying on each other indicates a form of dominance where one is asserting that they get most of the heat and light than the one below it. Even though you think they are "enjoying" on another's company, there have been a number of incidents where bearded dragons housed together have gone from completely "getting along" to suddenly injuring or killing the other. Even if you could watch and observe them every hour of the day, by the time one of them strikes out, you may be too late. Of course, there are incidents where these interactions never occur between two housed bearded dragons, but there are also many cases of sudden dominance issues and attacking of one another. I suppose the real question is if you really want to put them at that kind of risk. Someone once put it quite nicely: "Housing bearded dragons together is like choosing not to wear a seatbelt: some get away with it and never get hurt, others get injured or even killed because of it. In the end, there's always the risk." Here's a link to a few threads made about housing bearded dragons together, as well as incidents of attacks:

Relatively recent incident; lived in "harmony" for four months, before suddenly attacking the other: http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=141112&p=1135021&hilit=attack#p1135021.

Other links including suggestions NOT to house bearded dragons together: http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=138718&p=1115932&hilit=housing+two#p1115932, http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=139888&p=1125956&hilit=housing+two#p1125956, http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=138154&p=1110674&hilit=housing+two#p1110674, http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=137298&p=1101539&hilit=housing+two#p1101539. You can also do a search on the forums concerning housing two bearded dragons together in one enclosure, and you'll find more information about it.

I don't mean to scare you, and I really don't like to rain on your parade, but it's honestly a risk that people need to know of.

Other than that, I would suggest trying a new UVB light and/or a variety of different feeders. Best wishes!

Thanks for that information.

Definitely a lot to think about but it's good to be informed. It's funny I thought when I got another one I was doing them a favor but it could turn out to be the opposite. I read in a book that they were social animals but I guess maybe just to humans or to whomever they don't view as a threat.

Depending on how big my next check is , I might go for a different UVB. I'll also be trying different feeders but I might have to ask around because I don't know what my local pet store has. As far as the crickets go , I might leave a few in there during the day but I always take out any crickets before the lights go off. I think they have a better risk of being bitten in the dark where they're a little more defenseless. As well as housing them separately, I'm so torn. I want to be safe but it costs so much more money to set up 2 enclosures instead of just one. I might end up selling one or something. AHHHHH the joys and stresses of owning bearded dragons!

Thank you for your help

You're welcome. I'm glad that I could provide you with some information to consider.

As for the social aspect, yes, I do believe it is referring to "social" as in being tameable and sociable to a human caretaker. From what I have read, and from how I personally interpret it as, bearded dragons are referred to being more sociable as a pet, not as companions for other lizards, including their own species. But once again, some will tell you it's okay, some will tell you otherwise. It has to do once again with if you're willing to take that risk. I am glad that you are putting some thought and consideration into this; indeed, taking care of bearded dragons is expensive and takes a lot of setting up and proper treatment.

And yes, do put some consideration in a different type of bulb. Reptisun 10.0 tube bulbs are generally recommended, and aren't too expensive. I think the cheapest one on the market (and where I get them from) is at Petmountain: http://www.petmountain.com/product/...42-504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10-0-uvb-bulb.html.

As for the crickets being in the terrarium, that is true that they're more likely to bite during the night when your bearded dragon isn't awake or as alert. I just wanted to make sure to note that since your bearded dragons don't seem to be interested in crickets, I would worry that they might not even stop the crickets if they were to bite them during the day. But it is good that you make sure the crickets are out of the terrarium before lights off.

I agree with Kaiser about the bulb. Switiching to a reptisun 10 tube (or arcadia 12% UK), you should notice an increase in appetite

I am still having problems then. I have a baby beardie that I got just before christmas. He is exactly 5" long from head to tail.. I have the following set up

20 gallon glass viv
Reptisun 10 - 18" bulb that is 6" above the basking area
75w basking bulb - Basking temps 100-110
I use the carpet substrate


I have been feeding him a combination of very small crickets and small repti worms since I got him. He eats very little. On normal days, he eats two- three times
a day and most of the time, he will only eat one or two crickets at the most each time. If I feed him the worms, he will eat two or three of them at a time. Then
he heads to the basking area. I have tried leaving a few of them in the cage and he still does not eat them. Now, I take them out of the viv about an hour after I
feed them to him. At times, he will run over to the crickets as soon as I put them in, eat one, then head back to the basking area.

I have Zero idea what to do. He seems healthy, he is decently active and has a nice light color. I just wrote him off as not much of a eater.

Id would kill for some advice. I am bathing him about twice a week in warm water and even giving him some water with a eye dropper (he usually takes is pretty well)
a couple times a week. He poop almost every day and it looks as it has been described to look

I have had him almost 6 weeks and he has never eaten more that 5 crickets in a day

To LanierSpots, I feel the same although my little guy eats more than 5 crickets a day. Your setup actually seems better than mine as I can only get him about 10" away from the reptisun and I can't get any phoenix worms where I live.

I went to several reptile stores around the area and many of the people who work there are beardie breeders themselves and everyone seems to tell me that my 6" long beardie should eat about 6-8 crickets a day yet most of the forum posters seem to agree that baby beardies should eat anywhere from 30-100 ( :shock: ). So I'm pretty confused as well but I would say if your beardie is eating and pooing and your viv setup is looking good, he will eventually start to eat more and grow as well. Does he eat veggies btw? I've had my beardie for about a month and at first he only ate about 3-5 crickets a day but he went up to about 10-20 a day after a couple of weeks. Relocation stress apparently is also different for each beardie so maybe just give him some time. Good luck and keep us posted!

He does not eat the greens. I put them in there every day. I was using turnip greens for a few weeks and we just switched to mustard greens. I try a few
chopped carrots every once ina while and I have even tried some chopped up apples to tempt him. But nothing. I will keep with the greens.

Yesterday, I changed from a 75w basking bulb to a 100w. Most of the time his basking temps were just under 100 or just barely over. I have a rock
tunnel deal in there for basking and it has a decent size top to it. Depending on where he is on it, he can get anywhere from 100-125 deg now with
the 100W bulb. For some reason, he seems to like the hottest spot on there. I measured where he is just a few mins ago and it is 125 deg and he
seems very very happy?

I am going to see if the increased temps help his appetite. he did shed a few weeks ago but that was the only time he has shed in the 6 weeks
we have had him. Id love to get this thing set up correctly so he can start to eat and I dont have to worry about him anymore. I will take a picture
of my set up today and post it here. Maybe it can give a better picture of my set up.

LanierSpots":2ieu08qf said:

He does not eat the greens. I put them in there every day. I was using turnip greens for a few weeks and we just switched to mustard greens. I try a few
chopped carrots every once ina while and I have even tried some chopped up apples to tempt him. But nothing. I will keep with the greens.

Yesterday, I changed from a 75w basking bulb to a 100w. Most of the time his basking temps were just under 100 or just barely over. I have a rock
tunnel deal in there for basking and it has a decent size top to it. Depending on where he is on it, he can get anywhere from 100-125 deg now with
the 100W bulb. For some reason, he seems to like the hottest spot on there. I measured where he is just a few mins ago and it is 125 deg and he
seems very very happy?

I am going to see if the increased temps help his appetite. he did shed a few weeks ago but that was the only time he has shed in the 6 weeks
we have had him. Id love to get this thing set up correctly so he can start to eat and I dont have to worry about him anymore. I will take a picture
of my set up today and post it here. Maybe it can give a better picture of my set up.

Click to expand...

Glad to hear you're keeping up with the greens. When they're younger, they tend not to eat their fruits and vegetables very much at all. But it's always good to provide some just so that they get into the habit of eating them, as well as to let them know that it's always available.

Otherwise, your set-up seems good, except for the potential risk of it being too hot. Be sure to keep an eye on your bearded dragon, and watch for signs of dehydration. Additionally, it's usually not recommended that you have temperatures exceed 110, 115 degrees Fahrenheit at the most, as it could cause some health issues other than just dehydration. Also, how are you measuring the temperatures? Be sure you're measuring with an accurate temperature probe as opposed to stick-on thermometers, and that you're measuring the temperature at the surface or as close to the surface of the basking area as possible, as opposed to the temperature of the air around the basking area.

You can also try feeding your bearded dragon in a different enclosure (as in, an empty bin) or remove all of the decorations, hides, etc. in your terrarium during feeding time. Oftentimes, a cluttered enclosure with a lot of hides make it difficult for bearded dragons to hunt for their food; I find my bearded dragon prefers to be fed when I empty out his terrarium (except for his reptile carpet) so he can easily see and chase his food.

Other than that, the problem may be a health or parasite issue, which you can get checked out by visiting your local vet and getting a fecal test done. You can also try providing probiotics or Reptaid (but always follow dosing instructions with these), and see if that improves his appetite.

I purchased small superworms at a store today and they are definitely smaller than the size between their eyes (width wise). They seem to enjoy these and have been eating a few more crickets per day now. However, they never eat a lot in one feeding. They see me put the crickets in and eat 1 or 2 but then retreat back to the basking area. The only way they will eat more is if I leave the worms in a bowl or the crickets in the viv and then they will just pick and choose when they want to eat.

Anyways , my main question is can small superworms be fed to baby bearded dragons?


Also I know people say leaving crickets in the viv is bad but there is a small dish of salad in there so the crickets feed on the salad and not the dragons

Sorry I didn't read the entire thread, just stating personal experience and have a migrane lol. I've watched my 3 month old eat a salad in the morning, then over 30 crickets a feeding, and I feed them 3x a day. He just turned 3 months yesterday and is 37 grams and over 9". My female, who had been going thru relocation stress last week, and is shedding this week, is almost 8 inches, but is about 17 grams. Last week she was eating about 70 a day, but this week she didn't eat for two days, and now she's eating about 20 a day (still shedding). So I'd say it depends on the sex and their personal rate of growth. Hope this helps

Is there anyway to tell that mine has any kind of parasite? I would hate to medicate them if it is not needed..

He has never been a good eater since I got him. Most of the times, he will eat one small cricket as soon as I drop them in and that is it. He usually
does not hesitate to get one but after that, he quits. I am using small repti worms and he will eat one or two of those at a time and that is it as well.

I feel like I have tried everything and like someone else here, the local pet store told me that a few crickets a day is about what he should eat at his
size.

I am still buying crickets from the local pet store so I can feed him the small ones. They are smaller than between his eyes...

I am really lost with it at this point.

Take him to the vet with a fresh poo (lol) they can run it for parasites and if you're unsure about the dosage or the type of meds they perscribed you can PM a moderator on here Drache13 and she can tell you what dosage is right and if the vet perscribed the right thing. (Forgive me Drache13 for forgetting) but I think she's a vet tech or a vet I'm not sure which now. (sorry )