Need some advice...please

[Chumlee]

I am new to the experience of owning a baby bearded dragon. I spent about a month reading everything I could get my hands on before bringing the little guy home. I bought everything I thought I needed, experimented with tank temps, etc.

Dragon: I believe he is approx. 4 months old. Approx. 6 inches long.

Viv set-up:
40R gallon tank
Exo Terra ReptiGlo 10.0 tube- approx. 12" from bottom of tank with a climbing log so he can get closer.
150w basking spot lamp- Basking spot temp 100- 110 degrees
Exo Terra ReptiGlo 2.0 for white light
Red nighttime light
Wired thermometers with probes
Natural rocks for basking
Shipping paper substrate

Temps:
Basking 100-110 degrees
Cool side- 80- 85 degrees
Humidity: 20- 30
I live in Las Vegas and I seem to struggle with the humidity. If anyone has any secrets to raise it I am all ears.

Feeding:
Crickets- Gut loaded w/ Flukers cricket diet and Flukers cricket quencher. He may eat anywhere from 1 to 6 a day (Which really concerns me).
Salad- Mixed vegetables, romaine. (May eat 1-2 bites a day)
Water dish in tank at all times
ReptoCal supplement 1-2 live cricket feedings a day- just depends on when he decides to eat.

Bath and soak every 2-3 days

BM- every 2 days. appear to be ok. They seem fairly solid. Small amount of liquid. They definitely have an odor. Not a room clearing odor. I guess I don't know what they are supposed to smell like. No- I have not had it checked by a vet.

My concerns are this-
*He spends most of his time sleeping. If it was doing it just around the UV or spot lamps I would assume he is basking. I don't think that's the case. The only time he really is moving around and active is when he seems to be very hungry and going after crickets. He may eat 2-3 and out he goes.
*I am very concerned he his not eating enough.
*His eyes are usually half closed and very lazy looking.
*Lack of activity
*Lack of growth

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jon

 

[EmJagsz]

Change the reptiglo to a ReptiSun and you will see a difference.

 

[Chumlee]

I had a ReptiSun 10.0 compact. I read that a lot of people on here said to get rid of it so I bought the ReptiGlo 24" tube UV. Will I notice that much of a difference with the ReptiSun 10.0 tube?

 

[EmJagsz]

any compact bulb is bad for beardies. get the reptisun TUBE

 

[fresnowitte]

Hi Jon!

I agree with Michaela replace the Reptiglo with a Reptisun 10.0 incandescent tube. I do believe that the Reptiglo is the culprit to all your concerns.

Here's a link to the cheapest online place I know to order them... http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html

Is the urate hard or gooey? If it's hard then that is a sign of dehydration. If you notice them getting harder up the amount of baths your giving. Little beardies dehydrate rather quickly when they are not eating well.

As for humidity 30% to 50% is a normal range. A little less is okay however you don't want it to be 50% for long. If you feel it's to low you could use a larger water dish or move it closer to the basking spot...the evaporation will create humidity. You will want to make sure to clean the water dish and refill at least once a day as the warmer water will go bad quicker.

I imagine for now the way your doing your supplements is okay since he's not eating much but once he does start eating you only want to dust one feeding per day. :wink: The Reptocal, is that calcium? With D3? Do you also use a multivitamin? Personally I use the Repcal brand Calcium with D3 and Herptivite/Multivitamin.

If your house doesn't drop below 65* at night then you don't need any additional heat if so a CHE(ceramic heat emitter) is what most of us use. If you have to use the red night light for heat make sure that your baby is tucked away where the light isn't shining in his face. Beardies require darkness when sleeping to get the deep sleep needed to keep immune system working good. And colored lights are not good for beardies eyes.

Romaine lettuce isn't one of the most nutritious green leafy veggies. Here's a list of some beardie foods that is color coded as to if and how often an item can be fed. http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html