New beardie problems

Setup :

- Basking spot temp 103f (using digital probe thermometer), hot side ambient temp 94f, cool side ambient temp 80f

- Tank is a National Geographic 40 gallon breeder tank.

- Lighting is a 34" reptisun 10.0 uvb I bought online and a 100w basking bulb that came with my National geographic starter

- Substrate is reptile carpet which I switch out with another reptile carpet for cleaning cycles.

- He is currently 3 months old as of yesterday. I got him 1 week ago today from a local breeder.

My problem:
I originally started feeding him the crickets from the petstore which I believed was too large so I switched to 3/8" yesterday. The first day I got him he ate a few crickets no problem (even chased a couple around) and had some kale and cucumber. Ever since the first day he seems to refuse eating ANY crickets. Every time I try to feed him crickets, he just stares at me and completely ignores the crickets walking around him... However if I put a butterworm in front of him, he'll gobble it up no problem. The breeder originally told me that he was definitely more fond of worms over crickets. That being said I have ordered phoenix worms which will get here Friday. If he is not interested in the phoenix worms then I have no idea what to do.

The problem is that I am worried about him not eating enough considering from what I've read online, juveniles at this age should be eating 2-3 times a day and anywhere from 15-30 crickets per sitting. I'd be surprised if he has eaten 30 crickets in total since getting him. I've also read that the acclimation period can be anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks but am concerned it's more than just acclimating. He defecated daily for the first couple days but seems to be every couple days now and smaller than before. (I assume due to lack of eating)

Odd behaviors I have noticed- I have a foam background on the back wall that he will climb right to the top, sometimes under the basking light and sometimes on the cool end of the tank. If he's not right at the top, he is hiding in his hide completely blocked off from anyone seeing him. A note is that when he does this his mouth is not open so I do not believe it is from being too hot.

I am not sure if there is any more relevant info.

Photos of terrarium + wall climbing - https://imgur.com/a/OndY7

Is your ReptiSun 10 a T5? A T5 tube would be most appropriate for a tank that size. Your setup looks good and I think you're seeing pretty normal behavior. He is likely just being stubborn and holding out for treats. If he's alert and active there's probably nothing to worry about. Offering some healthier worms is a good idea and Phoenix Worms are great to have in the rotation. Silk worms are also a good choice for young dragons. I think you'll find their appetite really wavers a lot over time so while they will eat a ton at some points, they aren't too hungry at others and that's OK. Just keep offering bugs a couple of times per day and let him take what he wants.

If you find that the background starts to crumble or if bugs start hiding in the wiring channels and getting behind it you can take it out and put a photo background on the outside of the glass instead. That will also give you some more space width wise which is helpful when he gets bigger. If the foam isn't causing issue though, it can stay in place no problem.

CooperDragon":3akfuf3n said:

Is your ReptiSun 10 a T5? A T5 tube would be most appropriate for a tank that size. Your setup looks good and I think you're seeing pretty normal behavior. He is likely just being stubborn and holding out for treats. If he's alert and active there's probably nothing to worry about. Offering some healthier worms is a good idea and Phoenix Worms are great to have in the rotation. Silk worms are also a good choice for young dragons. I think you'll find their appetite really wavers a lot over time so while they will eat a ton at some points, they aren't too hungry at others and that's OK. Just keep offering bugs a couple of times per day and let him take what he wants.

If you find that the background starts to crumble or if bugs start hiding in the wiring channels and getting behind it you can take it out and put a photo background on the outside of the glass instead. That will also give you some more space width wise which is helpful when he gets bigger. If the foam isn't causing issue though, it can stay in place no problem.

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Yeah I am using the t5 version of the reptisun 10.0. I ordered some silkworms which were supposed to be in today but unfortunately the local supplier told me that their supplier has had problems and they do not have any silkworms in. Unfortunately I cannot get silkworms from local petstores so I am forced to wait until Friday for the phoenix worms.

The foam was causing issue at first as there was a cricket sized gap at the side of it but I have since fixed that.

Is it bad to cave and feed him more butterworms just to make sure he's eating something? I know they're higher in fat content and don't want to be overfeeding him those either.

OK good. The T5 will serve you well. Silks can be finicky and seasonal. I get them when I can but only a handful of times per year. The Phoenix Worms (black soldier fly larvae) are pretty easy. I order from SymtonBSF and they are shipped pretty quickly out of Texas. I'd hold off on the wax worms. Just keep offering him crickets for now. He'll dig in if he gets hungry enough and will be OK for a couple of days if he holds out. Good opportunity to offer some veges too. Try some yellow or green squash cut up like little worm shapes or thick grated and see if he goes for that on top of some collard or turnip greens. He may ignore it but it's good to try and start the veggie habit early.

CooperDragon":wnrbmvca said:

OK good. The T5 will serve you well. Silks can be finicky and seasonal. I get them when I can but only a handful of times per year. The Phoenix Worms (black soldier fly larvae) are pretty easy. I order from SymtonBSF and they are shipped pretty quickly out of Texas. I'd hold off on the wax worms. Just keep offering him crickets for now. He'll dig in if he gets hungry enough and will be OK for a couple of days if he holds out. Good opportunity to offer some veges too. Try some yellow or green squash cut up like little worm shapes or thick grated and see if he goes for that on top of some collard or turnip greens. He may ignore it but it's good to try and start the veggie habit early.

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Thanks for the info! He does eat some veggies here and there. I leave some kale and cucumber for him at all times and sometimes it looks emptier than when I first put it in. I will try that suggestion with the yellow and green squash. I tend to overthink everything but considering this is my first pet I don't want to screw it up.

As far as veges go, this is a pretty good list to reference for ideas. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Offer as much variety as you can and eventually you'll find some favorites. I just rotate based on what looks best at the store/market each week. Most salads I offer have 2-3 items from that list.