New beardie! Question

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sever555

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Hello! I am new to these forums and new to beardies well! Have done research of course. Got my new beardie yesterday, he is a boy and 2 months old! He seems so stressed and afraid to let me handle it, but he ate some small mealworms yesterday and some greenies yesterday do this is a good sign. Today I tried to feed him a small mealworm but he didn't want to eat and the worm dropped down to his bedding and I could t find it to remove it. Will there be any problem? I read that crickets can bite and cause stress etc, is it the same with small mealworms? I would not like to change the bedding in order to find and throw away the mealworm and make him more stressed! I want him to calm there and get used! thanks in advance guys. glad to be member in these forums
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, well first of all getting a new beardie can cause a little stress to us humans along with the b.d. being stressed. :) Did you get him from a pet store or breeder ? So yes, it's always a good sign when they're eating but you may need to make adjustments to his diet. Mealworms are O.K as a treat for babies [ very small mealies ] but the better choices are dubia , bsfl [ sold as calci worms or repti worms ] crickets and silkworms. These can be bought in bulk to save money. The loose mealworm shouldn't cause a problem but can you post pics of your set up including the lighting and your baby ? Here's how :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them
 

sever555

Member
Original Poster
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There he is.. ate some greens and only one cricket some hours before, not interested in anything else just laying there at his corner. his neck is like this (black) since yesterday although he eats greenies from my hand. Tried to handle him once but he was jumping right into from my hand to his cage. hope he bonds with me soon can't wait to handle him.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
It's normal for them to be stressed + skittish, some are much more so than others although some are pretty chill right from the start. So you have to be aware that any loose substrate can accidentally or willingly be consumed and cause impaction , younger dragons are more at risk. You might think about using newspaper with a layer of non adhesive shelf liner as a better option. The cage decor looks good but try to find a nice branch about 2 invhes wide and 2 feet long to prop up so he can climb higher + closer to the lights. Now one more VERY important thing, what type of uvb do you have ? Please post pics of the lights themselves or the boxes. Unless you have a good mercury vapor bulb you must have a compacrt or coil bulb in the dome fixture and they are not adequate. You need a long tube Reptisun 10.0 t5 or Arcadia D3 12-14 %.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
As AHBD suggested you need to get rid of the loose substrate--- paper towels for now then once you upgrade the tank to a bigger one like 40+ gallon and a 40 is minimum we recommend a 75-120 gallon- you can look at getting some NON adhesive shelf liner from Home Depot- easy to clean and insects cant get under it-- next you need to get a UVB I am assuming that one of those bulbs is a All in One - or a MVB -- if it is what is the brand and wattage? What are the basking temps and how are you taking them? The basking temps and UVB are crucial to the over all health of your dragon- temps should be 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer NO stick ons they are inaccurate -- I would get some wider decor pieces for him something like this https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/habitats-and-decor/habitat-decor/thrive-driftwood-reptile-decor-54734.html?cgid=500116 something like this is nice - if you have a Petsmart near you you can go look there - but first we need to get the lighting figured out- he will go thru relocation stress and his eating will be slow but he should not quit eating all together
Karrie
 

sever555

Member
Original Poster
Hey guys thanks for your time. First things first, I've got a heat lamp and a UVB one.
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temperatures are fine, I am using digital thermometer with probes, I don't use the stick-on thermometer / forgot to remove it from terrarium.
The substrate is called Aspen, so there is no problem if he swallows as I know.
Also, I have bought him a hide but he doesn't use it. It is in the cool side of the tank but he preferred to dig right next to the basking stone and lay there. (temperature is good on the cool side) .
So guys how many days did your new baby beardies get used to you and his surroundings and let you handle them with no fear? I really apreciate your advices guys, thanks. In my country there is not much knowledge about beardies so it feels good to be in contact with people who are willing to give advice and help.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
First thing please get rid of the coil UVB-- that 13 watt is inadequate especially for a 40+ gallon tank- you need to go online maybe Amazon I don't know where your at and you need to get a 24" fixture w/ a reflector-- you need this bulb a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia 12% bulb--- the basking bulb is fine as long as basking temps are 105-110 for a baby- 95-110 for juvie- adult-- if your using a loose substrate we don't recommend it--- too much risk for impaction and it harbors bacteria- you can use paper towels for now- we recommend NON adhesive shelf liner-- or a ceramic tile-
Karrie
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Oh, what country do you live in ? As for handling, give him a few days to settle in, then just put your hand in with him to get used to. He may climb on it or at the least he'll get less stressed from it. After a week or so just cup your hand under + lift him up but keep in a sitting position + try not to let him jump. If he keeps trying to run just put one hand in front of the other so he goes like on a treadmill. You can also hold him close to your chest for 5 minutes at a time, most beardies settle down when held like that. Keep in mind that every beardie is different, some will settle down quickly, others are always more skittish.
 

sever555

Member
Original Poster
KarrieRee":33utvbhj said:
First thing please get rid of the coil UVB-- that 13 watt is inadequate especially for a 40+ gallon tank- you need to go online maybe Amazon I don't know where your at and you need to get a 24" fixture w/ a reflector-- you need this bulb a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia 12% bulb--- the basking bulb is fine as long as basking temps are 105-110 for a baby- 95-110 for juvie- adult-- if your using a loose substrate we don't recommend it--- too much risk for impaction and it harbors bacteria- you can use paper towels for now- we recommend NON adhesive shelf liner-- or a ceramic tile-
Karrie
My tank is 24"x18"x18"
 

sever555

Member
Original Poster
AHBD":2i6o0yel said:
Oh, what country do you live in ? As for handling, give him a few days to settle in, then just put your hand in with him to get used to. He may climb on it or at the least he'll get less stressed from it. After a week or so just cup your hand under + lift him up but keep in a sitting position + try not to let him jump. If he keeps trying to run just put one hand in front of the other so he goes like on a treadmill. You can also hold him close to your chest for 5 minutes at a time, most beardies settle down when held like that. Keep in mind that every beardie is different, some will settle down quickly, others are always more skittish.
I live in Greece, not a lot of people know things about reptiles etc.
Thanks for your advice, will try these after a few days ?
 
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