Baby Beardie Barely Eating

I got my Beardie about a month ago. She is about three to four months old. She has been eating mostly crickets. I have also been feeding her butternut squash and the small red beads you can get at the pet store (I don’t know the name of them). My Beardie normally eats around six to ten small crickets a day. She isn’t shedding but is due for one soon for her last shed was January first. She’s in a forty gallon tank and her temperatures and humidity is good. I’m just worried that she isn’t eating enough.

Hi there, can you post pics of your baby as well as the entire set up ? Also the exact type + brand of lights that you are using ? This is very critical info. Here's how to post pics :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

I use an All Living Things Ceramic Heat Emitter. And a ReptiSun 10.0 Compact UVB Fluorescent bulb. She seems healthy to me. We did have a bit of an impaction problem the other day but things seemed to cleared up since. The only problem now is she isn’t eating much at all.

The reason shes not eating is most likely do to improper lighting and temps. The compacts dont work very well for providing correct UVB so I suggest getting a Reptisun or arcaidia T5 HO 10.0 22" or 34" UVB tube light with a reflective fixture. This should bring her appetite up, and when it does make sure to feed her 3x a day, 10-20 crickets each feeding.
Calcium without d3 on all insects 5x a week, multivitamins 2x a week on all insects. Usually weak days for calcium, weekends for multivitamins is what I believe is commonly done.

You'll need a temp gun or digital temperature gauge with a probe to get correct temperature readings, the one you have can be off by as much as 20 degrees which is quite a lot. The correct temps should be this,
basking - 100-110
warm side - 90-95
cool side 70-85

Also be careful of that green hammock your using, mesh hammocks are a known cause for injury. The holes are too small so reptiles get their claws stuck very easily and can harm themselves very badly.

I'd stop feeding the red pelleted food, its pretty much just junk food for lizards that can cause health issues and a possible impaction issue. Some brands are better than others, but for salads it should mostly be all fresh. Usually kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens. Fruit maybe once or twice a week, that being banana, red raspberries, blue berries. Theres other things but thats just to name a few.

ddaniellee":1e8u36ru said:

I use an All Living Things Ceramic Heat Emitter. And a ReptiSun 10.0 Compact UVB Fluorescent bulb. She seems healthy to me. We did have a bit of an impaction problem the other day but things seemed to cleared up since. The only problem now is she isn’t eating much at all.

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I believe the cause is the compact UVB bulb, especially if it's only a 13W version because :
1) it's too low a wattage (you need AT THE VERY LEAST the 25W version ==> recommend upgrading in short term to an Exo Terra 25W UVB200)
2) it's too far from the hatchlings basking spot and the floor of the viv ==> very little of the UVA is getting "seen" by the hatching ==> needs to mounted A LOT CLOSER to where the hatchling basks and hangs.
3) it's on top of the mesh lid ==> right from the getgo 40% of the UV is being blocked ==> recommend you cut a hole in the mesh and mount the dome so there is NO MESH under the UV globe
Even better , invest in an EXO TERRA NANO HOOD and mount the NEW 25W UVB200 (or 10.0 UVB) in it UNDER the mesh lid and NO MORE THAN 8 inches from the basking spot.
4) too short a photoperiod , if it's lights are on less than 15 hrs per day , it's not enough , recommend 16 hours per day using a timer.

BEST option if you have funds is to upgrade to an Arcadia T5HO 12%UVB tube about 2/3 the length of the viv , mounted in a good parabolic reflector hood UNDER mesh lid and set up so the tube is NO MORE THAN 12 inches from the basking spot.

See viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236150&p=1815390#p1815390
and for setting up UV lighting see viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611