Beardie won't hunt!!!!

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My dragon won't come down out of his piece of DW to get his crickets. He shows interest and watches them but just waits there and eventually I have to pick him up and set him down on the ground and hell usually only chase one or two then just wait for the others to come to him. Why won't he come down out of his spot to get them if he's hungry? He also eats his greens which he has to come down for but why won't he hunt? :banghead:
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
How old is your dragon?
Are you sure he is hungry?
Has he been brumating?
What are your cage temps and light cycles?
What are your enclosure temps?
 

Kiko112016

Member
Original Poster
Rankins":3ptn06cv said:
How old is your dragon?
Are you sure he is hungry?
Has he been brumating?
What are your cage temps and light cycles?
What are your enclosure temps?


Im guessing hes 3 month old ive had him since the 25th of jan.also im guessing he's hungry cause it can be his 1st cricket feeding of the day and he's eating between 3 or more medium size crix every time I feed. Cool end temps at 75 and hot end around 89 sometimes few deg more. Basking spot is 114 I turn his lights on at 7 15 and lights out at 9 or 10.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Since he's 3 months old (or there abouts), the change in his eating habits is just his growing up ,he's no longer an itsy-bitsy hatchling, he's become a juvenile and he's figured out that his bugs will be there for him 2 or 3 times per day regular as clockwork . He should he on two live insect meals per day at his age.
He will likely simply wait for bugs to blunder close enough for him to snap up as they roam about in his tank while he's basking, any bug that comes close enough is lizard-tukka.

Also , he may be finding the bugs you are feeding him too small to bother with, what size bugs are you giving him, might be worth upgrading the size bugs by a size or two. (I'm assuming he's getting very tiny bugs).

He may simply be about to shed, some beardies go off their food for a while before they shed, very young beardies shed frequently.

You can hand feed him if you want be sure he's getting the right amount of bugs.

At 3 months old Peppa and Toothless were gobbling down up 20 medium-small (1/3 size) crickets and up to 8 med-small (1.5- 2 inch long) silkworms EACH per day split over 2 meals EACH.

If he's not coming up to a shed.
It's likely you have not enough UVA (and UVB), because your UV light is too far away , not rated at least 10%UVB , has a mesh top between the light and the beardie (this will result less apetite).
Also if he's too cool in his tank he'll not be as hungry as he'll be metabolizing food more slowly - check the warm and basking spot temperatures.
The light cycle may also have an impact , if the lights are on for less than 14 hr per day , he will not have sufficient time to warm and bask and take in sufficient UVA and UVB.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Kiko112016":b4azqdmd said:
Rankins":b4azqdmd said:
How old is your dragon?
Are you sure he is hungry?
Has he been brumating?
What are your cage temps and light cycles?
What are your enclosure temps?


Im guessing hes 3 month old ive had him since the 25th of jan.also im guessing he's hungry cause it can be his 1st cricket feeding of the day and he's eating between 3 or more medium size crix every time I feed. Cool end temps at 75 and hot end around 89 sometimes few deg more. Basking spot is 114 I turn his lights on at 7 15 and lights out at 9 or 10.

How are you measuring the temperatures ?
 

Kiko112016

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":osxwdnu3 said:
Since he's 3 months old (or there abouts), the change in his eating habits is just his growing up ,he's no longer an itsy-bitsy hatchling, he's become a juvenile and he's figured out that his bugs will be there for him 2 or 3 times per day regular as clockwork . He should he on two live insect meals per day at his age.
He will likely simply wait for bugs to blunder close enough for him to snap up as they roam about in his tank while he's basking, any bug that comes close enough is lizard-tukka.

Also , he may be finding the bugs you are feeding him too small to bother with, what size bugs are you giving him, might be worth upgrading the size bugs by a size or two. (I'm assuming he's getting very tiny bugs).

He may simply be about to shed, some beardies go off their food for a while before they shed, very young beardies shed frequently.

You can hand feed him if you want be sure he's getting the right amount of bugs.

At 3 months old Peppa and Toothless were gobbling down up 20 medium-small (1/3 size) crickets and up to 8 med-small (1.5- 2 inch long) silkworms EACH per day split over 2 meals EACH.

If he's not coming up to a shed.
It's likely you have not enough UVA (and UVB), because your UV light is too far away , not rated at least 10%UVB , has a mesh top between the light and the beardie (this will result less apetite).
Also if he's too cool in his tank he'll not be as hungry as he'll be metabolizing food more slowly - check the warm and basking spot temperatures.
The light cycle may also have an impact , if the lights are on for less than 14 hr per day , he will not have sufficient time to warm and bask and take in sufficient UVA and UVB.


I think it might be Cause he's about to shed then cause he is turning greyish looking. The temps are all perfect as I just checked them again this morning. His zilla desert series 50 is inside the tank with him he can get as close as 6 or 7" and as far as 10 or more inches away. Basking light is halogen flood light 90 watts. I usually turn the lights on at 7 15 and lights out at 10. I'm feeding medium crix to him and he usually eats between 5 and 8 of this size. Should I cut back to two feedings a day plus his greens instead of 3x a day and I always leave greens in his tank which he climbs down to get them but won't come down for the crix I have to pick him up and set him at the cool end then feed him.
 
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