One year old beardie not eating salad?

Bogathedragon":31u4ocle said:

My one year old male bearded dragon doesn’t seem to really show interest in food, specifically salad, and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to entice him to eat the salad, as I know he really needs his veggies. I have tried dressing it up a couple times a month with fruit, then once a week ish with bell pepper but he still doesn’t seem to care. Just wondering if there were any suggestions, or if I just need to find what he really likes. I have had him for about eleven months. Exactly eleven months in five days!

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HylianHealeys":mk507smc said:

Some questions to help narrow this down:

- What are your temps?
- What type of UVB are you using, and when was the last time you replaced it?
- How often do you feed him insects?

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HylianHealeys":1vnei40u said:

If he doesn't always eat them, that means you're offering too many. Try reducing insect feedings to 2x/week, with salads every day.

By the way, what insects are you offering?

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HylianHealeys":25qhabad said:

No wonder your beardie isn't eating salad! Wax worms and butter worms are super addictive for bearded dragons because they have a really high fat content. Superworms aren't much better.

Discoid roaches, crickets, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, and hornworms are better. You can even use Zoo Med Can O Snails or earthworms if your beardie likes them. These options are much lower in fat compared to their protein content and overall provide better nutrition for your beardie. I would recommend looking at this article on feeder insect nutrition.

As for infrared bulbs, I assume you mean for use at night? Contrary to manufacturer's claims, bearded dragons and other reptiles *can* see infrared wavelengths, and the light can prevent them from sleeping well. If you're having trouble keeping temps above 70 at night (or want to boost them to 80 for health reasons), a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) is a better choice.

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SarasBabies":1rut9w6c said:

I am new to the site but in my 4-5 years experience with babies, juveniles, sub-adults and adults - I agree 100% with the previous responder in reducing the insect feeding to 2x a week and sticking with crickets or discoid roaches for nutrition and overall food cost. I suggest avoiding mealworms and superworms altogether because if your beardie ever (God forbid) has an illness - everyone will point to those being a likely culprit. Letting your 1 year old bearded dragon get nice and hungry before insect or greens feedings is GOOD for them as they are energized by the hunt! I also recommend a few well-soaked rep-cal adult bearded dragon food bites in a week because the moisture content is very helpful. For your roommates: Discoid roaches grow to reproductive maturity so slowly (years) that medium size dubias kept in an escape proof pen are not going to ever be a house-pest. And they are indestructible unlike bulk crickets which tend to self-destruct. And yes - ceramic heat is better than the red bulbs - even during the day. Also room lights around the tank can also cause a beardie to wake constantly. Best of luck.

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