New beardie not eating enough!

Brand new beardie owner here! I bought a baby beardie (Freddy) just a week and a half ago. His poops look healthy and he is active in his tank, but he is only eating a few crickets per day. From what I understand, he should be eating much more than this. At first, I thought it was just the relocation stress, but now I'm not sure because he is eating... just not enough.

I've been letting him eat as many crickets as he can in a 10-15 minute span, about 3x a day. The problem is that he'll excitedly eat about one (maybe two) when they first go in the tank and then he ignores the rest. One day he ate four crickets in a row, but I've never seen him eat more than that. This worries me because I'm reading that other baby beardies eat 10-30 in one feeding! I tried giving him wax worms (because they are high in fat and I was worried that he was starving) and he'll eat them - but again, he'll maybe eat one and then ignore the other. I've tried backing away from the tank thinking that maybe he just wants to hunt crickets in privacy, but that has only worked about once or twice. He does not touch his veggies. I've been misting him a few times a day (he does not enjoy it) and bathed him twice to make sure he's staying hydrated.

I sure hope I am doing everything right. I did research before buying him to make sure he had a good setup, but maybe something is off. His basking bulb is a 50W ExoTerra bulb and it's about 6-7 inches from his basking spot. His other bulb is a 13W Zilla Tropical Flourescent UVB/UVA bulb - this was recommended by the pet shop and I worry that this might be the problem. It looks like it's for reptiles with lower UVB needs than beardies? It's about 8-10 inches from his basking spot. The basking area fluctuates between 95-105F. Nighttime temp is around 75-80F, but I'll double check tonight. I just got a second thermometer to put in there, just to be sure.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Try not to worry, it's all very common!

Usually with the relocation stress they will eat, just small amounts. As they days progress and they get more and more comfortable, their appetite will increase too. I'd not offer any waxworms though, they tend to get addicting and could exacerbate the eating problem.

We could go over your husbandry if you'd like, to make sure it's up to par if you'd like to. Proper lighting and temperature play a vital role in all aspects of their health, including their appetite.
EDIT: I have no idea why I didn't see your last paragraph. Could have sworn that wasn't their when I first saw it! LOL

But basically, I just want you to know that this is not uncommon!

-Brandon

13W Zilla Tropical Flourescent UVB/UVA bulb----------its the lighting-- I would replace the UVB w/ this
Which UVB light should I use?
The best UVB light is a ReptiSun 10.0 fluorescent tube HO (Or Arcardia 12% in the UK). Compact or coil bulbs do not emit the proper amount of UVB light for a bearded dragon, and should not be used. Other brands, such as the Zilla Desert Series and ReptiGlo have been known to cause eye problems and other health issues with bearded dragons, and should be avoided. The reason that some UVB lights (Zilla, ReptiGlo, coils/compacts, ect.) are considered dangerous is because the wavelength of UVB that they emit is shorter and more intense than the wavelength of the "safe" lights (ReptiSun, Arcadia). UVB lights should be replaced every 6 months. The T5’s are a strong bulb and only need to be replaced once a year – the T 8 every 6 months--- where as the T 8 are not as strong—they need to be placed inside the tank the T 5 10.0 bulb approx 10-11 inches from basking spot – the T 8 approx 8-10 inches from basking spot—the cover needs to be off the bulb for full effect of the UVB rays-- ASAP-- the basking spot should be 105-110 for him and taken w/ a infrared heat gun -- they are the most accurate -- him not eating vegies is normal for a baby -- their main diet is bugs at this point and they need to be dusted w/ calcium D3 5 x per week and vitamins 2 x per week ---
Karrie

Upgrading your uvb would be a good idea like Karrie suggested.
And your temps sound good as long as they are being measured with a decent thermometer such as a digital with probe end or an IR gun.

-Brandon

Thank you so much, Karrie and Brandon!

I got a ReptiSun T5 HO lamp... the only problem is that once I got it, I realized that the bulb that comes with it is only a 5.0, not a 10.0 :? Stupid oversight on my part. So it looks like I'll be ordering a new bulb. Do you think the 5.0 will be okay until the 10.0 gets here?

I also started feeding him in a separate, empty tank. That way, the crickets can't hide from him (or me), I can keep a closer count of how many crickets he's eating, AND I don't have to worry about the crickets hiding and then crawling out at night and climbing all over Freddy (which has happened a few times - yikes!) So I think this "feeding tank" method will be good, although he's been pretty freaked out at me picking him up and moving him elsewhere, I'm hoping he'll get used to being handled as time goes on. But he was very jumpy today. He ate about 5 crickets per feeding and then glass surfed until I took him back out.

Yup that will be fine! The t5 5.0 is about equivalent to the t8 10.0

He should get used to the handling very quickly. Especially once he realizes it leads to food! Lol.

-Brandon

Oh, really? I’m surprised and glad to hear that the 5.0 will work! When I looked it up, it said the 10.0 is for desert reptiles like beardies and the 5.0 is for tropical reptiles. But if this works, great! When it’s time to change the bulb, though, I’ll go for the 10.0.

I’m thrilled to report that he’s eaten 20 crickets today. This is by far the most crickets I’ve ever seen him eat... it only took us 2 long weeks to get here! AND his poop looked like it had some pieces of tomato in it, so he’s been eating some of his salad! Go Freddy!!

It is typically. But the t5s have much more output than the t8s which is what makes the t5 5.0 comparable to the t8 10.0.
So youd want to use a distance recommendation for a t8 10.0 for your setup. So as long as he can get around 8 inches or so to the bulb it will suffice.

-Brandon

That’s really good to know, thank you! I think he’s close to 8 inches from the bulb, but I’ll measure when I get home and then do some rearranging if necessary.

Let us know and we can help you if needed!

-Brandon