Beardie cage

Is there a such thing as having to many items in the bearded dragons cage. He is a baby, got him a few weeks ago. Can someone give me suggestions on how many items should be in th cage.

That's a good question! I have a long log that gets her close to the basking light, a hideaway rock structure just under that (which she loves). I have a water dish and a lizard ladder that she never uses in the middle. I also have a log hide, and a food dish on the cool side of the tank. But it's a 40 gallon tank so there would be room for twice as many things as I have in there. She spends 80% of her time on the first two items I listed tho.

Thanks so much. I have a 20 gallon tank and just bought a kit with a bunch of amenities. He isn't eating but I think it's because he is stressing over the environment change.

What are you feeding him? I don't think an environment change would stop him from eating.. I put my dragon in a box outside to feed him crickets (bc I hate having them in my house.. They're escape artists)
So, I'd be concerned that it might be a different issue. There are a few possibilities but I can't say w/out knowing what environment he's in so I'll give u some things to look for.
1-He won't eat bc the food isn't moving, ie: if your trying to switch him to a pre-packed supplemental food.
2-He's impacted. When was the last time he pooped and was it a healthy, semi-solid, log lookin one? Mine went twice a day sometimes but always goes at least once.
3-it's not warm enough in the cage. They need the higher temps to digest the food in their bellies.
I'd make sure the basking spot is at least 100 deg if not a litter higher, I'd try some small crickets, then I'd try a warm bath to get him too poo. (Google "how to bathe a dragon" if you haven't given him one b4)
4-He's about to body shed. But when mine shed she just ate less one day, she didn't skip food completely. (A bath would help this process too)
And if those conditions are all already set id get him to a vet. Let me know how it goes. Got my fingers crossed for u.

Hi, any change in their surroundings can certainly affect them & stress them out some.

Would be a good idea to give us the details of your setup to make sure everything is perfect for your little one. If using any type of stick-on thermometer, those can actually be off as much as 20 degrees. The only 2 ways to get accurate temps are with either an infrared temp gun or a digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end. What type of thermometer are you using and what are the tank temps?

Did you buy a setup kit? If you did, unfortunately some of the items that come with it aren't very good. What brand & type of UVB do you have?

Once we find out more details about your setup, we can help further.

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah138/bkdyksmith/Mobile%20Uploads/E3C4A594-E408-4A1F-B097-B37D0FB268BD_zpsavlureje.jpg



Is the cage overcrowded? He still poops, he poops once a day including today. He is eating less. He only ate one superworm and a few veggies today. He is not interested in crickets at all anymore. The cage set up is from zilla. The cage is at a consistent 100 degrees daily, however it is a stick thermometer I bathe him every two days. He just shed last week. Is there anything I could do to get him to eat more?! Any suggestions.

I can't see the pic. The link comes up blank.
I was told that babies are too little to eat the super worms. The food should be no bigger than the space between his eyes. Are you buying small crickets? I'd try tongs or hand feeding. When I feed mine greens I take a little piece btwn my fingers, wave it a little bit, and she runs over and grabs it. (So cute! Lol)
It's a good sign that she goes to the bathroom everyday so I wouldn't worry abt impaction.
I would definitely invest in a temp gun tho. Cause it's basically just a temp range ur getting rn. I saw a link on a different post for a decent price, idk abt the quality of it but it has good ratings.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00837ZGRY/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?keywords=food%20thermometer&pc_redir=T1&pebp=1419029892129&qid=1419029889&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Hi there, I don't think your cage is overcrowded but it does depend on the dragons size. Your little one still has space and fits on the furniture but in a few weeks/months he should outgrow he layout and also the tank.

Fewer decorations can make feeding easier if he isn't a confident hunter yet. I would also hold off on the superworms until he is older. Soft worms would be ok (silkworms, Phoenix worms) at any age and they can be fed from a dish. Relocation stress is a good possibility for his appetite loss, but so could environmental things like heat and uvb. I have a similar temp gun as the one linked and I like it, it's the 774 model on that listing.

It looks like you have a tube uvb, do you know what kind it is? It may need to go inside the screen.

Taterbug":1oyst29x said:

It looks like you have a tube uvb, do you know what kind it is? It may need to go inside the screen.

Click to expand...

I've seen it inside someone's tank b4.. But it was hooked to the top side of the terrarium and the dragon was laying on top of it. All I could think was "that can't be good".. How do you have yours hooked into the inside? I was considering doing the same but can't find a good way to install it w/out cutting a hole in the mesh top to hook it over the edge of the tank. Thought abt fishing line through the screen and to a hook too.
Also, Tater- Phoenix worms are awesome! I order mine through
www.phoenixworm.com

Ur pic finally popped up!. I'd move that high rock that he's on so it's under his basking light for sure. As long as it sits abt 6" below the screen. Or at least make it so he can get closer to his light. I have a log so mine picks how high she wants to bask depending on temp.

Also.. I agree w/ taterbug abt the amnt of stuff in ur tank. But it might be part of why he's not eating crickets? Try pulling out the front hideaway when u feed him so it's easier for him to catch them? (I still think hand feeding would be best to try tho if u don't mind handling bugs. Not force feeding him, just waving it in front of him should tempt him enough to grab it.)

Ok I'll definelty do that. Ima odeer a temp gun this weekend. I've tried to hand feed him and it doesn't work at all.

And it's a desert 50 uvb t8 fluorescent bulb. As well as a 100 watt reptile basking spot lamb

A 100 watt basking bulb is a lot for only a 20 gallon tank. I can almost guarantee that he is too hot in the basking spot under the light so that's why he's not laying there. The 100 degree reading you're getting now is the temp of the glass, what you need to know is the basking SURFACE temp and the temp gun or digital probe thermometer will give you that reading. Do you happen to have a 60 watt standard household light bulb that you could use in place of the 100 watt? Great that you will be getting a temp gun soon.

Since he's not basking under the heat light, that would certainly affect his appetite. I also notice a lot of stress marks on his neck & chest too which could be from the setup change.

Unfortunately the Zilla desert 50 uvb t8 fluorescent bulbs aren't good ones. They have been known to cause eye issues or contribute to lethargic behavior. They do not emit very good UVB wavelengths & some have been harmful rays. The wavelengths are not conducive to D3 synthesis. So would recommend getting a Repti-Sun 10.0 strip fluorescent tube or an Arcadia UVB bulb.

That thermometer doesn't measure the glass. It's not a stick strip. U might be looking at my pic. I have a strip on mine.. but I also have two others set around the tank. Just lift the light a bit n hang it off a hook instead of setting it on the screen. But there's nothing set up under the light for him to bask on so it's hard to say whether he's avoiding the light or sitting on the item he wants to. If he was too hot wouldn't he be inside a hideaway?
AK- quickest way to solve this since u don't have a gun yet.. do u have an oven temp thermometer in the house? If not go borrow your neighbors. I guarantee u someone has one hanging in their oven. Take it, put it in the corner of the cold side and make sure it's not over 85. Then set that tall log right under the light, set the thermometer on the log, come back in 5 min and see how hot that spot gets. If it's over 110 or the cold spot is over 85 hang a hook on the wall above the tank and move the light off the screen.
(Have someone hold baby or test temps during bath time.)
Try not to get overwhelmed by better vs worse lights and cost. When that bulb goes, upgrade to the 10.0, but I can imagine how much uve just spent on ur baby. Don't stress urself out. He'll be ok w/ what u have for now and u can adjust and upgrade it as u go along.
About ur original question.. I think I'd pull out one of the dishes and move the front hideaway to the back right. That way she's got some floor space as well as climbing spots and hideaways in both the cold and warm side. Imho. ;-)

Everything was fine with him up until a few days ago. I've realized its because I bought him a whole new tank set up for xmas. I got a background for the tank and added more things in because it looked kinda dull before that. Could the stress marks be due to me changing the entire set up? I didnt think anything bad of it until just now. Will he settle in to the new set up or should i Change everything back to how it use to be?