MIMI510
Member
Hi All,
I decided to just become a member since I found myself constantly on here getting some answers to my many questions that come with owning a baby bearded dragon for the first time. From the crazy sleeping positions and making sure I have all the lighting and tempts correct, baths, misting and food I think with out this site I would have made myself go crazy...so thank all of you out there!
We just adopted Torch who according to the pet store is a Red Bearded Dragon a week ago. He is 2.5 months old, 6" long and loves to sleep. Torch seems to always be sleeping which Im gathering is because he is in a new environment and still getting used to it. He is currently in a 40 gallon breeder tank. We have the correct lighting and temps which include a 100W basking bulb on one side that gets the temps between 100-110 degrees and the cooler side to 80-90 degrees. Inside his tank I purchased a under the cabinet strip fixture for the Reptisun 10.0 UVB light. I read that if placed on top of a screen it will lose at least 50% of the UVB rays he needs and since his tank is big I didn't want to chance it. He has a basking rock that can get him as close to 6" from both lights. On the cooler side he also has log to hide in too. I also have a digital infarad sensor to check the temps in his tank.
In the mornings I turn on all his lights and after getting all warmed up for a little while I put Torch on a blocked off section of his tank to feed him his Dubias Roaches. It makes it easier for both of us since there is no where for the roaches to hide and easier for me to remove them when he's finished eating. I do this 3 times a day. He will normally only eat 1-2 a day. I see on here that other peoples beardies are eating a lot more...The other day Torch skipped a whole day with out even eating at all...Is this normal for babies? The lady at the petstore said to give him 2 a day.
I also put veggies in a little bowl which he has access to the whole day. This includes shredded zucchini, apple, carrots, papaya and Kale dusted with calcium powder too...he doesn't even touch it at all and Im not sure how to get him to eat it. Is he eating enough? He has been having regular bowel movements a day which I have been checking to make sure that he is digesting his food okay.
After breakfast time I put Torch in a bath soak for 10 minutes then remove him and put him on his basking spot to get his UVA and UVB rays. The whole time he seems to be sleeping or pretending to sleep... Sometimes I catch him with 1 eye open but so far he isn't very active at all... He just sits there which gets me really worried that maybe something is wrong with him. At the petstore the lady did mention to me that he and another beardie weren't doing that well when there were the other more dominate ones in the same tank but once they were sold they started doing a lot better. I think what she said caused me to worry even more. Every time Torch is sleeping I have to constantly go check to make sure he is breathing. On top of that the crazy dead to the world sleeping postions these beardies have are enough to give me a heart attack!!
I did notice today that Torch's leg is looking like its beginning to shed a little. Ive been also misting him a couple of times a day also...
Torch does move from the basking rock area when he gets too hot but other than that he is sleeping...
Since it was not raining today I took him outside to get some fresh air and natural sun rays. We couldnt stay outside for too long because it was cold but there was some sun and he actually opened his eyes and licked the air checking his surroundings which was super cute. He even tried to walk around on my hand which is the most active Ive seen since we brought him home
a) Is his sleeping all the time normal?
b) Is skipping meals for a whole day okay for babies?
c) Not eating his veggies normal behavior for a 2.5 month old bearded dragon?
d) 5"-6" from 10.0 reptisun UVB light too close or to far?
I decided to just become a member since I found myself constantly on here getting some answers to my many questions that come with owning a baby bearded dragon for the first time. From the crazy sleeping positions and making sure I have all the lighting and tempts correct, baths, misting and food I think with out this site I would have made myself go crazy...so thank all of you out there!
We just adopted Torch who according to the pet store is a Red Bearded Dragon a week ago. He is 2.5 months old, 6" long and loves to sleep. Torch seems to always be sleeping which Im gathering is because he is in a new environment and still getting used to it. He is currently in a 40 gallon breeder tank. We have the correct lighting and temps which include a 100W basking bulb on one side that gets the temps between 100-110 degrees and the cooler side to 80-90 degrees. Inside his tank I purchased a under the cabinet strip fixture for the Reptisun 10.0 UVB light. I read that if placed on top of a screen it will lose at least 50% of the UVB rays he needs and since his tank is big I didn't want to chance it. He has a basking rock that can get him as close to 6" from both lights. On the cooler side he also has log to hide in too. I also have a digital infarad sensor to check the temps in his tank.
In the mornings I turn on all his lights and after getting all warmed up for a little while I put Torch on a blocked off section of his tank to feed him his Dubias Roaches. It makes it easier for both of us since there is no where for the roaches to hide and easier for me to remove them when he's finished eating. I do this 3 times a day. He will normally only eat 1-2 a day. I see on here that other peoples beardies are eating a lot more...The other day Torch skipped a whole day with out even eating at all...Is this normal for babies? The lady at the petstore said to give him 2 a day.
I also put veggies in a little bowl which he has access to the whole day. This includes shredded zucchini, apple, carrots, papaya and Kale dusted with calcium powder too...he doesn't even touch it at all and Im not sure how to get him to eat it. Is he eating enough? He has been having regular bowel movements a day which I have been checking to make sure that he is digesting his food okay.
After breakfast time I put Torch in a bath soak for 10 minutes then remove him and put him on his basking spot to get his UVA and UVB rays. The whole time he seems to be sleeping or pretending to sleep... Sometimes I catch him with 1 eye open but so far he isn't very active at all... He just sits there which gets me really worried that maybe something is wrong with him. At the petstore the lady did mention to me that he and another beardie weren't doing that well when there were the other more dominate ones in the same tank but once they were sold they started doing a lot better. I think what she said caused me to worry even more. Every time Torch is sleeping I have to constantly go check to make sure he is breathing. On top of that the crazy dead to the world sleeping postions these beardies have are enough to give me a heart attack!!
I did notice today that Torch's leg is looking like its beginning to shed a little. Ive been also misting him a couple of times a day also...
Torch does move from the basking rock area when he gets too hot but other than that he is sleeping...
Since it was not raining today I took him outside to get some fresh air and natural sun rays. We couldnt stay outside for too long because it was cold but there was some sun and he actually opened his eyes and licked the air checking his surroundings which was super cute. He even tried to walk around on my hand which is the most active Ive seen since we brought him home
a) Is his sleeping all the time normal?
b) Is skipping meals for a whole day okay for babies?
c) Not eating his veggies normal behavior for a 2.5 month old bearded dragon?
d) 5"-6" from 10.0 reptisun UVB light too close or to far?
It's true that some beardies don't eat much for the first few days, maybe a week but he should be more active. Your set up sounds good, hopefully this is just stress but yes, he should definitely be more active and eating a bit more. What pet store was he from, do they breed their own or can the owner tell you where he came from ? 
