Adopted adult - How long before he likes me??

My wife and I adopted Icarus last Thursday (3/9) from a friend.

Since then I've gone fully insane researching beardie diets, habitat, behavior, etc and (even though he came with a fully equipped tank and food) spend $150 on upgrades. I got rid of the sand substrate, added a digging box, added some thermometers and upgraded to a better UVB lamp.

His new tile floor!

Understandably, he's still really nervous around us. He didn't eat much for a few days and spent a lot of time in his hide. I've tried handling him at least once a day so he can get used to me and my voice, but he's always so stressed out (scrambling, black beard, etc) that I can only handle it for a few minutes before I put him back in his tank to calm down. Yesterday, I took him out to see if he wanted to run around (on a harness) in the living room while I made the changes to his tank and he got so upset he bit me! Since then I haven't been handling him but I'm staying close, offering food, talking to him and occasionally stroking his head and back. He still puffs up/flattens or jerks away frequently.

So my question is, how long does it usually take for a beardie to adjust to new owners? I don't want to overwhelm him, but I also want him to learn to trust us when we handle him because I know beardies normally enjoy being social/handled.


He did this shortly after I put him back into the tank after I made the changes (right before he took a mondo sh** on his freshly cleaned basking platform). Is he just checking out his new lamp or trying to commit suicide? Is he thirsty? This morning he crawled up on it and almost touched his nose to the bulb. Is this just a curious reaction to the changes in his tank?

I noticed him eating his salad this morning and he ate a bunch of crickets/superworms last night, so it seems like his appetite is coming back.


He's just so cute. WHY WON'T YOU LOVE ME???

*Edit*
I should add that the reason we inherited Icarus is his previous owner said she wasn't handling him enough. I don't know exactly how often he was handled, but she said he was always friendly and enjoyed being handled when they did it.

He is in a strange world and is confused. Once he settles in ( could take a couple of weeks) he will warm up to you eventually. It will also help a little if you get rid of that red light and get him a white basking bulb. They see like we do. Have you ever been in a room with a red light on, it is disorienting. This is how he feels.
They require no light at night either, they prefer it dark and cool. You will only need a heat source if you house temp drops below 65° at night. If it does, you will need a CHE ceramic heat emitter to keep the temp up around 65° to 70°. No light emitting heat source is needed, it disturbs sleep patterns and makes them tired and grumpy.

I'm new to having a beardie all by myself. My dad had a pet store when I was a kid so I've been around them and other creatures a lot. But doing it all on your own is a whole new thing! But I wanted to let you know that hanging his mouth open like that probably means he has hit the sweet spot in basking temperature and is regulating to keep it just right. So yay! Also he's a real cutie!

I'm glad you are giving him a good home. The upgrades you've provided should help a lot. I agree that the red lamp should be replaced. I really like the GE PAR38 halogen flood light as a basking lamp. You can hook it up to a dimmer to adjust the output as needed based on temperature reading. As mentioned, once he has time to settle into his new environment he will eventually relax and will get used to you. It may take time and patience though. It's a good sign that his appetite is up.