Baby Beardie won't eat/drink and sleeps constantly :(

Hi I got my baby beardie about a week ago and the first 3-4 days he was doin fine, eating 3-4 baby crickets a day(i thought he would eat more). he lives in a 20 gal. long vivarium where i have a log on the hot side for him to bask on. i give him fresh veggies and water every day in shallow dishes. i actually got the zilla bearded dragon kit from the local pet store if that helps. also, he has alfalfa meal bedding. well the last three days, hes been acting really weird, he hasnt been eating any of his crickets i put in his cage he just ignores them and sleeps. i think he might be sick because he went to try eat one of them but he seemed off balance and couldnt coordinate himself enough to catch the cricket. i was really worried that he wasnt eating so went and bought him mealworms because i thought they might be easier to catch but he still isnt eating. i give a bath every 1-2 days because he doesnt drink from his bowl. can somebody please help me if they know what might be wrong with him.

Hello,

Sorry your baby is not doing well.
We can start with your lighting, unfortunately, the Zilla bearded dragon kits are horrible. Did it come with a compact/coil light for the UVB & a colored basking light?
The compact /coil light as the UVB is probably the most responsible for causing your dragon to not be doing well, if that is in fact the type of UVB light you have in the tank. Let me know, so I can discuss it further with you on your setup. If you are using a compact/coil light please turn it off & just use a bright white light for the basking light right now.
What type of thermometer are you using, is it a round analogue type that sticks on to the side of your tank? If so, that is not a good one for measuring the basking temps. It will measure the glass temperatures & air temperatures but not the basking spot. So if that is what you are using, you will need to get a digital probe or a temp gun.
You can get a digital probe from Walmart, or should be able to. It is the acurite brand, & costs around $12. Otherwise, if you would like to get a temp gun you can get one from here:

http://www.reptileuv.com/reptileuv-mini-temperature-gun.php

The basking temps need to be around 95-110 while the cool end should remain around 78-82.
The alfalfa substrate should be removed because it will get wet with water & feces & can harbor bacteria which can make your baby sick. The best substrate for babies is either paper towel or non adhesive shelf liner.

Are you using calcium supplementation too, if not, you will need to get some of that as well. Most of us use the brand Repcal calcium. There are also some vitamins Herptivite that should be used too. He will need calcium 5 times per week & the vitamins 2 times per week right now.

What size of tank is he in right now? Do you use any other heating device such as a heat rock or undertank heater as well?

If he is off balanced & appears disoriented, then he may be dehydrated. I would try to begin getting some oral fluids into him right now. You can use a flavored pedialyte mixed with water to give to him, to help replace any electrolytes he needs.

Please answer the rest of my questions regarding the lighting & we can proceed from there. Let me know how he is doing.

Tracie