2 Days ago i bought a two and a half months old bearded dragon.I bought it thursday night,and it only ate on the night we got it,and yesterday.Today it didnt eat at all and im concerned.Its 22:00 and it hasnt eaten still.The breeder i got it from said that it may not eat a lot for 3 days or so,because it is stressed.But i still want to know if it is sick or anything.It pooped yesterday morning,and this morning.its belly isnt full but seems to have something in it.Also the dubia roach i fed it was a little on the big side,so i thought it had a little trouble digesting,so i gave it a warm bad but it didnt poop.Can you tell me if theres something wrong with it?The cool side of the terrarium has about 85 F,and the basking spot about 95 F.Pls help me,he is my first reptile and im very scared.
My beardie wont eat
- Thread starter Slender
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Hi honey,
Its most likely relocation stress
Is he active? What does his terrarium look like, no sand I hope? Do you feel hard lumps in his belly?
I might be wrong about this, but when they are young you want the basking area to be around 100-105 (MAX 105) degrees. Try raising his basking spot (unless he may get hurt from jumping off of it) a little bit to help with digestion
I wouldn't worry too hard, it sounds like he is just stressed, but keep an eye on him! Let us know how he is doing
Its most likely relocation stress
Is he active? What does his terrarium look like, no sand I hope? Do you feel hard lumps in his belly?I might be wrong about this, but when they are young you want the basking area to be around 100-105 (MAX 105) degrees. Try raising his basking spot (unless he may get hurt from jumping off of it) a little bit to help with digestion
I wouldn't worry too hard, it sounds like he is just stressed, but keep an eye on him! Let us know how he is doing
kingofnobbys
BD.org Sicko
Slender":91pvg6l3 said:
Are there other pets (cats, dogs ) in the household ?
And details of your feeding schedule and other husbandry aspects .
Might be a very easy fix .
Photos of the tank and showing substrate and lighting and of the beardie will help too. Use XIMG button to upload photos from your computer.
How heavy is he ?
...... recommend weighing thim regularly (weekly say)?
Can you give us a good rundown on the setup and schedules (light and feeding) :
Basking light
........ is it a coloured globe ? (BAD)
........ what is it's wattage ?
........ how far from the basking spot ?
TEMPERATURES ?
>>> daytime
.......warm zone
.......basking spot
...... how are you measuring your temperatures ?
TOO COLD = SLEEPY DRAGON
>>> overnight minimum viv temperatures ?
UVA AND UVB ADEQUATE ?
>>> is the uv rated AT LEAST 10%UVB ?
>>> is it a COMPACT (curly globe & WATTAGE ?
>>> or a T8 tube ?
>>> or a T5 tube ?
>>> or an MVB ?
VERY IMPORTANT : what is the brand ?
(not all UVB compacts and tubes are created equal or as well , many shops sell their own brand (Zilla, All Living Things, Reptile-One, Nat Geo , Natural Selections (in green boxes) which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced incl UVC band and bad parts of the UVB band)
>>> also is it covered (in a domestic fluorescent light fitting )? == BAD
>>> also is it sitting ontop a mesh top ? == BAD
>>> how far from basking spot ?
too far and the UVA and UVB WILL BE TOO DILUTE.
UVA FLUX TOO LOW where dragon is ==> a very lethargic dragon w/ a very poor apetite just in the short term , and neurological problems if this persists , not to mention MVB if UVB flux too low long enough with inadequate metabolisation of dietary calcium or inadequate intake out calcium
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/guide-bearded-dragon.jpg
TANK
>>> size (L x W x H) and construction , photos of the setup are often helpful .
SUBSTRATE ?
>>> is it sand ? == BAD AND IF CALCISAND this is EXTREMELY BAD/LETHAL when ingested
>>> is it particulate ? == BAD
TOO SHORT A PHOTOPERIOD (lights are not kept on long enough each day , will make beardie think it is winter , recommend at least 14 HRS PER DAY)
FEEDING SCHEDULE (I recommend at least 2 hrs lights/heat on before first live feed and after last feed of the day)
>>> when are you offering live feeder insects ? what are they ? how big are they ?
>>> when are you offering greens and other veg ? what are you offering ?
good guide is here : http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html
Hey,im very new to this website(i only made an account yesterday but ive been checking it for a few months now)so i dont know how to reply to your comments in particular.Ive read them,and the heating lightbulb i have for him is a regular 70w light bulb for now,because i had an infrared one but it blew up for some reason,but im going to buy an exo terra PT-2134 R30 / 150W bulb,as that one is recomended by everybody around here.He has a 10.0 uvb light,so thats is okay.Someone asked if he has lumps in his stomach.No,though hes stomach is round.He stays in a home made wooden 75 gallon long,dimenisons are about 47Inches long,15.7 inches deep and 15.7 inches tall.He has no substrate as i know it can cause blockages,he has a hide some roots and 2 stones.For the weight,i dont own a scale so i dont know how much he weighs.I have dubia roaches to feed him,and calcium.I dont know how active he is for a beardie,but he walks around his sticks a lot.Every 10 minutes he is on another one,and he changes position on them pretty often.In fact,i put him a lid with water in it so he can baith,and now he is on the edge of the lid.Ill attach some photos of the enclosure and of the beardie.Okay,i fed him just now and he ate,but, he flicnhed when i put my hand in.Although as lon as i droped the roach in his enclosure he hunted for it and ran after the roach.I think he is still scared of me.I really hope that is the problem.The breeder i got him from said my beardie in particular doesnt eat that much,only about two every day.For me,he has only eaten one everyday,he doesnt want to eat more.
Hi!
How are you taking the temperatures?
I would try to raise the basking spot a little bit.
Please remove the water bowl! It will raise the humidity and cause respitory issues. Also, he could drown Beardies should never be trusted around water and must be monitored when they are in/near it.
He sure is a handsome little guy! Maybe he likes the bowl because it is something to climb on, you could try adding some more wood in his enclosure for more stimulation.
Do you take him out to feed him or feed him in his enclosure? If you take him out, you might want to try feeding him directly in his enclosure, he may be less stressed that way. So try throwing some more roaches in there, and maybe try a very finely chopped salad as well! Who knows, he may just eat it
It does sound like he is still a little scared of you, but he'll get used to you soon. But since he is so skiddish right now, try to not handle him until he gets settled.
How are you taking the temperatures?
I would try to raise the basking spot a little bit.
Please remove the water bowl! It will raise the humidity and cause respitory issues. Also, he could drown
Beardies should never be trusted around water and must be monitored when they are in/near it. He sure is a handsome little guy! Maybe he likes the bowl because it is something to climb on, you could try adding some more wood in his enclosure for more stimulation.
Do you take him out to feed him or feed him in his enclosure? If you take him out, you might want to try feeding him directly in his enclosure, he may be less stressed that way. So try throwing some more roaches in there, and maybe try a very finely chopped salad as well! Who knows, he may just eat it
It does sound like he is still a little scared of you, but he'll get used to you soon. But since he is so skiddish right now, try to not handle him until he gets settled.
kingofnobbys
BD.org Sicko
Slender":2c1tsub3 said:Hey,im very new to this website(i only made an account yesterday but ive been checking it for a few months now)so i dont know how to reply to your comments in particular.Ive read them,and the heating lightbulb i have for him is a regular 70w light bulb for now,because i had an infrared one but it blew up for some reason,but im going to buy an exo terra PT-2134 R30 / 150W bulb,as that one is recomended by everybody around here.He has a 10.0 uvb light,
<<<< is the 10.0 uvb a long tube (a T5 or T8) or like a curly house light ? and what's it's wattage ?
so thats is okay.Someone asked if he has lumps in his stomach.No,though hes stomach is round.He stays in a home made wooden 75 gallon long,dimenisons are about 47Inches long,15.7 inches deep and 15.7 <<< that'll be fine for his rearing viv , maybe until he's about 12 - 18 months old, so you've plenty of time save or build or commission the building of his 4ft x 2ft x 2ft forever home .
inches tall.He has no substrate as i know it can cause blockages,he has a hide some roots and 2 stones.For the weight,i dont own a scale so i dont know how much he weighs.I have dubia roaches to feed him,and calcium.I dont know how active he is for a beardie,but he walks around his sticks a lot.Every 10 minutes he is on another one,and he changes position on them pretty often.In fact,i put him a lid with water in it so he can baith,and now he is on the edge of the lid.Ill attach some photos of the enclosure and of the beardie.Okay,i fed him just now and he ate,but, he flicnhed when i put my hand in.Although as lon as i droped the roach in his enclosure he hunted for it and ran after the roach.I think he is still scared of me.I really hope that is the problem.The breeder i got him from said my beardie in particular doesnt eat that much,only about two every day.
<<<< what ? only 2 roaches per day , at his age ....?
Sorry but that's very inadeguate , see my previous post.
He needs to be eating live insects AT LEAST twice per day , three live meals per day will be better , best insects for him are :
>> BSF maggots (Phoenix Worms) --> excellent naturally rich in calcium
>> Silkworms (small = 1- 1.5in long or medium (1.5-2in long) --> excellent feeders
>> blowfly gents --> naturally rich in calcium
>> crickets (I'd recommend 1/4 - 1/3 size for him, they need to be gut loaded with calcium rich greens + carrot (also source of water) and I find repcal Adult beardie pellets (straight from the bottle are great for feeding the crickets and fortifying them with minerals and vitamins) and they need to be dusted lightly daily with calcium powder and on the weekend with a mix of calcium powder and reptile vitamin powder)
or
>> roaches or locusts (see above).
Is perfectly OK to give a mix of these.
If his temperatures are good , and he's getting sufficient UVA and UVB , he will likely polish off up to 16 x 1/4 size crickets per day + some greens.
For me,he has only eaten one everyday,he doesnt want to eat more.
<<< what size are the roaches he is eating ? ie how long are they in millimeters ?
Another update:i now have a proper light,somebody asked me about the uvb its a t8 exo terra 13w,10.0.I was also asked what size the roaches are in mm,the biggest ones about 18mm and the smallest ones about 14mm,but i can tell they are pretty big.Somebody told me to feed him greens,but isnt he too small for that?He is two and a half months old.I took the water boul out.For hydration, i spray his nose with some water and he licks his snout when he stops doing this,i stop spraying.Though he seems pretty active he moves from stick to stick every 3 mins and his patterns are turning really red(he is a high red morph) so i guess thats a good sign.Also he does this thing all the time when i stare at him after like 10 seconds he will close one of his eyes,he doesnt close one in particular he just closes one randomly.Is that like the wave thing where he is just trying to indicate submission?Please let me know.Also he has started to spend a lot more time under the basking spot so considering he is so young and a beardie thats a good sign
Hi there, you did a great job on your vivarium, and he looks and sounds quite healthy. Don't worry about him being skittish at first, many babies are. When you put your hand in his tank, just move very slowly. It can startle them, especially when they have a solid lid to the vivarium when it's suddenly opened and a hand swoops in. Be very careful that the bugs aren't too large, if you have some that are too big, cut them in half + drop it right near him in the tank, but better to not fed him too large a prey item at all, whether cut or not. The reason is because a large bug is hard for a small baby to digest, then it puts pressure on the spine which can cause impaction and even paralysis of the hind legs.
As for your uvb light, be sure he can get within 10" of it....very important. The bulb you have is O.K up to that distance but not much more. The next bulb you might want to invest oin is either the Reptisun 10.0 t5 or the Arcadia 12%.
Spraying him on his snout for a drink is perfect, please keep that up . I raised tons of babies + that's how they all drank. In nature they would be drinking the dew in the morning which would be in the form of droplets.
As for your uvb light, be sure he can get within 10" of it....very important. The bulb you have is O.K up to that distance but not much more. The next bulb you might want to invest oin is either the Reptisun 10.0 t5 or the Arcadia 12%.
Spraying him on his snout for a drink is perfect, please keep that up . I raised tons of babies + that's how they all drank. In nature they would be drinking the dew in the morning which would be in the form of droplets.
AHBD-i hope i got the name right,u would not believe how reasuring your comment is so thanks.I checked the uvb you suggested and mine has the exact same specifications except for the fact that its a t8 not a t5 and i found out its a 15w bulb not a 13w.As for te bugs,i dont think they are TOO big since the breeder i got him from has been feeding him these ever since he started eating.But i will be careful.BTW what size bugs SHOULD i feed him,in mm.Also i forgot to mention this before but his name is Nukka.It means growth or expansion in swahili,i named him so because bearded dragons grow so quickly,and because i was amazed of the difference in size between a 3 month old beardie and an 8 month old beardie i saw at my breeders'
The bugs should always be smaller than the space between his eyes [ this rule is mostly for babies to small juveniles, after that they can tackle much larger things ] So just determine it by that rule . Most babies thrive on multiple small bugs per day, in 2-3 feedings. When they are fed 1-2 bugs that are almost or are actually to large, it makes it hard for them to digest them. Are you in the U.S ? Most breeders would be feeding babies 20-40 bugs per day, in 2-3 feedings.. Some owners feed them even more, but it's not necessary at all. I know it sounds a lot but that's healthier for them than 1-2 large bugs.
Nukka is a cool name + the meaning behind it really suits a beardie .
Nukka is a cool name + the meaning behind it really suits a beardie .
No,im not from the us,im from Romania,Europe.We have temperate climate here so its 3 months winter,3 months fall,3 moths spring,and 3 months summer.So that may have something to do with his apetite.But Nukkas brothers dont eat more then 8 bugs a day themselves.Side note everybodies tips seem to be working he ate his second one just now no problem i tried feeding him a third but he didnt go for him.The roach is still in the tank though so he will eat it.So back to the subject,my breeder said he never had babies eat more then 8-10 at max bugs a day,and he has been raising bearded dragons and other reptiles for 13 years.He is well known in my town and he never sold or had a sick animal.I have a friend who had a veiled chameleon,and two furcifer chameleons from him and none of them died because of illness,and the most recent one,the third one is still alive and well.Sorry for the huge side tangent about the breeder.I dont think he is going to eat more then 5 a day for a while.
O.K, I wondered about that.....you probably do it differently there, and that's fine. I've raised a lot of babies [ way back to the 1990's ] and crickets were the staple and the babies ate lots + lots of them. Dubias have more protein, but be careful that the dubias you use are fed a veggie diet. When the dubias eat too much protein it causes them to have a build up of uric acid in them. When fed to the reptiles this can lead to gout. Gout is becoming more + more common now and I suspect that is the problem....so be careful of the food that the dubias eat !
kingofnobbys
BD.org Sicko
Slender":2cqlbu82 said:
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