Please help !!! New baby beardie not eating and sleeps a lot

AHBD":3ttwb7gf said:

Hi there....I'll reply quickly because I'm leaving here shortly. You'll find a new best friend I'm sure with the next poster.

You have a beautiful set up, I love the great big mountain like rock, perfect for a beardie. I would warn against the substrate though.....for some reason some babies will eat enough to become impacted, so be careful.

Now what exact morph is your expensive one ? I ask because sometimes they are more likely to be somewhat inbred and not as healthy. That's just one possibility. I must run now, other helpers will be on here shortly. Best wishes !

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Danhm87":q9y3x1ah said:

So I bought a very expensive beardie and a cheap one from a reputable breeder here in China. The cheap one is in top shape and eating well. The expensive one is not.

When he first came I gave him a dark and fed him some pinheads that came with his package. He ate like 4 the straight to the basking site.

<<< are they sharing the same viv ?
or can they see each other ?

How long has the poor feeder been a poor feeder ?

Mealworms are a very poor choice for hatchlings:
better ones are shown below -
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

Suppliments used ?
>>> is the calcium powder vitD3 fortified ? == use with caution.
Potential risks are hypervitaminosis D3 (from excessive ingestion of vitamin D3) and inability to metabolise dietary calcium leading to a buildup of calcium in your beardies blood (hypercalcemia).



basic Feeding schedules :

hatchlings
three feeds of live appropriate sized insects per day as many as they want per session offered a few at time if it's hoppy or fast moving
+ offer fresh high calcium greens daily (might not eat it).

Juveniles (6 months to 12 months)
two feeds of insects per day
+ offer fresh high calcium greens daily (might not eat it)

Subadult (12 months - 24 months)
one insect feed per day
+ offer fresh high calcium greens daily

Adult
I still give one insect meal per day (but it's smaller than the subadults get) + high calcium greens .

Good staple insects
>> BSF maggots
>> blowfly gents
and the pupae and flies , great for hatchlings and juveniles , naturally rich in calcium
>> silkworms
small (1-1.5 inch for sub 3 month olds)
medium (1.5 - 2 inch for larger hatchlings and juveniles)
large ( > 2 inch for beardies older than 12 months.
>> crickets / roaches / locusts , must be gutloaded with calcium rich foods and greens & dusted LIGHTLY with calcium powder.

Repashi GRUBPIE is acceptable as a backup food.

Hard and soft pellets are dubious , ok mixed in as softened croutons through their greens/salad (maybe).

Temps are 41c on the rock I have under a 75w UVA bulb. And 30-32c on cool side.
I have a reptisun 10.0 all above the screen which is about 6 inches above him.

Please clarify :
Reptisun 10.0 compact ? 13W or 26W version , and how is it mounted (in a dome or nano style hood) ?
or Reptisun 10.0 T8 ? in a reflector hood ?
or Reptisun 10.0 T5HO ? in a reflector hood ?

Ref to this for getting ideal distance from UVB source to basking spot to get 160-190 microW UVB/sq.cm
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235210&p=1809330#p1809330

Note effect or the mesh : will block about 30% of the UV
ref to this : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235210&p=1809330#p1809330
All day he chills on the basking site with his eyes closed mostly. Sometimes he crawls to the back of the cage and goes all the way to the top (I have a false rock background insert)

He ate a mealworm yesterday because I couldn't get him interested in my baby dubia roaches. The mealworm was a fresh molt so it was white and soft. But today he doesn't even seem to be interested in even a white mealworm. I've ordered silk worms a few days ago so hopefully they will be here soon.

Also he poops about once a day and it looks normal but today he pooped after a soak and his poop was fine but his urine was totally liquid. I use the blue reptisomething drops to add electrolytes an neutralize Clorine. And I use calcium powder dusting.

Both beardie have identical setups. So I am 80% sure it's not a setup issue <<< might be if the can see each other or other reptiles.

I am desperate so please any suggestions. Is it just relocation stress?
>>> if this is it's first week , this is very likely, the fact that he's pooing daily means he's been eating .

When do I need to force-feed. They don't have Gerber baby food here in China so I will have to mash up some dubia and make dubia soup.(I've done it before for my Brazilian white knee T that lost most his fangs in a bad molt)
How many times should I soak him (which seems to perk him up a bit) and should I add honey to the water such as is recommend for my Pacman frogs?
<<< soaking is not going to help him stay hydrated unless he actually drinks the water.


*Edit* (updated photos with ceramic tile instead of cocofiber

he's got a nice tummy on him and looks good , just sleep , they often close the eyes when basking ..
It's OK to hand feed , bare in mind a little hatchling will only have a tiny stomach ( 1 - 4ml per 100g body weight ).
how heavy is he now ?


If this bearded dies it will also kill my dreams of breeding them... Because it was a struggle to get my wife to allow me to buy in the first place.... We breed leopard geckoes and she is already saying "geckoes are better, look how stressful and boring bearded dragons are..." If she only knew... Just how awesome and personality filled they are.... I must rescue this little guy.

Also, could he be about to shed? His hands look grey...
And any other methods... I'll do anything

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Drache613":2aixp35m said:

Hello,


He is a very pretty little one!
It's hard to tell, the Reptisun 10, is it a compact/coil light or a long tube type of UVB?
The tank setup does look really nice, it has plenty of space & looks bright also.
What type of thermometer do you use to measure the temperatures with?
If he is getting ready to shed, you can take him out of the tank to mist him or bathe him,
but do not leave him unattended in the bath water because he could drown easily!
I hope your silkworms get there quickly also. Do be sure to give calcium 4-5 days per
week right now with him being so young.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

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kingofnobbys":3kfzwd5h said:

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EllenD":hvb2ustb said:

Is your Reptisun 10.0 UVB light a long, flourescent tube, the 13 watt compact that goes into a dome fixture? If it's not the long tube, then this is most likely the issue, as the Reptisun 10.0 compact is half the strength a bearded dragon needs, plus you have it on top of a mesh lid, which blocks up to 50% of the already too weak UVB light. And if you have the same UVB light for your other beardie then it needs changed too, as they will surely end up stunted in growth and with MBD otherwise. Beardies are extremely different than leopard geckos, they are desert lizards that need at least 14 hours every single day of adequate, strong UVB light and hot temps.

You need to order/buy a Reptisun 10.0 (never a 5.0!) T5HO UVB tube, either an 16" or a 22", and a matching T5 rated fixture for it. The 10.0 T5HO is strong enough to sit on top of the mesh lid as long as it's within 11" of his main basking spot. And the T5HO needs replaced once a year. If you go with the Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube instead, then it must be mounted inside the enclosure, under the mesh lid, as it's not strong enough to penetrate the mesh lid. The T8 also must be mounted within 6-8" of his basking spot, and replaced ever 6 months. Both dragons will need this change, as the inadequate 13 watt compact Reptisun UVB bulb on top of a mesh lid is essentially like having no UVB light at all. My guess is that not only will he perk up and start eating very quickly once under a proper UVB light, but he will also open his eyes up full time, as both compact and coil bulbs (especially coil bulbs) usually cause eye damage as well. As good as Reptisun 10.0 UVB long, flourescent tubes are for bearded dragons, the compact and coil versions are every bit as bad.

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Savora":cexf9qgl said:

He's a beautiful little thing! I'm sorry he's having eating issues. Maybe you should order Oxbow Crticial Care or Reptiboost now, in case you do need to start force feeding. Try offering water to him, by dripping some on his nose for a few minutes.
Have you seen any red in his stool? You said his urate was liquid with his last poop--was the poop part more watery than usual? Does he poop every day? Did you ask the breeder what he was being fed before you got him? How long have you had him? Have you made sure that his basking spot is between 105-115 degrees F?

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AHBD":38n9gqlk said:

Try smashing a cricket or other insect + rub lightly on his snout. Tat can often spark a feeding response. Is your other dragon in a similar set up ? The large screen wire doesn't block uvb, just make sure it's close enough . Over 10" away won't provide much uvb so it it's too far on top of the screen mount it by hanging it inside off the screen. You can use wire , fishing line or string to hang the uvb fixture inside.

Keep in mind that if he is a transluscent that some people have inbred them and they can have health problems from the start.

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