new baby beardie, sick and don't know what to do

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Hi there, I have been frantically reading everything I can the past three days because I am so new to this but I really want to make sure my baby is okay. First off, I got my beardie 3 days ago and he's 6 inches long. I got a starter kit tank from Thrive and it is a 40 gallon tank that opens in the front. Right now he has a Exo Terra Solar Glo 160 Watt "All In One" Bulb and its sitting directly on top of the tank. The temp on that side is about 110 degrees fahrenheit. The PetSmart workers told me I did NOT need a separate UVB light as the bulb I purchased supposedly radiates the proper amount of UVB. On the cool side I have a CHE on and its about 85-90 degrees. My dragon ate about 4 mealworms the first day he came home (3 days ago). The second day he was shedding and did not eat. He also did not eat yesterday which is when I bought the new bulb. Since he has been very active and seems well but today he has eaten 1 piece of lettuce (which i know has no nutritional value) and won't eat anything else. He also seemed active this morning but now seems sleepy. I am very much worried and overthinking and I keep reading about people's new beardies dying so if someone can answer me ASAP and please help it would be greatly appreciated, I care SO much about this baby. :( :(
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
First your baby will go thru relocation stress but he should not quit eating completely -- next do not listen to anything Petsmart people tell you -how far is the All in One sitting from the basking decor? They need to be certain distances for them to be effective and yes I do believe they recommend another UVB as well -- I would get a Tube Reptisun T 5 to compliment that All in One and you need a fixture w/ a reflector - you can put that on top of tank as well but it must be w/ in certain distances depending on the screen type - fine mesh or a wide holed screen -- next please no more meal worms -- you need to be feeding either crickets or dubias - I recommend dubias they are alot better staple and easier to keep --- if you cant get dubias where you live order them from here www.dubiaroaches.com along w/ some butter worms - they are a great lure to the salad bowl along w/ some BSFL - they too are another staple feeder and can be added to your salad --- please NO more lettuce he needs greens like collard turnip kale or mustard here is a website for nutrition •
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
here is the website for BSFL https://symtonbsf.com/ feed as many as you want --- do not dust them - also small super worms can be used as a lure to the salad bowl only use like 1-3 of the worms as they will get addicted to them --- feed your salad first thing in the morning w/ the lures you will need a glass bowl so they can get out of -- after an hr or so of him eating out of the bowl remove a small amount of the salad then add your staple feeder to the bowl - as long as hes eating some of the salad your good but you want him eating salad now too even tho the main diet is protein - feed as many dubias or crickets he will eat in a 10-15 minute time frame - if hes eating all the stuff you feed him that will be a good diet for him -- make sure your dusting the insects 5 x per week w/ calcium D3 and vitamins 2 x per week -- you can also order some silk worms they are a good staple feeder as well you can get them from these two places http://www.mulberryfarms.com/ or here
https://reptilianarts.com/ if you order any significant amount make sure you get food to feed them mulberry farms has small ones now so you might haft to grow them out a little -- and if you order them you will need to clean the poop frass out every day or every other day -- along w/ any old food - I mix up a tablespoon of food per day and keep in fridge - its a dry powder I am using -- how are you taking basking temps? w/ a digital probe or infrared heat gun? No stick ons they are inaccurate for basking temps - ambient temps are ok but you need the probe or infrared heat gun--- the cool side of the tank should be 80'd during the day and not below 65 at nite -- please ask more questions if you have them pics of the tank can be posted using this link
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box and then click on the pic it should post
Karrie
 

emmastrope

Member
Original Poster
We went back to PetSmart, we got him some small crickets and a uv 10.0 rod and thing to put it in. I have placed the rod on top of my cages wire mesh as I dont know how I could mount it inside... The Solar Glo bulb is also on top of the mesh. He ended up eating the crickets when we put them in there and there's a salad in there as well. Please let me know if I should change the distancing of any lights or anything but thank you SO much for the help and getting him to eat.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Tell me what you got for a UVB tube is it the T 8? Look on the box or what size fixture 18"?-and take the cover off the fixture you want the bulb exposed for best rays--- if its the T 8 hang it inside the tank distance from basking decor 8-10 inches --- you can hang w/ long plastic zip ties 3M velcro fasteners - fishing line- shoe laces- picture wire hangers etc------------ ok so tomorrow morning disable those crickets take a leg off so they cant jump out of the bowl - did you get any worms like small supers wax worms will work too but they are fattening - make sure your dusting those crickets w/ calcium D3 5 x per week and vitamins 2 x per week --- and feed as many crickets as he will eat in a 10-15 minute time frame - its easier to feed dubia roaches as they dont eat as many as they will crickets --- better for him anyway --- I posted websites for you -- feed him his salad first thing in the morning --- the worms will act as lures or entice him to that bowl to eat his salad -- his diet should consist of 80% bugs 20% veggies now and you want him eating a little of salad now but his main diet is the bugs -- at about a year or so he should go to bugs 2-3 times per week instead of the every day now and salads every day --- worms are great lures to the bowl - look at the websites I posted for bugs etc --- go from there -- if you need any more help please ask
Karrie
 

emmastrope

Member
Original Poster
I ended up getting the Reptisun 10.o and a fixture with a reflector, its on top of the wire mesh of my cage. I switched to a lower watt basking bulb as the one I had was getting way too hot for the little guy he couldn't even get up on his branch. Everything seems to be going a lot better, he's not very into eating greens but I still give him salads every morning with the veggies that were in green lettering on that list. He likes the crickets and I made sure to dust them! He's eaten the past 2 days and everything seems to be so much better, super active :) Ive been giving him time to settle in because every time I go near him he'll close his eyes and I read that means they feel scared but recently he's been letting me pet him so baby steps!! Thank you so so much for all your help and I will definitely come back if I have any questions! Thanks again :D :D :D
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Did you get a T 8 it T 5? Top of tank needs to be a T 5--- your screen is a fine mesh or wide holed? The bulbs have certain distances they need to be--- I can give tips on getting her to eat her salads if you like- please ask if you need them
Karrie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your baby doing tonight?
Please let us know which UVB model you got. Placing it on top of the screen is fine, if it's
the T5. If you have the T8 then it would be much better if you could mount it on the underneath
side of the screen for a stronger UVB exposure.
It sounds like he is feeling better & eating some for you also. That's promising he is more active
now so hopefully he continues to get healthier too!

Tracie
 

emmastrope

Member
Original Poster
It looks like the one I got is a T8, it was the only one available... but he has been eating so much so if he needs it closer then please let me know. If you guys do have tips for getting him to eat salad I would greatly appreciate it! He has been pooping regularly, except not yet today, but today and yesterday he's eaten a lot so I'll post some pictures and just let me know if everything looks okay!

Emma
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok the T 8 is going to need to go into your tank ---- the bulb is not strong enough to go thru that screen - also it looks like it runs the whole length of the tank? I was going to tell you to cover half of it up but leave it for now -- if he starts to start hiding from the UVB you will need to cover half the bulb - recommended is only 2/3 of the tank so they dont hide from it - but leave for now since you only have the T 8 bulb so w/ that being said it needs to be approx 8-10 inches from his basking decor --- I would change to a T 5 when you change out the T 8 in 6 months - then you can put back on top of your screen and cover half the bulb at that time so your not over UVBing him--- and basking decor for the top of screen can still be 8-10 inches as well -- ok eating salads --- use a glass bowl or ceramic bowl -- make your salad feed first thing in the morning - wash his greens before serving this will give him moisture he needs --- get you BSFL and add to the salad on top along w/ a few super worms or butter worms 1-3 of the worms as many as you want for BSFL -- put them on the salad in front of him it will entice him to that bowl -- let him eat from the bowl for like an hr or so then add your staple feeder - take a little of the salad out so he still eats the salad going after the staple feeder - dubias work great for that --- as long as he is getting salad and eating salad that is good --
If you need help getting the fixture inside the tank you can use long plastic zip ties --- 3M Velcro fasteners --- fishing line -- picture wire hangers --- shoe laces etc --- or the wire used for potted plants outside ---
Karrie
 

emmastrope

Member
Original Poster
Could anyone just let me know of a fixture that I can fit in the tank, the one I have is really hefty. One that is preferably cheap I don't have a lot of money right now but I want him to be getting the right amount of this stuff.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Go to this website order the 24" for $32 -- you will need to change the bulb as well so for around $66 you can get both and that is w/ shipping
www.pangeareptiles.com under fixtures there is one there get the 24" it has a reflector and then under T 5 lights order the Reptisun 10.0 bulb T 5 22"--- this fixture comes w/ a bulb I think dont use it its not for beardies but you can use the fixture ---
Karrie
 
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Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

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