HELP!! New baby 5 weeks old not eating and stressed

Baby arrived on the 15th after a long flight from Southern California to Michigan. He hatched on June 14th. He ate five crickets day one. Two crickets day two, got dubia roaches and he ate six on day three. Didn’t know he was raised on only roaches or would have started with them. Was given advice by breeder to leave crickets in, and I think they scared him. I took them out at night after reading how they can bite! Nothing day four, ate a little repashy chicken pot pie put on his lip day five, but mostly wiped it off. Ate less on day six, and today has eaten nothing. We haven’t tried repashy. We now have fluker’s repay+boost to try. Are we stressing him too much picking him up in his cage and putting the food on his mouth? He does lick water off his lips from a syringe. He spends time on his basking rock during the day which by heat gun check is 115 at the highest to 105 other places, a probe shows the air temp at 95. We have a zoo med repti basking bulb 100 watt on a stand over the screen. The other side of the tank is 85-90. He sometimes climbs the foam wall on the back and hangs out there. He doesn’t leave his rock much, but we also don’t stay upstairs where he is much so we don’t stress him more. Humidity is good when the basking light is on at 20-30%. The other side of the tank is 45, but higher at night as Michigan is humid and we are trying with a dehumidifier to bring it down. We have a reptisun 10.0 T5 on top of the screen. The tank is a eco terra 36x18x18. Should we force feed him, or let him go a little longer? He does show stress marks on his belly now. We are leaving the roaches in starting two hours after the light comes on, until two hours before. Also mustard and dandelion greens. He never touches them. Any help is greatly appreciated as we are so concerned and are new beardie owners. This was a gift for my 20 year old who has always wanted one and is taking a gap year from college. This is so stressful!! Please help!!

Posted in general, reposting here, as I am worried he won’t make it!


Baby arrived on the 15th after a long flight from Southern California to Michigan. He hatched on June 14th. He ate five crickets day one. Two crickets day two, got dubia roaches and he ate six on day three. Didn’t know he was raised on only roaches or would have started with them. Was given advice by breeder to leave crickets in, and I think they scared him. I took them out at night after reading how they can bite! Nothing day four, ate a little repashy chicken pot pie put on his lip day five, but mostly wiped it off. Ate less on day six, and today has eaten nothing. We haven’t tried repashy. We now have fluker’s repay+boost to try. Are we stressing him too much picking him up in his cage and putting the food on his mouth? He does lick water off his lips from a syringe. He spends time on his basking rock during the day which by heat gun check is 115 at the highest to 105 other places, a probe shows the air temp at 95. We have a zoo med repti basking bulb 100 watt on a stand over the screen. The other side of the tank is 85-90. He sometimes climbs the foam wall on the back and hangs out there. He doesn’t leave his rock much, but we also don’t stay upstairs where he is much so we don’t stress him more. Humidity is good when the basking light is on at 20-30%. The other side of the tank is 45, but higher at night as Michigan is humid and we are trying with a dehumidifier to bring it down. We have a reptisun 10.0 T5 on top of the screen. The tank is a eco terra 36x18x18. Should we force feed him, or let him go a little longer? He does show stress marks on his belly now. We are leaving the roaches in starting two hours after the light comes on, until two hours before. Also mustard and dandelion greens. He never touches them. Any help is greatly appreciated as we are so concerned and are new beardie owners. This was a gift for my 20 year old who has always wanted one and is taking a gap year from college. This is so stressful!! Please help!!

Nice set up leave the humidity alone - 45 % is good --- they say optimal humidity is 30-40% so your good -- the T 5 should be appox 8-10 inches directly over the basking decor-- the 115 is a little too hot -- he will not bask there for long if at all - babies like it 105-110 - when he starts getting older like 6 months I would get it down to 95-110- a gradient heat is best --- hes going thru relocation stress so its normal for them to slow down on the eating - please let him settle in before handling --- leaving him by himself or avoiding him is not good - let him be around you so he gets used to the surroundings - get your hands in the tank as much as possible like cleaning etc-- you can try hand feeding worms or salad - you need to order some BSFL also known as calci worms nutri grubs phoenix worms and use those as lures to the salad bowl - do not dust them and feed as many as you want - they are a good staple feeder -- you can also order small super worms and use 1-3 as lures to the salad bowl - here is a website for roaches small supers and nutri grubs
www.reptilesplus.com I dont know if they are shipping roaches now not sure
www,dubiaroaches.com they are another good place for roaches and worms - NO meal worms they are too harsh on babies stomachs -- I think they are not shipping roaches yet either -- but they are a good place to get them from -- horn worn worms are good but as little as he is I would hold off - they grow really fast and I dont want them to outgrow him ---
www.symtonbsf.com good place for the nutri grubs or BSFL
You will need a glass or ceramic dish to feed these worms - here is a website for nutrition
ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder •
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
When you get your worms in make your salad and feed first thing in the morning adding those BSFL and supers to the bowl in front of him -- the movement will get him to that bowl --- wash your salad before serving so his salad is moist - he will get hydration from that - make sure your dusting the roaches 5 x per week once per feeding and vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week once per feeding they are a good staple feeder and better for him than the crickets - plus they are easier to care for - get a 10 gallon aquarium and feed them dubia food along w/ carrots and squash for hydration -just dont feed the dragon carrots too to much Vit A-- its good hes drinking off a syringe that is good -- do not force feed --- let him eat on his own - it may be a little at a time but w/ your good lighting he should settle in -- if you have any more questions or problems please ask
Karrie

Thank you so much for answering! I did add the black fly larva to the salad, but he didn’t se to care. The basking light keeps me from having the uvb directly above his spot as it is a long bulb across the whole tank in a hood. I will switch it so the bulb is closer to his rock. So no more syringe feeding, and should we leave the salad and roaches in the whole day?

I shared photos. Does the basking light give uvb as well? I am worried he doesn’t get enough the way it is set up. I took a picture with the basking light off so you can see where the uvb reaches. He is on the wall again, and so skinny!

Take your basking bulb and put it over by the big tree branch so he can bask under it or you need to get a piece of decor under the basking light - you need his temps to be 105-110 - so its a matter of moving decor around or fixtures and its usually easier w/ decor -- you need a digital probe thermometer -- the heat gun is good but you want a probe as well https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/zoo-med-reptile-terrarium-digital-thermometer-14914.html?cgid=500202
You want cool side of the tank 80's during the day nite not below 65
You want these temps in the tank basking side 105--110 and down
warm side which is usually the middle 90's
cool side 80's daytime -
The stress marks are normal they will go away but hes got to get settled in --
Depending on the basking temps you may haft to drop the wattage down if your going to use the big tree branch for basking --- the distance for the UVB needs to 8-10 inches from basking decor piece - you dont want it any closer than a 8 inches for a T 5--- so you can always get different decor pieces as well -- https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/habitats-and-decor/habitat-decor/thrive-driftwood-reptile-decor-54734.html?cgid=500116 this is a good piece it offers different gradient heat and you can lay it different ways in the tank I use that piece in my tank
Karrie

How can I get uvb and basking light over the same spot? The rock in the corner is about 109 at the hooted from the infrared. The probe shows the temp above the rock about 93. He sleeps on the branches on the cool side, or on the wall some nights. Would changing the decor make him more stressed?

Hi there, I agree that stress is playing a big part right now so don't interact or syringe feed him right now but continue to offer water drips on his snout. Since he already ate dubias just let him get hungry enough for them again but be 100% sure they are not too big. It's super important that they are smaller than the space in between his eyes. Can you post a pic of the dubias to show the size ? Is the dragon pooping ? One more thing, attach the uvb under the screen. The uvb is too far away for a tiny stressed dragon to get full advantage of so it needs to be closer to him. Oh, and drop the temps. by 5 degrees on both sides of the tank. It should be 80 cool side and no more than 105 on the hot side.

I added another photo of him, and of my finger by the roaches. I am leaving them in there, but he doesn’t seem to care. I will offer greens and more black fly larva tomorrow morning. I had been offering that everyday as well, but he hasn’t touched it. I still don’t see how to get basking and uvb in the same place. I have these pictures in the link above too. I really appreciate all the advice. He often closes his eyes on the basking rock.

hes not going to eat alot so if hes eating some thats good keep offering those roaches in that bowl w/ his salads --- you want him eating greens too -- I see you have it over the platform / cave how far is the distance from the UVB? AHBD suggested under the screen but I think as long as you have the correct distance and he can sit directly under it 8-10 inches you will be okay -- what are you getting for basking temps? 105-110 for him and taken w/ a digital probe thermometer or infrared heat gun -- has he been basking most of the day?
Karrie

He does bask most of the day. Where he is sitting now is 109 infrared. He is about 11 inches below the light, except I cannot get he uvb light directly above him because of the basking light? I added more pics to the link:

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/So_88Lo3Sq2fO4WNZe-ahQ.x7lFYeZ7u6IhXGGeoFGhai

Take you UVB and put it back along the back of tank and take a piece of decor and set it under the UVB - it does not need to be by the basking light - you may haft to have it hang off one end - we don't recommend the fixtures the same length of the tank-- a 24" fixture would of been good- but you want him to be able to get under it approx 8-10 inches
Karrie

Ok! It was along over the other climbing log, and whole tank, but he really never leaves the basking spot to climb the other log. So he will go to it if he needs it? I am sorry for all the questions! I just get confused about what is best! I want him to eat! And be happy!!

Yes he will go to the light he needs ---- dont worry about him--- mine did the same thing w/ his as his is not beside his basking spot either --- just make sure you have the proper distance of that log underneath -- it needs to be 8-10 inches under the UVB
Karrie