Dragon wants out of his tank?

My dragon 1.5 yrs old. I’ve kind of known that he’d rather b out of his cage but being afraid of him getting lost, hurt or pooping, I don’t let him out unless I’m watching him for short periods. Yesterday i let him out for most of the day. He found a comfy spot under the bed in the carpet. At bed time we took him out from under the bed & put him back in his cage. HE WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT! He puffed up, turned black & hissed at us! Nevertheless we went to bed. He scratched, dugout & sounded as if he were throwing rocks in his tank! I could not sleep so at 2:30am i let him out! He found a very uncomfortable place to sleep on my sons hard, plastic toys! I’m worried he will get too cold? Could he? What should i do? The temperature in his tank is fine!

My dragon is like that too. He loses his mind if he is stuck in his tank all day. Some of them are curious and restless and just want to run around. If that's the case, let them to the extent you can provide a safe area for them to do so. I set up a portable basking light for my guy to return to so he can warm up when he wants and that works well. It's a good idea to set up a bit of a routine though. They respond well to routine and having a regular bedtime in their safe tank is a good idea. I think this is the case here too, but if you'd like me to double check your temps and lighting to be sure he isn't trying to get out because something is off, I'd be glad to do so.

Are you using any bulbs at all during the night? If you are, they could be keeping him from sleeping and are also rough on the eyes. You don't need any heat at all during the night unless the room temp drops to 65 degrees and if it does, you should use a ceramic heat emitter that gives off heat but no light.

It would be a good idea for you to fill us in on the type of lighting you are using during the day also as well as the tank temps & the type of thermometer. There is some lighting that is actually dangerous to a beardie so we want to make sure all is ok. Also, some thermometers are very inaccurate so we want to make sure you are using a good one.

It's concerning that your beardie isn't comfortable in his tank, he does need heat and UVB exposure or health issues will develop. So please share some detailed info so we can help you & him out.

I’m using a 75 watt night black heat bulb & a reptisun 10.0 uvb 25 watt, 36” during the day. His tank is 3’x2’. He has been pretty happy with his tank up until recently but like I said I’ve noticed that when we take him out of his tank, putting him back in is like trying to put a cat in the bath. He puffs, spreads himself out, wiping his tail like crazy & tries to claw onto anything he can, the side of the glass, his log, my arm...... i guess I’d like to know if he’s out of his tank, how much time minimal does he need for heat & uv?

So you use a black light during the night? That explains why he isn't able to sleep. Beardies can see red and black lights, they mess with their whole system. Highly recommend using a ceramic heat emitter so he can get restful sleep instead. Here's what the CHE's look like. https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Motina-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter/dp/B073DW8KCX/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1515805544&sr=8-3&keywords=75+watt+ceramic+heat+emitter

What are you using for light along with the UVB tube during the day? Do you know if the Repti-Sun is a T8 or T5 (high output) bulb?

A dragon needs at least 2 hrs to digest their food under the lights otherwise they're gonna have digestion issues and also could become impacted so that is very important. Also, not getting UVB exposure is going to cause metabolic bone disease (very painful) and other health issues to develop which will critically shorten their lifespan. Perhaps the tank temps are not optimal which makes him uncomfortable when in his tank. What are the temps and what type of thermometer are you using?

Thanks! I will change his night light. T8. What other lighting does he need during the day? That’s funny/weird cuz he normally sleeps right underneath the black light. Occasionally he sleeps on the opposite side of the tank on his log but I don’t really like him too, in the morning he’s cold to the touch. I have my house thermostat set for 68 degrees.

Our house usually stays about 68 degrees with our heater, and we still use a ceramic heater at night just in case. It keeps her warm side warm, and she can choose where to sleep.

During the day it's good to have a bulb with UVB, specifically.

What are you using for heat during the day? You must be using something besides the fluorescent tube.

What type of thermometer are you using and what are the tank temps, basking, cool side and ambient?

Good you will be changing the black light, hopefully to a CHE? Anything with light will mess with their 3rd eye when they are trying to sleep so a CHE is what you should use.

Is the T8 mounted inside of his tank and have you been replacing that bulb every 6 months?

I’m using the same heat light day & night. T8 sits on top of the screen. I’m wondering if he wants to brumate? When I’ve let him out he has found a nice dark place under the bed, in a cubby with my sons toys & since yesterday he’s behind the tv. I covered him with a towel to try to keep him warm. How long should i let him stay there? I keep checking in him & he kind of opens his eye. I don’t want to move him since it really pisses him off!

Can you post a photo of the tank? That might help us, too. For an adult beardie 3x2 is quite small. That might be adding to the antsiness.

So to be clear, you're using the black heat lamp at night, during the day the black heat lamp and and a T8 for uvb mounted outside the screen?

3magpie3 is right, a picture of the tank would be very helpful and also a picture of your beardie. Follow this link and then post the [XIMG] image here on this post. https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/

A black light shouldn't be used during the day, they need a bright white basking bulb which helps increase their activity level, appetite as well as helping their eyes to be able to dilate properly. Having a black light on continuously must be very confusing for him. Using a UVB without a bright light can cause eyes issues too.

A T8 is not strong enough to be placed on top of the screen, it should be mounted inside within 6 to 8" of your beardie while in the basking spot. Were you aware that the T8's loose their UV output between 5 to 6 months so they would need to be placed about every 6 months?

Have you been monitoring the tank temps? I don't see where you answered the questions about the type of thermometer and what the temps are so please fill us in on those specifics.

From what you have told us so far about his setup, it seems like there are quite a few reasons for him not wanting to be in his tank and unfortunately, not having him in his tank is going to shorten his lifespan I'm afraid.

We want to help him and you to get this straightened out before any permanent damage is done to him. They rely on us for do what is most appropriate with their care. Once you post some pictures, we can help you make some changes to help him be more comfortable and more willingly to enjoy being in his tank for his own good.

^^^ what s/he said ^^^

3magpie3":1266jrqw said:

^^^ what s/he said ^^^

Click to expand...

SHE lol

I had that at first but wasn’t sure so edited it! LOL