Forgive me if this is the wrong place to post this, this is my first time posting anything. Buuut...
I bought my bearded dragon somewhat impulsively (I just fell in love with him :love5: ) at Petco about a month ago. At the time I assumed that the man helping me knew exactly what he was talking about. I have been spending a lot of time learning everything I can to take care of him since. He is 13 inches. He has grown quickly in the past month. I think he is about 6 months old.
When I first got him I had him in a 10 gallon tank. That was what was recommended to me at PetCo. I’m planning on moving by the end of the year. Since I live in a small space, I was planning on getting him a larger tank then,70 gallon at least. However a friend of a friend’s bearded dragon died a couple weeks ago and she gave me everything that she had for him for free, including the 40 gallon tank. I put him in the larger tank for 10-30 minutes a day for a week or so before I changed tanks so that he would hopefully be more comfortable with it. I had been guessing that he was stressed in the smaller tank, and sure enough he is happier in the larger tank.
A few things happened at the same time that I changed him over though that worry me a little. First of all, he doesn’t seem quite as active, not that he is doing nothing, just not as much. He is still climbing things in his tank and basking, but when I take him out he isn’t doing his crazy suicide dives and running up and down like a maniac, scaring me out of my mind. I guess he is calmer, but not inactive, but it was strange how quick he just changed. Second, his poop has turned green. I did also start giving his insects green feeder gellies at the same time so I don’t know if that has any effect. Third, I haven’t been able to get the hot side f his tank quite warm enough. I’m using a digital thermometer with the probe placed just above his basking spot. The smaller one I had at 100-110. This one has been at 85-90 with a 100 watt light bulb and I added a small spot light (not sure how many watts) that sits under the wire lid. Despite the fact that it is technically not hot enough, he is actually gaping as if he is.
Maybe it’s all nothing and I’m just overreacting, which would be nice. But I would love to have someone else’s opinion.
Thank you!
I bought my bearded dragon somewhat impulsively (I just fell in love with him :love5: ) at Petco about a month ago. At the time I assumed that the man helping me knew exactly what he was talking about. I have been spending a lot of time learning everything I can to take care of him since. He is 13 inches. He has grown quickly in the past month. I think he is about 6 months old.
When I first got him I had him in a 10 gallon tank. That was what was recommended to me at PetCo. I’m planning on moving by the end of the year. Since I live in a small space, I was planning on getting him a larger tank then,70 gallon at least. However a friend of a friend’s bearded dragon died a couple weeks ago and she gave me everything that she had for him for free, including the 40 gallon tank. I put him in the larger tank for 10-30 minutes a day for a week or so before I changed tanks so that he would hopefully be more comfortable with it. I had been guessing that he was stressed in the smaller tank, and sure enough he is happier in the larger tank.
A few things happened at the same time that I changed him over though that worry me a little. First of all, he doesn’t seem quite as active, not that he is doing nothing, just not as much. He is still climbing things in his tank and basking, but when I take him out he isn’t doing his crazy suicide dives and running up and down like a maniac, scaring me out of my mind. I guess he is calmer, but not inactive, but it was strange how quick he just changed. Second, his poop has turned green. I did also start giving his insects green feeder gellies at the same time so I don’t know if that has any effect. Third, I haven’t been able to get the hot side f his tank quite warm enough. I’m using a digital thermometer with the probe placed just above his basking spot. The smaller one I had at 100-110. This one has been at 85-90 with a 100 watt light bulb and I added a small spot light (not sure how many watts) that sits under the wire lid. Despite the fact that it is technically not hot enough, he is actually gaping as if he is.
Maybe it’s all nothing and I’m just overreacting, which would be nice. But I would love to have someone else’s opinion.
Thank you!
