IvoryWhite
Hatchling Member
.
dragonlover3":3knd0i7j said:Hi,
Can you post a photo of him? 25 gms at 9 inches seems skinny to me.
Exo Terra UVB bulbs are Reptiglo's...they are not for bearded dragons and are known to cause eye and health issues. It would be best to turn it off right now and keep it off. His eyes may improve without the Reptiglo. He will be ok without UVB for a short while til you can get either a Reptisun 10.0 florescent tube or an Arcadia D3 12% ASAP.
What do you measure temps with?
You need to know the temps for 3 areas in his tank. Temps for babies are:
Basking surface.....105* to no more than 110* ....your basking temp should be warmer for your baby, {it will help his digestion, nutrient absorption and immune system.}
Hot end.....about 90*
Cool end....78 to 82*
Your dragon needs dark to sleep properly so I'd ditch any colored bulbs you have, red, blue, or black.
Never take advice from a pet shop employee! Most don't know the proper care and requirements for bearded dragons and will tell you most anything for a sale or will mimic the incorrect information they've been fed.
Here's a bit of education! It's easily researched on-line and many dragon keepers are aware of this.
The world over the word DESERT is used in regards to the amount of rain fall, not to indicate the land is sand. 30% of Australia where dragons originally come from receives such low rainfall it is called a desert but that 30% of Australia is not sand. It's dry and arid but not all sandy. Bearded Dragons spend much time in trees, in scrub brush, in grasses, and on hard packed dry clay and rocks. You said..." After all they can SURVIVE in their own element, can't they??" ...So, yes they can! It is misinformation and lack of motivation from pet companies and pet shops alike when they recommend sand and other loose substrates. They didn't do their homework, like Bearded Dragon keepers should do. They continue to assume desert means sand. I see you indicated you wanted his environment look as natural as possible....it's not sand....and certainly not walnut shells!
Both can cause a multitude of problems from eye issues and infections to being inhaled and causing respiratory issues or infections, and with any loose substrate you risk your beardie getting impacted from accidently ingesting it. Loose substrates retain the liquid waste the scoopers can't remove, they harbor bacteria, worm & parasite eggs and can mold when it gets wet. Using any loose substrate is like making your beardie live in a cat litter box.
The recommended subs for dragons are paper towels, news paper, non-adhesive shelf liner, ceramic or slate tiles and some use reptile carpet. These subs are disposable or clean easily. The cleaner you can keep your dragon, the healthier he will be.
So, he has a couple of possible causes of his eye issues. If you can correct these husbandry issues you may see an improvement in his eyes or at least it can be ruled out.
Here's a link for a list of nutritious food for your dragon. Most here recommend and follow it. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
I'd not feed your 9 inch-25 gm dragon superworms. They need to be 16inches long when a kink in their intestines straightens out before they have superworms.
I hope any of this info helps. How are his eyes tonight?
Amanda