Bearded Dragon Tank Mate? HELPPPP

MaddieHolt12 · Sep 13, 2017

Good Afternoon Everyone! I adopted a large, male citrus bearded dragon about a month ago. The previous owners purchased both him and this female bearded dragon from a local provider and housed them together for almost four years. (together since birth) They have never been alone. But with that being said, I only adopted the male. He seems to have gone into deep depression and is refusing to eat or go to the bathroom. WHAT DO I DO???? Any advice is helpful! I'm running out of ideas.

I have read that some people get an additional young beardie and house them by each other. Providing them with their own territory but still allowing glimpses of one another. Thoughts?

He is the sweetest beardie ever! So attentive and alert. He adores the company of humans.

He is in an 100 gallon enclosure. Ceramic Tiles for the substrate. Basking Spot is 100 degrees. He gets misted daily and offered a variety of veggies and insects. Soaked every other day.

CooperDragon · Sep 13, 2017

That's a tough one if they've been together for that long. It probably wasn't a good idea to begin with, but it's also a big change for him. I wouldn't add another dragon but would give him time to explore and get used to his new home. It may take him a while to really settle in but I think he'll be OK on his own given time and a good home.

MaddieHolt12 · Sep 13, 2017

Thank You so much for the quick response! Should I be concerned at the fact that he has not eaten anything in 5 weeks? Or gone to the bathroom?

CooperDragon · Sep 13, 2017

Yeah a bit. He is alert and looks pretty good in that photo though so that's encouraging. I'd start tracking his weight to see if it's stable or if it's trending downward which would indicate a problem. Try offering him drips of water on his nose and see if he licks it up. Sometimes extra hydration helps things along and may get his appetite going too. Once he does dig in I suggest lots of chopped up squash (or grated if you prefer) and some dark greens like collards and turnip greens to make some good salads that will keep him hydrated and feeling good.

MaddieHolt12 · Sep 13, 2017

Dexter has lost about 7 grams since coming to me. But with that in mind, I have been putting pureed veggies on the tip of his nose to get a little substance in him. He licks some then will rub his head on the ground to remove the rest. In addition to that, he has been offered superworms, mealworms, crickets, butter worms, phoenix worms, dubias, and all of his favorite veggies. (which includes kale, collar greens, bell pepper, carrot, and a variety of squash)...... In the past, I have owned rabbits. When one passed, the other would go into a deep depression which could be fatal. I'm aware that there is a difference between the species, but that is my only reasoning behind his unusual behavior. I think I will reach out to a local reptile vet tomorrow, but I am not 100% sure what they can do. Thank You again for your quick response and willingness to include your input! I am lost for words, and want the best for the little guy.

Drache613 · Sep 13, 2017

Hello,

Wow that is very rough, I can totally understand your concern.
That is awhile for them to be together. You could consider adopting her, just a thought. It
would probably be a huge transformation.
Maybe given time, with spending a lot of time with him, he might start to get used to not
having her around. They do have a hard time with change.
Did the previous owner breed them, or not? That is kind of hard when they are housed in the
same tank, for them not to breed.

I hope that he starts doing better.

Tracie

AHBD · Sep 14, 2017

Hi there.....he is a healthy + good looking boy.

Some dragons are attached to a tank mate and can seem quite down after separation. It's also quite common for any dragon to have a bout of relocation stress after any move to a new home. It's probably best to let him settle in and not stress him more with a vet visit. Losing 7 grams is totally a negligible amount....they can lose 25 after a large b.m.

Just let him settle in and he should do fine after a while. You might also see a change of behavior with a changing of the seasons....that can be a factor as well.

kingofnobbys · Sep 14, 2017

MaddieHolt12":3oniajjo said:
Dexter has lost about 7 grams since coming to me. But with that in mind, I have been putting pureed veggies on the tip of his nose to get a little substance in him. He licks some then will rub his head on the ground to remove the rest. In addition to that, he has been offered superworms, mealworms, crickets, butter worms, phoenix worms, dubias, and all of his favorite veggies. (which includes kale, collar greens, bell pepper, carrot, and a variety of squash)...... In the past, I have owned rabbits. When one passed, the other would go into a deep depression which could be fatal. I'm aware that there is a difference between the species, but that is my only reasoning behind his unusual behavior. I think I will reach out to a local reptile vet tomorrow, but I am not 100% sure what they can do. Thank You again for your quick response and willingness to include your input! I am lost for words, and want the best for the little guy.

They do miss their companions , when Puff died , Rex and Wriggles became uber clingy and we gave them lots of extra cuddles , and the BTs kept looking for him , then when Wriggles died of old age , Rex and the new babies (Peppa and Toothless) all were showing they missed their little skinky friend as were George and Mildred (our two old BTs).
Then when Rex died , our boy (Toothless) kept looking for her and Peppa became even more smoogy.
They all missed the passing of members of the lizard tribe in their own way , but all adjusted even if it took a few months each time for each of them.
There's a lot more going on their heads than even most keepers give them credit for.

You could ask the old owner for something from the old shared viv and place in the new viv so he can smell his old companion for a while adjusting.

7 grams if insignificant for a full grown adult beardie who might be up to 700g or more, my Peppa is 730g and she's only 18 months old.
He can easily loose 7g in a single poo , likely a lot more (more like 15-20g).

Give him lots of attention and cuddles and lot's exploring time (free ranging in the house), maybe buy or make a knitted stuffed buddy (there are ladies on Etsy who will make these to order very cheaply) or a lizard shaped toy for him as his new buddy.

I think he''ll adjust , it might take a month or two, but he'll be just fine.

MaddieHolt12 · Sep 14, 2017

AHBD":1lw9ireh said:
Hi there.....he is a healthy + good looking boy. Some dragons are attached to a tank mate and can seem quite down after separation. It's also quite common for any dragon to have a bout of relocation stress after any move to a new home. It's probably best to let him settle in and not stress him more with a vet visit. Losing 7 grams is totally a negligible amount....they can lose 25 after a large b.m.

Just let him settle in and he should do fine after a while. You might also see a change of behavior with a changing of the seasons....that can be a factor as well.

Thank You so much for your response! I'm glad to know that the weight loss could have dropped more significantly. What would be your recommendation if this unusual behavior continues? How long do I wait before taking further action?

MaddieHolt12 · Sep 14, 2017

kingofnobbys":5eajui5d said:
MaddieHolt12":5eajui5d said:

Dexter has lost about 7 grams since coming to me. But with that in mind, I have been putting pureed veggies on the tip of his nose to get a little substance in him. He licks some then will rub his head on the ground to remove the rest. In addition to that, he has been offered superworms, mealworms, crickets, butter worms, phoenix worms, dubias, and all of his favorite veggies. (which includes kale, collar greens, bell pepper, carrot, and a variety of squash)...... In the past, I have owned rabbits. When one passed, the other would go into a deep depression which could be fatal. I'm aware that there is a difference between the species, but that is my only reasoning behind his unusual behavior. I think I will reach out to a local reptile vet tomorrow, but I am not 100% sure what they can do. Thank You again for your quick response and willingness to include your input! I am lost for words, and want the best for the little guy.

Click to expand...

They do miss their companions , when Puff died , Rex and Wriggles became uber clingy and we gave them lots of extra cuddles , and the BTs kept looking for him , then when Wriggles died of old age , Rex and the new babies (Peppa and Toothless) all were showing they missed their little skinky friend as were George and Mildred (our two old BTs).
Then when Rex died , our boy (Toothless) kept looking for her and Peppa became even more smoogy.
They all missed the passing of members of the lizard tribe in their own way , but all adjusted even if it took a few months each time for each of them.
There's a lot more going on their heads than even most keepers give them credit for.

You could ask the old owner for something from the old shared viv and place in the new viv so he can smell his old companion for a while adjusting.

7 grams if insignificant for a full grown adult beardie who might be up to 700g or more, my Peppa is 730g and she's only 18 months old.
He can easily loose 7g in a single poo , likely a lot more (more like 15-20g).

Give him lots of attention and cuddles and lot's exploring time (free ranging in the house), maybe buy or make a knitted stuffed buddy (there are ladies on Etsy who will make these to order very cheaply) or a lizard shaped toy for him as his new buddy.

I think he''ll adjust , it might take a month or two, but he'll be just fine.

Thank You so much for your response and recommendations. It gives me a little peace to know that he could have lost more weight. But with that in mind, He is currently using the same food bowls and box from his previous living situation. Considering you have had a similar situation, would you say that your reptiles benefited from having a "neighbor". While this is my last resort, the thought is still in the back of my mind. I am totally running out of ideas. This friday marks six weeks since receiving him....

kingofnobbys · Sep 14, 2017

MaddieHolt12":2sacr3z4 said:
kingofnobbys":2sacr3z4 said:

MaddieHolt12":2sacr3z4 said:

Dexter has lost about 7 grams since coming to me. But with that in mind, I have been putting pureed veggies on the tip of his nose to get a little substance in him. He licks some then will rub his head on the ground to remove the rest. In addition to that, he has been offered superworms, mealworms, crickets, butter worms, phoenix worms, dubias, and all of his favorite veggies. (which includes kale, collar greens, bell pepper, carrot, and a variety of squash)...... In the past, I have owned rabbits. When one passed, the other would go into a deep depression which could be fatal. I'm aware that there is a difference between the species, but that is my only reasoning behind his unusual behavior. I think I will reach out to a local reptile vet tomorrow, but I am not 100% sure what they can do. Thank You again for your quick response and willingness to include your input! I am lost for words, and want the best for the little guy.

Click to expand...

They do miss their companions , when Puff died , Rex and Wriggles became uber clingy and we gave them lots of extra cuddles , and the BTs kept looking for him , then when Wriggles died of old age , Rex and the new babies (Peppa and Toothless) all were showing they missed their little skinky friend as were George and Mildred (our two old BTs).
Then when Rex died , our boy (Toothless) kept looking for her and Peppa became even more smoogy.
They all missed the passing of members of the lizard tribe in their own way , but all adjusted even if it took a few months each time for each of them.
There's a lot more going on their heads than even most keepers give them credit for.

You could ask the old owner for something from the old shared viv and place in the new viv so he can smell his old companion for a while adjusting.

7 grams if insignificant for a full grown adult beardie who might be up to 700g or more, my Peppa is 730g and she's only 18 months old.
He can easily loose 7g in a single poo , likely a lot more (more like 15-20g).

Give him lots of attention and cuddles and lot's exploring time (free ranging in the house), maybe buy or make a knitted stuffed buddy (there are ladies on Etsy who will make these to order very cheaply) or a lizard shaped toy for him as his new buddy.

I think he''ll adjust , it might take a month or two, but he'll be just fine.

Click to expand...

Thank You so much for your response and recommendations. It gives me a little peace to know that he could have lost more weight. But with that in mind, He is currently using the same food bowls and box from his previous living situation. Considering you have had a similar situation, would you say that your reptiles benefited from having a "neighbor". While this is my last resort, the thought is still in the back of my mind. I am totally running out of ideas. This friday marks six weeks since receiving him....

No direct line of sight neighbour where they can see the other dragon lizard all the time. It will only cause problems.

My gang are in stacked viv and stacked rearing tubs. Only time they can see the other pet lizards are when they are out of their individual vivs and tanks (see through sides), and they are on us for snuggles or on the lounge next to one of us , or on the floor for fun floor time , they will always amble up and visit , have a chat / flirt and then after a little while go about their own business.(it's look don't tough the other dragon or other bluetongue). They know there are other lizards (I have 2 beardies and 2 bluetongues currently).
I do regularly let a bluetongue skink and a beardie out together and they kinda follow each other about but being different species they are not compedative and will usually go off and do their own things.
Got to be very careful that they lizards are both big enough so neither regards the other as a snack.

I find letting them see their humans and frequently talking to them , and having the TV on for them helps , they all love TV and have fav shows.

Bearded Dragon Tank Mate? HELPPPP

MaddieHolt12

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