New to this, so confused, help!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jsw

Hatchling Member
I don’t know if this is health, enclosure, or beardie ER...

I’ve made a video of the temp gradient and have a photo showing dark and light in the enclosure.

https://youtu.be/BXjUnWxRGZ0

89423-6533124456.jpg
Basking light on the left and supposedly an LED onthe right but heats things up significantly so I leaveit turned off for now. Reptisun T5 10.0 in the back.

I took this yesterday when I found him sleeping in his water and learned via internet search that this isn’t s good sign. Today, the temp was totally different even though nothing has changed. I had to open the enclosure doors a bit to cool it off.

I don’t know what to do to get the temps and light right, and this is stressing me out significantly! I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a beardie guardian. Horses, dogs, cats... I’m good with those.

Anyway, his habit/routine is lights out at 7 and on at 5. Breakfast offered at 7:15 but he rarely eats it. He picked out blueberries and raspberries from his salad yesterday. His former people said he preferred freeze dried crickets and mealworms, but I haven’t seen him eat any.

On the other hand, he did poop on tuesdy Aden it looked healthy, so maybe he’s eating more than it looks like?

He stays in his cave until 10:30 or 11 when he starts basking. Then he wants out around 11:45. He is allowed out at 12:30-1. He cruises around my classroom with 3 designated Buzz Minders being the only ones allowed out of their seat at that time to supervise him. He sometimes starts glass surfing around 2 again, and the Buzz Mindes are allowed to take him out at 2:30-3:00 (or less if he seems like he’s looking a for a spot to snuggle down).

I sometimes hold him from 3-3:30 or let him cruise a bit more while I do grading and such.

He’s usually asleep by the time I leave at 4:30. The last couple of days, he has been asleep by 3. I think he sleeps all night because he’s in the same position when I arrive at 7 the next day.

I used to have the lights off 10-6, but when he started putting himself to bed on the cool side, I thought he’d appreciate having them off while he’s sleeping. And if they go one earlier than school starts, he’ll be mostly awake when we’re around.

Also, the humidity hovers around 19% unless I mist it frequently throughout the day to get to 30%, yet everything I’ve read says to avoid misting in fully enclosed tanks because it gets too humid. I’m wondering if my humidity gauge is off.

Thoughts??? Thanks for your help!

Cruising around last week.
89423-8504353664.jpg

Sleeping right now
89423-8227885468.jpg
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Thats a normal sleep position for them --- the meal worms should only be a treat and lives one at that the same w/ the bugs-- dusted w/ calcium d3 -- how old is the dragon -- the basking light should be a white bright bulb--- if its too hot you need to get a different bulb-- how are you taking the temps? It should be w/ a infrared heat gun-- digital probe thermometers are good for ambiant temps- not basking --and the infrared will give you accurate temps--- I would have your hydrometer on the back in the middle of your tank --- his lights should be on 12 hrs off 12 hrs --- yes he needs those lights off for sleeping -- it helps w/ their metabolism and they sleep better when cool-- back to the meal worms---- if he is under a year he should not have those they are too hard on their digestive system -- I recommend dubia roaches for a staple they are healthier - they tend to not give parasites/ worms - easier to care for -- like in a 10 gallon aquarium and they eat carrots apples sweet potato and their favorite is squash -- all of which the dragon will eat-- you can feed him for treats horn worms butter worms they are fattening super worms not many if he / she is young -- some others might have some better ideas for the heat in the tank w/ the basking bulb
Karrie
 

Jsw

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Thanks for the reply! He was 6 years old on March 1, and I’ve had him for two weeks.

I use the infrared. You can see the temps in the YouTube video. The basking bulb is a reptisun one, but I don’t know the watts. It’s the one he came with, but he came in a glass with screen top and I have this Crossfire style one because I thought it was supposed to be better.

I was planning to feed dubias, but his people said he has gotten very lazy the last couple of years and will only eat freeze dried and salad. They fed him a commercial diet with the freeze dried mealworms and crickets plus fresh kale, bok choy, brussel sprouts, blueberries, mustard greens, and radicchio. And I was reluctant to change it because he’s 6 so it’s clearly working for him. I took on an 18 month old a couple of years ago, upgraded his tank to the Crossfire and better UVB bulb, started feeding him healthier food, paid far more attention to temps and lighting and humidity than his previous people, and he died. Supposedly of a long term illness, but I still thought getting a healthy 6 year old would be easier.

But it’s not! It’s stressful. :/
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I agree sleeping in the water dish is not good-- I think I would remove it--- you said something about LED light-- I think I would take that out as well -- the only lights you need is the basking and UVB--if you want another light a daylight regular household bulb -- 75 or 100 watt-- no LED--- just to add more light-- I use one myself-- that say it's good to have the tank lit up during the day and off at nite--- you can always use a timer to have them come on and off 12 hrs--- his diet sounds good except the freeze dried stuff-- I am sorry to hear about the other little guy-- it's a shock when you are doing everything right and have them die-- I am hoping someone else chimes in on the water dish thing
Karrie
 

Jsw

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
you want another light a daylight regular household bulb -- 75 or 100 watt-- no LED--- just to add more light-- I use one myself-- that say it's good to have the tank

I thought I read here or in the book I have that part of the problem with big enclosures is that they’re too dark and beardies need light to stimulate appetite. It’s definitely darker on the right than the left. The photo I have is with the LED off. And LEDs supposedly don’t give off much heat. A 75 watt household bulb will definitely make it way too hot.

So would a 7-7 schedule work out well?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
They need 12 hrs for basking and UVB from what l understand and as long as I've been using the hh bulb it has never raised the temp in my tank--- I have heard LED hurt their eyes-- one of the others on forum need to give some advice on this--
Karrie
 

Jsw

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
I’d heard 12 hours for basking too, which is why I had his lights on 14-15 hours a day to account for those times when he’s out of his cage. He was out more often when I first got him because I’d hold him longer or let him roam after school.

I just can’t see how a incandescent (which are almost impossible to find anyway) wouldn’t raise temps! They’re so hot and this enclosure is so efficient at keeping in heat. :-/

Thanks for your replies! I really appreciate it. I hope someone else can weigh in too.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
It must be the tanks -- I know I had this bulb in my 50 gallon and it never raised the temp in it either- now its in the 120 gallon and I just took temp to see what it was under that hh bulb and its reading 80- which is the cool side of tank -- and where his hide / cave is - inside the cave its 77-- so its got to be the enclosure itself and environment of room--- the room the tank is in is my office / old bedroom-- during the day it can get warm especially on summer days - in the winter I keep a CHE on 24/7--- but summer its off ---
Karrie
 

SPandS

Juvie Member
Since you've only had him 2 weeks and changed his enclosure he could be going through some relocation stress and making him not want to eat as much. Do you know if he brumated this winter? Going to bed early and not eating that much could be him starting to brumate, it's a bit late but not impossible. I would definitely take out the water dish, he could easily drown in it if sleeping in it. How much higher are the temps when using the led bulb? You could try adding another flourescent strip light, just a regular daylight not a uvb. But that may warm it up too much too if a led bulb makes it too hot. What about adding more vents near the top to let the heat escape more? Also I think most people try to keep the lights on for about 14 hours. I myself use a timer set to turn on at 7am and off at 9pm.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, I agree that a lot of this could be stress related. His entire world that he knew for 6 years has changed drastically. He may have had little handling done before you got him and is now in a busy classroom. I think the poor dude is scared. Just give it time and don't let the kids handle him too much for a while. Hopefully he'll settle in soon. Will you be taking him home for summer ?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

He is absolutely adorable & looks very alert, too. :D
It usually takes a few weeks for them to fully settle into a new home. He looks very happy in
the picture, too.
Your setup looks good also. I hope you do take him home for the summer so he can get used
to you.

Tracie
 

Jsw

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Thanks, everyone!

I found a reptile vet within an hour's drive of me, so we had a checkup yesterday. The vet spent 90 minutes with me going over my set up and beardie care and all that.

Long story short: he's in excellent condition, everything I described (in 90 minutes worth of detail :lol: ) sounds great. I showed him detailed photos of his set up and my classroom and photos of the temp readings at all kind of spots in his tank at different times of the day and got a ton of questions answered.

And you all are correct, transition stress is the likely culprit. He actually marched around the exam room for most of the visit, ate 15 phoenix worms, 4 pieces of cilantro and kale, and 2 roaches. The vet said he's actually doing quite well for this transition, and he's a strong, healthy boy.

He did tell me to leave him at school on the weekend rather than take him back and forth and gave me tips on doing that. And of course I will take him home over summer. It would be a lonely life all summer long even if I checked on him once a day!

The reason that he was rehomed to me was because he's actually used to quite a bit of handling from a family of 4 kids and 2 adults who love him and two cats that he used to interact with daily, but the kids have all gotten older with less time for him. They wanted him to have a social home again.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank
Taking my beardie for a walk

Forum statistics

Threads
155,854
Messages
1,255,170
Members
75,936
Latest member
KarmaChild99
Top Bottom