Brand new Beardie having possible issues

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Stel

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So my boyfriend and I purchased a bearded dragon from Petco about four days ago. He’s maybe 2-3 months old. We got him the 40 gal ReptiHabitat Bearded Dragon Kit by Zoo Med and plenty of decor. It comes with a dual lamp fixture, with one side having a 10.0 compact fluorescent uvb, and the other having a 100w basking light. We also got him the Exo Terra reptile sand mat and a desert-y background.
Obviously bringing him home from Petco stressed him out, and he barely moved the first day. When we feed him crickets, he’ll only be interested for a few minutes, sometimes not at all. The most he has eaten in one day was like 15-20. Yesterday he ate maybe 5, all hand fed. This could also be because he started to shed, and is still shedding. Another issue we are having is getting him to eat greens or drink water. I heard they can’t see the water unless it is actively dripping, so I may need to get a dripper. He will also not touch his greens at all. Mustard, collard, carrots, and cucumber.
Another concern we are having is his temperatures and humidity. Basking spot gets to 105° or so, and the other side of the cage is around 75°. The humidity is around 40% in the day and goes as high as 65% at night. I don’t want him to get respiratory issues. What is the best way to get the humidity down?
He has stress spots on his belly that have not gone away yet.
Please give me any tips you have. I feel like I’m doing so much research trying to give him the best life, and feel like he hates it. I know it takes them a few days/weeks to adjust, but I wanna make sure I’m doing everything right.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Welcome to the forum--- we will help you as much as we can --- first you need to get rid of the coil UVB --- here is what you need -- unfortunately Petco and Petsmart give bad advice and sell you stuff you do not need--- for the UVB this is what is recommended on the forum
Which UVB light should I use?
The best UVB light is a ReptiSun 10.0 fluorescent tube HO (Or Arcardia 12% in the UK). Compact or coil bulbs do not emit the proper amount of UVB light for a bearded dragon, and should not be used. Other brands, such as the Zilla Desert Series and ReptiGlo have been known to cause eye problems and other health issues with bearded dragons, and should be avoided. The reason that some UVB lights (Zilla, ReptiGlo, coils/compacts, ect.) are considered dangerous is because the wavelength of UVB that they emit is shorter and more intense than the wavelength of the "safe" lights (ReptiSun, Arcadia).
UVB lights should be replaced every 6 months. The T5’s are a strong bulb and only need to be replaced once a year – the T 8 every 6 months--- where as the T 8 are not as strong—they need to be placed inside the tank the T 5 10.0 bulb approx 10-11 inches from basking spot – the T 8 approx 6-8 inches from basking spot—the cover needs to be off the bulb for full effect of the UVB rays--when installing the bulb into fixture please leave the cover off the bulb for full effect of rays---
Next I am not surprised your little one is not eating vegies --- its good to offer but for the most part your little guy is going to need his protein --- dusted w/ Calcium D3 5 x per week along w/ vitamins dusted 2 x per week -- keep offering the vegies tho ---- he will have relocation stress for awhile -- possible a couple of weeks - so he may slack off on the eating just keep feeding him -- and please do not leave the crickets in the tank if hes not eating them -- crickets tend to bite and can cause infection -- shedding as well can cause loss of appetite--- if he gets so itchy and scratchy bathe him -- take a soft toothbrush and brush the loose skin off- also the bathing will hydrate him and he may drink from the bath-- 65% for humidity is pretty high continue to watch it - in the summer time I have a dehumidifier in my house cause it gets pretty humid where I live so my tank gets around 45% or maybe a little higher but in the day it drops--- you can purchase a dehumidifier for his room if it continues to climb higher than 65 % --- if your bugs are good and gut loaded he will get hydration from them as well --- but the bath too will keep him hydrated
Karrie
 
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