New baby acting strange. Scared he is dying?

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Eveofthree

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I got a baby bearded dragon about 4 days ago out of the blue. I don’t know much about them and internet research can be contradictory. I need help so he is okay. I’ve been feeding him pinhead crickets the past two days.

This is what has me worried:
- Lately, he just lays completely flat on the floor of his cage for hours. I don’t know if this is normal or what it means.
- He ate about ten crickets this morning, and then I left the other ten in there when I went to work figuring he’d pick at them. They were all still in the cage when I got home.
- He literally just stands in his cage totally frozen very often, holding the same exact pose for like half an hour.
-He seems terrified to be picked up and flattens his whole body on my palm when I try.
-I turn both his lights off when I go to sleep, and when I check on him he’s cold to the touch and not moving very much at all
-He gets in a position where he just stares at me solid for hours, not moving a muscle. ( He’s next to my bed)

To be honest, I don’t know what I’m doing at all. I need help from someone experienced. I don’t have a lot of money either, which makes this hard, but I’m okay with spending what I have on whatever he needs.
Current set up( This is all I know about it, it was from a starter kit) :
-one day light (25W)
-one uvb light (25W)
-one plastic hut on the basking side
-a water bowl and food dish
-a dial thermometer that says the basking side is 80 degrees

I fed him Kale, carrots, and (dead) calciworms the first two days and then switched to pinhead crickets and just kale as per recommendation of the pet smart lady.

Please help me and tell me what to do to make him comfortable, I really want to help the little guy.
 

Foxxy76

Member
The cool side of his enclosure should be 80 deg F his basking spot should be more in the range of 105 deg F. (I'll attach a link. Look at the bottom for temps.)
You're uvb should be a linear tube light. A T5 reptisun 10.0 UVB. The curly compact UVB don't put out appropriate UVB and can even put out dangerous short waves of UV light. That can effect their calcium absorption and hurt their eyes.
If your house gets below 70 deg F at night you need a ceramic heat emitter or CHE to keep him warm overnight. Don't use the red bulbs as it can interrupt their REM cycle.

Some guides to read:

https://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/newbies-guide-what-to-buy/

https://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/newbies-guide-lighting-help/

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

Read on these and maybe someone else will be by to add some helpful advice! :)
 

Foxxy76

Member
Also, you might want to use a IR temperature gun to get the temperatures. Temp guns are more accurate and can be bought at any hardware store for pretty cheap.
Make sure you get the little guy on a calcium/vitamin regiment. 5 days of calcium- 2 days vitamins is what I hear the most but it's important for their health/growth.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Can you get hold of a small tub with lid that is a clickclack ?
A glass topped low profile kitchen scale ?

Weigh him and let us know his body mass. This will help us tell you the appropriate sized feeder insects to get for him. Pinhead crickets will be too small , he'll have to eat loads of them to get enough protein to satisfy his dietary needs.

Chances are she's stressed after going from a tank full of other hatchlings to a tank all by herself.
It can be very overwhelming to them. They can have difficulties keeping track of their feeder insects if they get away from them in a larger tank too.

I suggest getting hold of a 90L or 120L tub like this : https://www.bunnings.com.au/all-set-120 ... r_p2583852
W:520 H:440 L:750

Line it with a few layers of absorbant kitchen paper towels , and set it up like this : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=233480

This will be less overwhelming to the new hatching and it can stay in it for several months until it's maybe 12 months old at which time it will be ready to go into a proper viv.

if about 4 weeks old , focus on three meals of high quality insects per day.

Best feeder insects for your little hatchling are :

BSFL (worms and flies are great feeders) don't need to dust or gutload them , you'll find the large white super wriggly maggots are the most appealing to lizards, make sure they are clean and DRY else you'll find they are escape artists.

Silkworms (for him small size about 0.5" to 0.75" long). Don't need to dust them and if you feed them fresh mulberry leaves it'll boost their Ca/P.

Blowfly gents and flies . Don't need to gutload or dust these.

Suitable sized , gutloaded (with high calcium content greens) and dusted everyday (Ca 5days , Ca+Vitamins 2days)
Crickets (he'll need 1/4 size for a month , then up to 1/3 size for a while.
Roaches
Locusts
Gut load with the veg you wont the dragon to get.

Let the hatchling eat it's fill each meal.
Don't just dump a stack of crickets or roaches or locusts into the tank with the hatching, offer 2 or 3 at a time and add more when they have been eaten.

Offer salad (I do shredded buk choi greens (not the whites) & grated carrot for my hatchlings) daily but for now and for next several months, if the little dragon eats any salad regard that as a bonus.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Eveofthree":1zfdrl8j said:
I got a baby bearded dragon about 4 days ago out of the blue. I don’t know much about them and internet research can be contradictory. I need help so he is okay. I’ve been feeding him pinhead crickets the past two days.
<<< very common mistake , buying a reptile without doing all the required homework and preps and research first and then following the invariably bad advise given by a no-nothing petshop salesperson and buying inappropriate lights and substrate and dodgey junk that they sell in kits.


This is what has me worried:
- Lately, he just lays completely flat on the floor of his cage for hours. I don’t know if this is normal or what it means.
<<< can you get hold of a digital aquarium thermometer (with a probe on a long cable) and tell us
…. the temperature at the basking spot (air temperature and surface temperature)
…. in the cool zone (air temperature)
…, in the warm zone (air temperature)
…. overnight tank temperature minimum (air temperature)

If these are not in the correct range there are two possibilities :
1) he's too cold (hence trying to absorb heat from the ground , and unable to digest his food properly
or
2) he's too hot and is in thermal stress
see this for more information on the correct temperature ranges : viewtopic.php?f=5&t=233516

Please set the basking spot to NOT HOTTER THAN 100 F (40 degC)
Please set the warm zone so it's in the range 30 degC to 36 degC
Please try to get the cool zone so in the temperature range 26 degC to 30 degC.

If the basking globe is coloured , return it to the shop for an exchange to a clear colourless flood type basking globe.



- He ate about ten crickets this morning, and then I left the other ten in there when I went to work figuring he’d pick at them. They were all still in the cage when I got home.
- He literally just stands in his cage totally frozen very often, holding the same exact pose for like half an hour.

<<< photo will help, is he "stargazing" ?



-He seems terrified to be picked up and flattens his whole body on my palm when I try.
<<< perfectly normal - as it happens the human body / hand temperature is the perfect temperature for a bearded dragon , he's flattening out to soak in your body heat.
-I turn both his lights off when I go to sleep, and when I check on him he’s cold to the touch and not moving very much at all
<<< this is normal , reptiles like bearded dragons absorb heat from their environment are do not create heat of their own accord.

-He gets in a position where he just stares at me solid for hours, not moving a muscle. ( He’s next to my bed)
<<< he's studying you , this is normal.

To be honest, I don’t know what I’m doing at all. I need help from someone experienced. I don’t have a lot of money either, which makes this hard, but I’m okay with spending what I have on whatever he needs.
Current set up( This is all I know about it, it was from a starter kit) :
-one day light (25W) <<< show us the lamp (photo)
-one uvb light (25W) show us the lamp
is it a curly compact or long tube ?
or 1" diameter (T8) ?
or 5/8" diameter (T5HO) ?
Brand ?
what is it's UVB rating , 5% ? 10% , 12% or other ?
how far is it from the UV source to the basking spot ?

how is it installed ? (photos)

in a reflector dome or hood , on top the mesh lid, under the mesh lid ?
-one plastic hut on the basking side
-a water bowl and food dish
-a dial thermometer that says the basking side is 80 degrees <<<, these are dial and strip analog stick on thermometers are hopelessly inaccurate (can be 25% out !!!) , but if it's actually 80F in at warm zone , the dragon is not getting enough heat.

I fed him Kale, carrots, and (dead) calciworms the first two days and then switched to pinhead crickets and just kale as per recommendation of the pet smart lady.
<<< dead ? or dormant / pupating ?
The white coloured very wriggly BSFL are an excellent feeder .
If they are dormant dark shelled and pupating, they are still good feeders, and he'll enjoy the flies as they emerge , one you the temperatures right.


Please help me and tell me what to do to make him comfortable, I really want to help the little guy.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

It can be stressful when purchasing & bringing home a tiny baby.
When feeding crickets, just be sure they are smaller than the space between their eyes.
I agree, the pinheads are probably a little too small, so he/she wont get enough nutrition from
just a few of them. The other suggested feeders would be a good addition for him.
The 25watt UVB light is a compact/coil type of bulb, correct?
If you can post a few pictures that would be helpful, so we can see the entire tank setup for
him as well as a picture of your little one, too.
Temperatures are extremely crucial for them to enjoy optimal health. Using a digital probe or
a temp gun are the two best ways to measure the temperatures in the tank. The dial type or
stick on type of thermometers are not very accurate for measuring higher temperatures such as
the basking temperatures especially.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
 
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