New Baby Beardie won't eat

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Friday night we got our baby bearded dragon, he's 2-3 months old and very tiny and skinny, the lady said we need to fatten him up and she threw in a few free meal worms with the crickets I bought, as soon as we got him home we gave him one, but being excited about my new pet I forgot to dust it, and he gobbled it up, since then he's pooped multiple times but won't eat, I've given him many dusted crickets, offered him another meal worm, offer him veggies, but he won't eat and now he won't come out of his little rock hut and barely moves around, I asked a reptile owner yesterday and they said it's probably relocation stress and just to give him time and not handle him, but I'm worried and scared for the little guy, he drank water once when I put him in a water dish, he came out of his hut for 1/2 an hour this morning then went right back in, also when I held him he has a bit of a tremor with head shaking so now I'm worried cause he won't eat his vitamins on his crickets and won't sit under the uvb bulb

Tank is 113 basking spot, 100 hot side and 80 cool side, uvb is a tube bulb exo terra uvb 150
 

Drache613

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Hello,

Can you post some pictures of your little baby, along with your tank setup just so we can see
how your lighting is placed. How large is is your tank?
What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures with?
He may already have some calcium issues because the store most likely didn't have him in an
environment that was correct. What calcium brand are you using?
I would reduce those basking temperatures though, to a range of 95-110 tops with a cooler end
of 78-82.
The Exo Terra tube bulb is a UVB correct, is it a Reptiglo?

Relocation stress is a real culprit of some of his issues, I agree which is likely a big reason why
he isn't eating quite yet. Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

Cricket321

Member
Original Poster
The pics, other than the lightbulb are from Saturday.The basking spot is only 113 at the very top of the rock, the rest is lower, should I still move it? I use a temperature probe as well as a thermometer gun, also I cut a hole in the screen for the uvb bulb and we are making a thing today to hold it up in the tank instead so it can be closer, tank is 50 gallons, and so far this morning he's still sleeping (hopefully) in his hut not moving, I keep getting terrified that he's dead, this has been a very stressful and scary experience all around and from now on I will always pick the bigger fatter perkier animal when given the choice and not the little docile one :(
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Ok so the UVB isnt the best bulb -- it looks like its a T 8 which means it should go approx 8" from basking decor - I actually would swap the bulb out for this a Reptisun 10.0 bulb -- they are the best on the market at this time and get it inside the tank cover off the fixture - your temps for basking I would try and get down to 110 max I would get rid of the rock they tend to heat up too hot - I would get your basking light on top of the screen shining directly downward - how are you taking temps in the tank -- NO stick ons they are inaccurate - you need a digital probe or a infrared heat gun I recommend both - the probe you can get at Pet Smart or Petco for $5 - the heat gun at your local home improvement store for around $10-12 ---- has he eaten anything at all ? It is common for them to go thru relocation stress but they should not quite eating all together -- please do not feed meal worms to your baby --- he needs greens here is a website for nutrition http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html feed every morning along w/ some BSFL you can get them here https://symtonbsf.com/ they are small so order large - you need a glass bowl so they cant get out of and you do not need to dust them w/ calcium as they are enriched feed as many as you want as they are a great staple feeder - add them to the top of your greens / salad it will entice him to the bowl -- you can also use small super worms if you can find them add 1-3 on top of salad as well -- do this in front of him so he sees you add them -- I recommend you switch to dubias for another good staple feeder - you can get them from these places http://www.dubiaroaches.com http://www.abdragons.com http://www.rainbowmealworms.com http://www.joshsfrogs.com http://www.mulberryfarms.com
dubias are easy to keep in a tote or 10 gallon aquarium feed them dubia food and carrots - they dont stink and they dont chirp and are way better nutrition wise --
I am guessing its the UVB bulb please get rid of that UVB bulb and get your basking temp down - I am thinking its too hot -- but you need probe thermometers to get an actual temp-- move the basking bulb to top of screen out of the tank and I would get a piece of decor like this to put under
https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/PetSmart/5290971 -- this make for a great heat gradient -- the UVB needs to go into the tank - hes not getting enough UVB w/ the fixture on top of the screen - the screen is blocking 30% of those rays and if your moving into a 50 gallon do the same fixture inside the tank if its a T 8 - it will say on the bulb T 5 or T 8 decor directly under it approx 8-10 inches - you can use these to hand from screen -- long plastic zip ties - picture wire hanger- 3M velcro fasteners - shoe laces boot laces -- fishing line ---
But you need to get your lighting and basking temps fixed ASAP this is why hes not eating at all - he will slow down on eating but he should not quit eating all together and I am thinking its the lighting in the tank -- please do not listen to the Pet store people -- they often give bad advice
Karrie
 

Cricket321

Member
Original Poster
I live in Canada and Dubia roaches are illegal here, I have offered greens but he won't touch them, I use an infrared gun and probe for thermometer, the basking light is in the cage because up top it was much too cold with max temp for basking at 84, the screen is cut around the the uvb bulb so as not to block the rays, and, we are dropping it into the tank today, and I was told not to disturb the rock as its his only hide and I shouldn't stress him more by taking his house off of him, although I am worried that he's not getting enough uvb since he spends all day in there
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
You can get these then they are similar to dubias -
https://www.lunaroaches.com/?postId=5da69347af7316001778e498
see if you can get these -- if the basking rock is too hot he will not bask there it will burn his stomach- as long as the lighting in the tank and basking temps are not correct he will not eat --- I can only recommend what works and what does not work -- who ever is giving you advice on what not to do to get him to eat is not working and he should not be hiding in the hide all the time --- he should be active and basking --- it wont take long before he goes down hill fast from not eating -- what wattage are you using for a basking bulb -- it needs to be directed downward not in his eyes --- if haft to change out the wattage to get the bulb on top and correct I would do that
Karrie
 

Cricket321

Member
Original Poster
I took out the rock, basking bulb is 150 aimed straight down, that website said they are also illegal in Canada and I'm working on rigging up a way to get the uvb bulb into the tank
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
What is being used now for basking decor? He needs to be able to directly sit under the UVB as well-- are you changing the bulb out for that?
Karrie
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there,for the most part you did a great job on the set up and the little guy looks reasonably alert + healthy. Possibly just going thru relocation stress as Karrie mentioned but might be developing calcium deficiency and if the breeder is feeding her babies mealworms that's not a good thing. A couple things to change....get the uvb bulb a little closer as mentioned but you should actually mount the heat bulb outside of the tank, it's getting too hot for him to bask under it. Then put his basking rock back in under the uvb, or better yet add a stick that's about 2" thick to prop up on top of the rock so he can get even closer to the uvb. He probably needs water too so use a syringe or spray bottle to drip water on his snout to keep him from becoming dehydrated. He should start eating soon after he settles in and has some water, a dehydrated reptile sometimes won't eat.
 

Cricket321

Member
Original Poster
I'm attempting right now to rig up something to get the uvb bulb in the tank, I'll try to get a new bulb soon but I live in rural Manitoba so I'll have to order it in, I put a small wood arch under the basking spot, and took the temps again basking spot is 94-99 depending on exact location, hot side is 93 ish depending on exact location and the cool side gets to a lowest temp of 73 in the coolest corner, I gave him a bit of water with a syringe, and he drank a little bit, still won't eat, barely moving at all, I read on another post that you can use watered down chicken baby food mixed with vitamin powder in a syringe should I try that?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
It won't hurt to try. So was this baby from a store and did you see the other babies and also how they were set up ?
 

Cricket321

Member
Original Poster
They had two they were together in a tiny tank small coil uvb, they were only fed crickets, but she said the bigger one was probably stealing food from the little one because he was skinny and not growing and easily sat still for petting, and I foolishly picked the small one thinking it would let me handle it easier since it was so docile but now I think he was probably sick when I got him :(
 
Cricket321":2bnjmjw1 said:
They had two they were together in a tiny tank small coil uvb, they were only fed crickets, but she said the bigger one was probably stealing food from the little one because he was skinny and not growing and easily sat still for petting, and I foolishly picked the small one thinking it would let me handle it easier since it was so docile but now I think he was probably sick when I got him :(


What ever happened to your beardie??? Any updates??
 
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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

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