New baby beardie picky

[Roseandbaum]

Hello,

I’ve had my beardie since Thursday-he’s alert and interactive and pooping but still being stubborn about eating. The first day I brought him home he ate crickets easily, but since the second day he refuses. The temps in his cage are great—around 105 on his basking spot and 75-80 on cool side with an infrared gun. It’s a 20 gallon tank, I get a larger tank later this week.

I switched to baby dubia roaches and he ate maybe 3 of those the first day, but then he’ll just stare at me while I clumsily chase roaches around the cage with my tweezers to try and get him to see and eat them. I’ve also tried silk worms. He’s had escarole and mango and mustard greens that I chop small and replace every day.

I’ve seen several places that it’s relocation stress and sometimes they just take a little but to eat more comfortably but I’m not sure how long that usually takes? At what point do I force feed him?

I got him at Petsmart —he’s very bright eyed and interactive. Help me either relax or figure out what to do next!

[KarrieRee]

What are you using for a UVB? And yes he will go thru relocation stress but he should not quit eating all together-- you have him on a good diet -- so the last time he ate was on Friday-- ? Your basking decor piece is what? Is it a solid decor or is it a hammock?
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

What are you using for a UVB? And yes he will go thru relocation stress but he should not quit eating all together-- you have him on a good diet -- so the last time he ate was on Friday-- ? Your basking decor piece is what? Is it a solid decor or is it a hammock?
Karrie

He’s got a reptisun 10.0 T8 strip light that I’ve oriented so that the screen isn’t blocking it and a dome basking light. I’m waiting for my t5 to be delivered.

He’s got a tall basking rock and a log, waiting to put hammock up until I get larger cage. He’s eaten 3-5 dubia roaches a day and is completely uninterested in his salad.

[KarrieRee]

Ok so you have great lighting going --- the basking decor should be 6-8 inches from his UVB -- and he is eating --- from what you described I thought he wasnt eating at all -- ok so him not eating vegies is completely normal and w/ that being said this is what we need to do to get him to start eating those veggies -- your dubias are going to work great -- but we need to get him some things to entice him to that bowl -- you need a glass or ceramic bowl so the worms cant get out of -- you can order some BSFL or calci worms or phonenix worms or nutri grubs they are all the same worm -- you can go here and shop
www.dubiaroaches.com from here you can get some of the nutri grubs and some horn worms -- order the horn worms medium and only order small amounts they grow really fast - we are going to use those and the grubs to lure him to the salad bowl - the silk worms are a great staple feeder and can be used to lure him to the salad bowl -- use as many nutri grubs as you want order large they are small dont dust them -- the grubs are also a great staple feeder - so add 1-2 horn worms and the nutri grubs to his salad in front on him so he sees you do this -- the movement will get him to the bowl --- you want him eating some of that salad -- do this every morning -- I would let him eat from his bowl for like an hr before feeding him his staple feeder the dubias they can be added to the bowl as well - take a little of the salad out be leave some in and let him see you put those roaches in the bowl - that will get him back to the bowl -- I also recommend butter worms which everyone is out of now I cant find them -- and some super worms but I dont know how big your guy is so I would say around 3 months old get him some super worms medium and start adding those to his salads too 1-3 -- worms will entice them to the bowl and hopefully start getting him to eat his salads - the silk worms as well --
here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
I am going to give you some websites for other worms etc
www.reptilianarts.com they have good silk worms - if you order in bulk like 50 make sure you get food too you will need to feed them and clean containers out daily -- they come small
www.coastilsilkworms.com
www.mulberryfarms.com they are spendy on shipping
www.symptonbsf.com good BSFL
Hopefully this will help --- he can go into his new tank anytime -- the T 5 should be used for your new tank and not the 20 gallon --- its going to be too strong so keep your T 8 - it can be used for a back or for another tank at some point --
Happy shopping
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

Ok so you have great lighting going --- the basking decor should be 6-8 inches from his UVB -- and he is eating --- from what you described I thought he wasnt eating at all -- ok so him not eating vegies is completely normal and w/ that being said this is what we need to do to get him to start eating those veggies -- your dubias are going to work great -- but we need to get him some things to entice him to that bowl -- you need a glass or ceramic bowl so the worms cant get out of -- you can order some BSFL or calci worms or phonenix worms or nutri grubs they are all the same worm -- you can go here and shop
http://www.dubiaroaches.com from here you can get some of the nutri grubs and some horn worms -- order the horn worms medium and only order small amounts they grow really fast - we are going to use those and the grubs to lure him to the salad bowl - the silk worms are a great staple feeder and can be used to lure him to the salad bowl -- use as many nutri grubs as you want order large they are small dont dust them -- the grubs are also a great staple feeder - so add 1-2 horn worms and the nutri grubs to his salad in front on him so he sees you do this -- the movement will get him to the bowl --- you want him eating some of that salad -- do this every morning -- I would let him eat from his bowl for like an hr before feeding him his staple feeder the dubias they can be added to the bowl as well - take a little of the salad out be leave some in and let him see you put those roaches in the bowl - that will get him back to the bowl -- I also recommend butter worms which everyone is out of now I cant find them -- and some super worms but I dont know how big your guy is so I would say around 3 months old get him some super worms medium and start adding those to his salads too 1-3 -- worms will entice them to the bowl and hopefully start getting him to eat his salads - the silk worms as well --
here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
I am going to give you some websites for other worms etc
http://www.reptilianarts.com they have good silk worms - if you order in bulk like 50 make sure you get food too you will need to feed them and clean containers out daily -- they come small
http://www.coastilsilkworms.com
http://www.mulberryfarms.com they are spendy on shipping
http://www.symptonbsf.com good BSFL
Hopefully this will help --- he can go into his new tank anytime -- the T 5 should be used for your new tank and not the 20 gallon --- its going to be too strong so keep your T 8 - it can be used for a back or for another tank at some point --
Happy shopping
Karrie

Thank you so much!

I’m guessing he’s around a month old. He’s shown no interest his bowl and looks at the worms but doesn’t care. At what point should I be concerned he’s not eating enough? Will it be safe if I give him a few more days to relax? The dubias crawl around the cage when I leave them in there. I have some other bugs coming from online, i appreciate the Resources!!

[KarrieRee]

How big are the roaches your feeding him? He cant have anything bigger or there abouts than the space between his eyes-- only a month old wow hes is young-- what do you have coming ? BSFL hopefully- please take a pic of him and the roaches your feeding
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box then click on the pic it should post
Hes going thru relocation stress so his eating will be slow -- if hes eating thats good - its when they arent eating at all that makes us worry- in time his eating will pick up -
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

How big are the roaches your feeding him? He cant have anything bigger or there abouts than the space between his eyes-- only a month old wow hes is young-- what do you have coming ? BSFL hopefully- please take a pic of him and the roaches your feeding
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box then click on the pic it should post
Hes going thru relocation stress so his eating will be slow -- if hes eating thats good - its when they arent eating at all that makes us worry- in time his eating will pick up -
Karrie

I posted a pic did it work? The roaches are definitely small enough, I made sure of it. And yes I have BSFL coming. I’m at work at the moment so don’t have a pic of roaches, I’m guessing around a month, could he be older? He’s about 8-9 inches from nose to tip of tail.

My boyfriend stopped by to feed him this afternoon and he ate 4-5 roaches! So I think he’s definitely doing better.

[KarrieRee]

Ok good -- keep me posted-- is he eating salads?
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

Ok good -- keep me posted-- is he eating salads?
Karrie

He has no interest in his food dish at all thus far. I’ve been chopping up mustard greens, escarole, with a few chopped blueberries, mango.

[KarrieRee]

Ok well I suggest you get some of the things I suggested earlier in one of my post to get him to that bowl --- when they are little you need to get them to start eating veggies w/ enticement by the time he gets too old he wont eat them either --- we have more dragons that wont eat their veggies/ salads by the time they get to be 6 months or so and trying to get them to eat them is really hard -- thats why you need to start now --
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

Ok well I suggest you get some of the things I suggested earlier in one of my post to get him to that bowl --- when they are little you need to get them to start eating veggies w/ enticement by the time he gets too old he wont eat them either --- we have more dragons that wont eat their veggies/ salads by the time they get to be 6 months or so and trying to get them to eat them is really hard -- thats why you need to start now --
Karrie

Yes I’m just waiting for them to arrive, will do as soon as they do. For now I put the silk worms on the salad and he has no interest.

In pic above how old does he/she look?

[KarrieRee]

I am sorry there is no pic or I am not seeing one-- please post again there is a link above to post pics click on the link then on the XIMG box on top of message box click on the pic it should post
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

[Click image to enlarge]

I am sorry there is no pic or I am not seeing one-- please post again there is a link above to post pics click on the link then on the XIMG box on top of message box click on the pic it should post
Karrie

[KarrieRee]

I would say about 3 months-- that's a guess- ahbd might be able to advise how old-- how are you taking his basking temps?
Karrie

[Roseandbaum]

I would say about 3 months-- that's a guess- ahbd might be able to advise how old-- how are you taking his basking temps?
Karrie

With an infrared temp gun. He’s 105-110 in basking area and 70-85 in cooler zone. At night it’s warm enough for no heat right now, it doesn’t drop below 60/65. He’s been pooping every day. The second day when I gave him a Bath he had a big healthy poop. Still eating 2-6 roaches a day, waiting on worms.