MatthewLee":d5t2f1pt said:
Please forgive me if this is in the wrong forum. I have 2 beardies in the same cage that are several months old and have not grown at ALL and I have a few questions.. They are 6 inches from head to tail, with their tail being the majority of the length. They are not lethargic, but almost unnaturally tame.
Age: At least at least 8 months old
With me since: October or November of 2009
Size: 3 inch body, 3 inch tail
Sex: 2 Females
A beardie with proper care can easily be over a foot long at this age, so right away, it is obvious that something is not being done right.
First issue: They need to be separated. A 10 gallon tank is too small for one, much less two. And no matter how big the tank is, they are not meant to live together. They are solitary in the wild, and another beardie in the enclosure is an intruder. There will be dominance/submission issues which can result in - best case scenario - stress (which then can lead to illnesses and other issues). Or worst case scenario - fighting, resulting in severe injuries or death. You can usually score a decent tank on Craigslist for minimal cost or sometimes free if you're lucky. Since they are stunted, you don't really need a huge tank if you can't find one right away, but at least a 20g or bigger (per dragon), keeping in mind that you would need to upgrade when they start growing.
Substrate: The stuff you put in hot water and it expands.
Please replace with paper towels. Cheap and easy. They are desert animals and like dry air, and dry ground. Any substrate with particles in not really recommended because of a risk of impaction, so stick with something solid, like repticarpet or tiles. But for now, paper towels will be great.
UVB: I used to, but after literally 6 different bulbs and fixtures broke I gave up and put them where they would get full sun.
UVB is extremely important to their overall health. Glass and plastic filter UVB rays so if you're putting them in a window thinking they are getting UVB, you are incorrect. If you are actually taking them outside, at least that is something, but they need several hours of UVB a day to stay healthy, so a quality bulb is very important. The most affordable one for you right now would be a ReptiSUN 10.0 fluorescent tube (not the compact coil!). If you order it online, it costs about $20 (+ shipping, but still cheaper than box stores). What kind were you using before that kept breaking? We might can give you an idea of how to position it or what kind of fixtures to get to keep that from happening. If you don't already have a fluorescent fixture, you can pick it up at Lowes or Wal Mart for less than $20. You want one long enough to cover, preferably the entire length of the tank, but at least 2/3 of it. Be sure to get the same length bulb and fixture!
Basking: One of those basking bulbs from Petco
Temps: 85 basking/Mid 70s cool
Temp gauge: Digital with probe.
Basking location: On top of their basking log, about 5 inches from the bulb itself.
The bulb should be fine..what wattage is it? At 5 inches it should be way hotter than 85. You want to aim for a basking temp of 100-110, so buy a higher wattage bulb if you need to. You can use a regular household bulb, or halogen flood light. Be sure your fixture is rated for high wattage. Lowes and Wal Mart both have metal dome work lights that work great to hold basking bulbs for around $10-12. Sounds like your thermometer is good. Place the probe directly on the basking spot for the basking temp. The cool side is fine, but at the very minimum you would want. 78-82 is preferred.
Feeding: Calcium Dusted crickets 3x week, as many as they can eat. Kale throughout day. Doesn't eat any other greens/fruit
Feeding Schedule: Veges all day, Calcium dusted crickets 3x a week, at night
Gutload: I throw potato, carrots, and cucumber in the cricket box.
Supplements: Pure calcium, generic reptile brand. Each feeding.
They need crickets every day. How big are the crix? They should not be any bigger than the space between your dragons' eyes, so you should be using tiny ones. The guideline for babies is that they would eat 2-3 times a day, as many as they can eat in 10 minutes. The guideline for and 8 month old is 1-2 times a day, as many as they can eat. Since yours are not used to eating that much, I would not give them that much at this point, but do feed them crix once a day, dusted with the calcium at at least 5x a week. Here is a list of which veggies are good and which aren't.
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
Kale is fine, but try to incorporate some other veggies, too. I like to shred yellow squash. It looks like worms so they go right after it. Also, feed them early enough to allow at least 2 hours of basking time before lights out.
Bowel movements: Looks normal to me...However loves to go in warm water.
Bathing: I let them play in the sink with neutral-warm water about once a week for 20 minutes.
Misting/Water: I mist once a day. Water bowl not offered.
Good that you
bathe them. The misting isn't really necessary, especially if they're getting baths.
How often do they poo? Do you see undigested bug parts in the poo? Their temps are not high enough for proper digestion, so there may be some impaction if they are not going every day.
Tankmate: Sisters of the same clutch, same size.
As stated, it is important to separate them for a variety of reasons.
What am I doing wrong?
Is it still possible for them to grow to normal size if I fix the issue?
Will they die?
They will probably always be a little small, but you can certainly put some weight and growth on them if you do a lot of changes and see that they get what they need from now on. Their health is definitely in question right now, so I can't really so, "They'll be fine, no worries!" because there are worries. Their size is very worrisome for their age. But, there have been some in way worse shape make in through, so there is certainly hope. I wish you the best of luck and please continue to read this forum and to ask whatever questions you need to, no matter how insignificant it seems.
Wish you enough,
Susan
