3 month BD Stop Eating???

[access0denied]

I got a bd around mid/end Jan. Tiny little thing when I got him (4 1/2"). He is now about 7 1/2" in length. Not too sure of the weight. Not sure what is going on with him. It started about 1-2 weeks ago, but he isn't eating much. He was chowing down on 10-20 crickets a day. He then just stopped eating. He's behavior seems to the same, moving around, watching us, watching the crickets bounce around his cage, the phoenix worms wiggle in front of him. I think his eyes appear to be shunken in a bit, so I thought he might be a bit dehydrated, so I've been soaking him for about 10-20 minutes daily for the past 5 days or so. All that I've seen him eat over the past 5 days have been about 10 phoenix worms (2 days ago), drops of water, and a few licks of apple sauce off of my finger. Is it normal for BD this young to stop eating? I got rid of his UVB light a few days ago, thinking that might be the cause of the problem. But that hasn't done much. Only thing that I can think of that has changed is that I feed him some phoenix worms about 2 weeks ago. Possible that he got a parasite from the phoenix worms? Just a sick from the phoenix worms? Maybe just spoiled from phoenix, and the crickets just aren't appealing anymore?

As for his environment (since I know you guys are gonna ask).

29 Gallon Glass Tank
75 watt standard home light bulb (I think it was 75 watt)
100 watt powersun uvb. (took out and replaced with a 100 watt household light bulb)
Temps around 105-115 in the basking spot
Carpet turf on the bottom. (recently replaced for sand, plan on getting rid of the sand tonight when I get home, that made no difference)
Crickets are dusted in calium 5x a week. Vit 2x a week.

Any thoughts, suggestions?

 

[Embee]

Hello,

I'm sorry your beardie isn't eating. Thank you for providing information about your set up. I want to make sure I have your information correct. You took out the PowerSun UVB, yes? UVB is key in stimulating beardie's appetite, and the PowerSun is a good bulb, so there is no reason I can think of that that would be the source of the appetite diminishing. Being that it's a few months old, it still has a few good months on it, and I would suggest reinstalling it as soon as you can.

The only other area I would have questions about is your substrate, want to make sure I have it right. You had reptile carpet, and replaced that with sand, yes? But you are now getting rid of the sand, correct? Ok, good. Calci-sand is an extreme impaction risk, not recommended for beardies. Did your beardie's appetite wane after you put the sand in, or before? When is the last time your beardie pooped? Of course, the concern here is impaction. You can try massaging gently downward the right side of his tummy, see if you feel anything hard lumps. Good that you are bathing and daily is fine, but in general, 3 times a week is usually sufficient for regular hydration. If he is impacted, the frequent baths can be very helpful in addition to gently massaging as I described above. Also, you can try feeding some sugar-free applesauce with a bit of olive oil (see if he'll lick a dab off the end of his nose), as that can sometime help them pass anything that is impacted.

Aside from that, you might try getting your basking numbers a little closer in to 105-110 as 115 is a little too high. Is he basking at all, and if so, how often? If the temps are too high, this can cause beardie's to avoid basking, which slows down their digestion, and could conceivably in turn, slow down appetite. What size feeders are you feeding, btw? 10-20 seems a little low from the get go for a 4 or so month old beardie (I'm guessing on age), so there may have been something going on with him before you brought him home. With that, I would absolutely recommend a fecal/vet visit if possible, to rule out parasites. Oh btw, phoenix worms are pretty low on the parasite meter. Crickets tend to be the worst offenders. Our beardie did in fact take a pass on crickets for a short time after we started feeding her PWs, but she accepts crickets (along with her PWs) quite well again now... about equal. We feed mediums and she eats about 30 a day of each.

Well, that's what I see. Perhaps someone else can add, or give you some more things to check out. Hope your beardie is back up and going soon.

The best,
Em

 

[access0denied]

Yeah, I put the sand in there 3 days ago. That's when I took out the powersun light also. I read some things, that some certain UVB can cause eye problems, etc. I took it out to see if it would make a difference. Anyway, the sand is out, and the powersun is back in.

I took a took a look at my temps, and they were a bit on the high side. 122F on the hot side, 105F on the cool. Took the 75 watt bulb out tonight, and put in a 40 watt.

Anyway, hopfully that is my problems. Time will tell.

 

[Embee]

Yeah, I put the sand in there 3 days ago. That's when I took out the powersun light also. I read some things, that some certain UVB can cause eye problems, etc. I took it out to see if it would make a difference. Anyway, the sand is out, and the powersun is back in.

I took a took a look at my temps, and they were a bit on the high side. 122F on the hot side, 105F on the cool. Took the 75 watt bulb out tonight, and put in a 40 watt.

Anyway, hopfully that is my problems. Time will tell.

It can be frustrating when the root of the problem isn't right "out there." I have participated on many threads where not eating and UVB were rather directly related, so when I saw that you had a PowerSun, I was a bit baffled.

That said, with temps that high, the not-eating issue is much clearer. I'm glad you saw fit to keep your dragon extra hydrated during this time, and I wouldn't be surprised if he comes around now that you've adjusted your supplemental bulb for a lower wattage. A MVB in a smaller tank such as yours, are often too much, although I believe that the PowerSun is one that can work in a slightly smaller enclosure, provided you're able to maintain the minimum distance between beardie and bulb of 12 inches, and temps are gauged extremely closely, and often. Again (for the record), temps under the basking area should be 105-110, ambient temps 85-90, and cool side, about 80. The temps should be measured with a digital thermometer with probe (alternatively, a temp gun) so that the temp directly under the MVB [where beardie basks] is known and accurate. Always leave the probe end on the part of the tank you are gauging for 45 minutes before reading temp.

In general, MVBs are not recommended for tanks under 40 gallon, but because the PowerSun tends to run a tad cooler, and the UVBs aren't as strong as say the MegaRay or TRex MVBs, I know people have had success with it, again, provided minimum distances are being observed and temps are gauged closely. To be honest, given the size of your tank, I'm surprised you have need for a supplemental heat bulb at all, but I know tanks vary, and room temperature plays a part as well.

Aside from that, continue to bathe your dragon often for now, as he is most certainly dealing with an overheating issue (which can absolutely kill the appetite). You can also try a little jarred chicken baby food mixed with water or pedialyte, and place a dab on his nose, and see if he'll lick it. This is a way of getting some protein and water into him in the short term, until he's ready for live feeders again.

Please keep us posted as to how your dragon is doing.

The best,
Em

 

[access0denied]

Got home from work today, and checked the temps. 95F under the 40 watt bulb. I checked the other day, and had 105F under the powersun. Hopfully that was/is the problem.

 

[Embee]

Got home from work today, and checked the temps. 95F under the 40 watt bulb. I checked the other day, and had 105F under the powersun. Hopfully that was/is the problem.

Where is the 40w placed in the tank?

105 under the PowerSun/basking area is perfect.

Em

 

[access0denied]

On the other side of the tank. Powersun on the other side. Maybe I take a picture of it tonight when I get home, and post it.

 

[Embee]

Pics are always good. :mrgreen:

From your description, I really wonder whether that supplemental heat bulb is needed (I believe I mentioned this previously). The gradient should run from basking 105-110, to ambient (mid-tank) 85-90+, and then cool side, about 80. Right now, as you describe it, your cool side is 95, which is way too hot. Without a proper gradient temp, beardie can become dehydrated, lethargic, and lose appetite. I do wonder what would happen if you removed the second bulb altogether (admittedly, this could effect basking temps), and if you still want the extra light, switch if for a household fluorescent. If you find that your temps are running too cool without it, you could a get a yet smaller wattage bulb, a 25-30w perhaps, for supplemental heat? Only other idea is that a small wattage bulb could be used closer to the MVB to achieve the right basking temps, and then the rest of the tank would most likely follow suit along the line of the gradient you're going for.

How is your dragon doing today?

The best,
Em

 

[access0denied]

Doing better, looking better. Still isn't eating much. But he is eating on his own now.

 

[diamc]

Just wondering, were you able to remove the 40 watt bulb to help get the cool side closer to 80 degrees? As Em mentioned, it's very important that they are able to thermo-regulate by having a basking temp of 105 to 110 and a cool side about 80. What's the distance from the Powersun to the area where he basks? Are you placing the probe end right on the basking site (touching it) and waiting about 45 min for the temp to stop rising to get the reading?

That's good that he is eating a little on his own now. Hopefully soon he'll be eating at least 50 crickets a day.