would like to know the ideal temp range for a 3 year old
his basking spot/hide is a resin/ceramic turtle shell. i currently have his heat lamp set up so as to have a narrow spot, about a 5 in circle at around 110F at the highest point of the shell, and down to around 90F at the base of the shell. the flooring is slate tile. heat lamp and UVB (arcadia 12%) coming in through a mesh screen on top because stink bugs are a HUGE problem here, and im told they are very toxic to beardies.
mostly asking because whenever he's in his tank, he's always fairly dark regardless of whether he's basking or not. he brightens up a lot when i handle him or let him out to run around.
his diet and appetite are pretty good. he gets mixes of collard, turnip, and mustard greens, primarily collard, which he eats most of every day, and i offer him superworms multiple times a day, however he rarely accepts more than 5 a day. poops maybe once a week, gets a bath every weekend. unsure of what i could be doing to make him happier
edit: just realized i forgot to attach pics of his setup and left out some info
What tube are you using? Also, if you go with some caresheets and a vet site which I can link you to, providing protein twice a week is all that is necessary for protein and salad is to be given everyday. If you go with a study conducted on 14 dragons, then giving protein far more than twice a week is key(keep in mind animals in the wild are opportunistic and take what they can, not necessarily what is Best for them). I've had great success with feeding protein 0-2 times a week but kingofnobby has been giving protein according to the study with the 14 dragons with great success as well. Besides that, you're setup sounds pretty great and I'm sure your dragon is relatively happy. He lightens up outside because the uvb bulbs and tubes, while simulating the suns uvb output, only do it enough to prevent mbd. The sun provides much more uvb so their colors are enhanced. Older beardies poop a lot less than babies and juveniles and can go without pooping for nearly two weeks without it being a health concern.
re-arranged his tank a little bit and got him a hammock. seems much happier now. brighter colors all the time. he hasn't budged from his hammock. must love the thing