5 month old beardie sits in cave all day

I need help please. I´m really worried and I tried everything!
We have our 5 month old Beardie since 3 month now. She was great until 2 weeks ago. She was a happy lizard, we took her out, she was basking a lot, just happy. Since two weeks she's happy and all in the morning, she eats great and poops once or twice a day. When she wakes up she's going over to her basking spot. Then she eats (6 discoid roaches in the morning, 10-20 BSFL for lunch), she goes back to basking, she poops and she basks. Until around 10-11 am then she hides in her cave for the rest of the day. She is dark in there. When I measure her temps with the gun her back is around 90-95.
When I take her out in the morning she walks around. When I take her out when she's in her cave and put her on the floor she's just sitting there and if she moves, she wants to hide again. In the hide she sits with her head to the front and looks out.
Around the time when her behavior changed we changed her diet. In the beginning we fed her only with crickets (dusted with Calcium and vitamin D) and greens. Sometimes a mealworm or two. Then we changed to BSFL and she loves them. I did not dust them bc my vet told me I dont need to.
Then we went to a reptile expo and I bought her a big branch. It was higher up to the heat lamp. And I bought her Discoid Roaches. She loves them also. I do dust them before I feed them.
Except for the branch and the diet we did not change anything.
She has a 36x20x20 glass tank, we live in Florida, our house is not very cold. We have a 36" LED tube light fixture with reflector and a T5 10.0 bulb thats mounted diagonal in the tank because its to long to be straight in the tank. Basking spot lamp was an 100W. The end of the lamp is in the front but the basking spot in the back. I will post a photo. The humidity was always between 30-40 on the hot side and 40-50 on the cold side. Back then I just had the stick on analog thermometer. When her behavior changed I checked and started looking online. My thermometer which is on the glass behind the basking spot showed 95. The cool side in the stick on thermometer on the glass showed 85. The Humidity was now between 50-60 (maybe the branch?). So I read online that it needs to be hotter on the basking spot. I bought a 150 w lamp for the heating. I tried it but nothing changed. Then I bought a thermometer gun and found out that the basking surface is 120.
I changed the tank to the window cause I read they can get bored and want to see the whole room. Now she sees us all day long. No change. I read that too much heat is also not good, so I bought a 75 w lamp and the surface of the basking spot shows 115. I moved the cave to the cool side and gave more distance to the heat lamp. On the floor under the heat lamp its 97. The distance from the basking spot to the mesh where the headlamp sits on top is now 9 inch but with the brach she is able to go all the way to the top. (what she never did) The cave is now in the cool side but she still sits in there.
I read that the UVB can also be too much. I dont know, thats the only thing I did not change yet.
Can it be that she did not get enough UVB rays because the lamp does not shine directly at the basking spot? From the basking spot it was approximately12" away but as I said, its mounted diagonal and does not hang over the basking spot.
I was at the vet with her and she has a little bit of pinworms. We treat them now but he said it cannot be from them. He suggested to weigh her once a week and since Saturday she gained 8 grams.
I need help please. That makes me so crazy. The only thing I can think of if how to make her feel comfy. And I dont think it's normal that they sit in the cave hiding 8 of 12 hours.
And btw. her light goes on at 6.30 am and goes out at 6.30 pm
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
I need help please. I´m really worried and I tried everything!
We have our 5 month old Beardie since 3 month now. She was great until 2 weeks ago. She was a happy lizard, we took her out, she was basking a lot, just happy. Since two weeks she's happy and all in the morning, she eats great and poops once or twice a day. When she wakes up she's going over to her basking spot. Then she eats (6 discoid roaches in the morning, 10-20 BSFL for lunch), she goes back to basking, she poops and she basks. Until around 10-11 am then she hides in her cave for the rest of the day. She is dark in there. When I measure her temps with the gun her back is around 90-95.
When I take her out in the morning she walks around. When I take her out when she's in her cave and put her on the floor she's just sitting there and if she moves, she wants to hide again. In the hide she sits with her head to the front and looks out.
Around the time when her behavior changed we changed her diet. In the beginning we fed her only with crickets (dusted with Calcium and vitamin D) and greens. Sometimes a mealworm or two. Then we changed to BSFL and she loves them. I did not dust them bc my vet told me I dont need to.
Then we went to a reptile expo and I bought her a big branch. It was higher up to the heat lamp. And I bought her Discoid Roaches. She loves them also. I do dust them before I feed them.
Except for the branch and the diet we did not change anything.
She has a 36x20x20 glass tank, we live in Florida, our house is not very cold. We have a 36" LED tube light fixture with reflector and a T5 10.0 bulb thats mounted diagonal in the tank because its to long to be straight in the tank. Basking spot lamp was an 100W. The end of the lamp is in the front but the basking spot in the back. I will post a photo. The humidity was always between 30-40 on the hot side and 40-50 on the cold side. Back then I just had the stick on analog thermometer. When her behavior changed I checked and started looking online. My thermometer which is on the glass behind the basking spot showed 95. The cool side in the stick on thermometer on the glass showed 85. The Humidity was now between 50-60 (maybe the branch?). So I read online that it needs to be hotter on the basking spot. I bought a 150 w lamp for the heating. I tried it but nothing changed. Then I bought a thermometer gun and found out that the basking surface is 120.
I changed the tank to the window cause I read they can get bored and want to see the whole room. Now she sees us all day long. No change. I read that too much heat is also not good, so I bought a 75 w lamp and the surface of the basking spot shows 115. I moved the cave to the cool side and gave more distance to the heat lamp. On the floor under the heat lamp its 97. The distance from the basking spot to the mesh where the headlamp sits on top is now 9 inch but with the brach she is able to go all the way to the top. (what she never did) The cave is now in the cool side but she still sits in there.
I read that the UVB can also be too much. I dont know, thats the only thing I did not change yet.
Can it be that she did not get enough UVB rays because the lamp does not shine directly at the basking spot? From the basking spot it was approximately12" away but as I said, its mounted diagonal and does not hang over the basking spot.
I was at the vet with her and she has a little bit of pinworms. We treat them now but he said it cannot be from them. He suggested to weigh her once a week and since Saturday she gained 8 grams.
I need help please. That makes me so crazy. The only thing I can think of if how to make her feel comfy. And I dont think it's normal that they sit in the cave hiding 8 of 12 hours.
And btw. her light goes on at 6.30 am and goes out at 6.30 pm
I had posted on your earlier threads- did you get the surface basking temps figured out?
 

Connie-Riley

Member
Original Poster
I had posted on your earlier threads- did you get the surface basking temps figured out?
Hello Karrie, I appreciate your answer.
Yes, after you answered me I did change the heat bulb to a 75 w but nothing changed. The basking spot surface is 100 now but I just changed it. It was maybe 108 yesterday. You think thats still to hot? The cooler side is now 82 on the floor. Do you think it's bad with my diagonal UVB bc it's not directly over the basking spot? Or is it to strong?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
Hello Karrie, I appreciate your answer.
Yes, after you answered me I did change the heat bulb to a 75 w but nothing changed. The basking spot surface is 100 now but I just changed it. It was maybe 108 yesterday. You think thats still to hot? The cooler side is now 82 on the floor. Do you think it's bad with my diagonal UVB bc it's not directly over the basking spot? Or is it to strong?
The basking bulb is not shining in her eyes correct? The 100 temp is good for a surface temp-- You want her to be able to sit directly under the UVB and from the pic it looks like it is -- the basking bulb is a solid clear bright white bulb correct?
 

Connie-Riley

Member
Original Poster
she is not directly sitting under the UVB. The Basking lamp is in the back, right under is the branch, the usb lamp is in the front corner of the tank. But it has a reflector and it's a T5 10,0 and the vet checked it and said the output is great. Its a new lamp and he has a meter to measure it.
I really dont know what else I could do
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
she is not directly sitting under the UVB. The Basking lamp is in the back, right under is the branch, the usb lamp is in the front corner of the tank. But it has a reflector and it's a T5 10,0 and the vet checked it and said the output is great. Its a new lamp and he has a meter to measure it.
I really dont know what else I could do
If she has options to sit distance wise under uvb she's good - the he basking light is NOT colored off white yellowish or daytime bulb correct?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Thanks for helping out with everything, Karrie!
You definitely want a clear basking bulb, so the overall brightness is optimal for their basking.
You have the T5 tube bulb, 10%, is that the Reptisun brand? Try to overlap the basking bulb alongside the tube bulb, so it is a nice even UVB + basking area for him.

Tracie
 

Connie-Riley

Member
Original Poster
Thank you guys! I will change the basking bulb today. And I put the basking lamp now right above the UVB (yes, the Reptisun) lamp. See photo please. Is this better? I purchased digital hygro and thermometers. And it's crazy how much they are different from the analog. :cautious:
The hot side is now 97 on the surface of the stone, Humidity 24%, the cool side is 81 in the cave and 42% humidity. The distance from the UVB to the stone is now exactly 12". Basking lamp is a little higher bc it's on the mesh. But as I said, the temperature is good. She's on the basking right now. But its morning and she started hiding everyday after lunch.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
Thank you guys! I will change the basking bulb today. And I put the basking lamp now right above the UVB (yes, the Reptisun) lamp. See photo please. Is this better? I purchased digital hygro and thermometers. And it's crazy how much they are different from the analog. :cautious:
The hot side is now 97 on the surface of the stone, Humidity 24%, the cool side is 81 in the cave and 42% humidity. The distance from the UVB to the stone is now exactly 12". Basking lamp is a little higher bc it's on the mesh. But as I said, the temperature is good. She's on the basking right now. But its morning and she started hiding everyday after lunch.
See how she does w/ the new arrangements- your humidity at 42% is good- where did you put the probe for that? I would get it on the back center wall it will read your whole tank --
 

Connie-Riley

Member
Original Poster
See how she does w/ the new arrangements- your humidity at 42% is good- where did you put the probe for that? I would get it on the back center wall it will read your whole tank --
I read it with the thermometer gun. I´m waiting for the delivery of the probe. Expected today. If all is good now, do you think its takes a few days until she improves? Or will it be quickly?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
I read it with the thermometer gun. I´m waiting for the delivery of the probe. Expected today. If all is good now, do you think its takes a few days until she improves? Or will it be quickly?
The hygrometer has a probe on it? That is what needs to go on the back center wall of the tank-- optimal humidity is 40-50% -- nothing under 20 and over 70% you should see behavior change right away -- appetite increase colors more vivid -- less hiding - at 5 months she should be basking most of the day
 

Connie-Riley

Member
Original Poster
The probe I bought is just for the temperature. It's almost 3 pm and no hiding so far. She checked out the cave a few times but came out right away. I took her out of the tank a few minutes ago and she was exploring. I´m hopeful!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
The probe I bought is just for the temperature. It's almost 3 pm and no hiding so far. She checked out the cave a few times but came out right away. I took her out of the tank a few minutes ago and she was exploring. I´m hopeful!
Ok sounds good - when you place the hygrometer it goes on the back center wall as I posted earlier - her basking time should be at least 4 hrs per day -- usually they bask longer when babies
 

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