6MO hiding, lack of basking, and appetite

[coffeebutt]

Hey guys, lately i've been a bit worried about my bearded dragon Sasha. She always had a hungry appetite, eating at least 50 crickets (on average) a day, but for the last month and a half she has lost much of her appetite, down to MAYBE 12-25 crickets a day (more towards the beginning of September). This is my first bearded dragon so new owner who is just a little paranoid.

Her lights will go off around 8am ish, but she won't go to bask until I wake up and physically pick her up and place her there. She'll either be in the corner where she sleeps or in her basking rock cave. During the day she'll usually go hang out in her cave as well (which is the basking spot) which is REALLY freaking me out as it's not hot or anything. Her basking temps flux between 98-105'F (I live in NJ so getting cold).

I really haven't done anything different since the summer when I got her and she had been behaving 'normally'. She'll be 6 months next week...I am familiar with brumation but she isn't really sleeping and not eating. she does poop as well, every other day. I give her baths about 3 times a week in 10 minute intervals.

I just want my baby girl to be healthy so i'm a bit worried. I am planning on ordering her a CHE light due to the cold nights...she lives in a 40gal.

Her UVB is a Reptisun 10.0 15w, and the basking light is a 100w Zoomed light. I have one of those infared temp guns (the zoomed brand) that I use to read the temps.

here's a pic of her enclosure setup;


and a closer image of her


thank you guys!!

 

[diamc]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Sasha is SO pretty, love her coloring.

You have a very nice looking setup for her. I may be mistaken but it looks like you have the plastic cover still over the Repti-Sun bulb. If so, please remove that right away because otherwise she won't get any UVB exposure and that can certainly affect their appetite as well as causing other health issues.

Is your Repti-Sun bulb a T5 (high output) or T8 bulb? That info should be stamped right on the side of the bulb. The reason I ask is because each one of those have recommended distance requirements so want to make sure all is good.

Good that you're using a probe thermometer. When you take the probe end & lay it right on the basking spot for about 45 minutes, what basking surface temp reading do you get?

Also, how often are you dusting with calcium & vitamins? What greens are you offering her?

Sorry for all the questions but just want to rule some things out before considering that the temps are getting cooler & that's what it's from.

 

[coffeebutt]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Sasha is SO pretty, love her coloring.

You have a very nice looking setup for her. I may be mistaken but it looks like you have the plastic cover still over the Repti-Sun bulb. If so, please remove that right away because otherwise she won't get any UVB exposure and that can certainly affect their appetite as well as causing other health issues.

Is your Repti-Sun bulb a T5 (high output) or T8 bulb? That info should be stamped right on the side of the bulb. The reason I ask is because each one of those have recommended distance requirements so want to make sure all is good.

Good that you're using a probe thermometer. When you take the probe end & lay it right on the basking spot for about 45 minutes, what basking surface temp reading do you get?

Also, how often are you dusting with calcium & vitamins? What greens are you offering her?

Sorry for all the questions but just want to rule some things out before considering that the temps are getting cooler & that's what it's from.

Oh my god I feel like such an ***** yes that plastic covering is on! I'll remove it ASAP thank you that is the skip I somehow missed damn it.

The Repti-sun is a T8 bulb. I have the probe thermometer that I used to use but I upgraded to the Zoomed Temp Gun. It is currently 11pm so it's lights out so I will test the probe tomorrow to see what it says...today it ranged from 95-108 on the rock, 108 directly underneath the light and 95 around it.

Her daily 'salad' is collard greens with escarole with a couple pieces of yellow squash. I don't dust her salad instead just dusting her crickets. I dust them with Repcal Calcium w/VitD x5 a week and x2 with Repcal Herptivite Multivitamin.

No no I really appreciate the help. You already saved me with the plastic cover damn i'm already kicking myself for that.

Again I'll take more readings tomorrow afternoon when I'm home.

Also thanks i think she's pretty too and I love her so much ;u;

 

[coffeebutt]

I was checking out other posts here that were similar and saw a post saying how the T8 should be about 12" from them. I know mine is mounted MUCH closer than that so I played around with it and moved it further to the right of the viv.

Measuring the rock it's ABOUT 105'...but it easily gets 95' in the other places so i think i'll order a hotter/higher wattage bulb i have a 100w so maybe a 125 would work better.

Today she kept trying to go back into her cave i finally covered it so she couldn't get back in (she has the log she can go to on the opposite end if she really wants but never does). She didn't really eat too many crickets but ate almost her entire 'salad'.

 

[diamc]

I'm glad you removed the plastic cover off the light. Since she hadn't been getting the UV output, it may have thrown her system off. The calcium & UVB work together to synthesize the right amount of calcium in their bodies so now that it is uncovered, it should help her out a lot. You're only dusting one feeding daily with the supplements, right?

Since you have a T8, you want the distance to be 6 to 8" from her while she's in her basking spot. If you had a T5 (high output bulb), then the distance would be at least 12".

Good that you're using a temp gun. Are you holding it 2" from the area you're checking? You wouldn't want the basking temp much higher than 105 really. There should also be a gradient of temp throughout the tank and it should be 78 to 82 on the bottom of the cool side to allow for thermo-regulating. I think a 125 watt would make the tank too hot.

Good that she ate almost all of her salad today and some crickets.

 

[coffeebutt]

I'm glad you removed the plastic cover off the light. Since she hadn't been getting the UV output, it may have thrown her system off. The calcium & UVB work together to synthesize the right amount of calcium in their bodies so now that it is uncovered, it should help her out a lot. You're only dusting one feeding daily with the supplements, right?

Since you have a T8, you want the distance to be 6 to 8" from her while she's in her basking spot. If you had a T5 (high output bulb), then the distance would be at least 12".

Good that you're using a temp gun. Are you holding it 2" from the area you're checking? You wouldn't want the basking temp much higher than 105 really. There should also be a gradient of temp throughout the tank and it should be 78 to 82 on the bottom of the cool side to allow for thermo-regulating. I think a 125 watt would make the tank too hot.

Good that she ate almost all of her salad today and some crickets.

Yes, I only dust her food once a day. I'll move the UVB closer to her basking spot then since i moved it further.

Yeah for the temp gun i'm holding it about the 2". OK, 105? I wasn't sure when she was supposed to get the lower degrees since I had it at about 110 during the summer when she was younger this year. Yes, the gradient is about that. I'll be playing with it this weekend to make sure.

Thanks for your help, i'll keep an eye on her. Can't help but be worried about my little girl haha.

 

[diamc]

You're welcome. And, believe me, I know how worried they can make us. You're doing great!