Adopted a beardie - have a few questions

[pariscsx]

(Probably gonna be a long post with a lot of waffle, sorry) Hi, so I've been after a beardie for a few months (after never having one before) I've researched everything to DEATH and yet here I am, still with questions.

I got my setup sorted first so using an ALMOST 4x2x2, the 2's are off by a couple of inches - I plan on upgrading when beardie reaches 1 year. Arcadia T8 UVB. 100w exo terra basking bulb. All temps are fine, using 2 digital thermometers and a infrared handheld thermometer thingy. Sand mat substrate (which by the way is useless and terrible to clean)

Okay so the beardie. I got him 2 days ago. Hes 7 months, not yet measured him but considering his circumstances he looks a decent size. When I went to collect him he was in a barely 2ft viv that was absolute full of feces, dead mealworms and when I lifted the "hide" live mealworms. All in what looked like aquarium gravel. It absolutely stunk. I was worried because he was actually eating the gravel and I didnt know if his environment had caused him damage, but he looked so fed up and I was like, as a newbie, whatever life I can give you is 1000% better than that. So I bought him and put him in my setup. I've called him Cheesecake.

He must have been hungry because when I first got him home he was eating rocket and strawberries from my hands, though I'm not sure the previous owner had been feeding him him any salad at all, however he has not touched and veg or fruit since, he just stares at me like I've offered him the worst food hes ever seen AFTER HE WAS EATING GRAVEL. I've tried greens, cabbage, carrot, sweet potato, apple, strawberries, blueberries, rocket, basil - NOTHING! I am aware they're picky eaters and this is an issue with lots of people AND hes still adjusting but I wish he would eat something that doesnt jump...
Crickets. He loves them, I do not. Got some dubia roaches on the way.
Am I feeding the right amount? He's having like 20-30 a day in 3 feedings (until he turns his head away and just wanders off.)
His poop I was also worried about, hes had 4 since I got him. One on a fluffy sock which looked normal. But then one was really watery and the other looked like a small cow pat. He didnt poop yesterday but about 20 mins before I wrote this he had a big stinking one that one formed and no watery stuff so I'm taking that as a good sign (?)
He spends a lot of his time scratching all the walls and windows of his viv, super frantically and if I open the door he legs it. He let's me hold him for max 2 mins before hes scrambling away. Is that normal?!?
Okay that's the basic stuff, next, basking.
He doesnt seem to be basking like, at all. He did the first day and I guess he was happy with the temp because he was gaping. But now hes just sitting on his log on the cool side staring at me like he hates me. Could this still be an adjusting thing? Or.. onto my next thing...
In his previous viv I noticed some shed and I've just been looking at him and his head looks pale but I dont know if thats shed or if hes like seriously ill or dying or something, if he is shedding does that affect him basking? Should I bath him? (Going to try and bath him later today because the smell from the previous viv has followed him, wanted him to get used to me a bit first though because I HIGHLY doubt hes ever had a bath)

I'm just worried because I didn't see him bask at all yesterday and when I touched him he was cold and I would very much like him to be okay. I know he has to get used to his new lil life and he's likely stressed from all of the changes but ): it seems like theres a lil something more bothering him.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KarrieRee]

Post a pic of the tank for me and I will give some pointers for you on how to get the tank set up for him --- he should be eating salad every day or some his main diet should be protein -- please get some Calcium D3 start dusting the insects 5 x per week ONCE per feeding do not make the insect look like a powder donut- get some vitamins w/ beta carotene dust ONCE per feeding 2 x per week --- I am surprised hes not impacted from eating gravel --- you can get some textured NON adhesive shelf liner from your local home improvement store -- insects cannot get underneath or your can get some textured slated ceramic tile --- it will need to be cut by a tile cutter so you dont get jagged edges -- if you go that route let me know and I can help w/ that as well --- the 4x2x2 tank is plenty size for him - you dont need bigger unless you want to go bigger - most people on here either use a 75 gallon or 120 gallon -- he needs basking temps of 95-110 --- I can help w/ the feeding and how to get him to eat his salads --
We need to get the T 8 properly placed in the tank this is imperative -- where do you have it now? If its on top of the screen it needs to go inside the tank or placed on top of the tank w/ NO SCREEN -- the T 8's are not strong enough to go thru the screen -- distance should be 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor --- if you need more help w/ that please ask
No more cabbage please here is website for nutrition http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder- I can post websites for dubias and worms if you like --

 

[pariscsx]

Post a pic of the tank for me and I will give some pointers for you on how to get the tank set up for him --- he should be eating salad every day or some his main diet should be protein -- please get some Calcium D3 start dusting the insects 5 x per week ONCE per feeding do not make the insect look like a powder donut- get some vitamins w/ beta carotene dust ONCE per feeding 2 x per week --- I am surprised hes not impacted from eating gravel --- you can get some textured NON adhesive shelf liner from your local home improvement store -- insects cannot get underneath or your can get some textured slated ceramic tile --- it will need to be cut by a tile cutter so you dont get jagged edges -- if you go that route let me know and I can help w/ that as well --- the 4x2x2 tank is plenty size for him - you dont need bigger unless you want to go bigger - most people on here either use a 75 gallon or 120 gallon -- he needs basking temps of 95-110 --- I can help w/ the feeding and how to get him to eat his salads --
We need to get the T 8 properly placed in the tank this is imperative -- where do you have it now? If its on top of the screen it needs to go inside the tank or placed on top of the tank w/ NO SCREEN -- the T 8's are not strong enough to go thru the screen -- distance should be 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor --- if you need more help w/ that please ask
No more cabbage please here is website for nutrition http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder- I can post websites for dubias and worms if you like --

I only got the cabbage today and he hasnt eaten any of it so that's fine. I've been giving him salad before I go to work and change it in the afternoon. I have already been using calcium powder and multi vitamins.
Saw him licking some of the fake plants in the viv earlier, managed to get him to eat some rocket, sweet potato and carrot at that point, but not a lot and he wont go near it now.
He's eating his crickets perfectly though, he loves them. I've already ordered some dubias, they should be here tomorrow.
A lot of the staple stuff on that list are hard to get in the UK or at least, I cant find it, the other stuff however I'm mostly aware of and I'm going through them trying to find what he likes.
Will stick to the sand mat until it needs replacing.
Because it's not quite 2ft high, the basking bulb sits quite low in the tank which is why there's only a piece of bark there because I dont want him to burn himself (main reason I'll be getting a new viv) according to the hygrometer the humidity isnt high enough, hence the water being there. Its reading about 18%

Also tried to bath him earlier, he was not at all happy. Gave him a spare piece of the sand mat to stand on but he didnt want to. He was in the water for about 3 mins before he started freaking out. Still not sure if hes shedding.

 

[KarrieRee]

So the tank is really nice -- I would however get it off the floor and the plants I would take out if hes trying to eat them -- the UVB is not in a fixture I would look at either getting a fixture w/ a reflector or get a reflector - if getting a fixture w/ a reflector please get one that is NOT the same length of the tank -- your dragon needs to be able to be out of his UVB w/ out having to hide from it --the reflector also projects the UVB rays downward and intensifies them as well which is what you want also it should be directly above the basking decor 6-8 inches -- I do recommend tho going to a Arcadia 12% Desert bulb as well then your distance is going to change inside the tank to 12-15 inches directly above the decor piece ---- if your feeding the crickets please do not leave them in the tank - they will come out at nite and bite him hence could cause in infection -- dubias are fine as they dont bite but I would still feed in a bowl that I am going to post for you -- they are good for BSFL and worms and small - medium dubia once the dubias go to large they are harder to keep in the bowl -- https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Reptile-Ceramic-Leopard-Bearded/dp/B084VJJWTV?pf_rd_r=R0HNPKXJ2ZARWAT5MPAH&pf_rd_p=c5b6893a-24f2-4a59-9d4b-aff5065c90ec&pd_rd_r=0173f98f-f39b-4d44-9f76-6ae4d88c419b&pd_rd_w=AuGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
You can get some BSFL or calci worms phoenix or nutri grubs all the same worm order large as they are small and great staple feeders for babies -- the dubias will compliment them nicely feed as many as you want of the BSFL do not dust them add them to his salads in front of him so he sees you doing this it will get him to the salad bowl --- feed first thing in the morning when feeding his salads is he hand tamed if not try hand feeding those to him -- after he eats for an hr or so then add his dubias to the bowl -- I would post suppliers but your in the UK so I dont have access to that info over there -
Please get a digital probe thermometer to place on the spot where he basks thats going to give you a accurate temp- the one sitting in the tank is giving you ambient temps-- I recommend a digital hygrometer the probe should be placed on the back center wall of the tank that will read the whole tank - humidity should be between (optimal) 30-50% 20% is fine and not over 70% --
What size of a tank are going to next? The one you have is good --- but you will want to upgrade that UVB -- https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/

 

[pariscsx]

Thank you for your help
Yeah the viv on the floor is a temporary thing, sold another viv and they wanted the stand I was using for this one, 2 days before I got him! Of course! Haha. Should hopefully have him off the floor within the week.
https://www.internetreptile.com/arcadia-reptile-reflector-30w-36-inch-alr30/
would that be alright?
is the bulb you mention T5? Cant find it.
I actually already have a worm bowl! And I have a thermostat on the way, again should be here tomorrow, so will have more accurate temp readings.

Will definitely order some calci worms then because I got him mildly interested in his salad earlier by moving it around in the bowl, so they would probably be just the thing... and will be easier for me to hand feed to him so he stops hating me :')

 

[KarrieRee]

The Arcadia T 5 is the 12% Desert or Euro bulb -- the T 5 is a Reptisun bulb --- looks like the reflector will work -- ok so when you get your probe set it on the place where he basks and leave for like 10 minutes then get your temp- for him hes 7 months I would go for the 95-110 range --