Baby bearded acting weird, some advice needed please!

[nahuelarg86]

here is my opinion... Tracie feel free to correct me... don't mind a bit as you have always helped me when I needed some guidance
1) he needs either the reptisun or the arcadia bulb..(I had the reptiglo, didn't realize it for a few until talking with my husband that we needed to mark on the calendar of when we needed to change the bulb and in that conversation he said we had a reptiglo, One of my guys was doing things very similar to yours... kind of hiding... hanging on the cool side of the viv...not very active. I talked with Tracie, and I changed his bulb to the Arcadia. Since we have put this in, he has been more active... basking a ton, and just being well happy)
2) It looks like you have the uvb bulb on the top of the screen in his setup, it really needs to be inside, the screen or the cover will block out the uvb so he is getting virtually none. You can use the command hooks and attach the fixture to the inside of the viv, just make sure there is nothing between the bulb and the cover
3) He is going to need some type of platform something to get to within about 6-8" of the light.

He is a gorgeous beardie, and noone on here is here to judge anyone, we just want to offer our insights to help make your little one happy and healthy.

Thanks for your kind answer
Today I got out of Home Depot with a fluorescent under cabinet fixture and command hooks. On Friday provably I'll buy the Reptisun 10 (Zoo Med brand). We'll see what happens. I REALLY hope it improves the situation without the need for a vet (at least for now)
It's funny because my wife was telling me, "I thought that when you decided to buy a bearded dragon, having it was going to be fun, but instead it seems to have a zillion of problems!", and she isn't that wrong... I thought was gonna be easier, but I like so much this little guy! Sometimes I wonder if I'm over thinking it...

 

[pyffersnpaws]

so not over thinking it... once you get things settled for him, it's going to be easier. He's still rather young and they require more work than the older beardies. Going to send you a PM,

Lisa

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I think changing the light will make a huge difference for him! I completely agree.
That is great you already purchased a light fixture & some command hooks. It will be perfect.
Reptiles in general are somewhat hard to keep "until" you learn the basics. However, lighting IS the most important factor in keeping reptiles which many people have not grasped yet. Not because they can't but because it is not taught. We all benefit from light, so it makes sense that they would too.
If you have any questions, just let us know!
You are doing a great job!

Tracie

 

[nahuelarg86]

Hello,

I think changing the light will make a huge difference for him! I completely agree.
That is great you already purchased a light fixture & some command hooks. It will be perfect.
Reptiles in general are somewhat hard to keep "until" you learn the basics. However, lighting IS the most important factor in keeping reptiles which many people have not grasped yet. Not because they can't but because it is not taught. We all benefit from light, so it makes sense that they would too.
If you have any questions, just let us know!
You are doing a great job!

Tracie

Thank you Tracie for you advices!

Here I have some updates. I installed the Reptisun 10, and below are some pics from the viv as of today. But here is a question (sorry for being annoying with my worries)

-Just one or two days before getting the reptisun and installing it, seems like my beardie started to eat better. From eating 4 unwillingly crickets per day, in those 2 days he ate like 20 roaches one day and like 20 crickets the other!! I was so happy to feed him like that, that I thought "at last, my problems went away!!"
But not, after I installed the new uvb light, he didn't eat a thing. Yesterday he didn't touch any roach or cricket, he saw them pass under him, actively looking at them, but nothing. Today the same.

Sooo, do you think its because I did some modification to his house and got upset? When he wasn't eating good at least he ate 3 or 4 bugs, but I'm kinda worried that he didn't eat in 2 days.

Any suggestion/advice will be very much appreciated.

Here are the pics:

And the links if you want to see them in detail:
http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/8199/camerazoom2012010811542.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/8286/camerazoom2012010811543.jpg
http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/628/camerazoom2012010811545.jpg
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/8779/camerazoom2012010811553.jpg

 

[pyffersnpaws]

keep offering the live food... he'll eat soon.. if your over worried, get a little chicken babyfood and feed him that to make sure he's getting some nutrients

 

[nahuelarg86]

keep offering the live food... he'll eat soon.. if your over worried, get a little chicken babyfood and feed him that to make sure he's getting some nutrients

Thanks Lisa. You know, the other day I was grocery shopping I actually bought chicken baby food (like this http://www.beechnut.com/Our Baby Fo...onths&ListValue=1&SearchType=By Age&ProdType=) for an emergency.

Maybe I'll try that.

 

[nahuelarg86]

By the way, does the new UVB light look good where it is?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I would try to mount the UVB tube bulb directly underneath of the screen so that it is directly over head. It may be too glaring right into
his eyes mounted on the backside of the tank.
How is he doing today?
Did he eat anything today?

Tracie

 

[nahuelarg86]

Hello,

I would try to mount the UVB tube bulb directly underneath of the screen so that it is directly over head. It may be too glaring right into
his eyes mounted on the backside of the tank.
How is he doing today?
Did he eat anything today?

Tracie

I'll try that. I put it there since I saw some pics of tanks from users from here and they had them in the side.
So today in the morning he didn't want to eat. He pooped like usual in the morning, but the poo this time was much smaller, I guess because he didn't eat hence he didn't have food to process. We leaved and just now came back to the house, I saw he pooped again, but this time (and this happened on Friday too) the poo was like only water and the urate. Not diarrhea, but like clear-ish water like liquid, that soaked up in the carpet :?
I read somewhere here that that could be because he is well hydrated, which my be possible since I'm bathing him every day, or every other day.
Also, I leaved a dandelion salad mixed with some dragon bites. He ate some salad and most of the dragon bites. I mix them with the hope that he will eat more vegetables. He also ate 3 crickets that I had hanging around here.
I tried also to give him some chicken baby food, but he seems not to like it...

 

[nahuelarg86]

Some more update:

He is shedding, which I think its good. The other day I saw him rubbing his face over his log. But today I saw a big piece of skin peeling of his uper arm/leg/paw.
Do you think it's the beginning of a full shed? Or he will only shed his arms?
I'm trying to bath him daily.
Another good news is that he started eating some of his veggies. Today I gave him a salad and he run over it to eat it. It was dandelion mixed with bok choy, some squash and some beardie bites.
Today he pooped in the bath tub, and the poo had some pieces of undigested crickets. Is it something to worry about?
He isn't still eating a lot of crickets but I hope he will begin.

Any suggestions?

 

[Spikey07]

The undigested crickets could mean that the basking temps ae a little low. Do you ow what the temperature of the basking spot is? And what type of thermometer are you using to measure it (a digital or dial type)?

*edit*
I just noticed on your first post you mentioned the temps are between 100 and 110, which is correct. Is he basking after he eats? And are you making sure he is not fed any closer than 2 hours before his lights go out?

 

[pyffersnpaws]

make sure you are only giving him the pinhead size crickets as he is still very tiny... once you get his new furniture (hopefully tomorrow) he might be able to get a bit higher to bask and that might help out some. Good news on the salad

 

[nahuelarg86]

The undigested crickets could mean that the basking temps ae a little low. Do you ow what the temperature of the basking spot is? And what type of thermometer are you using to measure it (a digital or dial type)?

*edit*
I just noticed on your first post you mentioned the temps are between 100 and 110, which is correct. Is he basking after he eats? And are you making sure he is not fed any closer than 2 hours before his lights go out?

Yes I use a digital thermometer (Acurite) and the temps are 100 - 110 f.

He basks after he eats, he is not eating a lot lately, and maaaaaybe it's possible he could get some cricket close to the bed time. I'll try to fix that.
Thanks!

 

[nahuelarg86]

make sure you are only giving him the pinhead size crickets as he is still very tiny... once you get his new furniture (hopefully tomorrow) he might be able to get a bit higher to bask and that might help out some. Good news on the salad

Thanks Lisa!
Yes, I'm giving small size crickets. I took his measures yesterday, he grew up from 8.5 to 9 I believe (Is kinda difficult to measure him since he moves) and from 21 gr to 25 gr.
Right now in the precarious log he has, sometimes he gaps(?) He opens he's mouth for a minute or so. I believe this is because he's releasing heat, so the temps should be ok, right?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Yes, the temps should be fine then if you are using a digital probe. He is very small so definitely make sure the crickets are smaller than the space between the eyes.
Give him at least 2 hours before his lights go out to digest his food so it will settle in his tummy better before he goes to sleep.
How is he doing today?

Tracie