Hi! Thank you so so much for the reply. I got him on August 12th! I'm thinking of just getting new lighting all together, and getting the digital thermometer. Also, do you have any good suggestions on how to get him to eat his food? He seems to be very finicky.claudiusx":1lm8vwby said:Hi there
How long have you had him now?
You can not rely on those dual thermometers. they are wildly inaccurate. Plus they can't give you the most important temperature, your basking surface temperature. For that you really should get a digital thermometer with probe end. They are very cheap nowadays but very necessary.
Nothing is more important to a dragons health than proper temperatures so you need to get that sorted first. Once you get an accurate way to measure temps we can see what yours are. From there we can make any adjustments necessary.
In the mean time I suggest you read the sticky lighting help for newbies in the enclosures section of this site. The coil uvb bulb that comes with that kit really isn't suitable for dragons. You will want to switch it out for the reptisun 10.0 tube or Arcadia tubes. Note these are long fluorescent tubes so you'll need a new fixture to house the bulb.
If your humidity is too high I'd remove the water bowl. Most dragons dont drink from them anyways.
From the picture he looks like a standard morph. Citrus really isnt a morph it's a trait, a description of a color.
-Brandon
Drache613":2fh84hr3 said:Hello,
He is a tiny one & does look very cute there.
As suggested, I would definitely switch out the UVB light from the compact/coil type that
you have now, to a long tube bulb. The UVB emissions are a lot better & safer with the long
fluorescent tubes than the compact/coil bulbs.
He might still be adjusting to his new home. Are you feeding him in or out of his tank?
Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie
I'm going to go to the store tomorrow to get an official digital thermometer, but I just tested his basking surface with one that you use when you're sick, and it's registering at 105! So I don't think that the lighting or temperature is a problem like I thought. Those stick-on thermometers are awful! So inaccurate. If the lighting and temps are okay, do you think it could be something else making him loose his appetite?claudiusx":8xxy2unu said:Hi there
How long have you had him now?
You can not rely on those dual thermometers. they are wildly inaccurate. Plus they can't give you the most important temperature, your basking surface temperature. For that you really should get a digital thermometer with probe end. They are very cheap nowadays but very necessary.
Nothing is more important to a dragons health than proper temperatures so you need to get that sorted first. Once you get an accurate way to measure temps we can see what yours are. From there we can make any adjustments necessary.
In the mean time I suggest you read the sticky lighting help for newbies in the enclosures section of this site. The coil uvb bulb that comes with that kit really isn't suitable for dragons. You will want to switch it out for the reptisun 10.0 tube or Arcadia tubes. Note these are long fluorescent tubes so you'll need a new fixture to house the bulb.
If your humidity is too high I'd remove the water bowl. Most dragons dont drink from them anyways.
From the picture he looks like a standard morph. Citrus really isnt a morph it's a trait, a description of a color.
-Brandon
katieeee9865":19ka7kze said:but I just tested his basking surface with one that you use when you're sick, and it's registering at 105! So I don't think that the lighting or temperature is a problem like I thought.
I'm going to pick up the Reptisun 10.0 today for the UVB bulb instead of the one I have now. As far as a basking light, can I still keep the basking light I have now? As far as the thermometer goes, I can't find a cheap digital probe. They all are coming up close to $20 at Pet stores. Do you have any suggestions on wear I should get those instead?KarrieRee":29c5yxvi said:NO!!!!!!!!! The coil bulb is not OK-- please change it out ASAP-- one of the causes for not eating and if you keep the coil you will have further issues down the road --- like eye issues among others as well --- you will not have a healthy dragon---- please take the others advice and get it changed out - I cannot stress this enough!!!!!!!!!! Once you get your lighting fixed and temps to where they should be like 105-110 for a baby you will see a different dragon-------------- make sure your getting those accurate temps -- stick ons stick thermometers do not work - digital probes are like $5 and I would recommend a infrared heat gun as well from Home Depot or Lowes -- they are between $10-12 --- good investment
Karrie
Thank you!! Do you also know of any good light timers? The one from zoomed is getting mixed reviews, so I was thinking of just trying to find one at Home Depot instead?KarrieRee":2ioa6afk said:I just picked one up from Pet Smart for $4.97 --- digital probe - try Amazon --- basking bulb is good as long as its a bright white bulb that can keep temps at 105-110 --- try a 100 watt or 150 -- it is trial and error--- make sure you have something accurate to get the temp tho -- infrared heat guns are good
Karrie
claudiusx":33y1yrmp said:katieeee9865":33y1yrmp said:but I just tested his basking surface with one that you use when you're sick, and it's registering at 105! So I don't think that the lighting or temperature is a problem like I thought.
That will be more accurate of a measurement, but still not accurate. It would be like your pharmacist weighing out your prescription dose on his bathroom scale. Yeah it might be close or in the ballpark, but you want to know the dose you're getting, not just a best guess.
Same goes with your dragons temperatures. There really is nothing more important than proper temperatures for them and you need to KNOW them so that you can make the adjustments you need.
I'm glad you're still going to get the probe end thermometer.
I've been here many years and have owned dragons for 2 decades now. We've seen thousands upon thousands of cases where dragons housed improperly end up getting sickly, and once the owner changes things to a proper setup, the dragon starts to recover. We stand to make no profit or no money by telling you that we think you should replace your lighting. We just know what works and want what's best for your dragon.
In the end it's your decision, but like I said, we wouldn't just tell you to go out and buy things if it really wasnt going to make a difference.
Temperature and lighting makes a huge difference.
Without proper temperatures your dragon wont digest properly or have other basic functions working properly such as its immune system.
When the dragon cant digest it cant absorb nutrients.
When it cant absorb nutrients it gets sickly and frail.
Now its sickly and frail and the immune system isnt even working to capacity due to the lack of nutrients and the lack of proper body temperature.
Without proper uvb (the coil you have puts off very short wavelength uvb and it dissipates very quickly the further it is from the dragon) your dragon wont absorb the calcium in its diet and can start to develop MBD. Additionally, a proper uv light also boosts the immune system and causes the body to release endorphins that make both us and dragons feel good. There are tons of benefits to proper lighting.
Sorry if I'm going on, I just want you to understand how important the suggestions we made are for your dragons health, especially when hes already exhibiting issues that are concerning you.
-Brandon
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