Baby beardie hardly eating

[Puffybeardie]

Hi, I got a 6 week old about a month ago from a bearded dragon owner who had bred them. I got a second hand set up and she was eating quite well at first brown small crickets dusted with powder but nothing like 20 a day. She had a shed period but still has a touch on her tail ive given her baths and it won’t shift. I noticed the bulb was the wrong one in the set up so I bought an Arcadia 10% with d3 750mm light and it’s about 6 inches from her basking spot that’s about 100 - 105 degrees, she has a ceramic heater at night and 75w white basking bulb in the day. I measure temp with a probe thermostat . I give her kale chopped up that she has every now and then but nothing substantial. Give her water a few times a day.

Im worried at she only eats 3 crickets or a couple Dubia roaches a day if that. I’ve ordered Calci worms. She’s only just 5 inches long and 6g in weight. I’ve taken most out of her enclosure as the crickets would just run and hide and now I’m worried she’s bored in there.
I tried taking her out into a tub to eat them but she just freaks out. I hold them up to her with tweezers but she just closes her eyes. I refrigerated the crickets to make them slower but she’s just not that interested or eats one and is done! I’m so worried!

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi, I got a 6 week old about a month ago from a bearded dragon owner who had bred them. I got a second hand set up and she was eating quite well at first brown small crickets dusted with powder but nothing like 20 a day. She had a shed period but still has a touch on her tail ive given her baths and it won’t shift. I noticed the bulb was the wrong one in the set up so I bought an Arcadia 10% with d3 750mm light and it’s about 6 inches from her basking spot that’s about 100 - 105 degrees, she has a ceramic heater at night and 75w white basking bulb in the day. I measure temp with a probe thermostat . I give her kale chopped up that she has every now and then but nothing substantial. Give her water a few times a day.

Im worried at she only eats 3 crickets or a couple Dubia roaches a day if that. I’ve ordered Calci worms. She’s only just 5 inches long and 6g in weight. I’ve taken most out of her enclosure as the crickets would just run and hide and now I’m worried she’s bored in there.
I tried taking her out into a tub to eat them but she just freaks out. I hold them up to her with tweezers but she just closes her eyes. I refrigerated the crickets to make them slower but she’s just not that interested or eats one and is done! I’m so worried!

Please get a reflector for the UVB you want those rays directed downward toward her -- this would be a reason for the lack of appetite along w/ the relocation stress --- also the next time you change the bulb out please get a 12% they are better for strength also if its on the back wall please get it so its directly above her -- for a 12% bulb you would need a distance of 12-15 -- I would get a fixture w/ the reflector in it -- also the CHE please get it higher so she can not touch it it looks really close to the basking decor I would raise it up to atleast 6 inches or higher -- once you get this fixed your UVB her appetite should increase as she starts to acclimate to the tank

 

[djnewman001]

A little trick to get that CHE up higher with the Arcadia pro mount is to drill out a hole in the top of the enclosure that will allow the ceramic to fit through and mount it on top by flattening out the thin metal. That’s how I have mine mounted with the same fixture.

 

[Puffybeardie]

Thanks for your replies! I don’t really understand how to get the chb higher. So you mean drill a large hole in the top? Do you have a pics for example? Im finding it hard to visualise I also change it for the basking bulb each morning is that an ok height for the basking bulb or still too close?

 

[Puffybeardie]

I will get the reflector for the bulb and a 12% when I get some cash

 

[KarrieRee]

Thanks for your replies! I don’t really understand how to get the chb higher. So you mean drill a large hole in the top? Do you have a pics for example? Im finding it hard to visualise I also change it for the basking bulb each morning is that an ok height for the basking bulb or still too close?

It is too close for a basking bulb as well --- As he gets older hes going to grow and get burned if not before them -- what is the height of the tank?
With the lamps that close the basking temp must be really hot --- please get a digital probe thermometer to get the temp it should be 105-110 F for him ---- I am going to have some others help w/ the height etc of those bulbs but please you need to do this right away ---
@CooperDragon

 

[CooperDragon]

It sounds like your temperatures are correct, but I agree that the heat lights might be a bit too close. The CHE looks to be only a few cm above the branch. Since those can get VERY hot on the surface, I recommend keeping them well out of reach, as others have mentioned. I usually try to keep the basking lights at least 12''/30cm above the main basking area so they are well out of reach. To do this, you may need to drill a hole in the top and use a fixture on an adjustable stand or build something to hold the light socket higher up so the heat emitter is further up if possible. The alternative would be to use lower branches or to replace the enclosure with something that has more overhead space.

 

[Puffybeardie]

It is too close for a basking bulb as well --- As he gets older hes going to grow and get burned if not before them -- what is the height of the tank?
With the lamps that close the basking temp must be really hot --- please get a digital probe thermometer to get the temp it should be 105-110 F for him ---- I am going to have some others help w/ the height etc of those bulbs but please you need to do this right away ---
@CooperDragon

Yes I did think when she was older she would need a higher tank. It’s about 40cm high. I have a digital probe and thermostat dimmer so it doesn’t go above the 110. But I’ll lower the branch and try raise the light. Thanks for your replies