so I've had my beardie for about a month and a half and its only shed its skin once and hasn't seemed to have gotten bigger...should I be worried? Every has told me how fast beardies grow when they're young and that they shed like crazy...Mine eats and drinks everyday and has the proper set up in its tank so idk what I am doing wrong.
baby beardie not shedding
- Thread starter lkw321
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Hi. Can you give a run down of hi set up? Ans how often do you feed him? Do you dust his feeders with calcium and vitamins?
He has a 20 gal tank...reptisun 10.0 uvb, basking light (100w bulb) stays around 100-110 degrees, cold side stays around 85-90...I turn his light on in the mornings( usually 10) and let him warm up for about an hour, then feed him crickets or worms (if I have them), he'll usually eat like 5 while I'm getting dressed and then I go to school until 3:30...I feed him first thing when I get home (crickets and worms) I just throw a few in there and let him hunt for a few minutes and then throw a few more in after he finishes..he eats different amounts, sometimes a lot (10), sometimes one or two..then I let him bask and digest for a few hours after he stops hunting. Around 6, I'll throw some more food in his tank til he stops eating and any time after 8 he gets too sleepy to eat so I just let him bask/nap til his bedtime at 10 and turn off his lights
I feed his crickets the orange cubes and spray his worms with calcium spray before feeding them to him...I haven't used calcium powder for the crickets. Also, he won't eat veggies or fruit..only stuff that moves and gets his attention.
I feed his crickets the orange cubes and spray his worms with calcium spray before feeding them to him...I haven't used calcium powder for the crickets. Also, he won't eat veggies or fruit..only stuff that moves and gets his attention.
How are you taking the temperatures? 100 watt for a 20 gallon seems like a lot. Is your uvb a coil/compact or tube? Are you using any colored bulbs? If the worms your feeding are meal worms dont. They cause impaction and are hard for them to digest.
I use a temp gun that I bought from petsmart. What size watt would you recommend? I use tube, not coil and I do not use colored light. I only feed him mealworms as like snacks, I've only fed them to him twice...But his poops are very regular. What are the best worms for juveniles?
Good worms are Phoenix/repti worms, butter worms, horn worms and silk worms.
How often do you use calcium and vitamins? Is your uvb a coil/compact or tube? How close can he get to it? Is there anything between the light and him? Like plastic or screen?
I finally got the recommended calcium dust the other day and all his crickets were dusted. Before, I would just spray his food with calcium spray a few times a week. The crickets always have they're orange cubes, everyday.
I use tube, not coil lighting. The fixture is probably around 8-10 inches away from him and sits on tope of a screen. However, I am getting a new fixture and stuff to hang it inside the tank tomorrow from walmart.
I'm hoping the extra calcium and new lighting fixture will make a significant difference in his appetite and growth!
I use tube, not coil lighting. The fixture is probably around 8-10 inches away from him and sits on tope of a screen. However, I am getting a new fixture and stuff to hang it inside the tank tomorrow from walmart.
I'm hoping the extra calcium and new lighting fixture will make a significant difference in his appetite and growth!
Oh good. It sounds like after you get the uvb set up everything will be spot on. Good luck with him and let us know how he does. 
The UV tube should be about 6-8 inches away from him while he's basking.
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Wattage of the basking light doesn't really matter, just the actual temp. When folks say that 100 watts is too much for a 20 gallon, that's just because typically it doesn't take 100 watts to get to a proper temp. If your environment is especially cold though, it might...just be sure to measure his basking temps with a probe thermometer or an IR temp gun and adjust accordingly (lower wattage or move lamp further away or dim lamp).
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As for growth/shedding - are you keeping a log of his length and weight on a regular basis (weekly is good enough)? Some beardies seem to grow in spurts...get bigger, put on weight, get bigger, put on weight, etc. Others seem to do both at the same time. Watching them on a day to day basis without recording the real numbers can sometimes be deceiving.
Make sure he's kept well hydrated by getting regular (daily or every other day) short baths.
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Start planning now for a bigger cage. You're going to need at least a 40 breeder sized tank (36" x 18" x 18") soon.
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Wattage of the basking light doesn't really matter, just the actual temp. When folks say that 100 watts is too much for a 20 gallon, that's just because typically it doesn't take 100 watts to get to a proper temp. If your environment is especially cold though, it might...just be sure to measure his basking temps with a probe thermometer or an IR temp gun and adjust accordingly (lower wattage or move lamp further away or dim lamp).
--
As for growth/shedding - are you keeping a log of his length and weight on a regular basis (weekly is good enough)? Some beardies seem to grow in spurts...get bigger, put on weight, get bigger, put on weight, etc. Others seem to do both at the same time. Watching them on a day to day basis without recording the real numbers can sometimes be deceiving.
Make sure he's kept well hydrated by getting regular (daily or every other day) short baths.
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Start planning now for a bigger cage. You're going to need at least a 40 breeder sized tank (36" x 18" x 18") soon.
Thanks, That's very helpful!
I switched to a 50 watt bulb a few days ago and he seems to be doing better. Also, I try to give him baths everyday. I have a UVB bulb, but when I mount it in the tank it just seems too close because of the hood, I guess...so I need to go somewhere a get a fixture without a hood.
I'm guessing that he's just a slow grower. However, I haven't been measuring him or weighing him so he's probably grown a bit without me noticing lol
I switched to a 50 watt bulb a few days ago and he seems to be doing better. Also, I try to give him baths everyday. I have a UVB bulb, but when I mount it in the tank it just seems too close because of the hood, I guess...so I need to go somewhere a get a fixture without a hood.
I'm guessing that he's just a slow grower. However, I haven't been measuring him or weighing him so he's probably grown a bit without me noticing lol
Cheap fixtures can be bought from Wal-Mart.
They are sold as "under cabinet" fixtures, made by Lights of America,
and usually in with the other florescent bulbs. They cost about $10.00
Remove and throw away the plastic light diffuser (blocks UV), swap out
the normal florescent bulb it comes with for your UV bulb, and you're good to go.
That model of light fixture will also fit almost perfectly into a set of large 3M command hooks and makes it easy to mount inside the cage.
They are sold as "under cabinet" fixtures, made by Lights of America,
and usually in with the other florescent bulbs. They cost about $10.00
Remove and throw away the plastic light diffuser (blocks UV), swap out
the normal florescent bulb it comes with for your UV bulb, and you're good to go.
That model of light fixture will also fit almost perfectly into a set of large 3M command hooks and makes it easy to mount inside the cage.
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