LadyofDragons":39bzfabm said:
kingofnobbys":39bzfabm said:
What is the UV source ? If is not at least a 10% UVB it is totally inadequate.
The bulb or tube MUST produce 30% UVA at least ====> necessary to produce a very good apetite and have an active hatchling.
The bulb or tube MUST produce 10% UVB at least ====> ESSENTIAL to produce ADEQUATE vitD and to assist metabolisation of dietary Ca.
The hatchling needs to able to get close enough to the UV source to experience an UVI at least 14 , extreme UV as this is what they have evolved to live in and need.
If you have a red or coloured globe -- ditch it , it's worthless for a beardie.
How long are the lights on and heat each day ?
Highly recommend 15 - 16 hours per day lights and heat on , this will provide hatchling ample time to be warm enough to digest and metabolise it's food and to soak up sufficient UVA and UVB.
What does her feeding schedule look like ? When and what ?
Dried insects are not adequate, they loose nutrients as well moisture and are at best an backup ONLY. You little hatchling NEEDS at least two feeds of live insects per day to be healthy and grow strongly.
ONLY worms I recommend for a young beardie small (1") silkworms or calci-worms (Black Soldier Fly maggots aka phoenix worms).
I recommend calcium enriched by being gutloaded (with buk or puk choi and repcal adult beardie pellets and carrot) and dusted 25 day old / small / 10mm long crickets and silkworms as staple feeders.
I have a 10.0 reptisun bulb in there. All heating and lighting stays on from 7:45 until 10 or 11 when I go to bed. I try live bugs at least twice a day (morning and night) and like I said she isn't interested. I told you also she gets a calcium supplement everyday with her greens. She drinks water everyday as well. I will not take her dried insects away because currently it's all she's interested in eating. Please mind you this is not my first beardie.
I'd be persistent and even force feed her bugs to her by hand :
==crickets are easy ; hopper leg off , squeeze out some cricket juices by squeezing the body, thick end of the leg goes between the side of the lips , the beardie will chew this and eat it and then while chewing gently place the partly squeezed cricket against the side of the lips so some go stays there , more than likely the beardie will eat the cricket once it gets a taste of the guts.
==silkworms (place the worm firmly against the front of the lips and with your fingers apply a little gentle but firm pressure until the mouth opens enough to push some worm in.
==plastic coated playing card technique = fold the card in half (across the long axis) cut a hole in the middle of the fold, slip the card inbetween the beardie's lips and jaws and use the card to open it's mouth enough to push a bug in , remove the card when the bug in mouth , chew chew , down the hatch , repeat.
Other option is Rapesshy bug pie or home made mashed bugs mixed with something the beardie does like as a slurry given by feeding needle.
