So I'm a new Bearded Dragon owner. On 3/9, at roughly 4pm, I picked up my first beardie from PetSmart and brought it (don't know the gender, and have yet to name it,) home.
For tank setup and lighting info, I have the following:
Exo Terra 90x45x45 40gal tank
Zoo Med Mini Combo Deep Dome Lamp Fixture
Zoo Med PowerSun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp 100 Watts
Zoo Med Nightlight Reptile Bulb 60w Red
Reptile Carpet
Lamp fixture is set up on the right side of the tank, above the basking platform.
Basking spot temps: 95-100
Floor temps near basking spot: 85 normally
Left side temps: 75-80
I have baby crickets to feed it, and keep baby-bite-sized collard greens and butternut squash availible to it in it's cage.
From head to tail, beardie is about 5 inches. Not sure how many weeks, but PetSmart said they had gotten them in just before I picked it up. Worth mentioning, it had it's eyes closed in their tank, and did not seem very energetic.
Day 1: I bring my beardie home and let it relax and explore the viv. At one point, I caught it trying to climb the wall. I find that the beardie frequently has it's eyes closed. After a couple hours, I put it in a bin I set up for it's feeding. Offered it live baby crickets, but it would not eat. I put it back in it's tank for the night. I turn it's nightlight off after about an hour, as a beardie owner friend of mine tells me it's not necessary since my house never drops below 70. Tank's temperatures were fine.
Day 2: Let it relax in it's viv for about 2 hours in the morning. It does not move from when the light came on to this point, which is where it was sleeping. Eyes are closed almost the entire time. Put it in it's bin with the crickets again. It will slowly walk over to them, as if it's about to strike, but then they run away and the beardie does not follow after them to try again. I mist it a bit but it does not seem to eat. I put it back in it's viv under it's basking spot. It does not move from there for the rest of the day, until it's nightlight comes on, and it climbs off it's basking spot.
Day 3: Same start as previous day, slow in the morning and does not climb up to it's basking spot, eyes frequently closed. Same behavior in it's feeding bin. Will stalk but not eat baby crickets. I give it a bath in a very shallow dish, only up to it's elbows, for about 10 mins. I take it out and put it back in it's viv. It begins to flick it's head at me. Then stays in the same spot for the rest of the day with it's eyes mostly closed.
Day 4: (Today) Same as previous days, I wait about 2 hours and try and feed it. This time, when I put it in it's feeding place, it doesn't move at all, and just flicks it's head a bunch. I put it back in it's viv and it's been on it's basking spot (where I put it) all day since, with it's eyes frequently closed.
I'm worried about my beardie. Any help as to what may be wrong with it not eating or willingly drinking or hardly moving or why it's keeping it's eyes shut so frequently would be greatly appreciated.
For tank setup and lighting info, I have the following:
Exo Terra 90x45x45 40gal tank
Zoo Med Mini Combo Deep Dome Lamp Fixture
Zoo Med PowerSun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp 100 Watts
Zoo Med Nightlight Reptile Bulb 60w Red
Reptile Carpet
Lamp fixture is set up on the right side of the tank, above the basking platform.
Basking spot temps: 95-100
Floor temps near basking spot: 85 normally
Left side temps: 75-80
I have baby crickets to feed it, and keep baby-bite-sized collard greens and butternut squash availible to it in it's cage.
From head to tail, beardie is about 5 inches. Not sure how many weeks, but PetSmart said they had gotten them in just before I picked it up. Worth mentioning, it had it's eyes closed in their tank, and did not seem very energetic.
Day 1: I bring my beardie home and let it relax and explore the viv. At one point, I caught it trying to climb the wall. I find that the beardie frequently has it's eyes closed. After a couple hours, I put it in a bin I set up for it's feeding. Offered it live baby crickets, but it would not eat. I put it back in it's tank for the night. I turn it's nightlight off after about an hour, as a beardie owner friend of mine tells me it's not necessary since my house never drops below 70. Tank's temperatures were fine.
Day 2: Let it relax in it's viv for about 2 hours in the morning. It does not move from when the light came on to this point, which is where it was sleeping. Eyes are closed almost the entire time. Put it in it's bin with the crickets again. It will slowly walk over to them, as if it's about to strike, but then they run away and the beardie does not follow after them to try again. I mist it a bit but it does not seem to eat. I put it back in it's viv under it's basking spot. It does not move from there for the rest of the day, until it's nightlight comes on, and it climbs off it's basking spot.
Day 3: Same start as previous day, slow in the morning and does not climb up to it's basking spot, eyes frequently closed. Same behavior in it's feeding bin. Will stalk but not eat baby crickets. I give it a bath in a very shallow dish, only up to it's elbows, for about 10 mins. I take it out and put it back in it's viv. It begins to flick it's head at me. Then stays in the same spot for the rest of the day with it's eyes mostly closed.
Day 4: (Today) Same as previous days, I wait about 2 hours and try and feed it. This time, when I put it in it's feeding place, it doesn't move at all, and just flicks it's head a bunch. I put it back in it's viv and it's been on it's basking spot (where I put it) all day since, with it's eyes frequently closed.
I'm worried about my beardie. Any help as to what may be wrong with it not eating or willingly drinking or hardly moving or why it's keeping it's eyes shut so frequently would be greatly appreciated.
I think the mvb is too close. They need to be about 18 inches a way. Second get rid of that red light. Those are junk. Unless your house gets below 65 no heat source is needed. If it gets colder then a ceramic heat emitter is what you need. Those colored bulbs disturbs their sleep. They also like to cool down at night.
