Bearded dragon underweight?? Please help.

[Greeniebeanie]

Hello all hope you are well in your homes.
Lately I’ve been wondering wether my beardie is at the right weight and health. I got her from a baby at my local shop and she is about a year and three months old, She’s 160g And she is 37cm long which. I’ve always thought that she was sadly on the small side and stunted because she had some confusion when it came to brumating for the first time. She slept for about 6 months as such a small juvenile. I luckily put a stop to this by broadening the time she has awake and also encouraging food more often when I could. now she isn’t very keen on her greens and doesn’t eat them often. I try all the time and have not been able to do it so any tips that would work would be greatly appreciated. She eats about 10 crickets a day and loves Dubai’s and Morios. She seems healthy but she sometimes sleeps through the day and night which is concerning. I really hope you guys don’t tell me she has a life threatening disease or something thanks.

 

[Greeniebeanie]

 

[KarrieRee]

Yes please post pics of the tank and lighting and her--- baby dragons do not brumate ---
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box then click on the pic it should post let page refresh check to see if your pic posted
Please give us details of the lighting UVB brand and bulb coil or tube and where in the tank--
Basking temps what are they and how are you taking them NO stick ons they are inaccurate
Karrie

 

[Greeniebeanie]

She has a long UV bulb along the top, a 100W heat bulb that tends to be on the slightly cool side (even if new) but that could just be the inaccurate thermometer?! Her basking spot is 36 C (96.8 F) which was measured with a laser thermometer and same for the cool side which is about 30 C (86 F). Also I must not that whilst writing this she has crawled into her cave and is now sleeping which is a prominent problem with her. In the south east of the UK it’s only 22 C (71 F) though she can see out the window and there is an overcast. Thank you for your help and I would love it if you could continue to support me

 

[Greeniebeanie]

Yes please post pics of the tank and lighting and her--- baby dragons do not brumate ---
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box then click on the pic it should post let page refresh check to see if your pic posted
Please give us details of the lighting UVB brand and bulb coil or tube and where in the tank--
Basking temps what are they and how are you taking them NO stick ons they are inaccurate
Karrie

She wasn’t even a baby she was about 8-11 months old ?

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok you need to tell me what the UVB is brand and bulb-- the bulb makes a difference for where it should be inside the tank or on top and distance as well --- the basking temp needs to be 95-110 F --- I would recommend you pick up a digital probe thermometer --- She should be basking for at least 4 hrs per day ---- naps are ok but not constantly --- she needs to be able to get directly under that UVB --- but I need to know what it is for brand and bulb T 5 or T 8 it will tell you on the bulb itself also there should be a reflector on that fixture as well --- even her being 8-11 months old she shouldnt be brumating unless she is really big for her age --- to me she looks too little to brumate -- is she eating ? is she hydrated? what are you feeding her?
Karrie

 

[Greeniebeanie]

Hi the basking bulb is a brand new pro rep 100w es bulb and the bulb along the top is an Arcadia 90cm/36inch desert 30 watt 10%+ UVB and I can’t tell if it is a t5 or a t8 it doesn’t say.

She eats crickets and dubias mostly and she WILL NOT eat her greens. I have tried and I eventually have to tease her and then trick her to eat it but sometimes she’s smarter than me, you get the picture! She I bathed most weeks and doesn’t drink lots of water. I have a wide water bowl for her which she sometimes sits in but doesn’t drink from it so I have to put drips on her head and she’ll drink it that way.

If there is anything else you would like me to say I would love to and thank you! ??

EDIT: she doesn’t eat a ton and sometimes refuses even when she is warm and running about.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok I am thinking the UVB is a T 5 -- how old is it? Its good for a year but I would change it out around 11 months -- and when you do I would get a 12% bulb - she needs to be able to sit directly under it approx 8-10 inches and from the pictures she cannot do that or not at least that I can see -- I see her sitting on the log does she bask on the rock directly below the basking light? were gonna talk about salads but we need for her to quit sleeping so much -- how many hrs per day is she basking ?
Karrie

 

[Greeniebeanie]

Ok I am thinking the UVB is a T 5 -- how old is it? Its good for a year but I would change it out around 11 months -- and when you do I would get a 12% bulb - she needs to be able to sit directly under it approx 8-10 inches and from the pictures she cannot do that or not at least that I can see -- I see her sitting on the log does she bask on the rock directly below the basking light? were gonna talk about salads but we need for her to quit sleeping so much -- how many hrs per day is she basking ?
Karrie

The UVB isn’t that is about six or so months old and I was told that they go bad at six months. What do you mean by “she has to sit directly under it approx 8-10 inches”. She doesn’t really bask under the light but instead on the ledge at the top of the back which you can see in the picture and she doesn’t really bask on the rock below that much. I put her there to feed because I have raised her to be hand fed which I’m okay with.

The sleeping problem:
She does this as much as she can and I mostly stop her from doing this as she could not digest food properly or even get enough time under the basking bulb. Sometimes she’ll run about in the viv and in my room all day and then go to sleep at normal time. But in the morning when the lights go on she will crawl to the cave ( she doesn’t sleep in it at night only if she had been sleeping in the day) and sleep for as much as she wants. I mostly pull her and and put her below the basking light but other times she will be there and then run back to the cave and the process repeats again ?.

 

[Greeniebeanie]

Hi his morning I got her out of the cave as she had been sleeping there the evening ( not night!) before. I pulled her out this morning and popped her on the log below the basking bulb. Then whilst writing back to you she snuck back in the cave. Though she sometimes doesn’t even sleep she just sits in there and looks out which is weird. I really want to know why she does this. It’s not like i can just take her to the vets!

 

[KarrieRee]

That is normal --- the sitting in the cave thing- mine does it all the time -- both of them so that is just something they just do --- your UVB will need to be changed out in approx a year if its a T 5 -- if its a T 8 it needs to be changed out in 6 months - you need to look on the bulb itself it will give you brand wattage and if its a T 8 or T 5 - then the distance plays a role as they are different wattages ---- T 5's inside the tank needs to be 12-15 inches from the basking decor - and she needs to be able to sit directly under the bulb - if its a T 8 it needs to be 6-8 inches inside the tank w/ the decor piece directly under it -- if you have it on top of the screen it has to be a T 5 - T8's cannot sit on top of the screen they are not strong enough to go thru the screen and the screen blocks 30% of the UVB rays --- w/ that being said T 5 distance 8-10 inches w/ decor directly underneath -- your basking bulb looks like its a off yellow light -- so I would get a bright white basking bulb we are trying to mimic the sun here and take out the one you have and go from there and see what she does - if nothing changes about her basking and spot you at least will have a back up bulb -- but I am wondering if the rock is getting too hot for her to sit on -- rocks will do that - I would try that -- see if her behavior does not change --
Karrie

 

[Greeniebeanie]

That is normal --- the sitting in the cave thing- mine does it all the time -- both of them so that is just something they just do --- your UVB will need to be changed out in approx a year if its a T 5 -- if its a T 8 it needs to be changed out in 6 months - you need to look on the bulb itself it will give you brand wattage and if its a T 8 or T 5 - then the distance plays a role as they are different wattages ---- T 5's inside the tank needs to be 12-15 inches from the basking decor - and she needs to be able to sit directly under the bulb - if its a T 8 it needs to be 6-8 inches inside the tank w/ the decor piece directly under it -- if you have it on top of the screen it has to be a T 5 - T8's cannot sit on top of the screen they are not strong enough to go thru the screen and the screen blocks 30% of the UVB rays --- w/ that being said T 5 distance 8-10 inches w/ decor directly underneath -- your basking bulb looks like its a off yellow light -- so I would get a bright white basking bulb we are trying to mimic the sun here and take out the one you have and go from there and see what she does - if nothing changes about her basking and spot you at least will have a back up bulb -- but I am wondering if the rock is getting too hot for her to sit on -- rocks will do that - I would try that -- see if her behavior does not change --
Karrie

First of all, thank you so much for responding and helping me with my concerns and questions it means a lot. I live in the UK and because it’s cold-ish our vivariums are different for reptiles. They aren’t made of glass and are made of wood and the only part that is clear is the sliding glass doors. This means that you can’t put the bulbs on the top of the viv. Instead they have to be screwed into the top. I think that it is a t8 because I have to change it every 6 months or it’s just a light. I’m not even sure what the difference is! She doesn’t sit on that rock to bask, it where I put here to feed. Also i felt it and it doesn’t get hot at all, it’s only a little warm. Thanks
Monty

 

[KarrieRee]

The UVB has no reflector on it??? Your dragon either needs a reflector on the fixture or you need to move the fixture 4-6 inches DIRECTLY above her-- I would suggest finding a fixture w/ a reflector or buying one --- I see more people from the UK having more issues w/ the dragons because who ever is building these tanks are not putting fixtures in the tanks w/ a reflector-- a reflector maximizes the UVB rays--- please adjust accordingly so your dragon gets the proper UVB he/ she needs -- and please update me on what you decide --
Karrie

 

[Greeniebeanie]

The UVB has no reflector on it??? Your dragon either needs a reflector on the fixture or you need to move the fixture 4-6 inches DIRECTLY above her-- I would suggest finding a fixture w/ a reflector or buying one --- I see more people from the UK having more issues w/ the dragons because who ever is building these tanks are not putting fixtures in the tanks w/ a reflector-- a reflector maximizes the UVB rays--- please adjust accordingly so your dragon gets the proper UVB he/ she needs -- and please update me on what you decide --
Karrie

Hi Karrie thank you I think I will get a reflector so that she can get better rays and maintain her health. Do you recommend one?
Monty

 

[KarrieRee]

I can but unfortunately the website I have is for the US-- I would try googling and see if you can find a place in the UK for reflectors --- Arcadia is the one that has them and the UK has Arcadia there so I would start there and see if you can find one -- I will give the website I have so you can look to see what they look like and go from there
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/miscellaneous-accessories/arcadia-flourescent-lamp-reflectors-new-hot/
Karrie