Beardie eating prob

[jc555]

Hello, I have a bearded dragon about 2 months old (1 month with me), for the sake of me having to call him/her a him/her everytime im going to relate to my beardie as him for now, he basically isnt eating the most, he eats very inconsistently and i dont think thats typically normal for a baby beardie, for the past week or two hes been eating when he wants not all the time and inconsistently while before that hed eat as fast as he could he does sometimes just not as much. I think its probably one of two problems being that his basking spot may be too warm (109) or hes not eating enough greens (I havent seen him eat them since i got him he ate the first day), i have a mercury vapor power sun UV 100W about 6-9 inches away from his basking spot let me know what you guys think thanks.Additional info ive noticied about him, he basks almost all day barely moves but surely does, spreads two hind legs when doing so, darkens up when basking and stress marks become visible, he also closes his eyes while basking sometimes. Hes in a 20g, the bottom pic is him basking now.

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He is tiny for sure, very cute!
It isn't uncommon for the youngsters that age, not to eat too many greens right now. They
mostly want their bugs since they are growing so rapidly.
What are you measure the temperatures with?
I am glad to see that you have the Powersun on a stand so that it doesn't overwhelm him in
a 20 gallon tank. The Powersun is a decent bulb but doesn't put out a lot of UVB. However it
is a great basking light too. What I would recommend is to get a tube bulb also, to use in
combination with the Powersun to ensure it is bright enough in there as well as him getting
plenty of UVB exposure. You could try the T5 high output tube, either the Reptisun or the
Arcadia both of which are good. You will need to get a T5 light fixture. Since his log is fairly
close to the top of the screen, you can mount the T5 tube on top of the screen so it doesn't
get closer than 8-10 inches from him for safety.
How often do you give calcium?
What insects are you giving, are they smaller than the space between the eyes if you are
feeding crickets or roaches?
The smaller tanks do make it more challenging to maintain the proper temperature gradients.
The basking spot can be in a range of 95-110 with the cooler side 78-82. You could get the
tube for more UVB, then move the Powersun up another inch or so in case he might be too
hot possibly.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[jc555]

Thank you for the response, i will reply furthermore to let you know how he is doing, i measure the temps with a all livng things thermometer/humidity probe but im going to try my zoomed one tomorrow to be sure and i have more trust in them. And believe it or not its not a stand its a few clipties mounted into the wall which is gonna be a pain to rise but i definitely think i should do so. Also you say i should get the repti t5 output and describe it a 8-10 inches away which isnt possible as a tube because of the hood fixture is supposed to be in, and you say 8-10 inches away so how would that work? I give calcium 6 times a week. Heres the interesting part my beardie wont eat anything but mealworms, he denies crickets you name it. Very very picky eater its weird because the first two weeks i had it he loved crickets but then hed close his eyes and not eat any and switched to mealworms and perhaps mealworms is what is causing this problem in the first place maybe he just wants crickets again not sure, at first he wouldnt digest them at first and id find huge chunks of mealworms in his feces and on the ground but now he digests them fully, but not as fast currently im figuring out whether he may or may not be impacted from them to see if he is pooping at all just getting back from a week vacation my carer said he was eating like a “champ” so we’ll see. Thanks

 

[jc555]

Hello to anyone still on this forum, i think i may have figured out the problem, my all living things thermometer was reading 109 degrees for basking spot while my zoomed one is now reading about 91-93 range... which one should i trust? And what should i do? Thanks i have determined the only reasons possible he isnt eating is because of basking temp, impaction, or food choice (Meaning he dosent like what i feed), ive eliminated impaction as an option, thanks.

 

[QuinnF]

Most beardies aren’t big veggie fans as baby’s so I wouldn’t worry about that. Try giving your baby a variety So they don’t get bored of the same food. Dubia roaches horn worms and crickets are excellent staples

 

[jc555]

Ok thanks.

 

[QuinnF]

Oh I just saw the post about temps. Any analog thermometers can vary by up to 20° and shouldn’t be trusted. If it is analog it should be better although a temp gun is the best.

 

[jc555]

ok thanks

 

[QuinnF]

IF it’s digital it should be better*