Beardie food confusion

[IBLopez33]

Hello, so even for as long as i've had my beardie the whole feeding thing is still fuzzy to me. He's about 4/5 months old and about 8 inches long snout to tail. He eats mealworms like a pro (though i know there not the best due to risk of liver disease and impaction) but his size and day to day habbits say otherwise - bright color, non lethargic, big body, just all around active and normal bathroom habits. He gets a treat of a wax worm or two but i've heard to be careful due to high fat content and that there highly addictive, i've tried to introduce fruit and veggies but he has no interest. I try to stray away from crickets because its just a project to keep them alive, feed them to the beardie and to keep them from escaping at time of feeding. Any advice and tips?

 

[Rankins]

You really can't judge the health of a reptile just by looking at it. Reptiles are very stoic and can appear healthy even if they are not. Its like looking at a person and guessing their cholesterol level based on how they look.
Wax worms, mealworms, and superworms should only be given as occasional treats. Roaches, crickets, and veggies are my main food choices for mine. I have many thousands of roaches, so I rarely ever give crickets. I never give mine superworms, mealworms, or waxworms. I would rather give something healthier....

 

[diamc]

As Rankins mentioned, roaches and crickets are good feeders. Silkworms and phoenix worms would be great too. Mealworms have a hard chitin shell and because of that, they are an impaction risk.
How many feeders are you giving him daily? A 4 month old is growing rapidly so he needs a LOT of feeders. What greens/veggies does he like?

I noticed on one of your other threads that you are using a 150 watt basking bulb in a 20 gallon tank. That is a lot of wattage for such a small tank. Could you fill us in on the type of thermometer you're using?

Have you been able to replace the compact UVB with a strip fluorescent tube? That would really help him to be able to absorb his calcium sufficiently and will affect his bone growth immensely which is very important.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hello, so even for as long as i've had my beardie the whole feeding thing is still fuzzy to me. He's about 4/5 months old and about 8 inches long snout to tail. He eats mealworms like a pro (though i know there not the best due to risk of liver disease and impaction) but his size and day to day habbits say otherwise <<< cut the mealworms out of his diet completely, they are an extremely bad food choice for a beardie of any age , best only ever a very rare treat . If you must give him worms give him medium or small sized silkworms (these are an excellent staple feeder insect) - bright color, non lethargic, big body, just all around active and normal bathroom habits. He gets a treat of a wax worm or two but i've heard to be careful due to high fat content and that there highly addictive, i've tried to introduce fruit and veggies but he has no interest. I try to stray away from crickets because its just a project to keep them alive,<<<< crickets are easy to look after and a very good feeder insect, I feed mine fresh carrot chunks, buk or puk choy greens and dry Repcal Adult Beardie Pellets (about 8 per 60 crickets) as needed. Don't over crowd the crickets - I keep mine in 1.5L commercial cricket tubs that I recycle after cleaning them thoroughly).
feed them to the beardie and to keep them from escaping at time of feeding. <<<< I empty the cricket tub (60 crickets per tub) into a 30L tub and use a BugBlaster vacuum to collect the crickets and transfer to the dusting bottle. Any advice and tips?

At his age , two live insect meals per day + offer fresh greens daily.

Recommend d/n cycle = 16hr on for lights per day.

The 150W globe is way too powerful for such a small tank.

 

[IBLopez33]

Any info on silkworms? I heard that they basically will evolve into a moth. I use the 150 watt yes, though since you say its too intense for his tank i have a 100 W basking bulb if that sounds better. Currently i'm struggling trying to get him to eat veggies and fruits, has no interest. I went to a local pet store yesterday and all they had was a cricket lunch box (40 crickets), 'mealworms, and wax worms. His worms are dusted in calcium powder and yes i got rid of the old UVB bulb. His thermometer is an average petco brand thermo.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Any info on silkworms? I heard that they basically will evolve into a moth. I use the 150 watt yes, though since you say its too intense for his tank i have a 100 W basking bulb if that sounds better. <<<< beg , borrow or buy a laser thermometer gun and some digital thermometers and use these to check the basking spot and zone temperatures , Currently i'm struggling trying to get him to eat veggies and fruits, has no interest.<<<< at 4 - 5 months old , vegs are a bonus, so don't sweat on his eating them, keep offering fresh daily though. I went to a local pet store yesterday and all they had was a cricket lunch box (40 crickets), .'mealworms, and wax worms.<<<< cut the mealworms and wax worms from his diet - they are essentially junk food for lizards His worms are dusted in calcium powder and yes i got rid of the old UVB bulb. His thermometer is an average petco brand thermo.

show us a picture of the set up and the thermometer (not familiar with the Petco brand).

This looks like the laser thermometer I use http://www.dshop.com.au/buy/infrared-non-contact-thermometer-with-laser-aimpoi/GM300?gclid=CjwKEAiAqJjDBRCG5KK6hq_juDwSJABRm03hpbs5fHB8RZlQ1oB178cJ1Ptl4olkVJt8YnubbOeiuhoCXK_w_wcB mine has a spot 18:1
and I've 3 to 4 of these per tank too http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-New-Temperature-Compact-LCD-Thermometer-with-Outdoor-Wired-Remote-Sensor-/132012981283

Plenty of information about silkworms here viewtopic.php?f=76&t=222193&p=1759918&hilit=silkworms#p1759918