Black beard when I’m gone or not feeding him

[sparrowstune]

Hello,

Call me crazy but I love my beardie and have a pet cam so I can see em when I’m away.

My beardie often basks in his light and has a dark beard. Not super dark, but you can tell it’s darker. When I come home and talk to him, pick him up, or feed him his colors get bright and normal looking and his stress lines go away. But after a couple minutes of putting him back, he goes back to dark. I can even take him out for a hour and hold him and his colors will be “happy” / light colors.

I posted another post and kinda included this question but I didn’t go into details and it wasn’t the main subject.

He never drinks water, he hates the bath, and won’t drink even if I put a drop on his nose.

Beardie;
Age 7-8 months old. Have had him for 2 months. Has always had a kink in his tail that is a touch darker than the rest of the tail.

Tank specs;
Basking with a MVB temp 105-110. (Ordering a T5 10.0) Have a cool spot in the tank but he never goes anywhere else unless he sleeps. Humidity ranges from 30-36. Cool side of tank at 70 degrees. I use a ceramic bulb at night for one side of the tank.

Diet;
Collard greens sprayed with water every day, and small Dubai roches twice a day dusted with d3 calcium and every other day vitimins.

 

[CooperDragon]

The darkening is likely him trying to bask and darkening his colors helps him absorb more light and heat. When he isn't basking his colors lighten and return to normal. This can also be considered happy and content. They don't have to drink water. They will get a lot of their hydration directly from food so as long as the bugs are well fed on fresh veges they should pass on the hydration. You can offer extra water by dripping it on his nose but if he doesn't want any that's OK.

 

[sparrowstune]

The darkening is likely him trying to bask and darkening his colors helps him absorb more light and heat. When he isn't basking his colors lighten and return to normal. This can also be considered happy and content. They don't have to drink water. They will get a lot of their hydration directly from food so as long as the bugs are well fed on fresh veges they should pass on the hydration. You can offer extra water by dripping it on his nose but if he doesn't want any that's OK.

Thank you for the reply, I have been trying to hydrate him with water on his veggies and some soaks.

Update - He still is darker all of the time. He gets light when I give him a bath. I got him a t5 10.0, so I am hoping that will help him instead of the MVB. But He has been under it for two days and no change. I got a camera to see what he is doing when i'm away and he is glass surfing and trying to climb out of the tank almost the whole 8-10 hours that I am gone. When I come home, he stops. He seems to calm down if I do my homework in the same room as him. But he still stays dark with stress lines.

I just changed up his tank to ensure I am accommodating his needs for cooling off, a couple hiding spots and a cool area and a branch he can climb on. He seemed to like the branch on the cool side and basked there for a little. But he is just sitting at his basking spot.

Here is what he looks like,

 

[CooperDragon]

He looks healthy. I think it will help to give him some cooler areas and hides. He may just want to be out to roam around during the day. My guy is like that too and I also check in on him from a webcam. He's often glass surfing and trying to get out so he gets to free roam the house when I'm home.