Brumation question

[agates0523]

So my beardie has been inside his little hut sleeping for the past 3 days and from researching a little but it seems like he’s gone into brumation. Is there anything I need to do for him? Also, is it weird that he’s brumating in August?

 

[AHBD]

No, just check on him from time to time + offer water every 7-10 days if his eyes are open.

Are you sure it's not too hot in the tank ?

 

[agates0523]

No, just check on him from time to time + offer water every 7-10 days if his eyes are open.

Are you sure it's not too hot in the tank ?

It’s definitely not too hot in the tank. It’s 105 in the basking spot and about 80 in the rest of the tank. How long should I expect him to do this for?

 

[AHBD]

They're all different. It might just be a short phase, a week or two but could be longer. How long have you had him, what exact type /brand of bulbs do you have and was he a good eater up until now ?

Can you post pics of the entire tank ?

 

[agates0523]

They're all different. It might just be a short phase, a week or two but could be longer. How long have you had him, what exact type /brand of bulbs do you have and was he a good eater up until now ?

Can you post pics of the entire tank ?

The 3 lights on the right side aren’t on or used at all. I have 2 heaters for winter time in case it does get cold since he lives in the basement. I am not positive on the exact brands of the bulbs. The basking light bulb is a 150 watt basking bulb and the other two are UV bulbs. All bulbs were bought at a local pet shop.

Should I avoid doing anything while he is doing this? (Like handling) he has always been pretty good about eating, it’s been 3 days since he has eaten tho cuz I was afraid to disturb him, should I try taking him out tomorrow and hand feeding him since he hasnt really come out at all?

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[AHBD]

If he's big + healthy I'd leave him be for a week or so, then bring him out for a drink + a meal.
Looking at your set up I think you probably need a stronger uvb bulb. Can you check them to see exactly what they are ? If they're inadequate you'll need to order a new bulb.

You can order a long tube Reptisun 10.0 t5 [ not t8 ] to set on top of the screen with a reflector for better uvb exposure. If a dragon doesn't get enough uvb they can become lethargic so it's very important. Some of the coil /compact bulbs do not produce enough uvb at a distance of more than 10".

 

[agates0523]

If he's big + healthy I'd leave him be for a week or so, then bring him out for a drink + a meal.
Looking at your set up I think you probably need a stronger uvb bulb. Can you check them to see exactly what they are ? If they're inadequate you'll need to order a new bulb.

You can order a long tube Reptisun 10.0 t5 [ not t8 ] to set on top of the screen with a reflector for better uvb exposure. If a dragon doesn't get enough uvb they can become lethargic so it's very important. Some of the coil /compact bulbs do not produce enough uvb at a distance of more than 10".

These are the UVB bulbs that I am using right now. Please let me know f this should be sufficient enough for him. I want to get one of the longer UVB bulbs and run it across the top of the tank but I am trying to avoid that cost for now assuming this is good enough for the time being. The reptisun bulb that I have is a taller bulb that required a deep dome fixture if that makes any difference

 

[AHBD]

If the dragon was able to bask within about 8-10" of both of them he would get a minimal amount of uvb. You'd do much better to get the long tube Reptisun. If you could get him out in the sun for 30-40 minutes a day it will help until you get the better bulb.

 

[agates0523]

If the dragon was able to bask within about 8-10" of both of them he would get a minimal amount of uvb. You'd do much better to get the long tube Reptisun. If you could get him out in the sun for 30-40 minutes a day it will help until you get the better bulb.

So do you think I should get him out of the hut and try to keep him awake and get him outside for a little while? He actually has an outdoor cage as well it’s just been rainy lately so he hasn’t been out there very much. I guess my main question would be, do you think he’s been in the hut mainly due to not enough UVB exposure rather than brumation?

 

[AHBD]

How much time did he spend outside ? If he was outside regularly then he's getting plenty of uvb. It's probably just a phase, nothing to worry about. I've owned dragons since the 90's and they do the same thing, it's part of their make up.

 

[agates0523]

How much time did he spend outside ? If he was outside regularly then he's getting plenty of uvb. It's probably just a phase, nothing to worry about. I've owned dragons since the 90's and they do the same thing, it's part of their make up.

I would let him hang outside in his outside cage (which is a 40 gallon breeder) for at least 2 hours a day but it wasn’t always in direct sunlight tho because it’s on my back deck which is a woods area. Do they need direct sunlight in order to get any UVB? Thank you so much for all of the help. This is my first dragon so I’m a bit new haha

 

[EllenD]

Yes, you absolutely need a better UVB light, those Reptisun don't emit nearly enough UVB for a beardie, and you also have them mounted on top of a mesh lid, and that will block up to 50% of what little UVB light they do emit, pluses your tank is very tall and those T8 bulbs must be inside the tank and within 6-8" of his main basking spot. Plus, the compact bulbs focus the light on one spot, he needs a long tube to go right alongside his bright white basking bulb over top of his basking spot. So he's basically getting no UVB light and this could very well be why he's not active now, it finally caught up to him.

Based on your tank length you need a 24" Reptisun 10.0 (never a 5.0) long tube UVB light and matching fixture. And I'd get the T5 High-Output version rather than the T8 version, based on the size of your tank. The 10.0 T5 High-Output version can sit on top of the mesh (it's strong enough) and can be up to 11" away from his basking spot as long as it's right alongside the bright white basking bulb. The T5 High-Output also only needs replaced once a year. The cheaper T8 must be mounted inside the enclosure and within 6-8" of his basking spot, and replaced every 6 months. Go onto Amazon.com and search "Reptisun 10.0 T5 22"...The T5 22" is actually the 24" equivalent...Then choose the cheapest one, and scroll down to the package deal that adds the 22" florescent fixture that's rated for a T5 tube...I'd get it ASAP so you can figure out if this is the issue or not...A Mercury Vapor Bulb like the MegaRay is option #2.

 

[EllenD]

And just an FYI, UVB light doesn't penetrate glass at all, so sitting him in a window or having light coming through a glass lid, etc. will not provide any UVB light. If he was outside in the sunlight for a few hours and was active, then got lethargic and hid when put back on his tank, then yes, that's your issue most likely. And if he's outside, you want an area in direct sunlight and an area in shade, he'll move as he wants to. But he needs 12-14 hours of UVB light every day in his tank, and he's basically getting none when in his tank now, so I really think that's your issue.

 

[AHBD]

If you hang the Reptisun t8 inside, 8-10" is fine. And that is not the flyscreen type mesh and will only block about 20% uvb, so even on top is fine at that distance.

And please be careful, a glass tank can be dangerous out in the sun. Mottled sun is O.K and will still give decent amount of uvb though. They don't sit in full sun for hours in the wild, it gets too hot + they head for shade/partial shade.