Cazic doesn't seem to happy...

[miragach]

Hopefully someone can help me out here.
I have posted only a couple of times.
I'm baffled.

Everytime Cazic is in his tank, he turns himself super dark. Almost black without a flared beard. Stress marks on his tummy and down his sides. Altho I just changed out his substrate a couple days ago this issue has been happening for almost as long as I have had him (about a month)
The last couple days he hasn't really had an appetite at all... instead of 15-20 crickets for dinner... we are lucky to get him to eat 5.

He has a 40gal breeder tank.
I have checked the temps. His basking spot is 103.5 cool side is 79.
We just replaced his crushed walnut with rough tiles.
He has a ReptiSun 10.0 tube and a 100w basking light that he can get to about 8 inches below.
He gets gutloaded crickets in the evening that are dusted 3x a week and salad that includes: collard greens, mustard greens, parsley and sometimes the following: carrots, butternut squash, zucchini, bell peppers, green beans and sugar snap peas (some days it's just greens sometimes we throw in a few goodies)
He has had normal poops since we got him.
His activity level is nil in his tank as he refuses to get off his branch but when we take him out to play he is very active and curious and silly. And his color perks up instantly.
He gets a bath everyday because he seems to enjoy a 5-10 minute soak (perks his color up right away and he just sits there til the temp of the water drops a couple degrees at which point he jumps out onto my arm)

We are unsure of his age. I was told he was 6 months but that was from someone keeping him in a 20 gal tank with no UVB and feeding him only mealworms.
He is about 20ish inches long (we haven't been to a vet yet)

Any ideas why he hates his tank? or what might be making him unhappy/uncomfortable in there?
Am I freaking out over a beardie that has me whipped to run and hold him when he looks unhappy?


Any advice is helpful!

Thanks
~Meara and Cazic~

 

[miragach]

No one has any ideas?

I'm completely stumped as to how to get him to relax in his tank.

 

[Ethelia]

Hello there,
Im sorry your little one is causing you concern.

As your set up seems great, I personally wouldnt worry, as a month is not a long time in terms of relocation stress for rescues.

When I brought Ruben home (juvie rescue) he spent the first month constantly bearding when he was inside his viv, and happy as larry when he was outside. He would still have stress marks outside his viv but he would be much more active and inquisative.
I came to the realisation that Ruben was threatened and felt the need to mark his territory with his bearding.
Healthy happy dragons can absolutely loathe and resist change, so with rescues you do need to elongate every process. From feeling secure, to regular digestion and bonding.
After we'd got past the month mark Ruben went from bearding 90% of the time to about 40% of the time, and it got less and less frequent.
I believe that Ruben felt he was in a new scary unfamiliar place and felt as though he had to prove his dominance.
Coming up to 3 months in Ruben now only beards for affect (to get my attention) and very rarely shows stress marks in his viv anymore.

There are a few things you can do to ease his "big boy" phase.
Is your little guy happy with you yet? I mean does he sit/climb on you without bearding or scurrying away yet?

Holly

 

[miragach]

Thanks for the advice ... Glad to know it's not something that I'm doing wrong.
Cazic loves being held by me and even snuggles up under my chin every chance he gets. He seems to prefer me over my BF and only wants to scamper away from him.
He never shows stress marks outside his tank which is why I thought it could be something to do with his set up. I have spent so many hours this last month on this site to make sure I do everything I can right for him.

He has had a lack of appetite the last couple days tho which worries me. He was chowing down the crickets and now seems disinterested in them. I ordered him some phoenix worms so hopefully he will enjoy those when they get here.

Maybe he is only dark when he knows I will take him out and soothe him LOL

 

[Ethelia]

Hi there,

Its a good sign he's bonding with you so quickly.
It may therefore help him if you introduce your scent into his viv. All you need to do is wear an old tshirt for a few hours and then place it in his viv.
He'll hopefully start to settle and feel more secure with your familiar scent.

Holly

 

[miragach]

The little stinker....
I come home and he is jet black thru his whole body... causing me once again to rush for the thermometer(which temps were jsut as steady as always)...and get him to the bath.
No sooner then I pick him up and his black goes away....
Put him back in tank to warm up for dinner and he goes black again... but when dinner is served all is well again. And because I was panicky over his lack of interest in food for 2 days ... today he eats a ton.
I'm starting to think he prefers the dusted crickets honestly. But if we dust his salad he won't touch it.

I think he has me wrapped around his cute little tail...

He turns black and I come running to see what I can do to make it better...


~Meara - The Slave To Cazic~

 

[Grommet]

you beaded dragon slave you!!! he he he.... sounds like you are doing everything right, but SOMEBODY knows just how to work "the system" to get everything spoiled babies deserve. nice.

One thing I've noticed about Grommet is that if the light is pointed at her tank in such a way, her reflection makes her upset. She's a bit touchy that way. I hung up bamboo placemats inside her tank and that seems to have solved the problem. Grommet will go for a couple of days with only picking at her food and then she wolfs it all down. I worry about how low her belly swings to the ground on her big eating days :roll:

Oh, and yes, when I adopted Grommet as a six year old, it took her MONTHS to get used to me and her new view! Switching her from recycled newspaper pulp to tile was..... interesting. But she got over it and is happy as a clam now! Don't worry too much, or do worry, 'cause that means more snuggle time! Woohoo!

 

[miragach]

We have figure out why Cazic's been so unhappy in his home. It was infact a reflection issue...
Since I covered the sides and back to cut down the reflections he has be happy as a clam...
Thanks for the advice guys!

Oh and Just as I got this tank set up.... we got this monster of a viv brought over today... I made a post in the enclosures about it and could use some more advice...

My boyfriend thinks I spend too much time on this site... thinks I'm obsessed now....



~Meara The Slave To Cazic~