Crazy behavior from adult dragon

[redborzoi]

My male bearded dragon has recently started going insane in his tank from the moment his lights turn on until they turn off. This has been happening in the past week or so and he just turned one year old recently. Some people said this is hormones , or breeding season behavior. All his husbandry is correct. He has a new bioactive enclosure which I’m struggling to upkeep since he tramples plants and destroys the entire thing every single day. I’ve been taking him out for exercise everyday but soon I won’t be able to do this since I will be working and attending classes full time 7am to 8pm. Please help give any suggestions to lessen this behavior. He has hides, gets fed regularly, everything he could want but still glass surfs, runs around his enclosure, rubs his nose against the doors constantly. I am worried about him getting an injury from the constant nose rubbing and he is destroying the doors since they’re made of acrylic. Thanks for any tips.

 

[KarrieRee]

My male bearded dragon has recently started going insane in his tank from the moment his lights turn on until they turn off. This has been happening in the past week or so and he just turned one year old recently. Some people said this is hormones , or breeding season behavior. All his husbandry is correct. He has a new bioactive enclosure which I’m struggling to upkeep since he tramples plants and destroys the entire thing every single day. I’ve been taking him out for exercise everyday but soon I won’t be able to do this since I will be working and attending classes full time 7am to 8pm. Please help give any suggestions to lessen this behavior. He has hides, gets fed regularly, everything he could want but still glass surfs, runs around his enclosure, rubs his nose against the doors constantly. I am worried about him getting an injury from the constant nose rubbing and he is destroying the doors since they’re made of acrylic. Thanks for any tips.

Correct lighting ? Can you please go over it since this is where we always start out w/ first to get it ruled out- how are you taking surface basking temps and what are they? No stick ons please -- what size is the tank ? Usually glass surfing is incorrect temps -- UVB -- the tank is too small --- it can be hormones as someone suggested but breeding season is in the spring and that is when this usually takes place for that -- can he see his reflection in the glass ? Is he black bearding?

 

[redborzoi]

Correct lighting ? Can you please go over it since this is where we always start out w/ first to get it ruled out- how are you taking surface basking temps and what are they? No stick ons please -- what size is the tank ? Usually glass surfing is incorrect temps -- UVB -- the tank is too small --- it can be hormones as someone suggested but breeding season is in the spring and that is when this usually takes place for that -- can he see his reflection in the glass ? Is he black bearding?

T5 HO ZooMed UVB Tube light 36” in hood with reflector, inside of tank. basking bulb is 100 watt, sat on top of the mesh lid. I am taking temps with a temp gun , his usual basking spot is around 100degrees but there are spots he can get hotter if he wishes, cool side is 79-83, ambient humidity stays between 30-40. his tank is 4x2x2 so 48” long - no reflection in the acrylic doors or the sides of the tank. no black beard either, he seems to just want to leave the tank and run around the house. someone also said puberty since he has just reached full grown age and size

 

[KarrieRee]

T5 HO ZooMed UVB Tube light 36” in hood with reflector, inside of tank. basking bulb is 100 watt, sat on top of the mesh lid. I am taking temps with a temp gun , his usual basking spot is around 100degrees but there are spots he can get hotter if he wishes, cool side is 79-83, ambient humidity stays between 30-40. his tank is 4x2x2 so 48” long - no reflection in the acrylic doors or the sides of the tank. no black beard either, he seems to just want to leave the tank and run around the house. someone also said puberty since he has just reached full grown age and size

ok make sure your distance is 12-15 inches w/ the basking decor directly under it for the UVB -- temps sound good I would however get 2 digital probe thermometers for your tank - those are the most accurate and IR guns can be off --- it sounds like puberty -- I would take some things out of the tank if hes destroying the plants etc --- less mess-- is he basking at all ? he can grow till hes 2 -- mine get spring fever in the months of Jan and Feb --- hes 4 and surfs his tank wanting out for about a few weeks to a month - he drives me crazy --

 

[redborzoi]

ok make sure your distance is 12-15 inches w/ the basking decor directly under it for the UVB -- temps sound good I would however get 2 digital probe thermometers for your tank - those are the most accurate and IR guns can be off --- it sounds like puberty -- I would take some things out of the tank if hes destroying the plants etc --- less mess-- is he basking at all ? he can grow till hes 2 -- mine get spring fever in the months of Jan and Feb --- hes 4 and surfs his tank wanting out for about a few weeks to a month - he drives me crazy --

he is still basking when he’s not tearing apart his tank LOL, only issue I have is that the UVB is closer than 12-15 inches to him when he is basking in certain areas and im not sure how to fix that without putting the uvb fixture on top of the mesh- here is a photo of the tank he usually basks on his wood which is fine but when he goes on the fake rock ledges he is too close to the light. i might just have to remove plants until he calms down i think but i’m not sure if there’s anything i can do to help him calm down more besides letting him out for exercise. the glass is in there to capture fungus gnats i only have it in there when he is supervised

 

[KarrieRee]

he is still basking when he’s not tearing apart his tank LOL, only issue I have is that the UVB is closer than 12-15 inches to him when he is basking in certain areas and im not sure how to fix that without putting the uvb fixture on top of the mesh- here is a photo of the tank he usually basks on his wood which is fine but when he goes on the fake rock ledges he is too close to the light. i might just have to remove plants until he calms down i think but i’m not sure if there’s anything i can do to help him calm down more besides letting him out for exercise. the glass is in there to capture fungus gnats i only have it in there when he is supervised

Where does he sit for his uvb rays? Top shelf or second shelf? If he's on the second shelf is he directly under it?

 

[redborzoi]

Where does he sit for his uvb rays? Top shelf or second shelf? If he's on the second shelf is he directly under it?

he sits on his wood in the middle of the tank most of the time, and is not directly under it but is partially under it

 

[KarrieRee]

he sits on his wood in the middle of the tank most of the time, and is not directly under it but is partially under it

What is that distance?

 

[redborzoi]

What is that distance?

i will measure it when i am home but i believe it’s around 12 inches . it’s strange because he has never exhibited this behavior before and the UVB has remained in the same spot throughout his entire residence in that tank, the only things that have changed was making the switch to bioactivity and the decor

 

[KarrieRee]

i will measure it when i am home but i believe it’s around 12 inches . it’s strange because he has never exhibited this behavior before and the UVB has remained in the same spot throughout his entire residence in that tank, the only things that have changed was making the switch to bioactivity and the decor

ok we just need to make sure everything else is spot on for the behavior --- if everything else is good I would say its the puberty thing going on