does not want to stay under UV/heat?

[spikeithard]

Hey my Orion is about 5-6 months old. Pretty healthy and has had a good appetite.

recently he like to hide in his hiding spot a lot or in the back corner up top where he wont be getting much UV light or heat. Im a little worried he is not staying healthy because of this habit.

here is a picture so you can see where he goes. the bulb on the left is UV and the right one is heat.
There is a hiding tunnel type spot on the bottom right you can see (right at the top of the right side of the twin cactus arm.. see it goes back into the back right corner) its dark and im sure colder in there. he sometimes digs in there before bed usually.

he used to only go in there just before bed but now he always in there and his eating has diminished quite a bit. still kind of wants to eat but just doesnt eat as much or as much energy into it.

he also goes into the upper back left corner. just behind the tall big pillar. again, no heat or UV lighting there. I have a regular light bulb on the right as you can see shining on the left upper cactus.

does this sound like sem brumation?? lazy dragon?

Im affraid for his health if he doesnt sit under his main bulbs enough throughout the day???

as you can see in the picture he is currently on his perch basking rock which is about 102 degrees roughly.

thanks

 

[diamc]

What brand & type of UVB are you using? What are the tank temps and what type of thermometer are you using?

Has anything recently changed in your household that might have upset him?

 

[spikeithard]

the only thing that may have upset him is a new cat that tries to get him now and then.. I have stopped putting the cat in the same room when he is out/feeding

 

[diamc]

Well, it certainly could be that he is afraid of the cat, looks like a predator to him. The cat actually tries to get him? Considering the size difference, I would be scared too. Is there any way that you can keep the cat totally out of the room that your beardie is in?

Just to cover all bases, could you answer the questions about the tank temps, type of thermometer and brand & type of UVB you're using?

 

[spikeithard]

the cat the last few weeks has just lightly batted at him and such. nothing too crazy but Im separating them fully now for a while.

temp at basking is 102 ish. and other side (top left) is about 83-85 degrees.
its a exoterra simple needle thermometer that I got for like 5-6 bucks.
and the light is a repti glo 10 I think, not 100% but I think. ya ya I know there has been bad things said about that light but it's what the pet store sells here and the guy who runs the reptile section is known as the 'reptile guy' in this region. owns a lot of dragons and many other types, puts on reptile shows and even has a licsense plate of 'dragn man'. he is obviously proud of selling that type of bulb.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

You really need a digital thermometer. The needle type can off by as much as 20 degrees. The digital thermometer should have a probe. You need a basking spot of 105-110f.

Also I will recommend switching to the zoomed reptisun 10.0. I have used reptiglo 10.0 tubes but only when I couldn't get the reptisun but I find reptilian always makes my guy consistamtlu more happy with good appetite.

My Beardie Freddie hates change and always has.

Hope that helps a little. Also I think that the cat may be another reason for the odd behavior.

 

[lisahbk210]

my beardie is about 6 1/2 months old now and hes doing the same exact thing. But nothing has changed in our home. The only thing that has changed is weather. Its getting colder and darker. I just now took him out of his tank and he was very cool to the touch. But he keeps going under the board where is shady and colder. And he is still eating his crickets but he waits for them to come to him and his not too interested in his greens for like the last week or so. Hmmmm

 

[whispersinmyhead]

They do slow down a little in winter when the rooms ambient temps are a little lower and the days are shorter. It is a time I look at your setup as you UVB bulb needs to change every 6 months anyways. Also a digital therm from zoomed or Zilla cost about $10. If he is still eating and pooping he may snap out of it.

6 months is young for brumation though.

 

[spikeithard]

Ya he is pooping about every two days now. today it just happened to be on my right out of the dryer white hoodie and bedroom carpet.

is appetite seems to be a bit better now last two days since I have totally seperated him from the kitty kat.

I think it was the cat. Although he is still goes too much in his scaredy hole in the bottom right. but when I got home early this afternoon he was right under the heat/UV lamp

oh well. Im sure it is what he wants. if he was cold he would go towards the heat.. they arent that dumb are they??haha

 

[Spikey07]

Is the UVB a tube or a coil?

 

[spikeithard]

Is the UVB a tube or a coil?

it looks like a coil. it looks like the energy saver lights.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

Glad to hear he is doing better now that the cat is kept away! Sounds like he was just afraid.

Your UVB should be a reptisun 10.0 fluorescent. Tube that is at least half as long as your enclosure. Ideally it should go right across the entire cage. Try and pick up a digital therm with a probe next time you see them at a good price so you have really acurate temps. It will help if you have any future concerns.

 

[diamc]

Your UVB should be a reptisun 10.0 fluorescent. Tube that is at least half as long as your enclosure. Ideally it should go right across the entire cage. Try and pick up a digital therm with a probe next time you see them at a good price so you have really acurate temps. It will help if you have any future concerns.

I totally agree, accurate temps are a must especially for a baby. Also, the coil UVB's have caused many health issues so as whispers recommended a Repti-Sun 10.0 strip fluorescent would be much better and safer. If you can't find one to go the whole length of the tank, 2/3 to 3/4 of it is fine, that way he has an escape from the UVB if he prefers. Please be sure to keep us updated on him.

 

[spikeithard]

I will get one in the new year. im coming up to about 5 months with this existing UV light anyway right now. Where can I get some of those in canada?

 

[whispersinmyhead]

I get mine from http://www.bigalsonline.ca I actually get them from my local store instead of online ordering but same company. For their local stores http://www.bigalscanada.com

Here is the link to the 24" Reptisun. http://www.bigalspets.ca/ReptiSun-1...olor_map,price,size_name&searchRank=salesrank

You can also get them from http://www.petsandponds.com
or http://www.mops.ca

You will need a fixture that accepts a t8 fluorescent bulb.