Dragon not eating.

[usmcfamily]

Getting exhausted with how complicated this is becoming. Spencer doesn't eat. He like mealworms, will eat them if they're moving actively but once they settle he ignores them. The greens he skips. Crickets though... he will eat maybe three per feeding IF they come to him and get within range and doesn't even bother with the roaches. Weve even started taking out his hide and branch to eliminate obstacles for him and hiding spots for the crickets. We've had him since Oct 4, he took a few days to adjust and was mid shed but his sheds been finished for over a week and he is skipping meals.

He's in a 36x18 viv, 100watt zooMed bulb on a dimmer, basking spot 108-112, cool side is usually 82, there's a 10.0 reptisun bulb running along the tank as well, he has a water dish that I never see him near, baths every couple days, substrate is AstroTurf for convenience of cleanup and expense. We've tried newspaper but the crickets hid, tried tile but kept coming home with the cuts wrong. Finally got Lowes to admit their saw was crooked. He eliminates every other or third day once or twice. Stool looks normal. White/brown solid.

I don't know what to do. He is 16 weeks, 12.5" I think (hard to measure him) and is 82g. I cannot continue this cycle, I'm a mom to four young ones and I don't have time to spend an hour feeding him morning and night and then hunting down crickets for 20 mins.

Wth do I do? Desperate to change this.

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Maybe you should try a different feeders. I'd nix those mealworms. Those can cause impaction. Since he seems to like worms maybe try Phoenix, silk, horn worms and dubia roaches are good (depending on where you are).

 

[usmcfamily]

Hi. Maybe you should try a different feeders. I'd nix those mealworms. Those can cause impaction. Since he seems to like worms maybe try Phoenix, silk, horn worms and dubia roaches are good (depending on where you are).

He isn't interested in roaches. I looked at the hornworms our local feeder breeder had and they looked too big...we use rainbow mealworms since they're local to us.

Do worms still need to be no larger than the length between his eyes? Are worms sufficient without crickets?

 

[destiny1998]

Yes worms are fine as a main staple like Phoenix as those you don't need to dust with calcium. Hornworms can be bigger as they are soft bodied. Silk worms are good too.

 

[usmcfamily]

Okay, I can hunt down some Phoenix and hornworms then. He is gaining, just verrrry slowly IMO.

Is this normal behavior? Do some dragons just eat lazily? I expected him to want them, and go after them and he just doesn't.

 

[usmcfamily]

Sorry, duplicate.