Dragon not gaining weight?

[clearlyjoyful]

Okay, I'll ask my question first, and then answer the questions in the sticky post. So, I've had Itchy living with me for around a month now and he doesn't seem to be gaining a whole lot of weight. He's healthy, and he's very active, and he's well-fed, it just doesn't seem that he's keeping the weight or something. He doesn't look nice and plump like most peoples' beardies. Sorry, in advance that this is so long. It's mostly answers about any possible questions you could have about his environment, etc.

Answers:
He's 4 or 5 years now and I've had him about that long. However, he's been living with my mom for a long time, and has only been receiving really good care since about a month ago.
He's around 18" long. And I'm not sure of the sex, because I am clearly no good at sexing dragons I have a hunch that "he" might be a "she" though.
He's in a 40 gallon breeder, which I know is the minimum, but he's been in it for a long time and I didn't even have a choice in what he was put in as he and the things he came with were a Christmas/birthday present to me when I was 15/16.
He's on ceramic tiles and he does have both UVB and a heat lamp. It's a fluorescent tube bulb. ReptiSun 10.0. And it's only about a month old, as well, probably even less.
He can get pretty close to it and I'm still trying to work out a solution for that because I'm wondering if he can get TOO close. He can almost touch it with his head when he's on his trees.
His basking bulb is a brand I can't remember right now, but it's 150 watts and it's white.
Basking temps sit at around 90-95*F. The cool side is usually around 70-75*F. The temperatures are taken with a digital thermometer with a probe. His basking temps are taken on top of the hide he has (which is just like half a log) and that's where he does normally bask.
No heat rock/pad.
Most days he gets collard greens. Some days he gets kale and carrots. We're still experimenting with foods to see what he likes. He gets crickets most days, but some days we find that they're all dead and Petsmart sucks so he has to wait until the next day. But he gets extra veg if that happens.
He gets veggies put out in the morning and whenever it's emptied, which is usually mid-afternoon. He gets his crix around dinner time for us. The crickets are gutloaded and dusted with calcium. They're dusted with calcium not on a daily basis, but the powder is just put in the cricket keeper with them, so they're pretty much all covered in it, unless they manage to somehow avoid it.
His BMs are pretty regular. Pretty much one a day at the same time - mid-morning.
He gets a bath every second day, if not more often than that. He loves to bathe, and it's the only way I can get him to drink water other than misting his veggies.
Aaaand he's alone!

 

[Irwinshealth]

He's in a 40 gallon breeder, which I know is the minimum

I would say it would be wise to start saving for a bigger one. Also,You may want to try some of the worms to fatten him up. Wax worms should only be used as a treat because they are too fattening. My guys love them! Most people on here feed dubia and worms and I think this may be the difference. My two were a tad skinny while on crickets so I do the worms once in awhile too. I hope it works. Your setup sounds really good.

and has only been receiving really good care since about a month ago.

Don't worry yet, if he/she has only been with you a month that isn't a whole lot of time. It sounds like you are doing a great job!!

 

[clearlyjoyful]

He's in a 40 gallon breeder, which I know is the minimum

I would say it would be wise to start saving for a bigger one. Also,You may want to try some of the worms to fatten him up. Wax worms should only be used as a treat because they are too fattening. My guys love them! Most people on here feed dubia and worms and I think this may be the difference. My two were a tad skinny while on crickets so I do the worms once in awhile too. I hope it works. Your setup sounds really good.

and has only been receiving really good care since about a month ago.

Don't worry yet, if he/she has only been with you a month that isn't a whole lot of time. It sounds like you are doing a great job!!

Thanks very much! I would start saving, but honestly it's not an option right now. I'm just finishing my degree and trying to find a job though, so if I ever find one, that's one of my top priorities. I figure it's not an urgent concern because he does come out very often and get to run around, and he's pretty happy where he is for now.

I'm kind of... creeped out by the roaches and I don't think I'd be able to sleep with them in my apartment! Haha, but I'm definitely trying around town at different places. Someone on here suggested when I first brought him home with me to get phoenix worms but I haven't been able to find any in town. I'll have to look for waxworms maybe, or another person suggested butterworms? I don't know. SO MANY WORMS. The only ones I remember seeing are hornworms and mealworms. I'm hesitant about mealworms too, because of their chitin shell and whatnot. I'm a little paranoid about impaction.

 

[Irwinshealth]

I'm a little paranoid about impaction

Me too! I would say if you can't find what your looking for, check online. I order a lot online because it is so much cheaper. This sheet is my bible for what they can eat and their nutritional value. You may want to print it off. I take mine with me when I go to the grocery store. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

 

[clearlyjoyful]

I'm a little paranoid about impaction

Me too! I would say if you can't find what your looking for, check online. I order a lot online because it is so much cheaper. This sheet is my bible for what they can eat and their nutritional value. You may want to print it off. I take mine with me when I go to the grocery store. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

Yep! That's what I've been using. I just haven't gotten very far through the list. He's tried collard greens, bok choy, carrots and kale and that's about it, haha. I plan to work through it though as I go along.
I might have to try ordering online. I was just hoping somewhere in town would sell them because it'd be so much easier. Ah well.

 

[CaptainVimes]

Hi

I didn't see you mention multivitamins, adult beardies should have them too.

Also, the calcium should be freshly dusted on the bugs WHEN you feed them to your beardie , not just dumped in the "bug house", otherwise poor beardie will be eating bug excrement too. If you just put it in the bug house, you'd have to put a mountain of it in there, AND guarantee that each bug walked through it, literally tunnelling through it, to attain the overall coating that they would get by being shook up in a bag, (for example) with fresh calcium just prior to being fed to your beardie. With the calcium being in there constantly with them, they will soil it, so you will be feeding bug + "stale calcium" + poop + pee = one rather unhealthy mix to your beardie.

Obviously you can do what on earth you like, I'm just mentioning a few things that I noticed going through your post.

With regard to the beardie being able to touch the tube? I cannot tell the difference between hot and cold through my fingers, so I cannot go and touch my uv to see if it's hot or not. I would imagine, with being on all day, that it would get too warm for beardie to be able to make contact SAFELY with it. My Daughter just tested it and said it WOULD burn a beardie, so you need to sort it so your beardie CANNOT get near it to touch it.

I hope this helps?

 

[clearlyjoyful]

Hi

I didn't see you mention multivitamins, adult beardies should have them too.

Also, the calcium should be freshly dusted on the bugs WHEN you feed them to your beardie , not just dumped in the "bug house", otherwise poor beardie will be eating bug excrement too. If you just put it in the bug house, you'd have to put a mountain of it in there, AND guarantee that each bug walked through it, literally tunnelling through it, to attain the overall coating that they would get by being shook up in a bag, (for example) with fresh calcium just prior to being fed to your beardie. With the calcium being in there constantly with them, they will soil it, so you will be feeding bug + "stale calcium" + poop + pee = one rather unhealthy mix to your beardie.

Obviously you can do what on earth you like, I'm just mentioning a few things that I noticed going through your post.

With regard to the beardie being able to touch the tube? I cannot tell the difference between hot and cold through my fingers, so I cannot go and touch my uv to see if it's hot or not. I would imagine, with being on all day, that it would get too warm for beardie to be able to make contact SAFELY with it. My Daughter just tested it and said it WOULD burn a beardie, so you need to sort it so your beardie CANNOT get near it to touch it.

I hope this helps?

About the calcium, that's a good point. I didn't think about that part. I'll have to figure something else out. I don't touch the crickets, my boyfriend does, so I'll have to talk to him and figure out what to do to shake them up.

And, oh man, I didn't mean he could touch the LIGHT itself, but he can touch the hood. It's not a terrarium light hood because my original hood broke a while ago. It's an aquarium light hood that I had lying around (my mom has lots of fish), so he can touch the hood but not the bulb. That would be just bad. I just know that it's too close to him to be good because if I recall correctly, it has to be something like 6" away or something like that? But I don't know how to do that since it's sitting on top of the tank. I can't get rid of his trees because they're his only real furniture and plus they look pretty darn cool. I'll have to figure out a way to suspend it or something.

 

[AHBD]

If your light hood is from an aquarium, be sure that the clear plasic shield is removed, that would filter out all the UVB. By the way, how much does your dragon weigh ? Or can you post a pic ? I agree that if he comes out of the tank regularly, the 40 gal. is fine for him.

 

[clearlyjoyful]

If your light hood is from an aquarium, be sure that the clear plasic shield is removed, that would filter out all the UVB. By the way, how much does your dragon weigh ? Or can you post a pic ? I agree that if he comes out of the tank regularly, the 40 gal. is fine for him.

Oh yeah, the plastic cover is long gone. There is, however, a reflective... piece of what looks like cardboard covered in some kind of tin foil sort of thing, that goes around the bulb. But I assume that's just to reflect the light downwards.

I'm not sure how much he weighs, but here's two recent pictures:

 

[AHBD]

Aw, he's a nice looking dragon. He looks thin but healthy....is the end of his tail crooked ? Probably happened long ago. So when he eats crickets, does he eat all that you give him, and how many does he eat ? If he eats all the ones you offer, you can add more to each feeding. You can also try superworms, they don't cause impaction, you just have to not offer too many at a time at first, like 4-5 at first, then increase to a few more each day. One problem, though, is that beardies can get spoiled on them and not eat crickets for a while after. But , it's just a suggestion. Still, if he'll eat more crickets that would be the way to go, as well as some of the other worms that were mentioned.

 

[clearlyjoyful]

Aw, he's a nice looking dragon. He looks thin but healthy....is the end of his tail crooked ? Probably happened long ago. So when he eats crickets, does he eat all that you give him, and how many does he eat ? If he eats all the ones you offer, you can add more to each feeding. You can also try superworms, they don't cause impaction, you just have to not offer too many at a time at first, like 4-5 at first, then increase to a few more each day. One problem, though, is that beardies can get spoiled on them and not eat crickets for a while after. But , it's just a suggestion. Still, if he'll eat more crickets that would be the way to go, as well as some of the other worms that were mentioned.

Thanks! Yeah, I checked out Petsmart's worm selection and they have mealworms, superworms, butterworms and hornworms, as far as I can tell. So I might try the superworms thing. I'll definitely make sure not to give him too many, though, I don't want him going off crickets because I'm by far the most comfortable with them in my house, haha. The end of his tail is all kinky and it's been like that since the first time I saw him. I don't remember it being that dark colour until the last year or so though, I'm not sure really what happened with it. He gets crickets every day, or as often as possible, as long as I have them. He eats them all, usually, sometimes misses one or leaves it for a bit, I'm not sure which, but always gets it within the next 15 minutes or so. They hide on him, I guess. Usually around 10-15 a feeding in the evenings.