First Bearded Dragon, she won't eat!

[RagingBunny]

Hello, since I am new here I wasn't sure where I should be asking questions so forgive me if this isn't the right place ^^' I will try to be as detailed as possible, apologies if it end's up being to long.

I got a bearded dragon 5 days ago (I believe it's a she but will re-examine once she gets bigger)
She is very calm, doesn't seem to be bothered to be handled at all, she shows no signs of stress (I've done extensive research before I got her to make sure I could provide her with a happy life).
She ate the first day she got here but now it seems like she isn't eating :/ She didn't get smaller, she bathes/drinks just fine and her poop is normal too.

I got the Zoo Med ReptiHabitat 20 gallon enclosure kit, so it came with the proper lighting as well. I am currently doing the 12h on 12h off light schedule (the night light stays on). The temperature of the enclosure is fine as well, I check it regularly. I am using paper towels for now until she gets the appropriate size for me to switch to the sand that came with the kit.

She will sometimes chase after crickets so it's not like she isn't eating at all, I'm just worried that she isn't eating enough (I was told she would consume anything from 15 to 20 crickets a day for now).I was worried that the 20 gallon would be to big for her but she will climb and chase after the crickets, but will just eat like 1 or 2. I have tried placing her in a separate smaller enclosure for feeding but she shows no interest in eating in there .---.

She has even eaten off my hand! I have a tree trunk looking thing sitting on my desk where I place her sometimes when I am playing and if I hold a cricket in front of her she will eat it. She also likes climbing onto my shoulder and going back to the tree looking thing (in the morning I take her out of the tank so she can catch come sunlight even though I have the lamp for her as well).

Behavior wise, she's calm, doesn't seem to bother being handled (I've noticed that she will scratch the glass for me to pick her up). She climbs onto her basking spot on her own, runs around in her enclosure as well. Never showed any signs of aggression. She has waved her arms once when she first got here but doesn't do it anymore. She closes her eyes when I pet her head, she likes when I pet her chin, and she has fallen asleep on me already. She will occasionally "lick me" (idk if that's the right term). I pet her chin when she is in her enclosure and she rarely runs away from my hand (when she does I let her be).

I make sure she has fresh water and her tank is clean everyday.

I've checked to make sure she doesn't have any lumps along her back and her tail base is sturdy as well. EDIT: I checked her belly, she does have some black lines going on(they are recent)
Crickets are sprinkled with calcium (I was told to mix the powder with water and mist the crickets).

According to my research, you should give them time to adjust (2 weeks but correct me if I am wrong), but things are going ridiculously good as far as I can tell. I've been very attentive to see any little sign of discomfort or stress.

This is the first time I own a bearded dragon (I have 2 budgies, 2 finches, a hamster and a cat, everyone has their own separate enclosure except for the budgies who are kept together and the cat who is kept out of my room).

Sobek is 2 months old and at the store she was with another beardie that was bigger than her (although they arrived at the same time, they're siblings).

Should I be worried about her eating habits? Should I try to force feed her? Right now she is just eating crickets, should I vary her diet with other things? Should I not handle her for a week and see how that goes? I am clueless please help

Thank you in advance!

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Most likely setup related and relocation stress. Throw out the sand that came with the kit. Impaction is still a risk when shes older and not even that but particle substrates cause fungle infections, eye damage, bad joints, sometimes RI's, just tons of things that will only make your beardie live maybe 6 years at most. They dont live on sand anyway so its just unnatural, only suitable substrates are paper towels, tile, newspaper or non adhesive shelf liner.
What have you been trying to feed her?
What are the temps?
Is the uvb coil/compact (ones that go in a dome fixture), mvb (heat and uvb) or a tube light?
If a tube light is it a t8 or a t5?
Is it a 5.0 or a 10.0?
How are you monitoring the temps?
Does the "nightlight" produce light?
Whats the temp at night without it and with it?

 

[EllenD]

Welcome to the forum!! And please, always feel free to ask any questions you have at all...

It seems you've got a few husbandry issues going on here due to bad pet shop advice, or bad internet advice, so we'll help you out. But first, can you please post a photo of both your dragon and his tank and lighting?

Yes, there is a "Relocation Stress" period where they usually won't eat a lot, that's probably part of the appetite issue. This can last up to 2 weeks, so don't worry too much yet. However, you do need to get his lighting corrected for his appetite to continue and for him to continue to grow properly, as well as his 3 temperature zones. We'll help you with this, as those kits are awful...

#1 THING WE CAN TELL YOU: DO NOT EVER PUT THAT SAND INSIDE HIS TANK, NO MATTER HOW LARGE HE IS!!!! IT'S A CALCIUM BASED SAND, AND IT'S LETHAL TO BEARDED DRAGONS, JUST LIKE THE "CRUSHED WALNUT SHELL SUBSTRATE" IS!!!! THROW IT OUT NOW!!!! I'm not exaggerating at all, just emphasizing. Calcium sands turn literally to cement rocks when they get wet. You can open that bag up and test it out. We have seen, well, I can honestly say that I have seen, in 15 years of owning bearded dragons, more of them needlessly killed by multiple "Loose Substrates" than anything else, for 2 different reasons: #1) Dragons lick everything, even if you don't feed them in the tank or you don't see them eating the sand, they do, they ingest everything, and it causes terrible impactions, bowel obstructions, requires extensive, expensive surgeries, and kills them, along with the Crushed Walnut Shells, any type or wood chips or bark, rodent bedding, etc. and then #2) All loose substrates, including regular playsand, are perfect harbors for bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, etc. to breed and live in. Dragons are very susceptible to infections in their eyes, mouths, scales, skin, vents, and most importantly their upper respiratory infections. So the best way to ensure that your dragon will become ill over and over again is to keep him in an enclosed area with a loose substrate...Calcium Sand and Crushed Walnut Shells are Bearded Dragon Killers, no doubt whatsoever, you should Google it and look at the Google Images of Dragon Autopsies showing the Calcium Sand Rocks and Crushed Walnut shells all throughout their GI tracts. It's needless, senseless, and it shouldn't be sold. It serves no purpose but to please the owner because it looks nice. Bearded Dragons come from the Australian Deserts only, and they are not "Deserts" in the sense that you're thinking, they have little to no sand at all. They are hard, rocky terrains with sparse vegetation, no sand. So dragons don't know what sand is. Just stick to SOLID SUBSTRATES, the best one that also looks awesome and serves to keep their toenails naturally filed down so you don't have to keep clipping them are the stick-on floor tiles you can buy at Lowes (best selection, they have a ton more than Home Depot and they're cheaper), and you should get the ones that have a ceramic texture so they file their nails on them. Easy to wipe up with a mix of vinegar and water, safe, absorb heat, and are functional. Throw the bag of lethal death-sand away...

The first thing I will say is I wish you hadn't wasted money on that kit. As far as I know, there is no kit made by any company who comes with adequate UVB lighting. And if it did come with a long 18" Reptisun UVb tube, it's the weaker T8 strength tube, which is fine, but it won't have told you to mount the tube and fixture UNDERNEATH the mesh lid, as it block 40% of the UVB light, and the T* UVB tubes are far too weak to still penetrate proper UVB light to your dragon through any mesh lid. So if the kit came with the 18" Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube then you don't need to replace it, but you must poke holes in the mesh lid and get it strapped to the underside of the mesh lid using either long, plastic zip ties, shoelaces, wire, twine, etc. and be sure to do this over the Hot Side of the tank, right alongside the bright white basking bulb, hopefully you have a bright white basking bulb, but I'll get to that...Also, the T8 strenth UVB tubes must be within at least 6" of his main Basking Spot/Platform on the Hot Side of the tank to be effective, and the T8 tubes must also be replaced once every 6 months, because this is when they stop emitting any UVB light at all, only regular light (it won't be burnt out, just won't be emitting any UVB light).(though I would consider upgrading to the much stronger version, the 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5 High-Output (HO) UVB tube and a matching 24" T5-rated long tube fixture in the future, you'll save money as they only need replaced once a year, and only need to be within at least 11" of his Basking Spot/Platform, and are strong enough to sit on top of the mesh lid)

If however the kit you bought came with a compact (regular lightbulb shape) or a coil/spiral version of the Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb, then you did not get a UVB light that is anywhere near adequate for a Bearded Dragon, as they are only 13 watts and if on top of a mesh lid your dragon is getting absolutely no UVB light at all. And the coil UVB bulbs are not only inadequate but they also cause eye and neurological damage. I don't know which Reptisun 10.0 version your kit came with, hopefully it came with the long 18" T8 UVB tube, but if not then you need to purchase a long UVB tube and matching length tube fixture, at least an 18" one, I do recommend the Reptisun 10.0 UVB tubes, the T8 is fine if mounted inside the tank and underneath the mesh lid, though the T5HO is much better and saves money in the long run. Hopefully it came with the long tube.

Also, hopefully your kit came with a Digital Probe Thermometer and not just those cheap, stick-on thermometers. If not, you need to spend $10 at Petco or $4 on Amazon.com (best place to buy the long UVB tubes too BTW) for a Digital Probe Thermometer. You have to do this, it's not optional, and there's 2 reasons why: #1) You cannot measure his Basking Spot Surface Temperature with any type of stick-on thermometer at all, they can only measure Ambient (air) temperatures, and that's both dangerous and health-effecting for your dragon if you cannot measure the temperature of his Basking Spot, and then #2) All stick-on thermometers are horribly inaccurate, and when tested are usually off by between 10-20 degrees to the low side. What that means is that if you think the Hot Side Ambient (air) Temp is 90 degrees, it's most likely at least 100 degrees, but possibly up as high as 110 degrees, and then his Basking Spot Temperature is going to naturally be hotter than that, which is not only too hot for him, but lethal. So you need to either get a Digital Probe Thermometer or an Infrared Temperature Gun if you don't have one. If you do, great. Be sure to check all 3 of his temperature zones at least once a week to ensure they are correct, and be sure to allow the Probe from the Digital Probe Thermometer to sit on the spot you are measuring for at least 20-30 minutes before reading the temperature.

BASKING SPOT SURFACE TEMP: between 105-110 degrees max for a baby/juvenile, and between 100-105 degrees max for an adult...(110 degrees is the maximum temp anywhere in a dragon's tank)

HOT SIDE AMBIENT (air) Temp: between 88-93 degrees max.

Cool Side Ambient (air) Temp: between 75-80 degrees max.

Now you do have a bit of a problem with both your daily photoperiod and your nighttime lights/temperatures. First of all, easy to correct, a bearded dragon, being a desert reptile, needs both his bright white basking light and his long UVB tube on every single day for at least 13-14 hours minimum. 14 hours on for both is the best, they are desert reptiles, you have to remember this.

Here's the big problem: Please turn off all his lights at night! The Australian Desert is both pitch black and very cool during the night. Dragons need complete darkness at night in order to sleep soundly, and they need the temperature to be considerably cooler than their daytime temperatures are. So 99% of Bearded Dragon owners need absolutely no nighttime heat source on at all during the night! AS LONG AS HIS NIGHTTIME TEMP INSIDE HIS TANK IS AT LEAST 65 DEGREES, THEN HE NEEDS NO NIGHTTIME HEAT SOURCE AT ALL! He'll sleep so much more soundly and deeply, and be less stressed if his tank is Pitch-Black and Cool at night. If your house is at least 60 degrees at night, which most are (you'd be freezing yourselves if not), then his tank will be at least 65 degrees and you need no nighttime heat source. He'll be much more comfortable.

Going along with the nighttime light bulb thing is his Basking Bulb. First of all, dragons see in full-color, just like us, in fact better than us. And in addition, your goal with his lighting is to replicate natural desert sunlight as closely as possible over the Hot Side of his tank as you can. You must NEVER use any colored bulbs at any time for a Bearded Dragon, no red, blue, black, purple, "moonlight", yellow, green, etc. No colored bulbs whatsoever. So the daytime Basking Bulb that you use over the Hot Side of his tank and that should be sitting right alongside the long UVB tube, both directly over his Basking Platform/Spot, should only be BRIGHT WHITE, replicating natural sunlight. He needs to get both a bright light Basking Light (heat source) and the long UVB tube at the same time while basking for at least 14 hours a day.

Obviously I already mentioned that you want NO lights on at night at all, but just to specify, all of those colored night bulbs like the black, purple, or "moonlight" bulbs do nothing but confuse night and day for dragons, as do the red or "infrared" and blue daylight basking bulbs. Actually, most of us don't even use a Reptile Specialty Basking Bulb, we simply use regular, household, Halogen Indoor Flood Bulbs that we buy at Lowes, Home Depot, or Walmart (actually Tractor Supply sells 2-packs for $5!). The par38 kind that you would use in your home. They are all "bright white" and as long as you buy the "Flood" bulbs and not the "Spot" bulbs you're good. If you want to buy a Reptile Specialty Basking Bulb or if your kit came with one that's fine, as long as it's only bright white in color. The ZooMed Intense Basking bulbs are good, they are bright white, so hopefully your kit came with one of those. But any other colored bulbs throw out, along with that damn sand...lol.

 

[RagingBunny]

Most likely setup related and relocation stress. Throw out the sand that came with the kit. Impaction is still a risk when shes older and not even that but particle substrates cause fungle infections, eye damage, bad joints, sometimes RI's, just tons of things that will only make your beardie live maybe 6 years at most. They dont live on sand anyway so its just unnatural, only suitable substrates are paper towels, tile, newspaper or non adhesive shelf liner.
What have you been trying to feed her?
What are the temps?
Is the uvb coil/compact (ones that go in a dome fixture), mvb (heat and uvb) or a tube light?
If a tube light is it a t8 or a t5?
Is it a 5.0 or a 10.0?
How are you monitoring the temps?
Does the "nightlight" produce light?
Whats the temp at night without it and with it?

Alrighty, I will most likely use tile then. I saw a bunch of terrariums that people have used some sort of fake grass, is that suitable or a big no no?

I've feeding her crickets right now, what else should I feed her that is safe?

Temperature is between 82- 86

I have a Reptisun 5.0 UVB with a compact fluorescent bulb and it's 30 cm in size.

https://zoomed.com/reptisun-5-0-mini-compact-fluorescent/

Then I have a Mini Combo deep dome dual lamp fixture.
https://zoomed.com/mini-combo-deep-dome-lamp-fixture/

I am using a small band that came in the kit that you glue to the inside of the tank (I followed the guides that came with the kit)

The night time lamp is a nocturnal infrared heat lamp.

The temperature remains the same throughout day and night.

What thermometer would you recommend to have a decent heat reading?

 

[RagingBunny]

Welcome to the forum!! And please, always feel free to ask any questions you have at all...

It seems you've got a few husbandry issues going on here due to bad pet shop advice, or bad internet advice, so we'll help you out. But first, can you please post a photo of both your dragon and his tank and lighting?

Yes, there is a "Relocation Stress" period where they usually won't eat a lot, that's probably part of the appetite issue. This can last up to 2 weeks, so don't worry too much yet. However, you do need to get his lighting corrected for his appetite to continue and for him to continue to grow properly, as well as his 3 temperature zones. We'll help you with this, as those kits are awful...

#1 THING WE CAN TELL YOU: DO NOT EVER PUT THAT SAND INSIDE HIS TANK, NO MATTER HOW LARGE HE IS!!!! IT'S A CALCIUM BASED SAND, AND IT'S LETHAL TO BEARDED DRAGONS, JUST LIKE THE "CRUSHED WALNUT SHELL SUBSTRATE" IS!!!! THROW IT OUT NOW!!!! I'm not exaggerating at all, just emphasizing. Calcium sands turn literally to cement rocks when they get wet. You can open that bag up and test it out. We have seen, well, I can honestly say that I have seen, in 15 years of owning bearded dragons, more of them needlessly killed by multiple "Loose Substrates" than anything else, for 2 different reasons: #1) Dragons lick everything, even if you don't feed them in the tank or you don't see them eating the sand, they do, they ingest everything, and it causes terrible impactions, bowel obstructions, requires extensive, expensive surgeries, and kills them, along with the Crushed Walnut Shells, any type or wood chips or bark, rodent bedding, etc. and then #2) All loose substrates, including regular playsand, are perfect harbors for bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, etc. to breed and live in. Dragons are very susceptible to infections in their eyes, mouths, scales, skin, vents, and most importantly their upper respiratory infections. So the best way to ensure that your dragon will become ill over and over again is to keep him in an enclosed area with a loose substrate...Calcium Sand and Crushed Walnut Shells are Bearded Dragon Killers, no doubt whatsoever, you should Google it and look at the Google Images of Dragon Autopsies showing the Calcium Sand Rocks and Crushed Walnut shells all throughout their GI tracts. It's needless, senseless, and it shouldn't be sold. It serves no purpose but to please the owner because it looks nice. Bearded Dragons come from the Australian Deserts only, and they are not "Deserts" in the sense that you're thinking, they have little to no sand at all. They are hard, rocky terrains with sparse vegetation, no sand. So dragons don't know what sand is. Just stick to SOLID SUBSTRATES, the best one that also looks awesome and serves to keep their toenails naturally filed down so you don't have to keep clipping them are the stick-on floor tiles you can buy at Lowes (best selection, they have a ton more than Home Depot and they're cheaper), and you should get the ones that have a ceramic texture so they file their nails on them. Easy to wipe up with a mix of vinegar and water, safe, absorb heat, and are functional. Throw the bag of lethal death-sand away...

The first thing I will say is I wish you hadn't wasted money on that kit. As far as I know, there is no kit made by any company who comes with adequate UVB lighting. And if it did come with a long 18" Reptisun UVb tube, it's the weaker T8 strength tube, which is fine, but it won't have told you to mount the tube and fixture UNDERNEATH the mesh lid, as it block 40% of the UVB light, and the T* UVB tubes are far too weak to still penetrate proper UVB light to your dragon through any mesh lid. So if the kit came with the 18" Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube then you don't need to replace it, but you must poke holes in the mesh lid and get it strapped to the underside of the mesh lid using either long, plastic zip ties, shoelaces, wire, twine, etc. and be sure to do this over the Hot Side of the tank, right alongside the bright white basking bulb, hopefully you have a bright white basking bulb, but I'll get to that...Also, the T8 strenth UVB tubes must be within at least 6" of his main Basking Spot/Platform on the Hot Side of the tank to be effective, and the T8 tubes must also be replaced once every 6 months, because this is when they stop emitting any UVB light at all, only regular light (it won't be burnt out, just won't be emitting any UVB light).(though I would consider upgrading to the much stronger version, the 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5 High-Output (HO) UVB tube and a matching 24" T5-rated long tube fixture in the future, you'll save money as they only need replaced once a year, and only need to be within at least 11" of his Basking Spot/Platform, and are strong enough to sit on top of the mesh lid)

If however the kit you bought came with a compact (regular lightbulb shape) or a coil/spiral version of the Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb, then you did not get a UVB light that is anywhere near adequate for a Bearded Dragon, as they are only 13 watts and if on top of a mesh lid your dragon is getting absolutely no UVB light at all. And the coil UVB bulbs are not only inadequate but they also cause eye and neurological damage. I don't know which Reptisun 10.0 version your kit came with, hopefully it came with the long 18" T8 UVB tube, but if not then you need to purchase a long UVB tube and matching length tube fixture, at least an 18" one, I do recommend the Reptisun 10.0 UVB tubes, the T8 is fine if mounted inside the tank and underneath the mesh lid, though the T5HO is much better and saves money in the long run. Hopefully it came with the long tube.

Also, hopefully your kit came with a Digital Probe Thermometer and not just those cheap, stick-on thermometers. If not, you need to spend $10 at Petco or $4 on Amazon.com (best place to buy the long UVB tubes too BTW) for a Digital Probe Thermometer. You have to do this, it's not optional, and there's 2 reasons why: #1) You cannot measure his Basking Spot Surface Temperature with any type of stick-on thermometer at all, they can only measure Ambient (air) temperatures, and that's both dangerous and health-effecting for your dragon if you cannot measure the temperature of his Basking Spot, and then #2) All stick-on thermometers are horribly inaccurate, and when tested are usually off by between 10-20 degrees to the low side. What that means is that if you think the Hot Side Ambient (air) Temp is 90 degrees, it's most likely at least 100 degrees, but possibly up as high as 110 degrees, and then his Basking Spot Temperature is going to naturally be hotter than that, which is not only too hot for him, but lethal. So you need to either get a Digital Probe Thermometer or an Infrared Temperature Gun if you don't have one. If you do, great. Be sure to check all 3 of his temperature zones at least once a week to ensure they are correct, and be sure to allow the Probe from the Digital Probe Thermometer to sit on the spot you are measuring for at least 20-30 minutes before reading the temperature.

BASKING SPOT SURFACE TEMP: between 105-110 degrees max for a baby/juvenile, and between 100-105 degrees max for an adult...(110 degrees is the maximum temp anywhere in a dragon's tank)

HOT SIDE AMBIENT (air) Temp: between 88-93 degrees max.

Cool Side Ambient (air) Temp: between 75-80 degrees max.

Now you do have a bit of a problem with both your daily photoperiod and your nighttime lights/temperatures. First of all, easy to correct, a bearded dragon, being a desert reptile, needs both his bright white basking light and his long UVB tube on every single day for at least 13-14 hours minimum. 14 hours on for both is the best, they are desert reptiles, you have to remember this.

Here's the big problem: Please turn off all his lights at night! The Australian Desert is both pitch black and very cool during the night. Dragons need complete darkness at night in order to sleep soundly, and they need the temperature to be considerably cooler than their daytime temperatures are. So 99% of Bearded Dragon owners need absolutely no nighttime heat source on at all during the night! AS LONG AS HIS NIGHTTIME TEMP INSIDE HIS TANK IS AT LEAST 65 DEGREES, THEN HE NEEDS NO NIGHTTIME HEAT SOURCE AT ALL! He'll sleep so much more soundly and deeply, and be less stressed if his tank is Pitch-Black and Cool at night. If your house is at least 60 degrees at night, which most are (you'd be freezing yourselves if not), then his tank will be at least 65 degrees and you need no nighttime heat source. He'll be much more comfortable.

Going along with the nighttime light bulb thing is his Basking Bulb. First of all, dragons see in full-color, just like us, in fact better than us. And in addition, your goal with his lighting is to replicate natural desert sunlight as closely as possible over the Hot Side of his tank as you can. You must NEVER use any colored bulbs at any time for a Bearded Dragon, no red, blue, black, purple, "moonlight", yellow, green, etc. No colored bulbs whatsoever. So the daytime Basking Bulb that you use over the Hot Side of his tank and that should be sitting right alongside the long UVB tube, both directly over his Basking Platform/Spot, should only be BRIGHT WHITE, replicating natural sunlight. He needs to get both a bright light Basking Light (heat source) and the long UVB tube at the same time while basking for at least 14 hours a day.

Obviously I already mentioned that you want NO lights on at night at all, but just to specify, all of those colored night bulbs like the black, purple, or "moonlight" bulbs do nothing but confuse night and day for dragons, as do the red or "infrared" and blue daylight basking bulbs. Actually, most of us don't even use a Reptile Specialty Basking Bulb, we simply use regular, household, Halogen Indoor Flood Bulbs that we buy at Lowes, Home Depot, or Walmart (actually Tractor Supply sells 2-packs for $5!). The par38 kind that you would use in your home. They are all "bright white" and as long as you buy the "Flood" bulbs and not the "Spot" bulbs you're good. If you want to buy a Reptile Specialty Basking Bulb or if your kit came with one that's fine, as long as it's only bright white in color. The ZooMed Intense Basking bulbs are good, they are bright white, so hopefully your kit came with one of those. But any other colored bulbs throw out, along with that damn sand...lol.

Oh wow O_O I am so glad I signed up to this forum. After reading the replies I'm rather pissed that I was miss informed at the pet store. I wanted to provide her with a nice house and instead I may be stressing her out ><
This is gonna be a stupid question but how do I post a picture with my reply .--.

So the lights I have right now are these
https://zoomed.com/mini-combo-deep-dome-lamp-fixture/
https://zoomed.com/reptisun-5-0-compact-fluorescent/ and the fixture is 30 cm in lenght (idk if I am using the correct technical words as I never handled these things before)

The night time lamp is an infrared so I am getting rid of it and will turn off all lights at night from now on.

Depending on whether these work or not, I am going to buy the appropriate ones that you have recommended (if you could provide me with a link that would be great!)

How long can she go without proper lighting? Depending on your answer I will either buy these things online or go to an actual physical shop since it's a lot faster even if pricier.
She isn't lethargic, if anything she is quite active (and today she chased around the crickets all over the place)

I was told the stick on thermometer was enough but I do plan on buying one because honestly...I figured that something that sticks to the terrarium and doesn't have a screen on it doesn't look like it would be accurate as you mentioned. Do you have recommendations?

I also got rid of the sand :v Should I wait until I get the ceramic tile or is it okai if I start using it now?

Thank you so much!

 

[EllenD]

Okay, so the thermometer you need is called a "Digital Probe Thermometer" and it has a probe on a wire that you can sit right on the spots you're measuring. They also come with a suction cup that is attached to the wire, right below the probe, that you can stick on the glass of the tank on both the Hot Side and the Cool Side to measure the Ambient temperatures (put it about 2" above the floor on each side, and wait 20-30 minutes to read it).

As far as the substrate, as long as you don't have any loose ones in there you're fine. Some people use only paper towels or newspapers forever and change them when they get soiled...the "green fake grass" you're seeing is called "Reptile Carpet" and is sold at most all pet shops that sell reptile supplies. It's fine to use too, though hard to clean, which is why I recommend the stick-on, slate, textured tiles, they look good, they keep their nails trimmed and dull, and it's easy to wipe up. So you can get those whenever you want to and use a temporary solid substrate in the meantime, no rush on that as long as you're not using any loose substrates.

The thing you need to replace immediately is your UVB light. The Reptisun 5.0 you have is first of all only a 5% UVB emitting light (hence the 5.0), which is adequate for tropical reptiles, but would have to be within 3"-4" of your dragon to get any adequate UVB to him, and putting any lights that close to him can cause eye problems, etc. In addition, this is not the UVb tube that I was talking about, this is considered the "compact" 13 watt version, which is not nearly strong enough for a dragon.

What you want is the Reptisun 10.0 (or 10% UVB) T8 or T5HO UVB tube. These are long tubes that fit into long, flourescent tube light fixtures. They come is standard lengths of 18", 24", 36", 48", etc. That's the main difference. Also, the long tube fixture you buy for these UVB tubes MUST have a Metal Reflector inside it, that sits behind where the UVB tube sits, and this Metal Reflector ensures that proper UVB light is going to be reflected throughout his tank.

Let me explain the differences between the T8 strength UVb tube and the stronger T5 strength UVB tube. The T8 UVb tubes are the weaker of the two, and cannot be obstructed by a mesh lid, so they must be mounted inside the tank, underneath the mesh lid. The weaker T8 tubes must be within at least 6" of his main basking spot/platform to provide effective UVB light to him, and the T8 tubes must be replaced once every 6 months like clockwork, as that is the age that they stop emitting any UVb light at all (decay rate is faster). In contrast, the stronger T5 UVB tubes are strong enough to sit on top of the mesh lid (but cannot be obstructed by any glass or clear plastic, some tube fixtures come with a clear plastic safety cover over the UVB tube chamber, and this has to be removed first, as no strength of UVB light can penetrate glass or clear plastic). The T5 tubes must be within at least 11" of his main basking spot, and they must be replaced once every 10 months to a year.

For these reasons, most of use use the T5 strength UVB tubes, because they are more appropriate in UVB strength for dragons, and because you save money in the long run because you only have to replace them once a year as opposed to every 6 months. You have to purchase a long tube fixture that is rated for a T5 tube (they are 24 watts versus 15 watts of the T8 tubes, so you can see how much stronger they are). And honestly, if purchased online, the T5 tubes tend to cost no more than the T8 tubes, sometimes less.

Where in the world are you? If you're in the United States then ordering the 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube and a matching 24" T5-rated tube fixture on Amazon.com is your best bet (cheapest too). However, if you're in the UK, then you have access to Arcadia brand UVB tubes, which are by far the best UVB tubes available, in my opinion anyway. Not that the Reptisun 10.0 T5HO tubes aren't excellent, I've been using them for years with no issues at all, but the Arcadia UVB tubes are stronger and more intense. You can buy the 24" Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube, or the Arcadia 14% T5 UVB tube (the 14% is really only necessary if you have a massive enclosure that is very tall, the 12% T5 is probably the most commonly purchased UVB tube in the UK for dragons, and is very, very strong and just an awesome UVb tube). So depending on where you live would decide which one would be more affordable, as well as where you would order it from.

 

[EllenD]

Oh, to answer your "time frame" question, she will be fine waiting for you to order the lights, as you definitely will save a lot of money. As long as you can get an adequate UVB tube and fixture for it within a week or so she'll be fine.

The Deep Dome fixture can be used for the basking bulb, which I hope is bright white, and if it is bright white and is the correct wattage to get all 3 temperatures within the correct ranges, as listed, then it's fine. Once you buy a Digital Probe Thermometer you can check all 3 temperatures and decide whether or not it's the correct wattage for the tank. a 20 gallon long tank will do you until she is about 6 months old, but you will need to purchased at least a 40 gallon Breeder Tank at that point, which some people use from that point on. That's fine, some time in the future you may want to consider upgrading to a wooden enclosure that is at a minimum of 4'x2'x2', as some dragons grow up to 24" long and longer. My female, who just turned a year old, is already 19" long (they continue to grow up to about 2 years old), and my prior male, who lived to be almost 13 years old, was 24" long. So they do require quite a large enclosure. But for now concentrate on getting her an adequate UVB tube and a Digital Probe Thermometer (which by the way only costs $10 at any pet store here in the US and ZooMed makes a yellow one, Zilla makes a black one, and Exo Terra makes a black one as well, all priced similarly).

Again, I don't know where you live, if you are in the UK then I hope someone else can chime in as to the best place to buy a Digital Probe Thermometer and the 24" Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube and matching fixture with a Metal Reflector, as I don't know if you can order from Amazon.com or not...

 

[RagingBunny]

Thank you! Yeah I will be ordering it now and it should take 3 to 5 days to arrive.

Yeah this is a temporary tank, I plan on building one that is bigger and has doors that open in the front instead.
I am in Canada so I'm sure amazon is my best option for now

 

[EllenD]

Thank you! Yeah I will be ordering it now and it should take 3 to 5 days to arrive.

Yeah this is a temporary tank, I plan on building one that is bigger and has doors that open in the front instead.
I am in Canada so I'm sure amazon is my best option for now

Gotcha...yeah, I order all of my UVB tubes from Amazon.com, I've searched high and low, and price wise that's by far the best place. You can usually get free shipping, the prices on the tubes themselves are usually half of retail in stores, and you can usually get a good price on a "Package Deal" for the tube and the matching tube fixture for it. They also sell Digital Probe Thermometers for like $4 a piece...can't beat it!

 

[RagingBunny]

Yeah I've ordered all of that, shipping was free but I wanted the fastest one so it could get here the 13rd, every other shipping option would only have arrived after the 18th

 

[RagingBunny]

I thought I'd let you guys know that I rearranged her tank a bit until the lights arrive Wednesday and her belly is white again ^_^ no black lines and what not. I also stopped handling her for the time being, I just occasionally pet her and feed her. I do have one question though, when it comes to bathing/hydration how do I know that she is having issues with it? Right now she knows where the water is but I am planning on only placing the water bowl there when I'm not at home and just mist her instead. What would be the best for her?

 

[EllenD]

Awesome that you ordered the lights for her, you're already a better dragon owner than most! And I mean that sincerely, I/we always appreciate it much when people are responsible pet owners and understand how crucial proper lighting and temperatures are to dragons!

As far as hydration, Bearded Dragons do not typically drink water from a bowl or a bath. Being from the Australian Desert, they really have no concept of standing water at all. In the wild they get 100% of their hydration from the live insects and the vegetation that they eat, and it's not much different in captivity at all. Some pet dragons will drink occasionally from a bowl of water, but most won't. If you happen to have a dragon that you have actually seen drink water from a bowl in his tank then that's fine if you want to keep a bowl of water in his tank, but if you don't see him actually drinking water from it, then it's not at all necessary. IMPORTANT TIP ABOUT THE WATER BOWL: If you do decide to keep a water bowl inside his tank (really is not necessary but your choice completely), then please, please, please, especially with a baby or juvenile dragon, please remember to REMOVE THE BOWL OF WATER FROM HIS TANK EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, DO NOT LEAVE ANY STANDING WATER IN HIS TANK OVER NIGHT!!! Dragons, especially babies and juveniles, for some reason tend to lay in the bowl of water, and they also tend to fall asleep while laying in the bowl of water, even if the water is cool/cold (even room temperature water is too cold for them to lay in for long periods of time). It's quite tragic, but it happens all the time, people will wake up in the morning and find their dragons dead or dying, either because #1) They drowned because they fell asleep and their snout went into the water, or more commonly #2) Their body temperature dropped from laying in the water all night (even room temperature water will do this) and they die of hypothermia. This happens all the time, and it's just so sad and needless. So if you decide to keep a bowl of water inside his tank, I would put it in fresh in the morning and then take it out before lights out ever single night. And again, if you don't see him drinking from the bowl don't be surprised, because I bet 95% of pet dragons do not drink standing water unless they are in a situation where they are extremely dehydrated due to illness, neglect, etc.

******Let's talk about Beardie Baths! This is a topic of conversation that has so much BS surrounding it that it's gone into cyberland and become this epic myth of how dragons magically absorb water into their bodies and use it as hydration, just by laying/sitting in water. It's just not true. This is a total myth, and it should make sense to most people that there is no way that they can absorb any hydration through their skin or their vents (that's the main myth, that they take hydration in through their vents/butt, LOL). Nope, not true. Dragons have to take in their hydration through their mouths only, just like us. In fact, sitting them in water, especially warm water, can actually be dehydrating, the same way our skin gets dried-out after we get out of a hot bath/hot tub if we don't apply lotion afterwards.

The bottom line to bathing your beardie is this: Most dragons don't like baths at all because again, they don't understand why they're in standing water, or what it even is. There is little to no standing water in the Australian Desert, so why would they? Now there are some Beardies that enjoy a bath, they all can swim pretty well, go figure, but if you put your dragon in a bath and he just swims frantically at the sides of the bathtube and is constantly trying to get out, then he doesn't like it and it's only stressing him out. If he calmly swims around and seems to be enjoying a bath then you can certainly indulge him, but chances are that he's not going to like them very much at all. THE ONLY TIME A BEARDED DRAGON "NEEDS" A BATH IS IF THEY GET DIRTY/SMELLY. THAT'S IT. So if your dragon poops on himself, which he will, lol, then of course give him a bath. I bathe all 3 of my dragons once a week, even if they haven't pooped on themselves or gotten food all over them, just to keep them clean and smelling good. Dragons actually have no smell at all, so if he "stinks" then he needs a bath. But bathing a Bearded Dragon more than once a week is totally unnecessary and can actually be very stressful for them, unless they really seem to like a bath.

As far as bath water level/temperature, think of it like you're bathing a baby, it needs to be pretty warm water, but never hot. And you should only fill the water up to their shoulders at an absolute maximum level.

One of the best bits of advice I could ever give you about caring for your dragon is this: Never, ever, ever take your eyes off your dragon while he's in standing water, because many dragons have drowned because their owners waled out of the room for 2 minutes to do something or check on something, and their dragon lowered it's head under the water. Just never take your eyes off him while he's sitting in standing water....this is also why I don't like leaving a bowl of water in their tanks, at least not while they are small babies/juveniles. An adult is less likely to drown in a water bowl, but they still often drown in bathtubs.

So the bottom line is that your dragon should be eating enough live insects every day to get all the hydration he needs (most babies/juveniles do not each many greens/veggies, if any at all, even though you need to offer him a small, fresh salad every day in his tank, just so that he can get used to it and start taking little bits of it; some babies/juveniles actually do eat a lot of greens and veggies, but you do not want to ever feed a baby or juvenile their fresh greens/veggies in the morning until AFTER they have eaten as many live insects as they want to in 10-15 minutes, as they don't need greens/veggies at this point, they need the live protein. So you don't want them to fill up on greens/veggies and then not eat their bugs...but again, most babies/juveniles don't eat many greens/veggies at all).

A lot of people like to offer their dragon drops of water on their snouts to allow them to lick them off, just as extra hydration, and they do this several times throughout the day. You can do this if you want to and if he's willing to lick the water off of his snout, some do and some won't even open their mouths. But it's a good practice to get into, just to ensure he's getting enough hydration.

 

[EllenD]

I realized that we didn't really discuss a proper daily diet and supplementation schedule, and since their diets during their first year of life are so important to their growth and development, I thought that I should quickly go over this for you.

Bearded Dragons continue to grow until they are 2 years old, at which time they are considered to be "adults". However, they do around 85%-90% of their growing and developing physically during their first year of life, and do very little physical growth during their second year of life. For this reason, it's extremely important that Dragons get tons and tons and tons of live insect protein every single day, and this is also the reason why most Dragons naturally just don't like/eat many greens or veggies at all until they are a year old or older...it's because they don't need them, they need live insect protein, and lots of it, every single day.

I'm assuming that you've chosen a live staple insect to feed him already, most people choose crickets to start with. Now you're in Canada, which limits you and makes this process a bit more expensive and difficult to do, because most people order their live staple insects online, in bulk quantities, because during their first year of life they eat just an amazing number of live bugs each day. Canada doesn't allow Roaches I don't believe, at least not Dubia Roaches, there are other species of Roaches that can be fed to Dragons, I don't know their legality in Canada. I have spoken to a few people on here from Canada that have found several different online vendors to order their live insects in bulk from, because it's definitely not cost-effective at all to buy your live insects from a pet shop. It would make most people go bankrupt, lol.

There are only a few live insects that can be fed to Dragons as a "staple" insect, meaning the insects that make-up the bulk of their diet and aren't just "treat" insects. Dragons need to eat tons of live insects every single day that are high in protein, high in vitamins and minerals, and very low in fat, as they are prone to and easily develop "Fatty Liver Disease", and this is one of the main reasons that most captive Bearded Dragons don't live nearly as long as they should.

Adequate live staple insects to feed Bearded Dragons daily in high quantities include Crickets, Roaches (Dubias and several other species), Locusts, Silkworms, and Phoenix Worms/BSFL/NutriGrubs/Reptiworms/Calciworms (all the same thing, just different brand names depending on where you order them from). I know in Canada you can order Crickets and BSFL/Phoenix Worms online in bulk from several different vendors. Here are the most popular and cheapest online bulk vendors for live staple insects in Canada:

www.thewormlady.ca (DEFINITELY THE MOST POPULAR)

www.eastcoastexotics.ca

www.supercrickets.ca

www.bugsgalore.ca

https://allreptiles.ca


Those seem to be the most popular places to order live staple insects in bulk if you live in Canada. Notice I keep saying "LIVE" insects. That's because I'm hoping that you'll never, ever feed your dragon ANY Freeze-Dried or already Dead insects, not ever. Remember how I told you that Dragons get ALL of their hydration from their live insects and greens/veggies? Well, if they are fed Freeze-Dried insects they aren't getting any hydration at all, as it's all completely removed, along with all of the vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. You might as well feed him cardboard, it would be safer, at least he could digest cardboard! Freeze-Dried insects do not provide any nutrition at all, nor any hydration, and they are extremely difficult for them to digest and often cause bowel impactions and obstructions. So please, never waste your money on buying any of those commercial Bearded Dragon foods that have any dead insects in them.

Speaking of "Commercial" Bearded Dragon foods, most all of them are unnecessary, unhealthy, and a total waste of money. A good rule to follow is that if a commercial Bearded Dragon food contains any dead insects in it, do not ever buy it. Most all of the foods you see in pet shops that are made for bearded dragons are a total waste of money for a number of reasons, the main one being that they won't eat them, lol. There are 2 brands of Bearded Dragon Pellets that I have researched to being at least healthy, in the sense that they have a very high protein content and are low fat, and also contain a good variety of vitamins and minerals for Dragons, and those 2 brands are #1) RepCal brand Fruit Pellets (the smaller, juvenile Bearded Dragon variety), and #2) Mazuri Bearded Dragon Pellets (comes in a bag and are just small, brown pellets). That's pretty much it. But the problem with even these is that dragons won't eat them. However, they do serve their purpose, and that is to provide nutrition when your dragon is sick and you have to force-feed him. Hopefully you won't ever have to do this, but it's good to have the knowledge in case you ever do need it.

In general, do not waste your money on any "Bearded Dragon Food" that you can buy in pet shops. They need healthy, live insects and fresh, healthy greens and veggies. That's it. Always avoid any commercial food that contains any already dead of freeze-dried insects in it (pretty much anything made by Fluker's is crap), and only consider buying any of this stuff if you need to force-feed him due to illness sometime in the future. If that happens, you can use the RepCal or Mazuri brand pellets to add to slurries, and also Repashy makes some really great products like "Repashy GrubPie" and "Repashy Burger", which are powders you mix with water and make into a paste that you can force-feed if necessary. But these are not to ever be a part of his regular, daily diet, and are only necessary if you need to force-feed him. So let's talk about his normal, daily diet.

I don't know where you bought your baby from, but if you got him from a large pet shop chain, like Petco, PetSmart, or PetLand, typically babies they sell are around only a month old. If you bought him from a small, independent pet shop or breeder, you may know exactly how old he is because they were able to tell you. If you have no idea how old he is, we can help you with that just by looking at him and using his length to determine it. Either way, I'm pretty sure he's still a baby, if I remember you correctly. So from this point on until he's at least a year old, he needs tons of live insects every single day, and these should be fed to him during multiple "Live Insect Feeding Sessions" throughout the day.

First of all, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ANY INSECT YOU FEED HIM IS SMALLER THAN THE SPACE BETWEEN HIS EYES!!! This is extremely important, as it will prevent choking and bowel impactions. Beardies will try to eat insects that are larger than they are, LOL, for real, so it's your responsibility to make sure that you are buying/ordering live insects that are smaller than the space between his eyes.

******Both his bright white Basking Bulb and his UVB tube need to be on in the morning for at least 1-2 hours before you feed him, as this will allow him to warm up and absorb some UVB light, and this enables him to be able to digest his food properly, absorb the nutrition from his food, and be able to process/use it. And just for the same reasons, please make sure that both of his lights are on for at least 1-2 hours AFTER he eats his last meal of the day, before you turn them out for bedtime. Never just turn his lights on in the morning and immediately feed him, or feed him and then immediately turn his lights off for bed. This can result in undigested food being excreted in his poop, malnutrition, and bowel impactions.*******

YOU SHOULD GUT-LOAD HIS LIVE INSECTS WITH THE SAME HEALTHY GREENS AND VEGGIES THAT YOU OFFER HIM. No matter what live staple insect you choose, if you buy them in bulk, as I'm sure you will once you see how many he's going to eat, you'll need to keep them in a large, plastic bin/tub with the proper bedding for that insect. Crickets need to be kept with some egg carton material and then you can throw in a few fresh greens/veggies every morning for them, this will provide them with nutrition and hydration, not only for them, BUT ALSO FOR YOUR DRAGON. NEVER FEED YOUR FEEDER INSECTS ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULDN'T FEED YOUR DRAGON!!!! Something that a lot of people figure out the hard way is that ANY OF THOSE COMMERCIAL "INSECT FEEDS" OR "CRICKET QUENCHERS" ARE ALL CRAP, SOME OF WHICH ARE VERY, VERY POISONOUS, ESPECIALLY THE "CRICKET QUENCHERS" OR ANY TYPE OF "HYDRATION GELS" FOR CRICKETS. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON ANY COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS TO FEED YOUR INSECTS WITH, THEY ARE ALL GARBAGE AND SOME ARE ACTUALLY DANGEROUS AND HAVE KILLED DRAGONS!

If you choose to feed BSFL/Phoenix Worms to your Dragon as his live staple insect, they can be kept in a plastic tub/bin with an inch or two of either oatmeal or oatbran in the bottom, and then again just throw in some fresh greens/veggies for them each morning. Putting a couple peeled pieces of potato or apple provides ample hydration for them, along with the fresh greens/veggies.

LIVE INSECT FEEDING SESSIONS:

From this point on until he's at least a year old, you need to give him multiple live-insect feeding sessions every day. From hatching until he's at least 8 months old you need to do at least 2 live-insect feeding sessions every single day, but 3 feeding sessions is better if you can do it around your daily schedule. If doing only 2 live-insect feeding sessions, do the first in the morning and then the second in the late afternoon or early evening. If you can do 3 sessions, then do the first in the morning, the second in the mid-afternoon, and then the third in the early evening or about an hour or two before lights out. (Remember, his lights both need to be on for at least 13-14 hours every day).

Each live-insect feeding session needs to last between 10-15 minutes, and during this time period he needs to be ALLOWED TO EAT AS MANY LIVE INSECTS AS HE WANTS TO!!! Do not just throw a bunch of live insects into his tank at once, especially if you're feeding crickets, as this can not only overwhelm him and scare him (and then he won't eat), but also crickets will hide in and under everything in his tank, and you can never, ever leave a live cricket in his tank over night, as they bite dragons often, and this results in infected sores all over their bodies, and at nighttime crickets have been know to even bite their eyeballs, and yes, eat them. So you should only feed him at most 2-3 live insects at a time, let him eat them, and then give him another 2-3, let him eat them, then give him another 2-3, etc. Continue this until either the 10-15 minutes is up, or he stops eating. Usually when they are full they will actually leave and go to their basking spot immediately to bask. Then you know he's done, or if he continues eating and the 10-15 minutes is up, then stop feeding him, as you don't want to overfeed either. Right now your baby is new and doesn't have the correct UVB light, so he's not going to eat nearly as many as he will be eating once you get his new UVB light on him, and once the relocation stress period is over. But they will eat and eat and eat, that's why limiting the feeding sessions to unlimited insects for only 10-15 minutes a session is important. When the 10-15 minutes is up then BE SURE TO REMOVE ANY REMAINING LIVE INSECTS FROM HIS TANK, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE CRICKETS. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO DO.

Until he's around 8 months old it's better to do 3 live-insect feeding sessions a day, then at 8 months scale back to 2 live feeding sessions, and continue doing 2 every day until he's a year to a year and a half old, at which time you can go to only 1 live feeding session a day. As he gets larger you can increase the size of the insects you are feeding him accordingly, and the larger the insects are, the less of them he will eat per session.

****After he eats his first live-insect feeding session in the morning, only then should you put his fresh salad of greens and veggies in his tank. He may eat them, he may not until he's over a year old, but it's important that he gets them fresh every day.

Avoid all types of Kale and Spinach, as they contain extremely high contents of Oxalates, which automatically bind to any available free Calcium, and this prevents the dragon from absorbing any of the Calcium he eats, instead he will just excrete it all as Calcium-Oxalate.

Avoid any and all "Lettuces". If the green has "Lettuce" in it's name you do not want to feed it to your dragon. First of all, when he gets to be 2 years old he will be eating mainly greens and veggies as his diet, so he will obviously need very nutritious greens and veggies, that have all of the protein, calories, vitamins, minerals, etc. that he needs to sustain his life. Lettuce is basically all water and that's it. So you don't want him to like eating lettuce, it's got absolutely no nutritional benefit to him at all. And the dark green, leafy lettuces, like Romaine Lettuce, contain very high Oxalate levels, just like Kale and Spinach do. So if it has "Lettuce" in it's name, stay away from it.

*****Healthy greens that should make up the bulk of his fresh, daily salads include Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Dandelion Greens, Escarole, Endive, Swiss Chards, Bok Choy and Pak Choy, and Arugula/Rocket. These are all nutrient dense, high calcium but low oxalate, and protein rich.

******Healthy veggies to mix with his salads include all types of Squash (butternut, spaghetti, acorn, yellow, green), all types of Bell Peppers, Green Beans, Peas, Pea Pods, some Carrot, some Broccoli...

 

[RagingBunny]

Thank you so much for all the information you are providing me with!

I place only a couple of crickets in the morning to see if she gets interested but still nothing. So today I force fed her 3 of them and placed her back in the tank because she was skirming a lot and I didnt want to stress her out even more. I already saved 2 websites you've provided me with and will be getting food from there from now on ^^ If I see she still has no interest in the crickets, should I force feed her? and if so, how many should I make her eat?