Bellagracen
Member
Growing
- Thread starter Bellagracen
- Start date
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I'm sorry your beardie is stunted, a photo of him would help, but he should be much larger than you're describing. To give you a comparison, my female is 7 months old, almost 8 months old, and she is just under 18 inches long from the tip of her snout to the end of her tail. At 6 months I'd say she was probably between 16-17 inches long. Now all Beardies are going to be different, but 7 inches long from end to end is way too small for a 6 month old, and as you've stated he hasn't grown much since you got him, so something is very wrong to stunt his growth this much.
We need you to post photos of him, as well as photos of his enclosure and setup. His daily diet is only one part of why his growth is stunted, there are a ton of factors that effect a Bearded Dragon's growth and development, including diet, UVB exposure, temperatures in his enclosure, dietary supplements, etc. So we need to know everything about his enclosure and setup in order to correct this problem and get him on track, because he is way behind and not only will he probably not grow to his full potential even with the corrections, but he's going to most likely develop a lot of other issues that are debilitating and possibly fatal, like Metabolic Bone Disease.
A good rule for feeding your bearded dragon is to let him eat as many live insects, crickets in your case, which are good feeders (I hope you're gut-loading them with good greens) as he can eat in a 10 minute period, and you need to do this twice a day at the least, 3 times a day is better. Unfortunately you didn't do this when he was a young baby, and that's when he needs adequate nutrition the most to grow. For example, my girl was a little over a month old when I got her and around 5 inches long at 2 months old. I would feed her in the morning after her lights had been on for at least an hour (important) and in 10 minutes she would eat between 15-20 small crickets. Then I'd feed her again around 4:00 when I got home, and again in 10 minutes she would eat between 15-20 small crickets. Then I'd feed her again about 2 hours before her lights were turned off (important because they need their UVB light and heat from their basking bulbs to digest the food). Again, in 10 minutes she would eat between 10-15 small crickets. So on average at 2 months old she ate between 45-60 small crickets a day. There should be no set number that you're thinking of feeding your beardie, it's simply as many crickets as he can eat in 10 minutes, 2-3 times a day. Some eat more, some eat less, but for a young, growing beardie 15 small crickets a day is not nearly enough. And you should have been dusting ALL of his crickets in Calcium powder 5 days a week from the time you got him until he is at least a year old, and the other 2 times a week ALL of his crickets should be dusted in a good reptile multivitamin powder, again this should have happened twice a week (Calcium powder off days) from the time you got him until he's at least a year old. So a lack of Calcium may have caused the start of Metabolic Bone Disease, and the total lack of a multivitamin powder obviously has effected his growth and overall health.
As far as fresh veggies, most babies won't eat them, some won't touch them, some nibble on them, and some really do love them. As they approach a year old they make a switch from 80% live insects and 20% veggies to 80% veggies and 20% live insects. However, they should still be provided fresh greens and veggies every single day so that they can learn to eat them, and if they do it's a bonus because they are loaded with important and necessary vitamins and minerals, like Calcium. Now feeding your beardie shredded carrots every day was not appropriate at all, carrots can be added to their greens once in a while if he likes them, but they need to be given fresh greens every single day that are rich in USABLE Calcium! NO LETTUCE OF ANY KIND! Lettuce, even romaine, has very little to no nutritional value and is mostly just water. NO KALE OR SPINACH!!! These two are loaded with calcium but also loaded with oxalates which bind the calcium and make it unusable.
So you should be offering fresh collard greens, mustard greens, Dandelion Greens, turnip greens, escarole, bok choy, cilantro or basil (just a little for flavor), green beans, sugar snap peas, squash such as butternut or spaghetti (they usually love squash), sweet potatoes, broccoli (in moderation)...Those are the best ones, with the best listed first, like the collard greens, mustard greens, Dandelion Greens, and turnip greens. There is a really great list of veggies and greens on here if you search. Make sure to buy fresh, not frozen, and NEVER CANNED, there are no nutrients left in canned veggies and they are loaded with salt and preservatives that are horrible. Again, you could add shredded carrots to the greens if he likes them, it may encourage him to eat the greens, but carrots cannot be a staple veggie. Fruits are just sugar and water, they cause runny poop and have little nutritional value, so only give them once or twice a week, if that, and in small bits. Make sure you rip the greens into small pieces that he can fit into his mouth.
You're going to have to start over with his diet from this point on, forget about him being a year old and switching off of live insects because he's going to need the protein from this point on just like when he was a baby, since he didn't get it then. So prepare to feed him 60 small crickets a day (I need a pic to see his head size, I'm assuming he can't or should not be eating medium crickets yet, they can be no wider than the space between his eyes). Prepare to feed him fresh greens and veggies every day (I put the greens in after I do her morning 10 minute feed so she has them from the morning feed until I get home around 4:00). Please also go buy a quality Reptile Multivitamin Powder, like Repashy Calcium Plus or Herpavite. He will need that dusted on his insects twice a week, and the calcium powder with D3 5 times a week.
Now, the second part of the problem is no doubt his enclosure and lighting. Again, please post a photo of his entire enclosure and setup, including the lights.
Then please answer these questions, as they are very important. Please make sure to list brand names of your bulbs, along with the model and the wattage (all will be listed on the bulbs themselves if you don't have the boxes). If his lights are inappropriate he can't process any of the calcium, multivitamins, or nutrition from the crickets or veggies, which is the other half of the reason he is stunted, I'm assuming even though I don't yet know what lights you have. Do answer these questions as accurately as you can, as well as posting photos of him and the enclosure, and we'll know exactly what's going on:
How large is his enclosure/dimensions? Is it a glass aquarium or a reptile specific enclosure? What substrate do you have in the bottom of his enclosure?
What brand, model, and wattage/size of UVB bulb do you have? Is it a long, flourescent tube, a regular lightbulb, or a coil light bulb? How far away (in inches) is the UVB light from his main basking spot? Is the UVB light mounted inside his enclosure or is it on top of a mesh or glass lid?
What brand, model, color, and wattage of basking bulb do you have? How far away from his basking spot is the basking bulb? Where is it mounted, and how close can he get to it? Do you use any type of colored bulbs or a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) for nighttime?
What are the 3 important temperatures inside of his enclosure: Hot Side Temperature, Cool Side Temperature, and Main Basking Spot Temperature? What type of thermometer did you use to measure those temperatures? How many hours per day are his UVB and basking lights on?
We already know about his diet and supplements and I've already informed you of what changes you need to make immediately to that. As I said, his daily diet and supplements are only 50% of the issue, so even if you change to feeding him as many crickets as he can eat in a 10 minute period 2-3 times a day, and you ditch the carrots and start feeding him appropriate, fresh greens every day, and you start dusting all of his crickets in calcium with D3 powder 5 times a week and a Reptile Multivitamin Powder the other 2 days a week, none of this will do much good if his lighting and temperatures are wrong. Bearded dragons have very unique and specific lighting requirements, specifically their UVB light requirements are very, very particular, and unfortunately most UVB bulbs that are great for other reptiles absolutely suck for bearded dragons, and most pet store employees and as we're recently finding out a lot of breeders don't have a clue about proper UVB lighting. So you definitely need to get on this immediately, correct his diet, and as soon as you answer the above questions we can tell you what's going on with your lights.
Please try to get him turned around ASAP because he is extremely stunted and most likely has some health issues.
We need you to post photos of him, as well as photos of his enclosure and setup. His daily diet is only one part of why his growth is stunted, there are a ton of factors that effect a Bearded Dragon's growth and development, including diet, UVB exposure, temperatures in his enclosure, dietary supplements, etc. So we need to know everything about his enclosure and setup in order to correct this problem and get him on track, because he is way behind and not only will he probably not grow to his full potential even with the corrections, but he's going to most likely develop a lot of other issues that are debilitating and possibly fatal, like Metabolic Bone Disease.
A good rule for feeding your bearded dragon is to let him eat as many live insects, crickets in your case, which are good feeders (I hope you're gut-loading them with good greens) as he can eat in a 10 minute period, and you need to do this twice a day at the least, 3 times a day is better. Unfortunately you didn't do this when he was a young baby, and that's when he needs adequate nutrition the most to grow. For example, my girl was a little over a month old when I got her and around 5 inches long at 2 months old. I would feed her in the morning after her lights had been on for at least an hour (important) and in 10 minutes she would eat between 15-20 small crickets. Then I'd feed her again around 4:00 when I got home, and again in 10 minutes she would eat between 15-20 small crickets. Then I'd feed her again about 2 hours before her lights were turned off (important because they need their UVB light and heat from their basking bulbs to digest the food). Again, in 10 minutes she would eat between 10-15 small crickets. So on average at 2 months old she ate between 45-60 small crickets a day. There should be no set number that you're thinking of feeding your beardie, it's simply as many crickets as he can eat in 10 minutes, 2-3 times a day. Some eat more, some eat less, but for a young, growing beardie 15 small crickets a day is not nearly enough. And you should have been dusting ALL of his crickets in Calcium powder 5 days a week from the time you got him until he is at least a year old, and the other 2 times a week ALL of his crickets should be dusted in a good reptile multivitamin powder, again this should have happened twice a week (Calcium powder off days) from the time you got him until he's at least a year old. So a lack of Calcium may have caused the start of Metabolic Bone Disease, and the total lack of a multivitamin powder obviously has effected his growth and overall health.
As far as fresh veggies, most babies won't eat them, some won't touch them, some nibble on them, and some really do love them. As they approach a year old they make a switch from 80% live insects and 20% veggies to 80% veggies and 20% live insects. However, they should still be provided fresh greens and veggies every single day so that they can learn to eat them, and if they do it's a bonus because they are loaded with important and necessary vitamins and minerals, like Calcium. Now feeding your beardie shredded carrots every day was not appropriate at all, carrots can be added to their greens once in a while if he likes them, but they need to be given fresh greens every single day that are rich in USABLE Calcium! NO LETTUCE OF ANY KIND! Lettuce, even romaine, has very little to no nutritional value and is mostly just water. NO KALE OR SPINACH!!! These two are loaded with calcium but also loaded with oxalates which bind the calcium and make it unusable.
So you should be offering fresh collard greens, mustard greens, Dandelion Greens, turnip greens, escarole, bok choy, cilantro or basil (just a little for flavor), green beans, sugar snap peas, squash such as butternut or spaghetti (they usually love squash), sweet potatoes, broccoli (in moderation)...Those are the best ones, with the best listed first, like the collard greens, mustard greens, Dandelion Greens, and turnip greens. There is a really great list of veggies and greens on here if you search. Make sure to buy fresh, not frozen, and NEVER CANNED, there are no nutrients left in canned veggies and they are loaded with salt and preservatives that are horrible. Again, you could add shredded carrots to the greens if he likes them, it may encourage him to eat the greens, but carrots cannot be a staple veggie. Fruits are just sugar and water, they cause runny poop and have little nutritional value, so only give them once or twice a week, if that, and in small bits. Make sure you rip the greens into small pieces that he can fit into his mouth.
You're going to have to start over with his diet from this point on, forget about him being a year old and switching off of live insects because he's going to need the protein from this point on just like when he was a baby, since he didn't get it then. So prepare to feed him 60 small crickets a day (I need a pic to see his head size, I'm assuming he can't or should not be eating medium crickets yet, they can be no wider than the space between his eyes). Prepare to feed him fresh greens and veggies every day (I put the greens in after I do her morning 10 minute feed so she has them from the morning feed until I get home around 4:00). Please also go buy a quality Reptile Multivitamin Powder, like Repashy Calcium Plus or Herpavite. He will need that dusted on his insects twice a week, and the calcium powder with D3 5 times a week.
Now, the second part of the problem is no doubt his enclosure and lighting. Again, please post a photo of his entire enclosure and setup, including the lights.
Then please answer these questions, as they are very important. Please make sure to list brand names of your bulbs, along with the model and the wattage (all will be listed on the bulbs themselves if you don't have the boxes). If his lights are inappropriate he can't process any of the calcium, multivitamins, or nutrition from the crickets or veggies, which is the other half of the reason he is stunted, I'm assuming even though I don't yet know what lights you have. Do answer these questions as accurately as you can, as well as posting photos of him and the enclosure, and we'll know exactly what's going on:
How large is his enclosure/dimensions? Is it a glass aquarium or a reptile specific enclosure? What substrate do you have in the bottom of his enclosure?
What brand, model, and wattage/size of UVB bulb do you have? Is it a long, flourescent tube, a regular lightbulb, or a coil light bulb? How far away (in inches) is the UVB light from his main basking spot? Is the UVB light mounted inside his enclosure or is it on top of a mesh or glass lid?
What brand, model, color, and wattage of basking bulb do you have? How far away from his basking spot is the basking bulb? Where is it mounted, and how close can he get to it? Do you use any type of colored bulbs or a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) for nighttime?
What are the 3 important temperatures inside of his enclosure: Hot Side Temperature, Cool Side Temperature, and Main Basking Spot Temperature? What type of thermometer did you use to measure those temperatures? How many hours per day are his UVB and basking lights on?
We already know about his diet and supplements and I've already informed you of what changes you need to make immediately to that. As I said, his daily diet and supplements are only 50% of the issue, so even if you change to feeding him as many crickets as he can eat in a 10 minute period 2-3 times a day, and you ditch the carrots and start feeding him appropriate, fresh greens every day, and you start dusting all of his crickets in calcium with D3 powder 5 times a week and a Reptile Multivitamin Powder the other 2 days a week, none of this will do much good if his lighting and temperatures are wrong. Bearded dragons have very unique and specific lighting requirements, specifically their UVB light requirements are very, very particular, and unfortunately most UVB bulbs that are great for other reptiles absolutely suck for bearded dragons, and most pet store employees and as we're recently finding out a lot of breeders don't have a clue about proper UVB lighting. So you definitely need to get on this immediately, correct his diet, and as soon as you answer the above questions we can tell you what's going on with your lights.
Please try to get him turned around ASAP because he is extremely stunted and most likely has some health issues.
Bellagracen
Member
what's the best way to make him grow fast.Bellagracen":ii67ur5s said:Hi I brought my first bearded dragon at the end of January. The breeder didn't tell me how old he was when I brought him but I'm guessing he was around 2 months. So I'm pretty sure he's around 6 months old now and I don't think he's growing like he's ment to because he's only like 7 inches long, he still looks like a baby and has hardly grown since I first brought him. When I first got him I didn't know much about bearded dragons at all and only fed him around 6 crickets a day with a bunch or grated carrot with the calcium powder on it. But I've only just in the last few weeks discovered your meat to feed them a lot more crickets then 6, so now I'm feeding him around 15 per day after 15 he's full. But what I want to know is did I mess up his growth by not feeding him enough when he was younger and if I feed him properly now will he grow to a normal big size?? Or am I just over reacting and his size is normal for his age? Btw I have all the right lights and stuff so I know it's not that.these are pictures of him and his tank. I made the tank so there might be something wrong with it
Also every morning and afternoon I offer him crickets but the most he eats in a day is around 20. I also was wondering if it's okay to leave the heat light on over night because it's winter and gets around 12 degrees at night and my heat pad doesnt heat the tank up enough.
Bellagracen
Member
Bellagracen":vh6obhnm said:Hi I brought my first bearded dragon at the end of January. The breeder didn't tell me how old he was when I brought him but I'm guessing he was around 2 months. So I'm pretty sure he's around 6 months old now and I don't think he's growing like he's ment to because he's only like 7 inches long, he still looks like a baby and has hardly grown since I first brought him. When I first got him I didn't know much about bearded dragons at all and only fed him around 6 crickets a day with a bunch or grated carrot with the calcium powder on it. But I've only just in the last few weeks discovered your meat to feed them a lot more crickets then 6, so now I'm feeding him around 15 per day after 15 he's full. But what I want to know is did I mess up his growth by not feeding him enough when he was younger and if I feed him properly now will he grow to a normal big size?? Or am I just over reacting and his size is normal for his age? Btw I have all the right lights and stuff so I know it's not that.these are pictures of him and his tank. I made the tank so there might be something wrong with it
Also another update I found the old messages from the breeder that I couldnt find before and I got him mid way through March not February but the breeder still never told me how old he was but I'm guessing around 1 month so he's actually about 3 and a half months old and 7 inches so is that a normal size??? Or still really small
kingofnobbys
BD.org Sicko
There a quite a few issues I can see with your tank (just by looking at the photos) , if he's 6 months old he has lots of health issues , he's not very stunted in his growth.
Cf Peppa and Toothless
@ 4 months old (5 Mar 2016)
Peppa = 119.5g
Toothless = 91.1g
see
Toothless @ about 4 months
Peppa same age
@ 6 months old (30 Apr 2016)
Peppa = 241.7g
Toothless = 174.6g
see viewtopic.php?f=6&t=221328&start=30
To help you , we need lots of information to be able to analyse and perhaps improve your beardie's life.
Please be honest And details of your feeding schedule and other husbandry aspects .
Might be a very easy fix .
How heavy is he? (his body weight is much more useful than a length).
...... recommend weighing him regularly (weekly say)?
Can you give us a good rundown on the setup and schedules (light and feeding) :
Basking light details
What is it EXACTLY
>> Neodymium Daylight globe ?
>> Mercury Vapour Globe ?
>> halogen spot globe ?
>> domestic par38 incandescent spot/flood globe ?
>> other ie GU10 halogen
........ what is it's wattage ?
........ how far from the basking spot ?
TEMPERATURES ?
........daytime warm zone
........daytime basking spot
........ how are you measuring your temperatures ?
........overnight minimum
TOO COLD = SLEEPY DRAGON
UVA AND UVB ADEQUATE ?
>> is the uv rated AT LEAST 10%UVB ?
>> is it a COMPACT (curly globe & WATTAGE ?
>> or a T8 tube ?
>> or a T5 tube ?
>> or an MVB ?
REALLY IMPORTANT = what is it's brand ?
Not all UVB compacts and tubes or MVBs are created equal or as well , many shops sell their own brand (Zilla, All Living Things, Reptile-One, Nat Geo , Natural Selections (in green boxes) which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced incl UVC band and bad parts of the UVB band)
Also very import is how it is used
>> is it covered (a tube in a domestic fluorescent light fitting ) ? == BAD
>> how far is from basking spot ?
too far and the UVA and UVB WILL BE TOO DILUTE.
UVA FLUX TOO LOW where dragon is ==> a very lethargic dragon w/ a very poor apetite just in the short term ==> and neurological problems if this persists , not to mention MVB if UVB flux too low long enough with inadequate metabolisation of dietary calcium or inadequate intake out calcium
It appears you have a fluorescent tube in domestic fitting, which has a plastic screen covering the tube, this is very bad as the plastic screen will block ALL THE UVA and UVB produced by the T5 or T8 tube (if it is indeed a reptile specific T8 or T5 UVB tube).
REMOVE THE PLASTIC tube cover , and if there is no reflector behind the UVB tube , I strongly recommend installing reflector behind the T5 or T8 tube.
Also there is too much distance between the UV tube and the basking globe , some of the light from the UV tube needs to overlapping with the light from the basking globe.
THE UV tube MUST BE RATED AT LEAST 10% UVB , THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL FOR A BEARDED DRAGON IT IS MANDATORY and your beardie WILL NOT grow without this as it needs UVB to convert dietary calcium to VitD3 and this is needed to grow new soft tissue and form strong bones and to grow more beardie.
If the beardie can't get enough dietary calcium , insect proteins and fats , and sufficient exposure to UVB , and sufficient warmth EVERY DAY it will not be able to properly digest it's food and grow.
A very young beardied dragon needs nearly all live insect protein as it's diet , and depending on it's age, as many as three live insect feeds per day (up until it's about 4 months old) , two insect meals per day until it's 12 months old , and one insect meal per day until it's full grown adult.
For your beardie to be so small at the age you think it is , it will have not been cared for properly, and likely not given enough insects each day, and not enough dietary calcium, and not had long enough day cycles (permitting ample time to bask) , and not received sufficient UVA and UVB.
TANK
....... size (L x W x H) and construction
....... mesh/screen top ? (very bad design)
.
SUBSTRATE ?
........is it sand ? == BAD AND IF CALCISAND this is EXTREMELY BAD/LETHAL when ingested
........is it particulate ? == BAD lethal when ingested if it can not be passed with the poo.
I see from you photos you have a gravelly looking substrate , THIS IS VERY BAD , THIS MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY as this stuff is very dangerous to a bearded dragon (irrespective of it's age and size).
TOO SHORT A PHOTOPERIOD (lights are not kept on long enough each day , will make beardie think it is winter , recommend at least 14 HRS PER DAY)
FEEDING SCHEDULE (I recommend at least 2 hrs lights/heat on before first live feed and after last feed of the day)
....... when are you offering live feeder insects ? what are they ? how big are they ?
....... when are you offering greens and other veg ? what are you offering ?
What season is it (there where you live) ?
Cf Peppa and Toothless
@ 4 months old (5 Mar 2016)
Peppa = 119.5g
Toothless = 91.1g
see
Toothless @ about 4 months
Peppa same age
@ 6 months old (30 Apr 2016)
Peppa = 241.7g
Toothless = 174.6g
see viewtopic.php?f=6&t=221328&start=30
To help you , we need lots of information to be able to analyse and perhaps improve your beardie's life.
Please be honest And details of your feeding schedule and other husbandry aspects .
Might be a very easy fix .
How heavy is he? (his body weight is much more useful than a length).
...... recommend weighing him regularly (weekly say)?
Can you give us a good rundown on the setup and schedules (light and feeding) :
Basking light details
What is it EXACTLY
>> Neodymium Daylight globe ?
>> Mercury Vapour Globe ?
>> halogen spot globe ?
>> domestic par38 incandescent spot/flood globe ?
>> other ie GU10 halogen
........ what is it's wattage ?
........ how far from the basking spot ?
TEMPERATURES ?
........daytime warm zone
........daytime basking spot
........ how are you measuring your temperatures ?
........overnight minimum
TOO COLD = SLEEPY DRAGON
UVA AND UVB ADEQUATE ?
>> is the uv rated AT LEAST 10%UVB ?
>> is it a COMPACT (curly globe & WATTAGE ?
>> or a T8 tube ?
>> or a T5 tube ?
>> or an MVB ?
REALLY IMPORTANT = what is it's brand ?
Not all UVB compacts and tubes or MVBs are created equal or as well , many shops sell their own brand (Zilla, All Living Things, Reptile-One, Nat Geo , Natural Selections (in green boxes) which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced incl UVC band and bad parts of the UVB band)
Also very import is how it is used
>> is it covered (a tube in a domestic fluorescent light fitting ) ? == BAD
>> how far is from basking spot ?
too far and the UVA and UVB WILL BE TOO DILUTE.
UVA FLUX TOO LOW where dragon is ==> a very lethargic dragon w/ a very poor apetite just in the short term ==> and neurological problems if this persists , not to mention MVB if UVB flux too low long enough with inadequate metabolisation of dietary calcium or inadequate intake out calcium
It appears you have a fluorescent tube in domestic fitting, which has a plastic screen covering the tube, this is very bad as the plastic screen will block ALL THE UVA and UVB produced by the T5 or T8 tube (if it is indeed a reptile specific T8 or T5 UVB tube).
REMOVE THE PLASTIC tube cover , and if there is no reflector behind the UVB tube , I strongly recommend installing reflector behind the T5 or T8 tube.
Also there is too much distance between the UV tube and the basking globe , some of the light from the UV tube needs to overlapping with the light from the basking globe.
THE UV tube MUST BE RATED AT LEAST 10% UVB , THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL FOR A BEARDED DRAGON IT IS MANDATORY and your beardie WILL NOT grow without this as it needs UVB to convert dietary calcium to VitD3 and this is needed to grow new soft tissue and form strong bones and to grow more beardie.
If the beardie can't get enough dietary calcium , insect proteins and fats , and sufficient exposure to UVB , and sufficient warmth EVERY DAY it will not be able to properly digest it's food and grow.
A very young beardied dragon needs nearly all live insect protein as it's diet , and depending on it's age, as many as three live insect feeds per day (up until it's about 4 months old) , two insect meals per day until it's 12 months old , and one insect meal per day until it's full grown adult.
For your beardie to be so small at the age you think it is , it will have not been cared for properly, and likely not given enough insects each day, and not enough dietary calcium, and not had long enough day cycles (permitting ample time to bask) , and not received sufficient UVA and UVB.
TANK
....... size (L x W x H) and construction
....... mesh/screen top ? (very bad design)
.
SUBSTRATE ?
........is it sand ? == BAD AND IF CALCISAND this is EXTREMELY BAD/LETHAL when ingested
........is it particulate ? == BAD lethal when ingested if it can not be passed with the poo.
I see from you photos you have a gravelly looking substrate , THIS IS VERY BAD , THIS MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY as this stuff is very dangerous to a bearded dragon (irrespective of it's age and size).
TOO SHORT A PHOTOPERIOD (lights are not kept on long enough each day , will make beardie think it is winter , recommend at least 14 HRS PER DAY)
FEEDING SCHEDULE (I recommend at least 2 hrs lights/heat on before first live feed and after last feed of the day)
....... when are you offering live feeder insects ? what are they ? how big are they ?
....... when are you offering greens and other veg ? what are you offering ?
What season is it (there where you live) ?
Hello,
Please do let us know the brand of the tube bulb & what type of basking bulb you have.
The brand on the tube bulb should be stamped on the base of it somewhere, & so should
the basking bulb, also.
If the proper feeding improvements & possible lighting changes are made, he should be able
to make up a good amount of growth. He may not grow to a full potential but hopefully will
be of an average size.
Tracie
Please do let us know the brand of the tube bulb & what type of basking bulb you have.
The brand on the tube bulb should be stamped on the base of it somewhere, & so should
the basking bulb, also.
If the proper feeding improvements & possible lighting changes are made, he should be able
to make up a good amount of growth. He may not grow to a full potential but hopefully will
be of an average size.
Tracie
Bellagracen
Member
It's winter in Australia and it around 19 degrees at day and 12 at night, the crickets are size medium, I offer him them every like 2 hours but he mostly won't eat them I don't know why he only eats like 20 to 25 a day, the tank is 2 feet long and 1 foot high, the gap between the bottom of heat light to the top of basking rock is about 3 inches, the gap from the bottom of the uvb light to floor is around 8 inches, the heat light and uvb light are 15 inches apart, my tank of the cool side is 36 degrees and on the hottest part is 50 degrees but if your in America I think it's different because you go by feren hight? I don't know what brand my uvb light is because it doesn't say and I don't have the box all I know is it was the best one in the pet shop and like $60, my heat light is a halogen 75 watt bulb, I have like fish tank tones and the bottom of my tank, I give him grated carrot and broccoli with calcium powder on it every day but I never see him eat it but he might just eat it when I'm not looking, the lights are on for 15 hrs per day, I leave a heat pad on at night it gets to 50 degrees, even though my beardie doesn't eat that much he's really really active and alert
Hello,
Are you saying that your basking spot is minimum 36C which is 96F with a higher temperature reading of 50C which would be 122F? If that is true, please lower that down to no higher than 42C which is 107F. He is probably getting too hot for one thing. They wont eat if they are getting too hot. What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures, a digital probe or a temp gun?
As suggested, the basking light & UVB need to be alongside each other, to create a basking + UVB combination on one side with a cooler end & a bit lower light on the cooler end.
How large are the crickets? Be sure the crickets are smaller than the space between the eyes, to avoid impaction. I would go down in cricket size to see if that helps him out. Can you get calcium or phoenix worms over there?
Can you call the pet store where you purchased the tube bulb, to find out what brand it is? This is very important, because not all UVB tubes are created equal. Some simply do not have decent UVB output at all compared to others. Are you sure there isn't any type of brand stamped on the base of one end? Most have that. If not, then you may not even have a UVB light at all.
I would also remove the loose pebble substrate, that can impact him if he ingests any of it. Try butcher's brown paper, non adhesive shelf liner, or tiles for safer substrates.
Here is a feeding chart for greens/veggies you can view to help out with feeding:
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Since he isn't eating much then he likely isn't getting enough calcium either. You could look for
Zocal liquid D to supplement him with, to help out.
Tracie
Are you saying that your basking spot is minimum 36C which is 96F with a higher temperature reading of 50C which would be 122F? If that is true, please lower that down to no higher than 42C which is 107F. He is probably getting too hot for one thing. They wont eat if they are getting too hot. What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures, a digital probe or a temp gun?
As suggested, the basking light & UVB need to be alongside each other, to create a basking + UVB combination on one side with a cooler end & a bit lower light on the cooler end.
How large are the crickets? Be sure the crickets are smaller than the space between the eyes, to avoid impaction. I would go down in cricket size to see if that helps him out. Can you get calcium or phoenix worms over there?
Can you call the pet store where you purchased the tube bulb, to find out what brand it is? This is very important, because not all UVB tubes are created equal. Some simply do not have decent UVB output at all compared to others. Are you sure there isn't any type of brand stamped on the base of one end? Most have that. If not, then you may not even have a UVB light at all.
I would also remove the loose pebble substrate, that can impact him if he ingests any of it. Try butcher's brown paper, non adhesive shelf liner, or tiles for safer substrates.
Here is a feeding chart for greens/veggies you can view to help out with feeding:
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Since he isn't eating much then he likely isn't getting enough calcium either. You could look for
Zocal liquid D to supplement him with, to help out.
Tracie
Bellagracen
Member
Bellagracen":33xe29pn said:
I just realised my thermometer has feren hight on it the cool side is 85 and basking around it 105, I think the uvb light is a EXO TERRA REPTI GLO UVB10.0 COMPACT BULB, no I can't get those insects I can only get meal worms and crickets, the crickets are smaller then the space between his eyes, and he gets freshly grated veggies everyday
Bellagracen
Member
Is it possible he's just a slow grower because that's what the person at the shop said. He said some lizards just have a slow metabolism. My beardie has shed his skin once and the pet shop guy said he probably just grew thicker instead of longer?
Bellagracen
Member
Also I'm buying a 6ft tank in a few days for him how would you guys suggest I set it up because I don't think mine is set up properly and will I have to get a heat light with more wattage since its a bigger tank?
kingofnobbys
BD.org Sicko
Bellagracen":2jdog5zp said:It's winter in Australia and it around 19 degrees at day and 12 at night, the crickets are size medium, I offer him them every like 2 hours but he mostly won't eat them I don't know why he only eats like 20 to 25 a day, the tank is 2 feet long and 1 foot high, the gap between the bottom of heat light to the top of basking rock is about 3 inches, the gap from the bottom of the uvb light to floor is around 8 inches, the heat light and uvb light are 15 inches apart, my tank of the cool side is 36 degrees and on the hottest part is 50 degrees
<<<
I'm in Australia and I talk usual in DEGREES CELSIUS.
50 degrees Celsius !!! OMG ... that is way too hot ... not more than 42 degrees Celsius AT THE BASKING SPOT
See
but if your in America I think it's different because you go by feren hight? I don't know what brand my uvb light is because it doesn't say
<<< throw it out , replace with a brand new Arcadia or Zoo Med or Exo Terra rated AT LEAST 10%UVB --- do this IMMEDIATELY .
and I don't have the box all I know is it was the best one in the pet shop and like $60, my heat light is a halogen 75 watt bulb, I have like fish tank tones and the bottom of my tank,
<<<< throw the stones in the bin RIGHT NOW PLEASE - VERY DANGEROUS .... if beardie eats even one - I can guarantee it will kill him very slowly and very painfully , only option will be expensive vet surgery to cut open his tummy and stomach or intestines to remove it and the impaction as HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS IT .
Also it's impossible to keep that substrate clean and it's a perfect place for insects who he misses to hide.
DO NOT USE SAND EITHER OF ANY KIND or wood chips or saw dust either.
Paper toweling is as good a substrate as anything
I give him grated carrot and broccoli with calcium powder
<<<< good guide (yes I know some of the veg listed are not sold here (in Australia at Woolworths, Coles, etc).http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html
on it every day but I never see him eat it but he might just eat it when I'm not looking, the lights are on for 15 hrs per day, I leave a heat pad on at night it gets to 50 degrees, even though my beardie doesn't eat that much he's really really active and alert
kingofnobbys
BD.org Sicko
Bellagracen":jymzes25 said:
I think the pet shop employee telling you excuses , don't ever trust anything told to you by a pet shop , they likely sold you a shop brand UV tube if you indeed have actually been sold a UVB tube , .... if he is indeed 6 months old, he has problems at least the ones I've already mentioned.
Some beardies do indeed grow slower than their siblings (even if they have exactly the same husbandry and exactly the same food intake. See my Peppa and Toothless, more often than not such a marked failure to grow and thrive is due to sharing a tank with a sibling who is dominant and gets the lions share of the food and best basking and sleeping spots.
He is so severely stunted that it is going to be husbandry and diet related as there is no evidence he is sharing a tank.
Bellagracen
Member
Oh I didn't know 50 degree Celsius was too hot what wattage do you recommend, one of the uvb lights you listed I have the exo Terra and it's 15% pretty sure, also I found out he's 4 months not 6 sorry,
Bellagracen
Member
Also I live on the sunshine coast Australia and it gets pretty hot in summer do I still leave the heat light on??
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