Hello! I'm a new Bearded Dragon owner.

[FireFoXX]

I have always wanted some kind of lizard since I was a little kid. The bearded dragon appealed to me because it doesn't get too big.

This is my setup.

Exo-Terra Terrarium 36"x18"x18"

ZooMed Mini Combo Deep Dome w/ 100w Basking Bulb & 75w Night Bulb
Zilla 36" Hood w/ ReptiSun 10.0 UVB
ZooMed Thermometer/Humidity Gauge Combo
ZooMed ReptiTemp Infrared Thermometer

Temps: Basking Spot 95°-110°F, Warm Side 80°-90°F, Cool Side 74°-80°F, Night Temp ±67°F
Humidity: ±52%
Light Cycle: 12/12

This is my new baby. Yet to be named.

I got it from PetCo a week ago. I was running the night light but no longer as I read any light may disturb their sleep. I am a little worried about it as it is my first dragon and it doesn't eat very much. It was the skinniest one they had at the store but the only one with color on it and the only one which ran up and scratched at the glass which is why I chose it. Although it seemed active at the store, when I brought it home all it does is bask all day. I try to feed it crickets dusted with calcium and vitamins and the first day it only ate about 3. The next day it didn't seen too interested in them and just watched them run around. I would try and give it mealworms and it would only eat about one or two at a time. I leave turnip greens in a dish and I know it its them because I would find little leaf crumbs on the opposite side of the terrarium.

I read that mealworms are bad for them so I got a hold of some wax worms and it seemed to enjoy those a little more but still only three at a time.

I am worried because I read that they should eat around 50 crickets a day and mine won't eat any more than 3 or 4 a day.

Does the above image confirm that my dragon is stressed? Another thing is the eye that is looking at me seems to close all the time like its scared of me

How long does after moving to a new home does it take for it to become "normal" where its eating habits pick up? Should I return for another? There is also the option of returning it and getting one that is a little older from a local fish and reptile shop. But I wanted to raise one from a baby :/ I don't know what to do.

 

[godzillathekilla]

nice set up plenty of space lol also very nice looking dragon!! ditch the night light they like it to be completely dark when sleeping if you need to get a heating pad for under the tank also if you can mount your uvb in side your cage the screen block a lot of what your lizard needs also the thermometers those are no good you want a digital one with a sensor you can place in his basking spot the temps change will amaze you lol trust me mine were off by about 30 degrees there about 12 bucks at walmart also reads humidity I had a similar set up at first then discovered I was doing it wrong thanks to the misleading pet store I also got my dragon from pets mart hes about 7 months thanks to this website and the helpful people for helping me out I now have a happy dragon and the stress is natural I stressed over him stressing lol but its natural a lot of stuff will stress you out but there easy fixes.

 

[FireFoXX]

The thermometer inside I use mainly for humidity as I also mentioned that I have the ZooMed ReptiTemp Digital Infrared Thermometer where I can point and see the temps at each spot. It does poop daily, I just hope it's stress level goes down as it worries me that it doesn't eat much yet.

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. He might be having some relocation stress. Also the uvb needs to be mounted in the tank. The screen blocks 40% of the rays. He sure is a little cutie

 

[AFull99]

i'm really new to bds, too...so i can't offer much. like you, i got one of my babies, less than a week ago, from a chain pet store (petsmart). he is still stressing his new place. his first 24 hrs, i fed him like the pet store did...and instructed me. coming here, i found out it was all wrong. but sounds like you got the diet thing figured out, just have to get him to eat. once i started to offer "real food"...salad and crickets...he picked up his willingness to eat, and his stress marks are showing a lot less. my newest baby we got yesterday from a guy trying to sell the baby to petsmart...but i ended up buying him. he's not as handled, but way more laid back. no stress marks. eats well, then gets all bright colored as he "suns" himself. point is, each baby is different. they adjust at different rates. give your baby time. since your baby is eating, even thought it's just a bit here and there, baby is eating. just keep watching.

also, the humidity may be a bit too much. the tank my first baby is in has had a spike in humidity, and it's up over 50*. thankfully, another member of the forum here has mentioned that the water bowl can cause the extra humidity...they should be in a 20 - 30% humidity. maybe you can try removing the water, and seeing if that helps the humidity...it may make your baby more comfortable. when my guy's humidity spiked, i noticed he wasn't quite as "on" and was much more visibly stressed.

oh, and your baby...beautiful

 

[azteacher]

I am a little worried about it as it is my first dragon and it doesn't eat very much. It was the skinniest one they had at the store but the only one with color on it and the only one which ran up and scratched at the glass which is why I chose it. Although it seemed active at the store, when I brought it home all it does is bask all day. I try to feed it crickets dusted with calcium and vitamins and the first day it only ate about 3.

How long does after moving to a new home does it take for it to become "normal" where its eating habits pick up? Should I return for another? There is also the option of returning it and getting one that is a little older from a local fish and reptile shop. But I wanted to raise one from a baby :/ I don't know what to do.

Hi,
I'm a new beardie owner as well. I can tell you got your stuff from a chain - I got most of my cage stuff from Petsmart and we have the same big rock, hammock, and food bowl.

Anyway, I got a baby from Petsmart in late October. He may have been slightly bigger than yours, but it's hard to tell. He was super tiny. Being naiive when I first went to buy a beardie, I picked mine because he WAS basking and I thought it was cute/what lizards did. Little did I know he should have been running around active.

When I took him home though he did the same thing yours did - he basked, all of the time, and hardly moved. His eyes were rarely open. He hardly ate any crickets at all - two the first day, two the second, one the third, and none after that. I had to return him and he ended up dying at the petstore just 3 days later.

While I wanted a baby, I ended up rescuing an adult who was in pretty bad shape. I'm very glad I did, but I certainly am going to get a baby in the future again. Probably from a breeder.

Your baby may be sick. I've been told that chain stores really sell those babies too young most of the time without knowing if they are free of parasites. But, he also may just be going through a little relocation stress. Since I'm a newbie too I don't have the answers but I just wanted to say I could relate!

 

[FireFoXX]

Thank you guys for the helpful replies. I took the water out of the bowl and it didn't seem to help much with the humidity

I'm going to have find a way to mount the uvb without the screen blocking it. Maybe rig up some kind of custom cover.

I am worried that he/she hasn't changed much since I brought it home. I hate to give up on it but I might return it and get one a little older/bigger from a local reptile shop. :/

 

[godzillathekilla]

that was my thoughts when I was looking at this cage I thought about cutting the foam out up top to fit the uvb but I just went with a all living things 40 gal tank.

 

[FireFoXX]

I can't give up on my baby. I've decided I'm going to stick through it. Afterall it's a learning experience and if it were an actual child you wouldn't return it right? I am growing fond of it little by little but the baby still worries me some. It doesn't appear to be sick but I do plan on finding a herp vet in my area so I can take it in sometime just to make sure the baby is okay. My baby is picking up eating habits slowly as in it is starting to eat a waxworm or two more day by day and it still poos daily and it's shedding its tail! Good signs right?

 

[sweetiepie9]

Babies from pet stores can be very difficult to get started with but usually get better. There is an under the counter fixture you can get to get the UVB closer to him as being on top of the tank top it's just too far away, that's what's causing the issues with his eating. You also have to get the heat on the basking spot constant at 105F to 110F, he needs the heat to digest, that's also a reason whey they don't eat. So if he won't eat crickets, get a small oral syringe (from any vet), get some Chicken baby food and butternut squash babyfood, mix them together & see if he'll eat it, you just drop a drop on his nose to see if he'll lick it, or else put some on your finger and see if he'll lick it. You can mix some calcium in the mix to give it to him as you need to get him to eat. He's too little to be without food. I've been rescuing dragons for 7 years. In 2008 my hubby got a job in a petshop where there were babies who weren't thriving, so we started up a tank at home & he brought them home, we had 7 of them. I used to put them on my finger & put food in front of their faces and they'd lick it off, after a week of this a couple of times a day, they'd get back into crickets and then were returned to the shop. I now have 6 adult males and have learned a lot on this site on how to make dragons better.

So that's what you have to concentrate on right away, getting the UVB lower in the tank, it should be no more than 8" away from the basking area for him to be in, you'll find a big difference. And it is a ReptiSUN tube and not a ReptiGLO tube, right? They look the same but the Reptiglo will make babies sick., just checking.

I just looked up the Zoo Med Infrared Temp & that's great, just have it 2" above the basking spot to get the temps, but you have to figure out the lighting you'll need to keep that temp steady. 97F is way too low for a baby for the basking spot. The other temps are fine.

Where in your place is the tank located and is it a cold room? And what are you using for the basking spot, the rock with the hide or the hammock. You have to choose one or the other, and he has to want to use it constantly, as after eating he needs to be there for 2 hours minimum to digest his food. Let me know, k? We'll figure this out.

If the temps get under 65F then you'll need a ceramic heat emitter for night time, or have more heat in the room where he is. A 50W would be more than sufficient to heat up the tank to at least 70F for night time.

So see how he goes over the next 3 days and let me know, k? Please get the babyfood right away as he needs to eat. Can you feed him a couple times a day? Relocation stress might be the reason, but he's too little to not be eating. Sometimes feeding him in a different container & not in his tank might help, that's a bit tank for a little baby, so give that a try with the crickets, then if that doesn't work after a couple of days, get the baby food.

Good luck, he's a cute little guy or girl, and keep me posted, k?

And to introduce my boys, Rubio is 5 yrs old, Didi is 6 yrs old, Leo is 5 yrs old, Titan is 1 yr old, Gabriel is 3 yrs old and Lonzo is 10 1/2 yrs old.
Take care
Deb

 

[GodzillasDumbCousin]

Hey Firefoxx, whats up dude? I like the look of the little guy, it reminds me of Pyra (my 14 month old) when she was a baby. I was once in your position and I was stressing over the relocation stress my beardie was experiencing as well. It consumed me lol. But there are very simple solutions to the issues you're facing.

1. Try covering all the sides of the terrarium with cardboard or paper to let it really get a feel of its new home and prevent it from seeing its own reflection as this can cause territorial aggression. Its best if you line the inside of the glass. Don't worry this won't be permanent. I did this and gradually took away one side every few days, an easy transition for her. Keep in mind, these creatures are typically prey and you look like a big predator in their infancy. Patience is key here.

2. There is such thing as too much space. I started mine out in a 40 gallon breeder, similar dimensions to yours just two inches shorter in height. It was an overwhelming amount of space for such a tiny animal. Think about it. Your beardie was probably kept in a cage no bigger than two and half feet long by a foot high with 4 or five of its siblings. Now it has more space than it could ask for. I found that keeping it simple in the early stages helps out a lot. That is, not too much decor that would serve as obstacles to freely moving or chasing down crix. Which leads to number >

3. Cut the meal worms out of its diet first thing. Save these until its at least a few months older, and even then feed them sparingly. Maybe you mentioned this already but what size are the crickets you're attempting to feed? The smallest they had I hope.

4. Turnip greens are a good choice as well. Its one of my staples along with mustard and collard greens. Make sure the greens are torn into small pieces though. nothing too big. Golden rule, nothing wider than you beardies eyes. For example, no crix longer in body than the width between the eyes.

5. Have confidence, raising a beardie from the baby stage can have it ups and downs. I remember being at work and I would nervously call home just to make sure Pyra ate her veggies. It's laughable now, I know. At the time I was just like a scared parent, the same way you feel. Everything will be fine. Truly glad you're deciding to stick with it. Keep me posted please and don't hesitate to ask me any questions. Like really don't hesitate. These forums are for helping, not criticism.

 

[GodzillasDumbCousin]

Forgot to mention my agreement with sweetpie up there. If your temps are good then the distance from he uvb bulb could be your issue. The reptisun 10.0 advertises that it reaches up to 20 inches I believe but your growing dragon really needs to be within at least 8-10 inches to thrive. The further away the more the rays diminish. Keep that in mind when you notice your beardies actions. Where does it like to hang out? In that crucial 8-10 inches? if not, then adjustments need to be made. Its the trouble higher terrariums. I had my light fixture mounted on two shelving brackets. (L shaped mounts drilled right into the wall) I realized that they were too high. shortly after I ran out to a hardware store and found some small linked chains and some small hooks; now I have it suspended from he ceiling and, because its a chain, the height is adjustable if I ever want to change the layout of the tank. Maybe give it a try.

Also, wax worms are more of a once in a while treat due to their high fat content. If thats all he can stomach for now then its okay but try to taper off of those.

 

[sweetiepie9]

How's your little guy doing. Between both of our info, he should get back on track. If the crickets are still freaking him out, then try the baby food, just to get him started, he needs food in his little tummy.

Good luck!

 

[FireFoXX]

Sorry for the lack of an update. I was reading your replies on my phone but I couldn't get to my computer to reply.

Here is an update on the layout:

I took the water out the water bowl and hung a nylon sock filled with oatmeal as I read that it might help in lowering the humidity. I moved the decor around so my baby doesn't get any confusion in which area to bask in. Basking spot averages around 102°F now. I got the UVB tube as close as I can get it to the heat lamp dome and basking spot. I went out and got a jar of squash baby food and a jar of chicken w/ chicken gravy baby food. It seems to be eating a little more on it's own. I will take a nap mid day when I wake up I notice fewer worms in its dish. I'm going to order some phoenix worms and feed the baby food and wait till it starts eating a little more before I start giving it crickets again.

I'll probably go out later and get an under the counter flourescent fixture from walmart and try setting it up inside the enclosure.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Oh and I've come up with a name. Whether it ends up being a boy or a girl, his/her name will be Shelby!

Edit: I haven't fed it the baby food yet but I will start right away. Also one question, Should I give the baby a bath before or after I feed it?

 

[sweetiepie9]

You can give Shelby a bath any time of the day or evening. After feeding might be good as Shelby might get used to pooping in his bath (I always call dragons him until we know for sure & love the name!). You never know!

That all sounds good for his tank, temps and UVB and I love that he likes his hammock. So keep up the good work and now that he's started eating, that's great news. Phoenix worms are great for dragons, they need to be kept in a very cool place or they morph into flies too easily. That's what happened to me. They can't be kept in the fridge, that would kill them, a wine cooler type thing or somewhere those type of temps are the best way. they're great for babies, full of calcium, so you don't have to dust them with calcium for feeding. So put calcium in the baby food to supplement him until he's eating at least 20 worms a day, then he's getting enough calcium. Then you dust the worms 2x per week with vit/min powder. That's really important, as they need the calcium and the vit/min.

Thanks for updating!
Deb