HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ASAP EMERGENCY

[stanley01]

hi ive had my bearded dragon is 3 and a half months old and hes only nine and a half inches is this normal i offer him lots of crickets and recently he hasnt been eating as much hes only eat from 2 to 5 a day is this normal i dont have money for a tempgun i have a reptiglo 10.0 and i use newspaper he also has a cloudy tail at the end from his last shed also can you tell me the right things to get for him and must have items because i dont know with all these debates his scales on his head are also really showing up and kinda whitish in between them please help

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry your dragon is not doing well.
If you could please tell us a little more about your setup that would help out a lot for us.
Do you have enough money for a digital probe possibly? You can find one for around $12 or so, the acurite brand, at walmart most of the times. If not there are plenty of places online to purchase one from. The temperatures are one of the most important aspects of keeping a beardie. If his temperatures are not right, he will not thrive. He can't digest his food properly either if he is not warm enough. So that could be one reason he is not eating for you.

Unfortunately, the Reptiglo 10 is not the greatest light for UVB exposure. While it is not the most hazardous light on the market, it does emit low wavelength UVB which is not favorable for D3 synthesis. We recommend the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb for much better UVB emissions. You will find that between improving the temperatures & getting a new UVB light, that he should greatly improve. What type of basking light are you using, a bright white light or a colored bulb?
What type of substrate do you use, sand, tiles, paper towels?

Do you supplement calcium 5 times per week?

Can you borrow money from a friend or family member to help out temporarily so you can get his setup improved for him?

Tracie

 

[stanley01]

ive got a normal househiold bulb 100w i use newspaper i could get a digi thermometer can you please send me a list of what things you use what size ur tank is and what you have in it also have u got pics thanks so much

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Great, I really think that you should get a digital probe soon if possible. Here is a list of basic things you need for the tank:
1) digital probe or temp gun
2) some type of substrate-paper towels, butcher's paper, newspaper (is fine), non adhesive shelf liner, carpet, tiles
3) bright white basking light such as a regular household light bulb or a halogen flood or spot light
4) large basking log, & a few other things for him to climb on such as rocks, other branches etc.
5) UVB light Here is a link to get the Reptisun 10 tube bulb for a great price online:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html


You basically are just about all setup. What sized tank are you using?
I don't have any pictures at the moment, but the size of tanks we have are 4x2x2. The basking light needs to be mounted directly beside the UVB tube on one end to give a good basking area in which he can get UVB along with heating. It really encourages basking.
It should look like this:
_____________________OO_____
UVB tube bulb Basking bulb, towards one end of the tank with the UVB light overlapping with it

_______________XXXXXXXXXXXX basking rock possibly strategically placed underneath basking bulb & the UVB so he can get both
Basking log to be 6-8
inches from UVB tube



Let me know how things are going. I can try to take some pictures of ours, though they are not the "conventional" looking tanks, at all. If you would like for me to, I can.

Tracie

 

[stanley01]

hi his tank is 4 by 2 by 18inch hes got a desert type background his bulf is 10 inchhes away from the bulb



on the top right on the cool side ive got a hammock he can chill out on with a stick on it so he can get up in the middle ive got a cactus so he can get 9 inch away from it and have a piece of og wood on the basking area so he can get 9 and a half inches away from the basking site i also have anotheer piece if wood with an artificial palm tree on it and a toy rattle snake

 

[jortiz9758]

When you say ...4x2x18 are all those inches???

 

[stanley01]

no 4 ft 2 ft 18inch

 

[diesel75]

that is good stan if it can turn completly around with no problem its the right size
Can he do that?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Those dimensions are fine for his tank. That gives him plenty of room to move around.
How is he doing this evening? Did he eat anything today?
Your tank is large enough to successfully use a mercury vapor bulb if you wanted to. It will cost a little but worth it if you want to look into it. You would need a ceramic based dome light fixture that you can easily get at Lowes or Home Depot. Make sure it is rated for at least 250+ watts for safety.
The two best ones are the Megaray or the T-rex active UV heat.
Let us know how things are going.

Tracie

 

[stanley01]

well i gave him his crickets and wow he flew for them thismorning i think he ate about 12 the problem is that the top of my tank is glass and my bulb fixture i have know is siliconed into the cage :roll: also im going to get either an arcadia 12% or a reptisun 10.0 i could put a rock under his cactus so he can get closer to the uvb can you all please tell me exactley what you use supplements lights decor substrate etc.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh I did not know you were in the UK. The Arcadia D3 12% tube bulb is just as good as the Reptisun 10 tube bulb is. So, either one is fine.
Just make sure that your basking light is right by the Reptiglo 10 so it protects his eyes since that light can be hazardous to their eyes.
The supplements you can use are Repcal calcium with D3, or if you are in the UK you can use Miner-All or Calypso calcium powder. The vitamins in the US are Repcal herptivite, or in the UK you can use Vita-All or Nutrabol.
I would leave the cactus free standing without a rock under it so he doesn't get too close to the Reptiglo 10.
Like I said the best basking lights are either a bright white halogen flood or spot light or a regular household lightbulb.
Substrate can be non adhesive shelf liner, carpet, tiles or paper towels are all fine. Decor is all up to you. Just be sure to use something that he is not prone to chew on to where he will ingest it & get impacted.
A good variety of rocks, branches, etc are all appreciated since they like to climb & run around. You have a large tank so there is alot of things that you can do with your tank.

Tracie