Just want to make sure everythings right.

[Rah]

Hey guys, I'm new to these forums as well as a new owner of a beautiful juvenile bearded dragon. Just want to make sure everything's okay with what I'm doing. I have read up and done extensive research to make sure nothing goes wrong with Jim Lahey (named him after a character in Trailer Park Boys, great show). I got him about 2 days ago from a local pet store, hes about 2 months. He moves about looks around from time to time but most of the time he stands still. There's a few crickets in there so he can eat, though he doesn't eat as much, I've personally seen him eat 2-3 crickets today. I'm thinking he's still under stress from the move of homes. He doesn't drink the water out of the waterbowl, seems like the crickets get to drink the water instead, lol. At night, when I turn off his lights and turn on the red light (I got the Zilla deluxe kit), he starts jumping up on the glass trying to climb it, I don't take him out but i stick my hand in there and pet him, he calms down. When I stop, he starts again and then he goes and snuggles into his self made bed of Alfafa substrate and dozes off. I've only seen him eat this morning when he woke up and it was about 3 crickets only. I haven't tried to feed him anything else but I'll try some veggies tonight.

Also, another thing is that I've read that males if solitary in their viv that they don't wave. Well this badboy waved at a cricket I believe then ate him, LOL. He also waved at me twice and I just waved back so that he knows I'm not out to hurt him.

More or less, he's a bit more active but I've watched vids where bearded dragons are runnin all over the place when you drop food in their tanks.

Well, hope you guys can tell me if everything's going good or not.

 

[LJean]

Hello and welcome!

Relocation stress can last for a week or so. Once he is more comfortable, he will eat many more bugs, LOL You will wonder how to keep up with them.

Did you leave the leftover crickets in his viv? They can harass and bite the dragon while they are sleeping. Sometimes this causes a beardie to be afraid of the bugs. Sounds silly but it happens.

Good UVB/lighting and heat temps go a long way to having a healthy happy dragon. Do you need the red bulb for heat at night? Generally it is recommended not to use any lighting at night, even red or blue, because it can interupt their sleep patterns.

 

[LJean]

Is this what you have? I wonder about the UVB light. There aren't many that are really good. The other sold can actually cause harm. Can you tell us what UVb light you have? What are the basking temps and cool side temps?

http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/deluxe-bearded-dragon-kit.htm

 

[Rah]

well, i live in the basement and even for myself, i find myself a bit chilly in my room (where his viv is), So I leave the red light on, he sleeps after I shut off the regular two lights and put on the red light. And he wakes up when I turn on the two lights. I got the Zilla deluxe kit for bearded dragons, so whatever I'm using is from that box. So I figure lighting is alright.

Yeah, I've left leftover crickets in there, he doesn't seem bothered by them at all, there about 4-5 of them left in there, but they're in hiding, lol. They hide under this rock I bought for Jim to bask on, I guess the heat from the lamps are too much for them. Nevertheless, he's chilling on the base of a branch right now dozing in and out.

 

[Rah]

sry for double post but @ LJEAN,

yes, that's what I have.

 

[LJean]

LOL.. The crickets usually come out when it's dark. They don't want to be eaten.

Just because the lights come with a kit does not mean they are good ones. Many people on these boards bought things recommended by the petstores or in kits and have had problems. Just a warning to you.

Investing in a good digital thermometer (the one with the probes) or a temperature gun would be a good idea if you do not have one already. The temperatures are important for the digestion. You don't want it too hot or too cold in there. When correct they are more active and more likely to have a good appetite. Then you will go broke buying bugs, LOL!

Share some pics when you can!

 

[Rah]

well i got a temp gauge that came with the kit, it shows the humidity as well as the temp. i should get another one because that gauge is at the cooler side rather than the basking side, nevertheless he chills most of the time on the hotter basking side. and i'll grab the digi cam and take some pix of Jim Lahey.

lol and if you are wondering WHY i named him that, check out Trailer Park Boys online or something, greatest trash show ever! LOL!

 

[LJean]

LOL! I hadn't even heard of it. I am watching a video, a Christmas special one. It's crazy!

 

[Rah]

The thing is with the crickets coming out at night, would he EAT them at night at least?

and here are some pix of jim

 

[LJean]

He is so little and cute! It's so hard not to want a baby dragon.

I don't think he would eat the crickets at night. They usually sleep pretty hard. He would also not have a high enough basking temp for digestion.

 

[Rah]

what i realize he does from time to time also is just sit there and stare at the glass. i just saw that he took a **** twice, once yesterday and once today i guess because i foudn another piece of ****. is there anyway of determining if hes digesting his food properly by his stool at age 2? it doesnt look like the **** in the pet store from the older adult BDs BUT today's **** looked like a brown pellet of alfaalfa substrate, which due to size difference of ****s between a human and a baby BD, i'd figure was proper.


and about crickets at night, wth am i supposed to do with them then. i think theyre hiding under the tree branch now, lol

UPDATE!
lifting up all the stuff such as the waterbed, rock, and branch, only 2 crickets are left from the initial 13 that were in there. So i believe he is eating, and he just ate one right now. though not enthusiastic yet about eating these crickets as hes doing it quietly and mostly not when im looking, he is eating.

 

[LJean]

For his size the poo would be small. A brown pellet with a bit of white.

It's good that there were only two crickets left. Calypso would not eat if someone was looking for months! I would put her in a ten gallon tank with crickets and leave the room. If she saw me peeking around the corner, she would not move, LOL As long as no one was looking she would eat them. They have their own little personalities and quirks.

It's difficult to get the crickets out of the tank when there is furniture in there. Can you find something to use as a seperate feeding bin? Another tank, or a rubber maid type container. Then you wouldn't have to deal with trying to catch stray crickets.

 

[Rah]

i got a shoe box, but i figure that the crickets might get loose, i find that Jim does the same thing, he'll eat when im not looking.

You know the tops of the cough syrup bottles that you pour out and measure, the ones for kids?
(don't ask why i have this, im 22 years old, lol). I put some peas n carrots (the ones from teh can that are all cut up really small) into it with a bit of ice to keep it fresh. But I see that he's hunting crickets as of right now and just missed, lol.

Nevertheless, back to the original question, I'm doing everything okay and everything seems proper right?

 

[LJean]

You haven't mentioned what your temperatures are and I am still unsure of your UVB.

The stick on thermometers can be inaccurate (up to 20degrees sometimes) You really need to know the basking spot temperature, and cool side temps.

There are many posts here in the health and ER forums from people who did not have a good UVB bulb. Their beardies become ill, lose their balance, become deformed etc. That is why I stressed it.
ReptiSUN 10 long flourescent tube light is the best to use over a smaller tank.
Megaray, and the T-rex Active heat are the better of the Mercury Vapor Bulbs that produce both heat and UVB. These are used on tanks 40 gallon breeder or larger.

Dust with a good calcium powder, one feeding a day for 5 days..
Dust with a multivitamin, one feeding a day for the other 2 days.

 

[Rah]

alright i got the calcium powder, the multivitamin was EXPENSIVE, a REALLY small bottle for 20 bux, so i'm looking for a cheaper alternative. he seems to be hunting crickets only right now, i just dumped 3 more and hes going after em but hes watching me first as one approaches. if i dont watch, he'll go for it, if i watch he wont.

i had dusted some calcium powder on the peas n carrots but he didn seem interested, hes only after the crickets for some reason. i guess today i'll feed him crickets and leave the carrots in there towards his bedtime and maybe he'll eat that before he goes to sleep.