Kantus isn't acting right.

[Kates]

Kantus, my 8 month old, isn't acting right. Shes active and will eat her greens but not many crickets. She will go inside her log and dig around in the sand and then will go back to (what I call) her pride rock. I figured she likes her pride rock so much because it was in her old cage so it's familiar to her. She only has a few bowel movements every few days which is to be expected because she isn't eating much.
Her belly looks full so I don't think she's starving but I know she's not eating the proper amount. I dust her crickets and feed her romaine and mustard greens.

I keep her cage clean, rotate the water daily or if it gets dirty earlier in the day. She has a 150 watt bulb. I had a thermometer in there for a wile but it broke recently. It got around 120 degrees near the basking spot. I have a UVB tube light. She always tries to climb on it.

My question is: Why isn't she eating as much as she used to?
It really worries me. :\

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Are you using a digital probe or a temp gun to keep track of her temperatures?
The basking temps should only be in a range of 95-110 at the highest, with a cooler end of around 78-82 or so.
Which UVB light are you using, a fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light? Which basking light do you use, a bright white light or a colored light?
At 8 months of age, oftentimes they do start slowing down on their protein intake, naturally & eat more greens & vegetation. How big is she now?
How often are giving calcium for her? Do you have any pictures of her so we can see her physical appearance?

Tracie

 

[Kates]

Hello,

Are you using a digital probe or a temp gun to keep track of her temperatures?
The basking temps should only be in a range of 95-110 at the highest, with a cooler end of around 78-82 or so.
Which UVB light are you using, a fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light? Which basking light do you use, a bright white light or a colored light?
At 8 months of age, oftentimes they do start slowing down on their protein intake, naturally & eat more greens & vegetation. How big is she now?
How often are giving calcium for her? Do you have any pictures of her so we can see her physical appearance?

Tracie

I had a dial thermometer but it broke. I planned on getting another this payday.
II'm using a fluorescent tube with a white basking light. She is 16 inches long from head to tail. She isn't eating crickets all to much so I bought her super worms and she literally jumped at the chance of eating them. I dust nearly everything I feed her.
And I'll get to uploading a picture.

I think I might have just over reacted. I'm gonna head up to the store and get her a thermometer and some yummies.

 

[Kates]

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is Kantus doing today?
Were you able to get a new digital probe I hope? The temperatures are very important so that could have affected him.
Has he eaten today also?
Is the fluorescent tube the Reptisun 10 also? He looks good, overall & doesn't have a black beard right now.

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Kates]

Hello,

How is Kantus doing today?
Were you able to get a new digital probe I hope? The temperatures are very important so that could have affected him.
Has he eaten today also?
Is the fluorescent tube the Reptisun 10 also? He looks good, overall & doesn't have a black beard right now.

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

Sorry I haven't been on in a while. I got a new probe and it's right around 94.3. She has been eating ever sense my last post and she seems to be going after her food more. Before she would only eat the crickets that would walk past her but she would dart after super worms. She would only eat greens when I'm not looking. It's really funny. Every time I look at her she will stop what shes doing until I look away.

The fluorescent tube is a desert 10. I read females get beard color changes too when she's old enough but so far, she only has her red beard.

 

[daner923]

Hi there - so you really need to change your UVB. Unless it is ReptiSun 10.0 tube, it really isn't sufficient for a beardie. Also, you basking temps are much too low - they should be 100-110F at that age, aiming for the upper end of that range.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

If you are using the desert 10, that would be an Exoterra Reptiglo 10 tube bulb, correct?
The basking temperatures need to be minimum 95 to a range or around 110. The probe, did you place it directly on the basking spot?
How is he doing today, is he much improved?

Tracie

 

[Kates]

I secured the probe on her basking spot and it's heats up around 101 now.
I found the box for the UVB bulb and it's a Zilla Desrt Series 50, T8 Fluorescent Bulb, full spectrum bulb 15 watt. On the side it says it's ideal for "arid reagion dwelling reptiles: Bearded Dragins," ect. I was confusing it for the more expensive bulb but I assume they are the same thing, just different brand.

 

[daner923]

Unfortunately, they aren't the same. We really only recommend the ReptiSun 10.0 tube. The Desert 50 just won't provide your beardie enough UVB, which could be causing his problems. Have you also been able to increase the temperature?

 

[Kates]

I think the temps are fine. They get around 101 on the basking spot. At first, I couldn't get the probe to set right on top of the rock so it was only reading around 95. I'll see about getting a reptisun next payday.

 

[daner923]

101 is okay, but if you can get it up closer to 110F, that is better for a younger dragon.

 

[xenaloki]

If you order your bulb online you can probably save money. My local pet stores (pet***** and pet**) wanted $50.00 per bulb for a 36" bulb. I went online and paid $22.00 per bulb for 48". Having 3 dragons I try to save money anyway I can, don't risk your dragons health to save money at a pet store. Online you can find the right stuff usually at a better price than the pet stores wrong stuff! Pet stores give slot of bad advice as to what works for beardies! I've found that the best place to get the right advice on anything beardies is right here!! My dragons health and happiness is due to the many people on beardeddragon.org

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh sorry that you have the Zilla T-50!
Unfortunately, the wavelengths are different & the Zilla light has been shown to cause numerous health & eye issues & just overall poor performance, too.
As suggested, the Reptisun 10 or the Arcadia D3 12% tube bulbs are the only two bulbs we recommend.
How is he doing today?

Tracie

 

[Kates]

I'll for sure check online for some cheaper reptisun bulbs. The store recommended reptisun but I figured it was because they were $50 instead of the $20 ones on the other rack. Yeah. It's a shame that pet stores are allowed to sell pets that they know nothing about. I read a couple of books on bearded dragons before I got mine and I'm still finding out new info daily through this website.

Kantus is doing well today. She's not hiding in her log or on her rock in the corner.
She's really weird. She will go into an antisocial state where she just hides under her log for a while but after I give her a bath, she will stay out and walk around more.

Also, I have a 4ft long cage and only have one basking spot. Should I put another light in there just to keep the whole cage kind of warm?