Mean undersized beardie Help!!!

[chopperskeeper]

I have a beardie who is around a year and a half all is only around 11inches nose to tail. In addition to all this he has gotten very mean and does not let me hold him at all. He always seems on the defense and I tried to feed him crickets out of my hand and he would not take them until they crawled out of my hand. I do not know what to do he has two light one of them uv and his basking temp is 100 and his cool temp is 78. He is housed is a 40gallon breeder by himself. Please help i need to calm him down.

 

[IcyGoats]

First thing to do would be to provide information on your setup.

Its small size is probably down to dietry and/or digestion issues.

What substrate do you use?

What is the brand and UV percentage of your UV light?

What kind of thermometer are you using to read temperatures?

What are you feeding him, and how often?

 

[chopperskeeper]

I do not have substrate I just have tile in his cage. I have two therm. one is dile and the other is a digital with humidty reading as well. I feed him 30 small crickets every 2 to 3 days. I have tried to feed him all types of veggies including greens but he will just starv himself. I cannot remember the brand of bulbs.

 

[IcyGoats]

Tile is a good, safe substrate. Well done.

Dial thermometers are known to give innacurate readings. Your temperatures could be a little out. Which thermometer is where?

At his age, he should be fed as many appropriately sized (about the size of space between their eyes) live food items as they can eat in a 10 minute period, twice per day, until he hits around a year and a half. After that, only one 10 minute feeding in necessary.

Style and brand of the UV light is quite important. Is your bulb a compact/coil (small bulb) or a tube? The brand and UVB percentage is usually printed on the base of compact bulbs, and on the glass itself on the end of the tube bulbs. Give that a look.

Do you use a calcium supplement when feeding crickets? This should be done five days per week.


After getting these points in check, there are a number of things you can to to tame him, explained by user "Ethelia" in this thread:

viewtopic.php?p=724834

 

[chopperskeeper]

Thank you, I have the dial on the basking side and the digital on the cool side. I have a 150w uvb compact bulb and a 75w basking bulb. Both are by zoomed. I do use calcium it is zoomed "repti calcium" with D3 and the crickets are dusted every time.

 

[IcyGoats]

Does your digital thermometer have a wire probe? If so, you're going to need to get yourself another digital thermometer. If not, you're going to need to get two. Place one probe directly on the basking spot, the other at the furthest point at the cool side.

Compact bulbs have proven to be anywhere from useless to very harmful. You're going to need to replace it with either a "Zoomed Reptisun 10.0" or "Arcadia D3+ 12%" tube.

Both heating and lighting are very important, so I must stress that you get these two things sorted out as soon as possible.

 

[IcyGoats]

Some additional questions.

Do you offer veggies daily?

What sorts of veggies have you been offering?

 

[chopperskeeper]

I used to offer veggies daily but he never ate them he seemed to let himself starve. I offered romain before learning it was a bad idea. I offered shreeded carots, danteline greens, mustard greens, and colard greens. I have even bought the store bought stuff from the cheap pellots to the $$$$$$$$ meals they say all beadries love. Chopper will only eat one thing crickets. So I feed him 30 small crickets dusted with calcium with d3 every 2to3 days. I even tried buying some calcium spray and sparying his veggies, nothing.

 

[IcyGoats]

Okay.

For your dragon to get better, you're going to have to follow my above advice.

Also, start offering green daily, he need to at least have the choice.

 

[chopperskeeper]

Thank you, and I am going to get him so mustard greens and spray them with some calcium spray. Also going to go out and get the reptisun 10.0 tube and light fixture. He is my baby and I want him to be happy. I also took the advice from the taming article and place a piece of a shirt of mine in his cage. He is actualy laying on it as we speak. Thanks again for all the tips and I will update you as to his progress.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Using that cloth, you can "burrito" the baby and hold him against your shoulder/neck for additional luv and snuggle times. I normally did mine in the evening near bed time.
Janie.

 

[chopperskeeper]

Thanks was going to try that after his night time bath today.

 

[IcyGoats]

Great. Well done for putting in the effort.

I'd just like to elaborate on my feeding advice. His small size is almost definately a result of underfeeding. At his age he could eat up to 60 live food items per day if he insists on not eating greens. It would probably be best to work up to the two feedings per day. Start with one feeding per day, and continue that for a week or two. Then introduce the second feeding.

I'm sure that if you follow the advice of BD.org members, your dragon will become much healthier and happier.

All the best, looking forward to updates.

Edit: I misread that your dragon was only 1 year, but now realise that you stated he is a year and a half, so just the one feeding per day is best.