After unfortunately losing my first Beardie a while back I have decided to make a new addition to the family. He is 9 weeks old and I am conscious that he hasn't eaten as much as I would've liked. I have him under a 10% UV Tube and under a 150W basking spotlight so I am just hoping it is the new surroundings that are the cause of his loss of appetite. The only concern I have is that I can only get the basking spot up to about 100-101 I rang the breeder I bought him off and he said this is fine, yet everywhere else I see says 105-110 for a juvenile.
I am reluctant to keep trying to move things around if these temps are ok as I really want him to settle in to a stress free routine!
Hello,
I got a Beardie yesterday and know your concerns, but most beardies get relocation stress and will not eat for a few days, this normal you just have to wait it out. If he does not drink try soaking or dripping water on his nose. For tour basking problem, do you have a dimmer fixture? Those are handy because if it gets too cold you can warm it and vise versa.
Thanks -I do have a habistat dimmer - current temp 102 degrees after raising his basking area a tad. He has had quite a bit to drink over the last few days (evian mineral water) I am probably just over worried as he is still quite young so don't want it to stunt his growth
The temps are fine. The surfaces can vary a bit but as long as you're close and you provide a good gradient across the tank with some cooler areas, that's the goal. I agree it sounds like just normal relocation stress/settling in. He looks healthy and content. He will be able to get plenty of hydration from his food when he starts eating regularly. It's good that you're providing some water for him though if he wants it.
Thanks - Does help put my mind to rest - he is still not eating as much as i would like but is climbing and alert - I have ordered some dubia roaches to see if that will tempt him over crickets.
Better to hold off with the roaches then. They will keep for quite a long time if you feed them veg scraps. Small crickets are fine for now. Bugs that are too large to chew thoroughly can be dangerous at this age. Maybe some black soldier fly larvae (calci worms/repti worms/phoenix worms) are worth a try. They are small, soft, and easy to digest.