Mostly Formed / Yellow Mucus Poo? New owner :(

[Sulitlana]

I am a new bearded dragon owner of 5 days now. I have a small a baby.

I have been having some problems getting the heat and uvb right for the 75 gallon tank they are in. For the past 2 days I have been feeding a cricket diet and laying off meal worms until I get roaches in the mail, that are scheduled for today actually. I was giving a multivitamin with calcium up until a few days ago when realizing I may need to get one that has no vitamin D additives and rotate between the multi and plain calcium. I have also been offering dark greens and apple/grapes in a shallow dish with added water, as my beardy doesn't seem to drink much, or at least when I am around.
I have also figured out my uvb was not close enough for my small one so I have lowered it ( I keep finding different answers on appropriate height for a T8 everywhere I feel like), but the days prior they probably were not getting enough uvb, another reason I laid off on the multivitamin . I am using a T8 10.0 and right now its about 6-8 inches above the basking spot, but I plan on getting a T5 and returning the T8 today as well.

Earlier this morning they passed a regular looking poo but this afternoon later on, I found the one in the photo, and it was sinker than normal, They have also been refusing bugs today, but did eat some dark greens and water this morning.

Is this poo terribly abnormal? Should I wait for maybe one more to pass to see its quality? I am still looking for a vet in my area to do a first fecal sample. But to be honest I am freaking out about the health of the little one an just want to make sure they thrive.

 

[KarrieRee]

I am a new bearded dragon owner of 5 days now. I have a small a baby.

I have been having some problems getting the heat and uvb right for the 75 gallon tank they are in. For the past 2 days I have been feeding a cricket diet and laying off meal worms until I get roaches in the mail, that are scheduled for today actually. I was giving a multivitamin with calcium up until a few days ago when realizing I may need to get one that has no vitamin D additives and rotate between the multi and plain calcium. I have also been offering dark greens and apple/grapes in a shallow dish with added water, as my beardy doesn't seem to drink much, or at least when I am around.
I have also figured out my uvb was not close enough for my small one so I have lowered it ( I keep finding different answers on appropriate height for a T8 everywhere I feel like), but the days prior they probably were not getting enough uvb, another reason I laid off on the multivitamin . I am using a T8 10.0 and right now its about 6-8 inches above the basking spot, but I plan on getting a T5 and returning the T8 today as well.

Earlier this morning they passed a regular looking poo but this afternoon later on, I found the one in the photo, and it was sinker than normal, They have also been refusing bugs today, but did eat some dark greens and water this morning.

Is this poo terribly abnormal? Should I wait for maybe one more to pass to see its quality? I am still looking for a vet in my area to do a first fecal sample. But to be honest I am freaking out about the health of the little one an just want to make sure they thrive.

Please no vet checks for now -- it will be too much stress on the dragon --- correct distance for your UVB should be 6-8 inches w/ NO clear plastic cover over the bulb and NO screen - the T 8 must be exposed --- basking temps should be 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer -- this being a bright white basking bulb no off white for yellowish bulbs please -- and please NO more meal worms they are too hard on the babies stomach -- I would get him/ her some BSFL www.symtonbsf.com order the size no bigger than the space between his/ her eyes length wise put them on the tops of the salads use as many as you want they are a great staple feeder for babies and a great compliment to the main staple feeder --- please dust your main staple insect w/ calcium D3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated and vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated -- this will change once he / she hits a year old --
when you get the T 5 distance and placement will change possibly the placement depending on the screen on the tank

 

[Sulitlana]

Please no vet checks for now -- it will be too much stress on the dragon --- correct distance for your UVB should be 6-8 inches w/ NO clear plastic cover over the bulb and NO screen - the T 8 must be exposed --- basking temps should be 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer -- this being a bright white basking bulb no off white for yellowish bulbs please -- and please NO more meal worms they are too hard on the babies stomach -- I would get him/ her some BSFL www.symtonbsf.com order the size no bigger than the space between his/ her eyes length wise put them on the tops of the salads use as many as you want they are a great staple feeder for babies and a great compliment to the main staple feeder --- please dust your main staple insect w/ calcium D3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated and vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated -- this will change once he / she hits a year old --
when you get the T 5 distance and placement will change possibly the placement depending on the screen on the tank

Thank you so much! Yes, I have been laying off the mealworms and switching to crickets for the past few days for that same reason. I did order some small 1/4" dubia roaches, will those be okay as well? As far as supplements go I was recommended Repashy Calcium Plus LoD by my local reptile shop, which does have beta carotene in it, will this still be okay to continue to use for the 2x weekly? I will also get some regular just calcium with the D3 for the regular once daily feedings, as well as those BSFL.

My UVB wasn't originally that close but I have since then lowered it using a a 2x4 and some twine, to get it to that 6-8 inches, and its not currently blocked by anything. My basking bulb is bright white and I got a digital laser probe I have been using, and have finally got those target temps. Before I got it shipped to me I think the temps were possibly 10 degrees higher than that which I feel god awful about, (125 range in hottest spot) but I can't tell that there were any burns from the basking spot when those temps occurred. There was plenty of room on the cool side for them to go to as well as 2 small water options on the cool side of the tank. All of this has been keeping me up and night because I don't wanna be neglectful or hurt the little one.

I am getting a large hole screen lid, so I was thinking about switching to an Arcadia D3+ 12% UVB T5 at 34" for my tank so I don't have to possibly under mount it.

Thank you so much for you response, I have been so frantic the past few days trying to make sure I get everything right.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you so much! Yes, I have been laying off the mealworms and switching to crickets for the past few days for that same reason. I did order some small 1/4" dubia roaches, will those be okay as well? As far as supplements go I was recommended Repashy Calcium Plus LoD by my local reptile shop, which does have beta carotene in it, will this still be okay to continue to use for the 2x weekly? I will also get some regular just calcium with the D3 for the regular once daily feedings, as well as those BSFL.

My UVB wasn't originally that close but I have since then lowered it using a a 2x4 and some twine, to get it to that 6-8 inches, and its not currently blocked by anything. My basking bulb is bright white and I got a digital laser probe I have been using, and have finally got those target temps. Before I got it shipped to me I think the temps were possibly 10 degrees higher than that which I feel god awful about, (125 range in hottest spot) but I can't tell that there were any burns from the basking spot when those temps occurred. There was plenty of room on the cool side for them to go to as well as 2 small water options on the cool side of the tank. All of this has been keeping me up and night because I don't wanna be neglectful or hurt the little one.

I am getting a large hole screen lid, so I was thinking about switching to an Arcadia D3+ 12% UVB T5 at 34" for my tank so I don't have to possibly under mount it.

Thank you so much for you response, I have been so frantic the past few days trying to make sure I get everything right.

Ok so how big is the tank -- you do not want a full length fixture --- unless your tank is longer than 48 inches go w/ a 24" fixture -- and if and when you get the wide hole screen it can sit on top w/ basking decor directly under it 8-10 inches --- temps at nite should be 65-75 cool and dark - I would recommend getting the digital probe thermometers as well - sometimes the IR guns do not read off of certain materials -- like hammocks -- the Repashy your using I am not sure about - how much D3 is in it ? that we need to consult w/ some better people for that -- you dont want to give too much of the D3 so we need to consult w/ a few who have better knowledge than I

 

[Sulitlana]

The tank is a 75 gallon, 48 Long X 18 deep X 21 high. I do have a digital probe but will put that back where I had it now that I have a lid, ironically the one I have has a probe with a cord and he tried to climb up it and escape. I also have two other digital thermometers I need to mount that I will be getting supplies to mount them with tomorrow when I go to get totes for the bugs.

As far as the Repashy goes it says Vitamin D min. 8,000 IU/lb. I am just afraid that because of the uvb distance issue he had too much calcium that wasn't being processed. I just hoping his organs or anything weren't damaged and that's what that color is from the mucus.

But he did eat 7 baby dubia roaches this afternoon finally after refusing bugs any other time today. Since then he has been on the basking rock laying kind of flat with his eyes closed on and off, but it has been a stressful few days for him so I just don't know.