My baby bearded dragon won’t eat!

Kmartinez63

Member
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
Hey guys I’m new to the reptile community and I recently got myself a bearded dragon at petco. She’s a full 6inches and had been eating her bugs daily. Veggies I’ve tried about everything to get her to eat some. Until about Tuesday of last week.
I’m concerned because she refuses to eat anything and I’m really concerned. She basks for a few hours and then at around 2pm she goes to hide and sleep. At first I thought she was shedding because she hasn’t shed since the day I got her but it’s been a week and I still don’t seem to see her shed and she isn’t eating. I’ve bathed her and mist her enclosure and she seems good she did poop a few days ago but i don’t know. WHAT SHOULD I DO!? This is how she looks like as of today in her enclosure and her after a bath. Her stool is from a few days ago.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hey guys I’m new to the reptile community and I recently got myself a bearded dragon at petco. She’s a full 6inches and had been eating her bugs daily. Veggies I’ve tried about everything to get her to eat some. Until about Tuesday of last week.
I’m concerned because she refuses to eat anything and I’m really concerned. She basks for a few hours and then at around 2pm she goes to hide and sleep. At first I thought she was shedding because she hasn’t shed since the day I got her but it’s been a week and I still don’t seem to see her shed and she isn’t eating. I’ve bathed her and mist her enclosure and she seems good she did poop a few days ago but i don’t know. WHAT SHOULD I DO!? This is how she looks like as of today in her enclosure and her after a bath. Her stool is from a few days ago.
We need to go over your UVB your using coil or a long tube fixture? Where in the tank is the UVB if its a long tube fixture--- what are your surface basking temps and how are you getting them? NO stickon ons please - they are inaccurate-- you want digital probe thermometers they are the most accurate- shes going thru relocation stress so her eating is going to be off -- but she should be eating something nothing is not good-- she looks thin now- we need to get this corrected so she stays eating if anything is off -- the basking bulb should be a solid bright white bulb NO colored bulb or off white or yellowish bulbs -- once we get the lighting and basking temps corrected she should start to acclimate to her tank and surroundings and then her appetite is going to pick up
 

Kmartinez63

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
We need to go over your UVB your using coil or a long tube fixture? Where in the tank is the UVB if its a long tube fixture--- what are your surface basking temps and how are you getting them? NO stickon ons please - they are inaccurate-- you want digital probe thermometers they are the most accurate- shes going thru relocation stress so her eating is going to be off -- but she should be eating something nothing is not good-- she looks thin now- we need to get this corrected so she stays eating if anything is off -- the basking bulb should be a solid bright white bulb NO colored bulb or off white or yellowish bulbs -- once we get the lighting and basking temps corrected she should start to acclimate to her tank and surroundings and then her appetite is going to pick up
Hey ! So I got her about a month ago is relocation stress still possible ? I have a reptile uvb 10.0 long tube bulb I got from reptisun and the basking light is a 75w basking light from zoo med. Is it possible for her to be getting ready to shed because in the month that I’ve had her I haven’t seen her shed?
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Babies are generally ferocious eaters, if she isn't eating something is off. Please post pics of the arrangement of your lights. Which uvb bulb did you get? And what is your basking temp? If either one is off your baby will have problems. The basking for a baby needs to be 105 to 110 degrees, the temp needs to be taken with a digital probe thermometer. The infrared thermometers can be inaccurate on some materials and the dial types are generally garbage. Your baby needs to be able to get with 8 to 15 inches of the uvb depending on the bulb and whether it's on top of the screen or under the screen.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hey ! So I got her about a month ago is relocation stress still possible ? I have a reptile uvb 10.0 long tube bulb I got from reptisun and the basking light is a 75w basking light from zoo med. Is it possible for her to be getting ready to shed because in the month that I’ve had her I haven’t seen her shed?
As asked in earlier post are you using a T 5 or a T 8- these two bulbs have different placement and distance for them -- T 8's are not strong enough to go thru screen and the T 5's need to have a wide hole type of screen to be able to sit on top -- they also have a different expiration date where they need to be replaced - once we get this corrected things are going to go alot smoother- yes shed will effect the appetite but not for them to quit eating all together --- sometimes it may take months for them to adjust to the surroundings - is she showing stress marks still? She needs surface basking temps of 105-110 - this will start the digestion process so this needs to be on par as well --
 

Kmartinez63

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
As asked in earlier post are you using a T 5 or a T 8- these two bulbs have different placement and distance for them -- T 8's are not strong enough to go thru screen and the T 5's need to have a wide hole type of screen to be able to sit on top -- they also have a different expiration date where they need to be replaced - once we get this corrected things are going to go alot smoother- yes shed will effect the appetite but not for them to quit eating all together --- sometimes it may take months for them to adjust to the surroundings - is she showing stress marks still? She needs surface basking temps of 105-110 - this will start the digestion process so this needs to be on par as well --
Im not to sure but i will check as soon as im home. Can you please suggested me the best type of basking bulbs and uvb bulb I’m gonna try to just replace the lighting completely. I put the basking and uvb bulbs on top of the screen is it better to put it inside ? Thank you so much for your help. I feel super helpless when looking into information because everything is different.
 

Kmartinez63

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
Babies are generally ferocious eaters, if she isn't eating something is off. Please post pics of the arrangement of your lights. Which uvb bulb did you get? And what is your basking temp? If either one is off your baby will have problems. The basking for a baby needs to be 105 to 110 degrees, the temp needs to be taken with a digital probe thermometer. The infrared thermometers can be inaccurate on some materials and the dial types are generally garbage. Your baby needs to be able to get with 8 to 15 inches of the uvb depending on the bulb and whether it's on top of the screen or under the screen.
This is her set up
 

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Kmartinez63

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
Im not to sure but i will check as soon as im home. Can you please suggested me the best type of basking bulbs and uvb bulb I’m gonna try to just replace the lighting completely. I put the basking and uvb bulbs on top of the screen is it better to put it inside ? Thank you so much for your help. I feel super helpless when looking into information because everything is different.
Her enclosure looks like this
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Her enclosure looks like this
Ok I need the UVB bulb look on the bulb itself it will tell you -- look under on the bottom of the writing-- and I need a pic of the screen -- from what I am seeing it looks to be a T 8 but not positive -- it looks to be a Zilla brand? - the UVB fixture does it have a clear plastic cover over the bulb - if it does take it off and leave it off please - what is the brand of the basking bulb your using? Please get two digital probe thermometers - they are crucial to keeping surface basking temps - you can find them at Pet Smart or Petco -- once I know what your using for a UVB and the screen you have wide hole or a fine mesh like a screen door I will be able to tell you how to get your UVB placed -- you also want to invest in a digital probe hygrometer - once you get one of those I can help you place that in the tank as well -- the tank looks small like a 20 gallon? If so your going to be upgrading that here before too long - dragons outgrow their tanks pretty quick - we can help you w/ that as well --- but for now we need to get the surface basking temps and UVB corrected
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Karrieree asked the same question i was going to, is that a zilla fixture (usually found at petco) those come with a clear plastic cover on the bulb, it is imperative to remove it, it blocks 100% of the uvb, for the life of me i can't understand why they put the @%$#/ cover on those lights. You'll need a small Phillips screwdriver to remove the cover. Also those are typically t8 bulbs and are not strong enough to set on top of the screen. Personally i recommend the Arcadia pro t5 12% you can get them at petsmart. 24 inch. Alot of folk here use the ZooMed but i personally have had trouble with those so i avoid them also.
 

Kmartinez63

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
Babies are generally ferocious eaters, if she isn't eating something is off. Please post pics of the arrangement of your lights. Which uvb bulb did you get? And what is your basking temp? If either one is off your baby will have problems. The basking for a baby needs to be 105 to 110 degrees, the temp needs to be taken with a digital probe thermometer. The infrared thermometers can be inaccurate on some materials and the dial types are generally garbage. Your baby needs to be able to get with 8 to 15 inches of the uvb depending on the bulb and whether it's on top of the screen or under the screen.
The bulbs ar
Karrieree asked the same question i was going to, is that a zilla fixture (usually found at petco) those come with a clear plastic cover on the bulb, it is imperative to remove it, it blocks 100% of the uvb, for the life of me i can't understand why they put the @%$#/ cover on those lights. You'll need a small Phillips screwdriver to remove the cover. Also those are typically t8 bulbs and are not strong enough to set on top of the screen. Personally i recommend the Arcadia pro t5 12% you can get them at petsmart. 24 inch. Alot of folk here use the ZooMed but i personally have had trouble with those so i avoid them also.
okay thank you guys so much! I’m going to check and let you guys know . I really appreciate your guys help so much. :)
 

Kmartinez63

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Midnight
Ok I need the UVB bulb look on the bulb itself it will tell you -- look under on the bottom of the writing-- and I need a pic of the screen -- from what I am seeing it looks to be a T 8 but not positive -- it looks to be a Zilla brand? - the UVB fixture does it have a clear plastic cover over the bulb - if it does take it off and leave it off please - what is the brand of the basking bulb your using? Please get two digital probe thermometers - they are crucial to keeping surface basking temps - you can find them at Pet Smart or Petco -- once I know what your using for a UVB and the screen you have wide hole or a fine mesh like a screen door I will be able to tell you how to get your UVB placed -- you also want to invest in a digital probe hygrometer - once you get one of those I can help you place that in the tank as well -- the tank looks small like a 20 gallon? If so your going to be upgrading that here before too long - dragons outgrow their tanks pretty quick - we can help you w/ that as well --- but for now we need to get the surface basking temps and UVB corrected
So you guys were right it was a t8 uvb bulb with a plastic cover on it so I did what I had to and got the t5 Arcadia tube light and the digital probe meter. This morning she ate just one roach and a blue berry which to me is such a great sign considering the last few days of her not eating. She’s a lot more active and I can tell she’s enjoying the uvb bulb (stress marks aren’t showing as much). My basking light section is reading 107F and my cool side is reading 76F . Everything is sitting on that mess. i had a question would it be best for both lights to be inside or is it fine as is. I am planning on making a 75 gallon tank in a few weeks depending on how she continues to improve. What kind of worms would you recommend as staple food besides roaches. She doesn’t like crickets ? Also how can I get her to eat all her greens I got bee pollen as I read that kinda gets them interested but still I try to mix up her greens daily.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
So you guys were right it was a t8 uvb bulb with a plastic cover on it so I did what I had to and got the t5 Arcadia tube light and the digital probe meter. This morning she ate just one roach and a blue berry which to me is such a great sign considering the last few days of her not eating. She’s a lot more active and I can tell she’s enjoying the uvb bulb (stress marks aren’t showing as much). My basking light section is reading 107F and my cool side is reading 76F . Everything is sitting on that mess. i had a question would it be best for both lights to be inside or is it fine as is. I am planning on making a 75 gallon tank in a few weeks depending on how she continues to improve. What kind of worms would you recommend as staple food besides roaches. She doesn’t like crickets ? Also how can I get her to eat all her greens I got bee pollen as I read that kinda gets them interested but still I try to mix up her greens daily.
Sounds good --- the Arcadia T 5 is a good UVB - please place a piece of basking decor directly under it 8-10 inches --- you have a wide hole screen so it can stay on top --I would keep your lights on top of the screen - if you dont haft to move them inside I would keep them on top -- easier access etc...- I would get her some BSFL www.symtonbsf.com order large they are a small staple larvae for babies - add them to the tops of her salads - get her some medium super worms feed those every other day on top of her salads as well -- these will lure her to the salad bowl and maybe eat more - the BSFL feed as many as you want great compliment to her roaches -- you will need a bowl similar to this to keep the BSFL in https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
For your tank I would go w/ a 4x2x2 tank - they are the most optimal for a full size dragon -- you want floor space not height as well --
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Yup what Karrieree said 😁😁
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

I agree, it is very frustrating trying to sift through all of the mixed information on the internet & in
pet stores, too.
I am glad you are using a digital probe thermometer to measure the temperatures. Is your dragon
basking more now? How is your dragon doing today, any improvements?
The basking light should be a bright white light & not a colored light. Most use a nice bright halogen
bulb for basking, in combination with the UVB lights.

Tracie
 
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