My bearded dragon seems too cold

[abarron4430]

Hi there, I got my bearded dragon under a week ago and I’m not sure if I have everything set up correctly for my beardie (called Dug). He doesn’t seem to eat any of his salad and is often a dull-ish grey colour when he’s not under the heating lamp (he’s usually an orange/yellow).He also isn’t a fan of getting up in the mornings and despite my stick-on thermometers on the walls reading around 80f in the hot side, the thermostat says it’s reached temperature (92-96f). However he is often happy and doesn’t mind being picked up and will wave and bob his head at me, but he doesn’t seem as happy as he was when we got him in the pet store.
Am I doing anything wrong, or is he just getting used to his new enclosure?

 

[CooperDragon]

The morning grumpiness is fairly common for them. If he eventually wakes up and moves about, I wouldn't worry about that too much. Salads can take a while to get used to if they haven't been offered salads regularly. Keep offering and rotate some different items in to see if you can find a favorite. Hand feeding can be used to create movement which will sometimes grab their attention more easily. The dull gray color may be an oncoming shed. This can affect both their appetite and mood. Look for patches of skin to start coming loose and see if his mood changes for the better after the shed is done.

As far as the enclosure goes, you want to adjust the lighting based on the surface temps rather than ambient temps. I would go by the reading from the probe of your thremostat. You may want to install a couple more cheap thermometers with probes to get readings around the enclosure, or pick up an IR temp gun to take spot readings which may be helpful. Shoot for surface temps of around 100-105f right on the basking surface under the bulb. Then produce a gradient with areas in the 90s around that, down to around 75-80 or so on the far side of the enclosure. That will provide some options to choose from.

Do you have a UVB light in place as well? Those need to be placed at a height that produces sufficient UVB over the basking area (3-6 UVI is usually a good range to shoot for). The appropriate height varies depending on the type of UVB light you're using.

 

[abarron4430]

Thank you copper dragon, I will try and vary what different salads he has in his bowl and I will buy a temp gun asap. I’ll check him for any signs of shedding and he gets up in the mornings just slowly. I do have a UV bulb set up at the top of the vivarium and I’m pretty certain it’s all set up correctly. Thanks for your help! (Sorry if this reply didn’t work properly)

 

[KarrieRee]

Depending on the UVB your using T 5 or a T 8 will make the difference in UVB rays--- please NO coils --- they are inadequate --- if you need more help please ask - the long tube fixtures have certain placement and distance

 

[abarron4430]

Depending on the UVB your using T 5 or a T 8 will make the difference in UVB rays--- please NO coils --- they are inadequate --- if you need more help please ask - the long tube fixtures have certain placement and distance

hi, i think i have the correct UVB that has no coils and hopefully i have the placement right (i did my research before setting it up). thank you for your help!

 

[KarrieRee]

hi, i think i have the correct UVB that has no coils and hopefully i have the placement right (i did my research before setting it up). thank you for your help!

Make sure distance is correct- if it's a T 8 it needs to be in the tank they are not strong enough to go thru screen T 5 12-15 inches inside tank and the need to be directly above the basking decor