My dragon is bugging out like Craaazy.

[DragonKeeper4787]

So, My bearded dragon Mr. Prickles has been glass surfing like a radical chad in Hawaii. A day before I added more sand and he seemed chill with it, but now I have to stop him from going all mission impossible on me . His beard stays vanilla colored even when he surfs but I don't feel like something right.. And yes, the UVB lamps and basking lamps are fine. Is it hormones? He stops when I pick him up, could it be he wants to explore? I can post a video if you all want.

 

[KarrieRee]

So, My bearded dragon Mr. Prickles has been glass surfing like a radical chad in Hawaii. A day before I added more sand and he seemed chill with it, but now I have to stop him from going all mission impossible on me . His beard stays vanilla colored even when he surfs but I don't feel like something right.. And yes, the UVB lamps and basking lamps are fine. Is it hormones? He stops when I pick him up, could it be he wants to explore? I can post a video if you all want.

Sand is not a good substrate -- it can cause impaction especially in babies and it harbors bacteria -- I would get it changed out to some textured NON adhesive shelf liner cut to the size of the tank found at Walmart or your local home improvement store clean w/ vinegar / water --- lighting and basking temps can cause the behavior hes exhibiting but it could be hormones as well --- to be sure please go over the lighting your using and basking temps how old is the dragon how old is the UVB and how are you getting the basking temps? Digital probes are most accurate --- if you can post pics of the boxes your using for lighting or the tank and its lighting so we can rule this out

 

[DragonKeeper4787]

My bearded dragon is probably 6 years old because I got it from another person, and he’s lived in a sand filled terrarium for his whole life probably. The UVB is brand new.

 

[KarrieRee]

My bearded dragon is probably 6 years old because I got it from another person, and he’s lived in a sand filled terrarium for his whole life probably. The UVB is brand new.

Ok so I am seeing only stickons for temp gauges -- they are inaccurate for basking temps especially for hammocks --- please get 2 of two of these
Zoo Med Digital Thermometer you need those ASAP-- also I do recommend getting rid of the sand ---
the bulb your using is it a MVB which would be a all in one for basking and UVB? If so what brand is it and wattage? Alot of those MVB can cause eye issues -- and they do not emit enough UVB --

 

[Badwolfe]

My bearded dragon is probably 6 years old because I got it from another person, and he’s lived in a sand filled terrarium for his whole life probably. The UVB is brand new.

I keep my Beardie on a loose substrate as I find it helps promote a full spectrum of behaviour such as digging. As long as you maintain your heating & lighting at optimal conditions and remove any waste straight away you should never encounter any problems (including impaction) with the 'correct' blend of loose substrate .

One thing that is very important though for substrate for Beardies is that it should never consist solely of sand. The substrate in the Australian Outback is actually soil / sand composition with a high clay content. This is what allows the Beardie to dig burrows because the clay helps bind the soil so that it doesn't collapse in on itself as they dig. You will never achieve this with sand only which actually negates why you should use a loose substrate in the first place and can pose a significant impaction risk.

If you want to continue keeping your Dragon on a loose substrate please convert it over to a soil / clay / sand blend that is much safer for your Dragon

 

[DragonKeeper4787]

I keep my Beardie on a loose substrate as I find it helps promote a full spectrum of behaviour such as digging. As long as you maintain your heating & lighting at optimal conditions and remove any waste straight away you should never encounter any problems (including impaction) with the 'correct' blend of loose substrate .

One thing that is very important though for substrate for Beardies is that it should never consist solely of sand. The substrate in the Australian Outback is actually soil / sand composition with a high clay content. This is what allows the Beardie to dig burrows because the clay helps bind the soil so that it doesn't collapse in on itself as they dig. You will never achieve this with sand only which actually negates why you should use a loose substrate in the first place and can pose a significant impaction risk.

If you want to continue keeping your Dragon on a loose substrate please convert it over to a soil / clay / sand blend that is much safer for your Dragon

Thanks for all the help guys! I'm sure Mr. Prickles will like his new substrate. I know it might be an issue that's bad but I still laugh when I see him throwing hands with the glass. Thanks again!