Need help!!

[saraarivera]

So my aunt who is going through quite a bit right now isn’t able to care for her Dragon so she gave him to me because she knows I’m not scared of him and will do my best to care for him. The first couple days he was here, he seemed fine. He ate a bit of salad, and he even managed to eat 2 worms. After those first couple days, his beard started to turn real black and he’s stopped eating. I came to the forum to find out why he hasn’t been eating and some say that adult beardies don’t need to eat everyday since they’re not growing as much, so I thought okay maybe he’ll decide to eat in a couple days. Nothing. He didn’t eat. I sat there staring at him and asking why he wasn’t eating and I noticed he was shedding on his neck. I read that shedding can change their mood and make them grumpy and lose their appetite. So I started giving him baths everyday and keeping him moist because I read that the shedding process can be dragged up to a month and I want to try and help make things easier on him since I can’t just peel it off for him. What’s really concerning is, not only is he not eating and he has a black beard, but he’s been very lethargic and not being as active as I read they are. When he was given to me, he was living in a bunny cage with overused UVB lights hanging above because my aunt broke his tank and she hasn’t been financially able to replace these things so I went out and bought him a zoomed 40 gal bearded dragon kit, even bought him a small trunk he can climb and bask on (which he has been using). I know they can be stressed out when moved into a new enclosure but it’s been about two weeks already and I’m not sure how long it takes for them to become comfortable again. I check the temp in his enclosure daily to make sure he’s got a good warm side and cool side and everything looks fine. However he’s still black and not eating, but is still going through shed. I have found however, he seems to be much happier when I take him outside and let him walk around in the grass. When he’s outside his beard lightens up and so do the colors on his back. When I bring him back inside, I’ll lay him on his trunk and he’ll lay there with his eyes closed and his colors still light as if he’s enjoying it but he only does that for about 20 minutes then he gets of his trunk and turns black again. I keep fresh salad in his tank everyday just Incase he gets hungry and I do offer live feed when I take him out of his enclosure but he just won’t eat and he’s still very lethargic and turns black a lot. I’ve spent quite a bit of money on him and I’m not complaining, he’s grown on me and I want to spoil him but I’m really stressing over his mood. I want him to be okay and eat. Could this all be because of shedding? I find it slightly hard to believe, but if it is then so be it. Also, he poops almost everyday and it looks healthy but I’m not sure what he’s pooping if he’s not eating? Please help me

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. You say you bought the kit. I bet it came with a coil/compact uvb light and those are no good. You want a reptisun 10.0 t5. Also those round gauge thermometer are very inaccurate. You want to know the temp on the basking spot. A temp gun works good.