new baby bearded dragon, first time owner

[benbji]

hi! i recently purchased my first bearded dragon, and am a little concerned for her. her name is Ed, i believe she is almost 2 months old, and is around 7 inches long. she arrived just a little under a week ago. recently i have been worried for her. she has not had an appetite for a bearded dragon her age, only eating about ten max small dubia roaches a day, and eating one or two shreds of her salad. her stool is regular and she seems active, but has recently paled, started laying low on the ground, and is a little skinner compared to when i first got her. her basking temp is around 105 and the humidity is around thirty, with the cool side being around 80 with 45 humidity.she has a tube uvb light and a basking light. i know relocation stress is a thing, but how long will this last? when can i start cleaning her cage and bathing her regularly? when will she start eating regularly?

 

[KarrieRee]

Yes she's going thru relocation stress- she needs time to adjust to her surroundings+ it's good she's eating- your UVB is a T 5 or T 8? And your basking temps are being taken w/ a digital probe thermometer? Bathing is going to stress her out so I wouldn't give them just yet- you can rinse her greens before serving she will get moisture from them-- you can start getting your hand in the tank now-- she needs to get used to your hand in there-- I would hand feed her - the bsfl are good for that+ the sooner you start w/ that she will start to learn to trust- her appetite will come-
Karrie

 

[benbji]

Yes she's going thru relocation stress- she needs time to adjust to her surroundings+ it's good she's eating- your UVB is a T 5 or T 8? And your basking temps are being taken w/ a digital probe thermometer? Bathing is going to stress her out so I wouldn't give them just yet- you can rinse her greens before serving she will get moisture from them-- you can start getting your hand in the tank now-- she needs to get used to your hand in there-- I would hand feed her - the bsfl are good for that+ the sooner you start w/ that she will start to learn to trust- her appetite will come-

hello, thank you for some of the advice. i do not use a probe monitor, but i use two wall thermometers, that more or less overlap with her favorite basking spot and her favorite cool spot. i also have two humidity monitors. i cannot specifically recall what type of uvb light i purchased, but i remember specifically making sure i purchased one that many people online recommended. her behavior is pretty erratic. in the morning she will jump up to greet me and seem very eager to begin feeding, but quickly gets timid once i actually try to feed her. lately she’s been hanging under her hammock, staying mostly still but alert and upright.

 

[KarrieRee]

Please get a digital probe thermometer- the stick ons are inaccurate-- and your using a hammock for basking decor- her hiding under it the temp may be too hot- the UVB if you look on the bulb it will say T 5 or T 8- it will also have the brand- distance and placement is important
Karrie

 

[benbji]

i will make sure to buy a digital thermometer. her uvb is a t-8, and sits right on top of a mesh lid. i know it need to be closer but i don’t know where exactly to put it. there are plenty of hiding spots on the cool side for her, but she doesn’t seem interested in any of them, and vastly prefers the hammock on the hot side

 

[KarrieRee]

The T 8 needs to be inside the tank w/ the clear plastic cover off - the bulb is it a Reptisun? You can hang w/ these 3 M Velcro command fasteners--long plastic zip ties fishing line picture wire hangers-shoe laces and potted plant wire hangers-- basking decor needs to be directly under neath approx 6-8 inches-- please get the digital probe thermometer place on the spot where she would sit to bask wait 10 minutes then get the temp- it should be 105-110 no hotter-
Karrie