Hi! I am a rather new beardie Mom. We got Stryker II on May 11th, 2012 at 3 1/2 months. So he's about 5 3/4 months now. He is 10 inches long and weighs 48 grams. I don't know whether this is good or bad. Can someone tell me whether he's a good size and weight? He seems robust and healthy and he did go to the vet for deworming. We try to alternate days-one day he gets 30 small crickets dusted in calcium and vitamins and the next day or two he'll get about 10 small meal worms, which we don't dust, as it doesn't seem to stick-even with their heads cut off! (Is this necessary???) And he gets salads with different veggies and fruits every day and eats most of it. We've been feeding and taking care of him at night. Is he suppose to be taking care of earlier? We are not morning people, especially since school is out. Nor do I have his lights on a timer, so they vary each day.
Secondly, he had his first real shed that I saw yesterday, although my grandchildren said he's been shedding a little now and then. The night before we noticed he was shedding a little and gave him a 30 minute warm bath. We saw him in his water dish two nights in a row and his back looked very powdery before his shed yesterday. Is this normal? And he shed in his water dish and it was a big pile of goop! He was a beautiful olive green color with some orange before and now he has a lot of black to his color. I am very disappointed as he doesn't look as nice. I thought colors got brighter??? Will his colors continue to change with each shed?
My next problem is with the lighting. We had him in a ten gallon set up that we bought with him in it-all set up from the pet store-although he came from a local breeder. He had a Zilla Dessert 5.0 UVB strip light on him. As well as a Zilla 100 watt day & 75 watt night basking lights in a hood. Yesterday, we decided to move him into the 40 gallon breeder tank we originally got for our other Beardie who died in a week's time. We did not know she was sick. We bought her on craigslist and thought we were getting a good deal! We disinfected the cage with bleach after she died. (Ha! I won't tell you how much we're spent so far on the beardies! A lot!) Anyways, here's my confusion: we have 3 large dome lights on this 40 gallon set-up. A Zilla 100 watt Day and I think, 100 watt night (which came with the tank) basking lights and an Exo-terra Repti Glo 10.0 coil UVB light, which also came with the tank and the girl I bought him from said it was only good for a couple of more months. This makes me uneasy. I don't trust her. So I want to replace it. Do I go with a new 10.0 coil, which I've read isn't the greatest or do I look for a 10.0 tube style light with a "hood"??? What kind? And do they make them in a size to fit a 40 gallon? I've already talked to two pet stores and they seem more confused tham I. Or can I use my 18" strip light, take the 5.0 out of it and see if I can find a 10.0 that will fit??? I have the coil UVB in the middle of the tank.
And finally, these last two days, he has not sat under either basking light. The first night he stayed glued to the glass of the new cage most of the night and then settled on his new hiding log in the middle of the cage. I have Driftwood? under each basking light but am not happy with it. He liked them in the 10 gallon set-up, when I alternated them and there was no hide log. I would like to get him some higher branches or a fake rock formation he can climb, or something. I want to get him closer to the lights! Any suggestions? And where should the basking branches/perch be-under which light? And after the UVB light purchase-hopefully soon-the following month, I want to buy him a dual digital thermometer with probes to take accurate temp readings. I have this cheap thermometer in there, that tells me nothing. I can't even read the numbers on it!
I'm sorry. I know I wrote an essay, but these things have been bothering me and pet stores give me different info and the 2 guys at each store left and I feel I don't have an expert to talk to. Any help and advice would be appreciated!
I really love Stryker, he makes me so happy! I want this guy (?) to be around forever. Ill try to post pics elsewhere, later, when I figuire out Photobucket.
Secondly, he had his first real shed that I saw yesterday, although my grandchildren said he's been shedding a little now and then. The night before we noticed he was shedding a little and gave him a 30 minute warm bath. We saw him in his water dish two nights in a row and his back looked very powdery before his shed yesterday. Is this normal? And he shed in his water dish and it was a big pile of goop! He was a beautiful olive green color with some orange before and now he has a lot of black to his color. I am very disappointed as he doesn't look as nice. I thought colors got brighter??? Will his colors continue to change with each shed?
My next problem is with the lighting. We had him in a ten gallon set up that we bought with him in it-all set up from the pet store-although he came from a local breeder. He had a Zilla Dessert 5.0 UVB strip light on him. As well as a Zilla 100 watt day & 75 watt night basking lights in a hood. Yesterday, we decided to move him into the 40 gallon breeder tank we originally got for our other Beardie who died in a week's time. We did not know she was sick. We bought her on craigslist and thought we were getting a good deal! We disinfected the cage with bleach after she died. (Ha! I won't tell you how much we're spent so far on the beardies! A lot!) Anyways, here's my confusion: we have 3 large dome lights on this 40 gallon set-up. A Zilla 100 watt Day and I think, 100 watt night (which came with the tank) basking lights and an Exo-terra Repti Glo 10.0 coil UVB light, which also came with the tank and the girl I bought him from said it was only good for a couple of more months. This makes me uneasy. I don't trust her. So I want to replace it. Do I go with a new 10.0 coil, which I've read isn't the greatest or do I look for a 10.0 tube style light with a "hood"??? What kind? And do they make them in a size to fit a 40 gallon? I've already talked to two pet stores and they seem more confused tham I. Or can I use my 18" strip light, take the 5.0 out of it and see if I can find a 10.0 that will fit??? I have the coil UVB in the middle of the tank.
And finally, these last two days, he has not sat under either basking light. The first night he stayed glued to the glass of the new cage most of the night and then settled on his new hiding log in the middle of the cage. I have Driftwood? under each basking light but am not happy with it. He liked them in the 10 gallon set-up, when I alternated them and there was no hide log. I would like to get him some higher branches or a fake rock formation he can climb, or something. I want to get him closer to the lights! Any suggestions? And where should the basking branches/perch be-under which light? And after the UVB light purchase-hopefully soon-the following month, I want to buy him a dual digital thermometer with probes to take accurate temp readings. I have this cheap thermometer in there, that tells me nothing. I can't even read the numbers on it!
I'm sorry. I know I wrote an essay, but these things have been bothering me and pet stores give me different info and the 2 guys at each store left and I feel I don't have an expert to talk to. Any help and advice would be appreciated!
I really love Stryker, he makes me so happy! I want this guy (?) to be around forever. Ill try to post pics elsewhere, later, when I figuire out Photobucket.