New beardie owner with concerns

[Mushu1]

Hello everyone! I got a bearded dragon from pet smart a week ago and love watching it (I don’t know its gender yet). I believe I set up everything correctly. I posted some pictures on my profile of food and terrarium set up along with my beardie. There are a few things I’m concerned about and I did do a lot of research, especially on ReptiFiles. My beardie naps a lot during the day while laying in the basking spot and pancakes. I think it’s because my temp isn’t high enough or it’s winter and maybe in a hibernate type state. It also isn’t eating a lot, if at all, most days. It is active at times running around the terrarium and climbing, even jumping. It sleeps throughout the night in corners while ‘standing’. Maybe it’s trying to brumate? I think it’s too young to do so. I have been trying to interactive with it as little as possible (touching, carrying, etc) so it gets accustomed to its new home and I plan on doing this for a total of 2 weeks. I look forward to hearing from the community. Thank you

 

[Sue E.]

How old is your dragon? Babies eat mostly live bugs and some dont touch greens at all but you need to offer them in a dish daily. How many bugs does he/she eat a day? Take the temp of the basking spot with a digital probe or ir gun to check it. Calcium dust all your bugs...put them in a zip lock and shake it. You can hand feed your dragon his bugs..its a great way to bond. He will associate you with yummy bugs!

 

[KarrieRee]

Hello everyone! I got a bearded dragon from pet smart a week ago and love watching it (I don’t know its gender yet). I believe I set up everything correctly. I posted some pictures on my profile of food and terrarium set up along with my beardie. There are a few things I’m concerned about and I did do a lot of research, especially on ReptiFiles. My beardie naps a lot during the day while laying in the basking spot and pancakes. I think it’s because my temp isn’t high enough or it’s winter and maybe in a hibernate type state. It also isn’t eating a lot, if at all, most days. It is active at times running around the terrarium and climbing, even jumping. It sleeps throughout the night in corners while ‘standing’. Maybe it’s trying to brumate? I think it’s too young to do so. I have been trying to interactive with it as little as possible (touching, carrying, etc) so it gets accustomed to its new home and I plan on doing this for a total of 2 weeks. I look forward to hearing from the community. Thank you

Welcome to the forum -- well we need to do a bit of tweeking w/ the tank and its husbandry- first your little one is going thru relocation stress so his eating will be off but we need to get the tank on par w/ correct surface basking temps 105-110 F taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - I would get two but one is good for now- Zoo Med makes them most pet shops carry them - next please get rid of the coil UVB they are inadequate and will cause all kinds of health issues - you need a long tube fixture posting a link for you these are one of the best on the market - I see that they are carrying Thrive over in your country that is not a good brand at all -- Arcadia Pro T5 UVB Kit - Desert 12% or this one you can look on Amazon for this fixture but you need to get the Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb this fixture comes w/ a 5.0 it is not strong enough https://www.amazon.com/DBDPet-Repti...d=1739113248&sprefix=Zoo+Med+,aps,118&sr=8-16
Your dragon standing in the corner to sleep is normal we have seen alot of babies do this - babies do not brumate - that usually starts around a year old - what are you feeding in the salad bowl it looks like cabbage? I recommend no meal worms for him now they exoskeleton is too hard on babies stomach - crickets dubia or discoid roaches calci worms or silk worms are all good staple feeders - here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale info its outdated Nutrition Content please rinse the greens before serving the dragon will get hydration from those salads - you can use the calci worms to lure him to the salad bowl feed first thing in the morning - drop about 20-25 of the larvae on to the salad so it gets his attention - I would go w/ medium size larvae --you will need a bowl like this for the larvae they make great salad bowls https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d your going to want a digital probe hygrometer probe is placed on the back center wall of the tank Exo Terra makes them https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Di...13635&sprefix=exo+terra+hygro,aps,144&sr=8-43
Please handle him in the tank - he needs time to adjust and acclimate to his tank and surroundings so the sooner you get his temps and UVB on par the quicker he will adjust

 

[Mushu1]

How old is your dragon? Babies eat mostly live bugs and some dont touch greens at all but you need to offer them in a dish daily. How many bugs does he/she eat a day? Take the temp of the basking spot with a digital probe or ir gun to check it. Calcium dust all your bugs...put them in a zip lock and shake it. You can hand feed your dragon his bugs..it’s a great way to bond. He will associate you with yummy bugsh

How old is your dragon? Babies eat mostly live bugs and some dont touch greens at all but you need to offer them in a dish daily. How many bugs does he/she eat a day? Take the temp of the basking spot with a digital probe or ir gun to check it. Calcium dust all your bugs...put them in a zip lock and shake it. You can hand feed your dragon his bugs..its a great way to bond. He will associate you with yummy bugs!

Hi Sue, I don’t know how old she is. I’m guessing 4-5 months. PetSmart said they don’t know there age. She’s only eating 2-3/day

 

[Sue E.]

Hi Sue, I don’t know how old she is. I’m guessing 4-5 months. PetSmart said they don’t know there age. She’s only eating 2-3/day

Youre giving her the small crickets right? The large ones are too big for her. Can you post a pic of her? Apologies if you already did...just let me know where to find it. Kai at 4 or 5 months was eating about 30 to 40 small crickets twice a day. I was constantly at the pet store because even gutloaded crickets dont last long. I used to buy 60 day...I had two cricket keeper tanks and I put 30 in each with the styrofoam egg carton pieces and a few of the Flukers cricket quenchers..either orange square ones or the yellow balls...in each cricket keeper to gutload and/or hydrate the crickets. Put the jar of cricket quenchers in your fridge after you put a few in the cricket keeper tank. You can feed with tweezers if your beardie wont chase them but dont force feed her. Crickets are fast and they will hide and later bite your dragon so dont leave uneaten crickets in with her...take them back out with tweezers.

 

[Sue E.]

Hi Sue, I don’t know how old she is. I’m guessing 4-5 months. PetSmart said they don’t know there age. She’s only eating 2-3/day

 

[Sue E.]

Im looking at your setup...you need the tube style uvb. Arcadia or Reptisun. I use the Reptisun t5 10.0 high output uvb. The fixture comes with a 5.0 bulb which is not enough...buy a seperate 10.0 bulb and put it in the fixture you just bought. Dont use the dome uvb light, shut it off and take it out. Babies need a really hot basking spot..like 105 to 110. When they are cold it shuts their appetite off because they digest their food while basking. I use a reptizoo 150 watt basking spot bulb...try it, if that raises your temp too much, switch to a 125 watt. Angle your tube uvb light when you get it so the center is right next to the basking lamp. Place your basking piece right under the dome.

 

[Sue E.]

Your basking spot might be a little too high under a 150 watt bulb..resin heats up really fast. Take the temp with a digital probe thermometer...petsmart sells them at the top of the basking piece when the light has been on a while..it might be too hot for her and then she will move down. You want 105 to 110 degrees. If you can get a lower basking piece, try to. Toad ranch sells a basking platform topped with slate called bask and hide. Slate heats up fast too but the piece is lower.

 

[Sue E.]

 

[Sue E.]

Kais basking piece for now until my platform comes in...but he is an adult and can do with a log...the log doesnt retain heat the way the stones do. I had to move my high piece to the cool side because temp at the top was going up to between 119 and 120!

 

[KarrieRee]

Kais basking piece for now until my platform comes in...but he is an adult and can do with a log...the log doesnt retain heat the way the stones do. I had to move my high piece to the cool side because temp at the top was going up to between 119 and 120!

Hi Sue if your screen on the tank is a fine mesh it needs to go into the tank - your dragon is not getting enough UVB - screens block 30 % of the rays- and I recommend getting two digital probe thermometers - the ones you have are only giving ambient temps

 

[Sue E.]

Hi Sue if your screen on the tank is a fine mesh it needs to go into the tank - your dragon is not getting enough UVB - screens block 30 % of the rays- and I recommend getting two digital probe thermometers - the ones you have are only giving ambient temps

This is a temporary tank...it is really an aquarium and I hate it. I am having a tank custom made as soon as the tank itself comes in from dubia.com hopefully soon! This horrible one is not a front opening tank and opens front and back NOT side to side. So I have the 10.0 high output bulb and I cant mount it underneath because the basking lamp would block it and I wouldnt be able to open the tank if the tube uvb is diagonal next to it. I have a digital probe thermometer and an IR heat gun and I use both. Those are only for the ambient temps. Basking spot is 98.7 to100.2. He just switched to the larger tank a few weeks ago. The dubia one I have coming from exotic reptile store will have a front opening, either Australian desert sand substrate or a bioactive substrate (little nervous about the bioactive idea because Ive never done that for a desert creature although the exotic store owner has done many...we will see. New tank will be 4x2x2...this one is 4 ft x 21.5 inches x 18 inches. I am so stressed about the wait but Kai seems fine right now..eating bugs and greens fine and nice healthy hydrated poops with moust white urate. He is 14 months old.

 

[Sue E.]

Hi Sue if your screen on the tank is a fine mesh it needs to go into the tank - your dragon is not getting enough UVB - screens block 30 % of the rays- and I recommend getting two digital probe thermometers - the ones you have are only giving ambient temps

This is a temporary tank...it is really an aquarium and I hate it. I am having a tank custom made as soon as the tank itself comes in from dubia.com hopefully soon! This horrible one is not a front opening tank and opens front and back NOT side to side. So I have the 10.0 high output bulb and I cant mount it underneath because the basking lamp would block it and I wouldnt be able to open the tank if the tube uvb is diagonal next to it. I have a digital probe thermometer and an IR heat gun and I use both. Those are only for the ambient temps. Basking spot is 98.7 to100.2. He just switched to the larger tank a few weeks ago. The dubia one I have coming from exotic reptile store will have a front opening, either Australian desert sand substrate or a bioactive substrate (little nervous about the bioactive idea because Ive never done that for a desert creature although the exotic store owner has done many...we will see. New tank will be 4x2x2...this one is 4 ft x 21.5 inches x 18 inches. I am so stressed about the wait but Kai seems fine right now..eating bugs and greens fine and nice healthy hydrated poops with moust white urate. He is 14 months old

 

[Sue E.]

I am also considering just picking up some tinsnips and cutting an opening in the top where the bulb itself is but idk if that will compromise the integrity of the top and make it less durable. I hate hate hate this setup I have right now! I was just trying to show the OP what a tube looks like because she was using a dome for a uvb and I was trying to help explain what the tubes look like. This is my dilemma right now..if you have any creative ideas on how to interior mount it over the basking spot without blocking the heat lamp, please drop them here! I am open to any and all suggestions! I cant interior mount them both because the heat lamp (even a 125) gets too hot. All this will be rectified with the new tank, both fixtures mounted inside and a new wire cage lamp for heat.

 

[Mushu1]

Youre giving her the small crickets right? The large ones are too big for her. Can you post a pic of her? Apologies if you already did...just let me know where to find it. Kai at 4 or 5 months was eating about 30 to 40 small crickets twice a day. I was constantly at the pet store because even gutloaded crickets dont last long. I used to buy 60 day...I had two cricket keeper tanks and I put 30 in each with the styrofoam egg carton pieces and a few of the Flukers cricket quenchers..either orange square ones or the yellow balls...in each cricket keeper to gutload and/or hydrate the crickets. Put the jar of cricket quenchers in your fridge after you put a few in the cricket keeper tank. You can feed with tweezers if your beardie wont chase them but dont force feed her. Crickets are fast and they will hide and later bite your dragon so dont leave uneaten crickets in with her...take them back out with tweezers.

Wow. My beardie is only eating 3-5 small crickets a day. Is this the fixture and bulb I should get?