New Dragon Not Eating and Sleeping Lots

[DrunkOnCheese]

Hey guys,
First off, nice forum/website, I'm looking forward to becoming an active member.

I've just recently started owning a baby bearded dragon - I believe he's about 12 weeks old. I'm just a little concerned that I've set something up wrong in my enclosure.

Here's the details -

4ft long, 1.5ft deep and 1.8ft high
Ive got a ReptiSun UVB tube 10.0 covering half the enclosure. Although Ive read he needs to be fairly close to this, is this correct? (*Edit* I've also just finished reading that I should replace this with a ReptiSun10.0)
At the other end is his basking spot which has a red nocturnal globe which keeps it around 107 degrees - at this spot is a log which it can raise itself or lower to get further away from the heat. This is attached to a thermostat which is located in the center and goes up to 86 degrees. The cooler end of the enclosure is at 82 degrees, at night it is 68 degrees.

At the moment I've only got an analogue thermometer and I'm planning on getting a digital with two probes asap.

The substrate I'm using is loose (I'm aware of impaction) but was told it breaks down when swallowed and is what the reptile specialist we got the dragon from keeps all his in.

Feeding - He's gets crickets 3 times a day, generally eating anywhere between 8 - 20 in a sitting. Lately he hasn't been eating that many (only had 3 today)
Always has access to fresh veggies, Carrots and broccoli (sometimes foods,) cos lettuce, squash, banana etc but besides the very first day he's hardly touched them (ie not at all over the last 2 weeks)
Always has access to fresh water, but again I hardly ever see him drinking, I occasionally spray his rock he sits on with water which he licks up.

So today he has slept all day except for the time I took him outside to get some natural sun, and the time I put him on his basking spot. He has also only eaten the 3 crickets.
Yesterday he was a little more active and ate a bit more than today (about 10 crickets all day)
The day before yesterday he didn't eat much either.

When he is active he looks healthy, its just that he's not out and about that much and it's starting to concern me a little.

I don't believe it's Brumation (sp?) as I live in Australia and it's summer here and he's also too young for it to occur.

Any advice will be extremely appreciated and if there's any more info you need to know please ask!

Cheers.

 

[Drache613]

I moved your other post for you..

Tracie

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Welcome, from Australia, to the forum..
The main thing that I can see that is most likely causing some issues is your lighting.
Great that you have the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb. He does need to be within 6-8 inches of it to be maximally effective in UVB emissions for him. However, the red basking lamp that you have on the other end is not doing him much good. They don't do well with colored lighting. It is not bright enough for him. In fact, it probably looks close to dusk with the way that they see lighting & the colored spectrum.
You should try to get a bright white basking light such as a halogen bulb. That bulb needs to mounted directly beside the UVB tube bulb to help create a focused basking spot which has UVB rays & heat all in the same area.
Do you supplement calcium?
What type of loose substrate are you using? You have to be very careful with loose substrates for babies especially if you feed them in the tank. They end up ingesting some & inevitably that increases impaction risks. Most of the substrates are not digestible as they claim them to be.
Here is a great site for feeding tips for you to look over as well: http://www.beautifuldragons.com Just click on the nutritional link.

Taking him out in the sun will help him too. No, if it is summertime he should not be brumating at all. I really think that it will end up being your lighting, so if you fix that he should be much more active & have a better appetite.

Definitely do get a better thermometer also. A digital probe or a temp gun are much better.

Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[DrunkOnCheese]

Thanks for you reply,

Unfortunately I made a typo and the UVB source is a RepitGlo 10.0, which I'm returning today to get a ReptiSun.
Is it imperative to have the basking spot and UVB source close together? I ask because my Viv came pre-made with all lighting sources wired and set.

Viv
| O O {} XXXXXXX |

O = light fixtures
{} Thermostat
XXX = UVB tube

I was worried about putting the basking light in the second fixture as it'll give off a false reading to the thermostat and turn off the lighting too quick!
Any suggestions on how this could be done? We were hoping that if we put his food, water and favorite log under the tube then he can get his required UVB then.
At the moment I've been using a nocturnal light in the second fixture that is used to keep it at the required temp at night, this is on the same thermostat as the other light.

My final problem is all the fixtures have a max rating of 75watts, so I'm not even sure if I can install a MVB glob in the far left fixture.