New House

[frylok]

This is my first time posting here, but I have been visiting here a lot, so wheres what I have:

Doby is a female Dragon about 5 years old
She eats mustard greens and crickets more than anything, but she gets other greens and a few mealworms every now and then.
Shes got the reptisun 10 bulb and a 100w heat bulb(I dont remember the brand)

And heres what I'm wondering I just built her a new House its 4x2x2(based on the crossfire design) she has slate tile in the bottom. She sleeps on the floor of the in the shadow of her "tree house" I'm wondering if shes gonna get too cold down there, the temp on the cold side is usually right around 80 and on the hot side is about 95 or so and about 100 on her basking rock.

She's only been in the new house for about 2 days, but am wondering if i need to change anything. Thanks.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

Sounds like you're doing everything correct! I wouldn't worry about her getting cold on the tiles. the heat usually warms them up a bit. As for at night, if the temps are in the 60's you're ok. If not you can use a ceramic heat emmitter to boost tems a bit.

 

[frylok]

I really only worry because in the morning she barely crawls from under her tree house and just lays there, i touch her and she feels a little cool to the touch but she doesn't try to go her basking spot or anything. Also he hasn't been eating much since the move. I am hoping she just needs an adjustment period being in the new house and all. But i cant help but worry.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

Some people take them out of hiding when the lights come on. Spot sometimes stays in her hide for a little bit after lights on, but as the heat rises it eventually wakes her up and coaxes her out of her hiding spot.

 

[frylok]

Ok, I shouldn't be worried then? In her old house she never had a hiding spot, so I never had to worry about stuff like this. I admit I am really over protective of her, and I want everything to be perfect for her. Thank you so much for the quick reply and the help. I had planned to give her a few days to see if she started coming out on her own but worry got the best of me. Here is a pic of her setup, if theres anything that doesn't look right or needs to be changed please let me know. And thanks again for the help.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

The only thing I can see that I would change is to take out the red light. Red lights are hard on beardies eyes. If you have the light because that side is a cooler temp, I'd suggest using a ceramic heat emmitter.

If you want to go over EVERYTHING(!!!), then you can fill out these questions:

How old is your dragon?
How long have you had your dragon?
How long is your dragon?
What is the sex of your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

 

[fresnowitte]

:wave: Hello & Welcome to BD.org!
Nice setup that you built for Doby. :wink:
She's a pretty girl.
Thanks for sharing the pic, but if you don't mind I have one suggestion....it's concerning the red bulb.
If I were you I'd change it out for a regular white household bulb. Reason being they prefer the white
light over colored. :wink: And the household bulb will do the same only better on their eyes. Oh and cheaper! :wink:

Again Welcome Aboard!

 

[frylok]

Thanks for the welcome, fresnowitte. I never knew that about the red light, the guy at the pet store swears by the red light. He says its warmer and it can stay on all night and not bother the dragon. But if you two say its bad for her I'll definetly look into changing it. And for ErinMeetsMachine's questions:

How old is your dragon? about 5 years old
How long have you had your dragon? a little over 4 years
How long is your dragon? about 14" nose to tail, but she's missing part of her tail
What is the sex of your dragon? Shes a girl
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 4x2x2
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Slate tile
Do you use UVB lights? yep, reptisun 10
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? 36" flourescent
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? reptisun
How old is your UVB bulb? 4 months or so
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? on her basking rock is about 12 inches on the other log its about 3 or 4 inches away
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? yeah basking bulb is the red one, its a 100w
What are the basking temps?around 95 in that area, about 100 on her rock
What is the cool side temp? its around 79 to 82 most of the time
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? digital thermometer with a probe is in her house
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? the probe is the corner of her tree house a few inches from her rock, but i laid the probe on her rock for a few hours before she moved in to check there
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? nope
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. mostly mustard greens and crickets, she has a pellet food in there that she eats sometimes just not often, she gets a grapes and a few other greens mixed with her mustard greens, and she LOVES a mealworm treat every now and again
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? she gets her greens about an hour after her light comes on, her pellet food is in there all the time(changed out every few days) and crickets in the afternoon
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? crickets eat the little orange cubes that are suposed to have food/vitamins/moisture in em. Worms are freeze dried
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? she gets calcium pellets in her pellet food every other day
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? about once a week or so she goes, the last 2 times its been runny though, but i've read that could be from too much moisture, a diet change or parasites.I had just started giving her some kale with her greens when it started, so vet said to stop with the kale and if her next poop was runny to bring her in.
Do you bath your dragon? How often? with it being cold out now her baths are cut back to once a month but in the warmer months its twice a month or so
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? she has a water bowl, and i mist her a couple times a day
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? nope she's all alone except for the cat that thinks he lives ontop of her house
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? she is about due a fecal, just waiting for it to warm up a bit. but if the runny poop doesn't get better she'll be goin to the vet then

Hope that helps, and I will be looking for a new basking light. Thanks for the help.

Thanks, fresnowitte, her tail has been bit off and shes missing a few toes, but she is a pretty girl. I wouldnt trade her for anything.

 

[fresnowitte]

Okay sense I'm right here I'm going to reply to the question list you answered. :wink:

There are only a couple of things that I'll mention.
1. Regarding the distance of basking spot from UVB. I believe that with the reptisun 10.0 the distance should be...6 to 8 inches she should be able to get from it. Also keep in mind that you should change it out in another month or 2. Only good for up to 6 months.

2. Vitamins :wink: Even though she is eating her pellets she still needs other supplements.
I'm not sure as I know what you mean by Calcium Pellets??????? But Rep-cal brand the most recommended brand of supplements. She should be getting a multivitamin along with calcium with D3.

 

[frylok]

about halfway up the tall log she is a bout right for the uvb bulb, and thats about where she hangs out when not in her basking spot or under her tree house.

The calcium pellets are: Herpcare calcium pellets.

When I mist her at least once a day(the other times a day i mist her is just water) she gets sprayed with: four paws nature's reptile Vita-spray, it says provides nature's vitamins contains electrolytes prevents drying of the skin keeps reptiles healthier for a longer life, and on the back it says among other things offers vitamin d3 and other vitamins that are helpful to the reptile's health and well being

and also i spray her crickets with Jurassic cal liquid calcium supplement for reptiles and amphibians

and her pellet food is: exoterra dragon adult

So I'll need to get her a multivitamin. will the multivitamin have the d3 in it? cause I'm almost outta the vita spray and if the multivitamin is gonna do the same thing I'll skip buying the spray. Thanks again for all the help. I've had her so long and been doing things the same way, didn't realize how much I didn't know. Or what I was doing wrong.

 

[frylok]

Oh and one other question, is her basking rock too close to her light? on her rock she is a bout 4 inches from the bulb.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Hello and Welcome...

Doby's new house looks very nice. I also have a 5 yr old beardie who is in the process of getting a new house. I worry also how she will take to the new enclosure when it's done. Dobie seems to be enjoying hers.
I also agree with the previous posters about the red light.They gave you some great advice. I just wanted to add also to Barbara's suggestion of supplements that for an adult they need the calcium 2-3 x a week and multivitamin 1-2 x a week.

Dawn

P.S.I see your cat's doing a little basking of his own. I'm sure he loves the nice toasty top of Doby's new house

 

[fresnowitte]

No the D3 is actually in the calcium supplement. Does the Herpcare have D3 in it?

Here's a link to the Repcal brands if you'd like to check them out. I use #1 and #5 on this page.
http://www.reptilesupply.com/index.php?cPath=22&sort=3a&filter_id=10
But sense I'm not familar with the brand your useing I really can't say that you should change other than I know that the Repcal is the kind product and that it is formulated especially for bearded dragons.

I've had her so long and been doing things the same way, didn't realize how much I didn't know. Or what I was doing wrong.

I so understand that...I had beardies for 5 years before I found this site almost 1 year ago. It has been so much help to me and my beardies. You don't have much wrong....nothing a little adjustment here or there won't take care of. She looks great!

PS
If you'd like to check out my crew they are here; viewtopic.php?f=30&t=99751&hilit=

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Actually the Rep-Cal Calcium is the one with D3. The multivitamin doesn't have it.

To make things easier when you're looking... the Rep-Cal calcium supplement has a pink label and the multivitamin is Rep-Cal Herptivite with a blue label.

Your beardie should be 10-12" from the basking bulb.

Dawn

 

[frylok]

Thanks, Dawn, shes been in there since sat. the first day she spent half the day pushing on the door(thats why there's velcro on there now) trying to get out. but since then shes done no real exploring like I thought she would. She found her warm spot and found she could get under he tree house and thats all she cared about. She's moved around some more today so I think she's getting used to it, but I had to worry about her.

The other people have been very helpful, and very quick to reply. I am already a big fan of this place.

Yeah, Spike(the cat) thinks Doby's house is a bunk bed, she gets the bottom and he gets the top.