New Owner With A Few Worries!

[keschete]

It is so funny how all of the newbies from last month are the advice givers of this month.

Please listen to the advise you are getting because it is all good advice.....

Be patient and things will improve!

 

[spyder86]

Don't get to worried, it took my girls about two weeks to get acclimated to their new homes. I bought Yoshi and she was so skidish and scared she would not eat at all, I though she was going to die. I even got to the point where I though a friend was need so I bought Kengo. Well this helped a little with Yoshi being scared and not eating but, Yoshi decided that Kengos tail and toes looked yummy and munch on them. So now they live separately. Ive been through three different UVB bulbs, compact flor. (very bad) repti glo (kind of bad) and finally repti sun (good) I though I was doing everything wrong but eventually they came around and now the are 3.5 months old and Yoshi is close to 14" and Kengo is 11" with about 1.5" of her tail missing. Just keep working on it and don't be afraid to hold you new friend and scratch its chin, it will help "her" get used to you faster. Once they calm down they are like lap dogs and will want you to take them out of the cage any time your around them.

 

[Strat]

Thanks again everyone for all the replies...

its weird how it can really get you all down and sad!

Well woke up this morning and Bruce was tucked up under the fake plant in the corner...turned on all his lights and went out for about an hour, came back and he had moved around a bit, put in 5 or 6 Phoeinx worms, he didn't seem too bothered, but I went downstairs for a bit and when I came back up they had all gone! He's spent the last hour or so mocing all around the tank from hot side to cool side looking at me all the time, jumping off his log and running about Going to feed him some crickets now, see if he is interested, I am determined to master catching them!

The UVB light is £30! and seeing as the pet shop provided me with a duff one I'm going to get onto them to replace it!

All in all today it all seems a little better...getting rid of the mat and the sand appears to have helped a lot which is good.

Oh he did eat some of that Bok Choy I put in last night, but it doesn't stay fresh for long in the heat!

I'll keep you updated if everyone doesn't mind?

A much happier Alex

 

[Strat]

Ok well some really good progress....

Went to feed him the crickets...dusted them first (hopefully I'm doing that right, I'm just covering the crickets in the a nice coat of powder each) then just picked up 2 or 3 at a time and placed them in the tank. he was instantly interested! running around going crazy for them...eating one then spoting another then eating that one....I think I put in about 10 and there is only one left that is hiding (I'm all out of crickets now so need to buy some more!) He hasn't stopped moving really since I fed him. Keeps running up and down the logs and then sitting on the rock then jumping about

I used a leaf of Bok Choy and dipped it in some water...then placed it right infront of his nose...he seemed to like it at first (licking it) but then was really spooked by it and back off really fast. I tried it again a few more times but the same response (licking then running) so i've left it in there on a log to see if he becomes interested in it.

There is one worrying thing though...He keeps going to the cool side of the tank and desperately tries to climb the wall (shiny wood so he just keeps slipping) but he'll spend a fair few minutes trying it. It looks really bad like he is trying to run away from something and its getting me a bit down!

I'm so pleased he seems to be eating though

Called the pet shop and they were not interested at all. Saying that the local zoo (one of the biggest in the country) buys their lamps from them and that they have no problem with calci sand and that they have never had any bone disease or anything like that and thats how they have kept theirs for years. They were really rude and didn't want to help. So it looks like I'll have to spend some more money on a new UVB lamp.

Alex

 

[Buggsy]

Wow, sounds horrible! i had the same reponse from the pet shop when i brought these issues up with them. The problem is these things can take monthe or years to develop so pet stores really dont have the animals to see any effects. :evil:

The people on this site have been breeding for years, some have vetenary experience and all of us have delt with a wide array of issues, much more i expect than the pet shop had!

It sucks you have to pay more money, but it will work out better in the long run!

 

[spyder86]

when it comes to catching you little friend try putting you hand on the bottom of the cage and slideing it under his head until he picks his feet up into your hand, kind of how you get a bird to step into you hand. Try not to put you hand over top of his back or pin him to the floor because you will just scare him and make it even harder to catch him. If he still runs all the time try just putting your hand in the cage so that he learns that it is not going to hert him. When you approach from above this scare beardies so coming in at the same level or lower helps calm them down. As far as the Pheonix worms disappearing, make sure that they are getting eaten and not just crawling under the paper in the cage. If you can you should post pics so the rest of us can see you prize. By the way your girl friend kicks a$$ buying you a beardy and all the goods, wish mine was that cool 8)

 

[Strat]

He has slowed right down over lunch...not moving as much...seems to be chilling out under the UVB or on his rock under the basking lamp.

Still seems to be pretty scared of me...keeps darting about when I come near him, even If I'm not opening his door

He does keep leaving little smelly presents on the kitchen paper! so I guess that means there are no internal problems!

Maybe i'm just being too worried. Its only been 4 and a half days!

I really want him to be comfortable and grow to like me so that he gets excited when I come home!

I'll get some photos and upload them.

 

[Neromom39]

He does keep leaving little smelly presents on the kitchen paper!

They won't be little for long

Maybe i'm just being too worried. Its only been 4 and a half days!

There is no such thing as being too worried. Many of us have much older dragons and we worry all the time

I really want him to be comfortable and grow to like me so that he gets excited when I come home!

Don't worry, give him some time and he will be comfortable with you. I remember when we first got Nero and I used to get really upset because he would always try to get away when I wanted to hold him. Now it's almost like he can tell time and he knows when "out and play" time is.
Patience, my friend, patience. Try taking him out a bit after lights out, when he's sleepy and wrap him up in a warm blankie.. then he will learn that you are not out to hurt him.

I'll get some photos and upload them.

Perfect! We love pics

 

[spurlee01]

I know its sooo frustrating getting started. I bought the wrong light fixture and a wrong bulb, meaning I spent $40 more than I had to. Not a crisis, but frustrating none-the-less. One thing I've learned is when possible order online. I know nothing about the sites for the UK, but check out the one buggsy linked you to. I paid about half for my set up as I would have buying from the pet store. Please don't get down, as I said before, most of us have been there with our first dragons. The company I bought my stuff from shipped out a day later than they should have, which I didn't find out until my dragon was shipped, so her stuff got there before I did. Then to top it all off, I had to go to work before the shipment got there. My boyfriend stayed at my parent's house to set everything up and then I got the call that my lights were wrong. I literally had tears in my eyes I was so frustrated. But I promise it will get better.
Sara

 

[Strat]

Yea I guess with time everything will get better...I feel like a new parent with a little baby!

Getting him out at night and wrapping him up in a blanket sounds awesome but I am far too scared to do that! He'll definetly run away!

Ok here goes with the pictures!....

 

[spyder86]

Your tank in awsome, and you baby looks really happy and healthy. The idea of taking him out at night is actually a really good one because they have less energy at night and as he cools off he will fall asleep in you hand ect. I have heard of other people holding the beardies at night until the fall asleep and this has help calm them down quicker. Dont worry about him liking you, it took mine about 3 weeks before my girls got to where they werent afraid of me, and even now 3 months later they wont jump into my hand but they wont run either. Keep trying to hand feed him and keep working at it and he will come around before long.

 

[holnik]

My Sunshine is 6 months on the 15th

Did you place the dead crickets in the tank? mine only eats moving ones.

how old is the beardie? if they are done growing they only need a dozen crickets 3 times per week the rest is lettauce and strawberries or raspberries as a treat

as a baby they will need to have veggies in the tank every morning to get used to the idea. they are like children as babys so they wont always eat them

you dont have just one pet, you have many more, the crickets. i get 7 dozen each week and put them in a storage container with lettauce and an egg casrton to climb on. you have to clean the container of dead crickets daily. the dead crickets put out fumes that kill the others. i alternate containers each week when i get new ones.

when you feed bruce you should have calcium powder to put on the crickets . the powder gives lizzards calcium to keep them healthy. what i do is put powder in a tube that has a lid then i use the long tweezers to catch the dozen crickets by the legs and put them in the tube. i shake them up ad feed the lizzard. take out the left over crickets so they dont eat at the dead skin in bruce's sleep

did the person who gave you bruce really tell you not to touch him for a week?!! that is wrong! you need to bond! i pet mine right after i got her. it only took a few days to bonsd with her. remember beardies need A LOT of attention they cant be neglected! play with him as often as you can!


i suggest a lizzard leash so they dont get lost like mine!


- Holly age 11
-holly, age 11

 

[Strat]

Hello again everyone!

Ok, just a quick update.....

Bruce seems to be eating a bit more...he really likes the Phoenix worms...I can put 7 or 8 in a little pile and he'll ignore them but as soon as I leave the room he'll munch them all!

With the crickets....I watched him chase and eat a couple this afternoon so I thought he must be hungry...when I put 4 more in (one right in front of him) he didn't seem bothered, he even backed off from the on in front if him...slightly confused?!

A few more things I've notcied....

He likes to bask away from his lamp on top of the high dome log in the middle of the tank...is that because he is warm enough there and gets more UVB with it being higher up?

Also when basking he open his mouth, almost like a dog panting but completely still, it looks really cute, but not sure if it means something else?

The last few nights.....all around the same time (UK 10pm (lights have been on since 7 ish)) he'll go over to the side of the tank thats cool and get under all the fake plants, stick his head against the side and just start to scratch the walls...almost as if he is trying to bury himself? is this him wanting to go to sleep? should I get something that he can dig at to hide under?

And lastly...today he has been rubbing his face against the rough bark of the log...like he has an itch? I'm thinking maybe he is shedding his skin a little bit?

Again, thank you all so much for the help....this is getting more fun

Alex

 

[spurlee01]

Glad to hear things are going better!
The asking with an open mouth is called gaping. It is like a dog panting- it helps them release heat. This is when they are being too lazy to move to a cooler place.
The scratching may just be some type of instinct at bedtime. I've heard others say there dragon does this. I wouldn't provide any type of digging place because babies can ingest loose particles so easily. You could put a t-shirt or something in and let him dig in that.
Rubbing his face is probably a sign of shedding.
Sara

 

[Strat]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update.

Well I've had Bruce 10 days now and he seems a little less jumpy, he'll get freaked out most times i put my hand near him but sometimes he will let me stroke his chin!

He is eating more...still only 20 or so a day but he is happier eating infront of me now...I put a cricket in the tank earlier and he saw it straight away and went ate it....so i kept putting more in (he had 5 in a row!) How important are greens?

He moves around a lot more now and is really interested in me sitting in my room watching TV.

Its going slowly but I think (fingers crossed) he is coming round to me

Oh and has grown a good inch or so

I just really hope he starts being a lot more comfortable with me so we get a good bond. Any tips for getting him to trust me?!

Alex