New owner, worried

[DragoCannon]

Hi this is my first time on the forum, Cannon my beardie is shedding, not a big deal, but today she looked like she had wrinkly skin kind of like a raisin. I would compare it to being dehydrated or malnutrition. She has been eating fine, and i think getting enough water. SHould i worry? Here are the additional questions answered for more info. Thank you for your help. PS HOW LONG TO THE LIGHTS LAST

How old is your dragon? 4-5 months old

How long have you had your dragon? 2.5 months

How long is your dragon? 8 inches or so

What is the sex of your dragon? Unsure, we call her a girl

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
4 feet wide, 3 feet deep and about 2 feed from the front to back

What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Green reptile carpet and paper towels

Do you use UVB lights? We have a white 100 W Zoo Med 12 V
Red Zoo Med 60 W 3000H (ONLY ON AT NIGHT) and a little white 13 W UVB bulb

How old is your UVB bulb? Unknown

How close can your dragon get to the UVB? 10 inches or more

What are the basking temps?
Unsure, they have different levels they can be under the light with the wood we have strategically placed. There is a cool side and a warm side. She usually stays under the warmest part for the majority of the day

Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No, I live in FL, it is not cold at all

What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
Crickets, normally she east 6-10 ¼-1/2 inch size 2x's daily and usually collard greens, or kale. I tried other stuff, like the occasional carrot, but she loves the dark leafy stuff. Eats about a table spoon or two a day. I had feed it in small pieces until she stops and then leave the extra’s on a small dish. I dust them with vitamins.

How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
8AM and 5PM give or take an hour either way…

Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Yes, I have a separate container where I gut load the crickets and place the beardies in, we call it the feeding tank. It gets cleaned out once a week just like the cage the babies sleep.

Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? Yes What brand(s)?
Rep-Cal Phosphorous-Free Calcium with Vit. D Ultra Fine.How many days a week do you use each of them? About 5 times a week

Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? One a day

Do you bath your dragon? How often? No, not sure what this entails.

Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
They get misted after each meal 2 x’s a day. And in the habitat, we have a shallow water dish with a fish tank pump to make the water move.

Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? No

Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? Yes, we bought them both at the same time, they have been together since we bought them, they get along well.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Hello and Welcome!

Congrats on your two new beardies! I will try to address all of your questions about your beardies and their set up.
First off... the wrinkly skin is usually a good sign of dehydration, yes. Although some beardies will drink from a bowl of water not all do, so it is recommended that you bathe them. It is actually more of a soak then a bath. It is best to do this 3-5 x a week for proper hydration. You can place them in a small rubbermaid type container or sink, filled with warm water up to their armpits. Allow them to soak for a good 15-20 minutes. Beardies absorb moisture through their vents(slit at base of tail). They do not absorb moisture through their skin, so misting them is really not necessary. It would probably be a good idea to remove the water feature in their enclosure and to stop misting. Both of these things can cause the humidity to rise in their enclosure which is not good. While beardies do need a certain amount of humidity(30-40%), too much can cause respiratory problems and/or fungal issues.
I am not sure what type of UVB you are using. Could you be a little more specific. What type and brand?
You mentioned not knowing how old the UVB is... did you get it new or used?
In answer to your question about how long the UVB bulbs last, it depends on the type you are using. If it is a fluorescent tube UVB, they should be changed every 5-6 months. If it is an MVB(mercury vapor bulb).. every 10-12 months.
Are you using a thermometer to measuer the temps? If so, what kind?
What are the temps in the basking and coolside?
The red heat bulb you are using at night is really not necessary. The red lights can cause restless sleep. They prefer complete darkness at night. You do not need any heat in their enclosure at night unless the temps drop below 65 degrees in your home.

The Calcium supplement you are using is great. They will need a multivitamin supplement as well. For younger beardies such as yours they should have their feeders dusted 5 x a week(one feeding per day) with the calcium and 2-3 x a week with a multivitamin(one feeding per day).

When you feed them their crickets do you allow them to eat as many as they like?

For your beardies veggies... the collard greens(like you mentioned) are a great staple. Mustard greens are great as well. Try to only feed the kale ocassionally. Here is a great list of foods to feed your beardies http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

I would also like to comment on your beardies cohabitation. Although they seem to be getting along fine right now, you may want to consider getting them each their own enclosures soon. Beardies are territorial by nature and while some seem to live together peacefully, not all do well with this set up. There can be dominance issues or worse. I am only saying this for the health and welfare of your two little beardies. I would hate to see them turn on one another.

If you wouldn't mind answering the questions... we can try and help you get your beardies off to a good start. There is nothing like a happy healthy dragon. Hope you are enjoying your little ones.

 

[DragoCannon]

This is all so helpful. Thank you so much. I am bathing them for sure several times a week. Cannon loved it, Drago, not so much. We got the tank used. The red light we bought at the pet store, on advise from the clerk. I will start to turn that off at night. They do sleep very well, for about 12 hours, in the funniest positions.

I am not sure how to temp the tank. I have a humidity and a temp gage in the tank but the dont seem to really work. They have never fluctuated. I am going to try using a different method.

Vits, i will go pick up new bulbs and also multi vitamins for them. This has all been so helpful, i am going to give them a bath right now. Get them hydrated!

I am glad i found this site, i will continue to read other posts and learn the best i can to give them a long and healthy life. I really am fond of them!

 

[Gragrac]

Just wanted to pop in here and recommend one of these thermometers. http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/353868-digital_thermometer_with_indoor_humidity_display.html?source=googleps Oftentimes the gauge thermometers are inaccurate, these ones are probably the best you can get. They sell them at walmart.

 

[DragoCannon]

I will go get it today. The bath went very well, for both of them. I really appreciate your help.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

That is wonderful that they loved their bath's... most do enjoy it. Another good way to keep your beardie hydrated is to sprinkle water on top of their veggies/greens.
The digital thermometer that Gragrac gave you the link to is a great little thermometer. I use these as well. When using the thermometers with the probe.. just put the thermometer housing in the coolside and place the probe/on wire on top of their basking spot. Allow to sit for a good 45 minutes for best reading.
You didn't mention what type of UVB you are using. I only ask because the UVB is so very important and there are some on the market that are not suitable for the needs of the beardie. The one most highly recommended is the ReptiSUN 10.0 fluorescent tube UVB. If you cannot find one locally, they are pretty reasonable online here http://www.petmountain.com
If you have any other questions... feel free to ask. There is always someone here willing to help.