New! Please help!

[Tangy505]

After reading the nutrition chart, I went and got Marbles some acorn squash. He doesn't really seem to know what to do with it, should I be worried? Also, he had 2 worms this morning and had a poop last night!

 

[PodunkKhaleesi]

Baby bearded dragons will often snub their greens and veggies and that’s okay. At this stage their bodies need protein and lots of it because they’ve got a lot of growing to do. Right now he’s going to need dozens of bugs daily (twice a day, all he wants in a 10-minute period). These need to be insects other than mealworms. Now that you have the nutrition chart you’ll always be able to know at a glance which bugs and greens are the best for him. He may not have much of an interest in veggies yet, but it’s important to offer them daily so that he always has the option. Some take a while to embrace their salads, so don’t be worried if he isn’t too enthusiastic yet. His appetite will be much better when he’s got the perfect temperatures and has a good UV light. Without those things digesting food can be very difficult, and because the UV light has a huge influence on behaviors like appetite, he should easily be able to demolish 20-50 bugs a day. You’ll need to figure out a plan for his insects, as it can get very expensive if you buy crickets and Reptiworms/Calciworms from the pet store. Ordering insects in bulk online saves a lot of money. You can get 1,000 BSFL at Symton BSF or the Fluker’s website for around $18. Dubiaroaches.com is great for dubias and treats like butterworms. And Rainbow Mealworms has fantastic prices on crickets (ordering from them will save you 60% compared to Petco crickets).
Any progress with the UV light? Until it arrives, if you live an area that still gets decent sunshine this time of year you can take him outside with you so he can soak up some rays. Babies can be skittish so you just need to make sure it’s an environment where you won’t lose him if he suddenly bolts and that other animals aren’t a threat. I’m glad he had a bowel movement and was willing to eat a little something. His appetite should be 90% better when he’s got what he needs to keep his metabolism functioning, so time is of the essence with the UV light. The temp gun will help enormously too. Do you have a calcium supplement and a multivitamin for him? The Beautiful Dragons website has a good chart on how often to give him the different supplements. There also should be supplement info on the care sheet on this website. They don’t need these as often when they’re adults, but beardies still need supplements throughout their lives. Calcium is especially important, as it prevents MBD (metabolic bone disease) which occurs when a beardie doesn’t receive sufficient UV light or calcium. A lot of pet stores downplay how expensive a baby bearded dragon can be. A quality UV light isn’t cheap, they need dozens of insects daily, and eventually an adult bearded dragon needs a very large enclosure. The good news is that with these great Reptisun T5 10.0 tubes, they only need to be replaced once a year (the older T8 models need to be replaced every 6 months).
I’m glad you’re bonding with the baby. It’s always fun to watch their personalities develop as they grow. Just remember that right now, without UV and a proper temperature gradient he’s a bit like a fish without water, so he needs a UV light ASAP. Hopefully you were able to get your hands on a big Rubbermaid tub too. Keep us updated!

 

[Tangy505]

So, I'm going today to see if I can pick up the UV light and temp gun. My mom has an old tank that's larger than the one I have now, so I'll be moving Marbles into that pretty soon. Today was my first day of work since I got him, so I had my mom feed him earlier today. When I turn on his light, is it ok if it's all at once? It's just one light to turn on so... I know in humans turning on bright lights in the middle of sleep can cause seizures, so I want to make sure. I do his lights at 8. I think today might be warm enough to take him outside for some sunshine too, I'll have to check. It's 51 but warm in the sun, do you think that's Okay?

 

[Tangy505]

Never got home in time to take him out

 

[Tangy505]

So I got him a heat lamp, and a "plant bulb" and his tank is noticeably warmer. My heat gun says the bulb is around 150 and the tank is around the 80s. I don't have a fixture for the plant bulb yet, but it's supposed to have UV in it so. He seems to like the extra heat, though I wish the bulb weren't so bright

 

[PodunkKhaleesi]

Wait, when you say the heat gun says the bulb is 150, do you mean the temperature is 150 degrees? Because that’s potentially lethal (no surface in the tank should be hotter than 110). So I’m really hoping I’m interpreting that sentence wrong, otherwise this needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY or you can kill him. My guess is the 150 reading is when you aimed it directly at the bulb? He needs a surface in his tank that’s between 100-110 degrees to bask on. A basking log or rock can help him get closer to the heat (just be sure to take the temps to make sure it’s safe/in that zone). The cool side of his cage should be between 79-85. That’s great that he’ll have a bigger tank soon. Did you order the UV light?

 

[PodunkKhaleesi]

The plant bulb won’t cut it for his UV light. As explained, you need one of the lights I mentioned because it is designed to meet the very specific UV needs of this animal and produces a SAFE and ADEQUATE amount of UV for a bearded dragon. Whatever bulb that you purchased that is designed for plants and not bearded dragons could be subjecting him to too much UV or not nearly enough. Please please please get him the correct UV light. You can’t cut corners on this.

 

[Tangy505]

I didn't have a fixture for the bulb anyways, so I'll be returning it. And when I said the bulb was that hot, I was aiming directly at it. Today I'll clean out my mom's old tank that's slightly larger for him. If it's big enough, I'll get him a proper basking log

 

[Tangy505]

I just got home from work, and I think the heat is ok. Marbles is the most alert he's been since I've gotten him, and he's eaten the most this feeding, 2 and a half worms! I also opened up my blinds to give him some natural uvs. It's too cold to take him outside today

 

[Tangy505]

He hasn't pooped again yet, I'm starting to get scared.

 

[PodunkKhaleesi]

Okay, so then a Reptisun T5 10.0 or an Arcadia D3+ 12% is on the way? The longer he goes without it, the worse off he’ll be. Since it sounds like you’ve got a temp gun, were you able to get a basking spot to 100-110? It’s hard to have a basking surface that temperature and a cool side around 79-85 in a tiny cage, so hopefully you were able to get him set up in the larger tank where he can get the correct thermal gradient. I like to have several basking objects near the heat bulb so that my beardies have multiple options within their ideal basking temperature (one basking area for a baby will be 100 degrees, while a slightly higher log will be 108, for example). But right now you just need to make sure he’s got at least one basking spot that’s over 100 degrees but no hotter than 110. When you say worms, do you mean Mealworms or calciworms/reptiworms? You’ve got to get him off Mealworms. He’s very fragile right now since he’s had no UV light and temperatures that likely made digestion extremely difficult, and Mealworms are a huge no no in general, let alone for a tiny baby beardie without all the elements he requires to have a fully functioning metabolism. Don’t panic if he doesn’t poop every day—not all babies do, and the bowel habits of bearded dragons can vary. But mealworms aren’t recommended for several reasons, and one of them involves how they affect a bearded dragon’s digestive system. So no more of these. He needs tons and tons of insects daily, and if he’s only eating one or two a day it usually means there’s something very wrong (temperature and/or UV in this case) is wrong with his environment. So don’t worry about him not pooping today. The number one priority is getting one of those UV tubes (no UV bulb designed for plants, no cheap pet store compact UV bulbs) and a fixture. When he gets this, along with having the right basking temperature, he should be very ravenous, signaling he’s on a healthy path. You got the bigger tank, and that’s awesome. Once he’s got the Reptisun or Arcadia, has a good basking temp, and has some healthy insects that are easy to digest, you’ll see a huge improvement in his activity level, his appetite, and his growth.

 

[PodunkKhaleesi]

Forgot to mention that Petco will price match if the price for an item is cheaper on their website than in store. For example, they currently have. Reptisun T5 10.0 tube for $17.49 online, so if you show them that webpage in the store, that’s the price they’ll charge you. And if you find a fixture in store you like for the tube, you can do the same thing. Petco’s prices are up to 60% cheaper online, but if you go to the store and ask for the online prices on anything you buy you’ll save a ton of money. Doing this would allow you to get your hands on the best UV tube quickly and not have to wait for shipping.

 

[Tangy505]

I'm sorry I haven't been the best lizard mom so far. I'm taking out a loan to get marbles a light and some crickets. Everything has moved pretty slow around here due to family crisis, and honestly everything is awful. The thought of my baby dying makes everything worse. I feel like I'm only capable of keeping the mealworms alive at this point. Everything I love is dying around me

 

[PodunkKhaleesi]

Don’t panic. You’re doing what you can to get everything in order. All of this is fixable. Many pet stores fail to explain just how many components a beardie needs to thrive, and there are many many people in the same boat on these forums. You are a good lizard mom because you wanted more information/to learn more about how to help your baby thrive. And you already got him a bigger tank, which is awesome. You’re almost there so don’t give up. They’re tough little lizards!

 

[Tangy505]

He finally pooped. He climbed into the water dish and pushed out like 4 or 5 little turds. I'm so relieved