Newly adopted 7 year beardie

So as I was looking to get a beardie I kept my options open. A guy responded to an ad and told me he was moving and couldn't keep him anymore. He told me he had everything he has needed for the last seven years so I figured thats fine, discussed a few details, but other than that I was off to go meet him.

I'll put up pics once I figure it out but I can say that his setup won't look the same then probably.

The fact that this dragon is relatively fine is either a testament to the hardiness of the species or just pure luck.

He said he couldn't find the uvb when I got there, but infact he had the uvb (cfl) and couldn't find the heat lamp. Which explains somewhat how this guy made it. He had a heat pad on the bottom so basically he got heat from the pad with uvb from the bulb.

Just to keep things short I'll say, one rock - no shade type hide or log thing. Small dish he knocks over(now that he moves). Heat pad was next to useless, definitely not a primary source of heat as well as it only heated a small corner. Pellet only - seemed bored but who knows he was also nearly comatosed.

So, first we got a heat lamp and a temp gauge, that seemed primary because his heat needs weren't being met. I also got him some live food, mostly crickets with some mealies and butters as treats. Next we want to get him a new dish, a log/hide, calcium powder, probably changing the substrate off of paper, the crickets love to hide in it... cleanup easy, his life and happiness as well as my time fishing out crickets... not so nice. Will probably get a tube uvb last. I talked to my local reptile store and their thoughts on the cfl seemed to make sense to me. They said for some reason having them on an angle has caused problems in the past but never facing straight down... but moreso that the tubes are better not so much for safety but that they have a better way of encompassing the entire tank.

So right now we're starting off on necessity before upgrading what we already have.



I can tell you that hes already shown an immediate turn around. When I got home from my local shop with the feeders he was pumped, and the heat hadn't even set in yet. I know that now because once it did he started waving at me and head bobbing randomly and changed from eating at random to take no prisoners mode. Right about the end of his fun basking time was when I realized a hide/log should be added to the list as right now even though one side gets most of the heat he has no way to be out of the sunlight by choice. He started freaking and wanting to be out of the cage and held, I held him for a bit and then let him roam and the first place he went was a place with shade.

I have to say, as a first time reptile owner I was pretty emotional over this whole situation. We are now gradually piece by piece piecing his life back together.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Congrats on taking him in! Sounded like he really needed your help. Two recommendations

-I wouldn't feed the mealies (Hard shell made of chitin, and causes impaction)
- and sorry, but I trust pet stores about as far as I can throw them. And my arms are teeny. By seeing many experiences, I know that coil and compact bulbs can hurt beardie's eyes, as well as other health issues. I always go with the Reptisun 10.0 tube (www.petmountain.com)

Anywho- Welcome to beardie ownership! We love pics here!

 

[gmagee]

Yeah, I just know hes been fine with this cfl setup for so long I figure its the least of his worries. Hes so much better now with some legitimate heat. I get paid every 2 weeks so I pretty much have a every 2 weeks plan figured out by order of what I feel he needs most, tube to cfl is more of an upgrade than adding in something he doesn't have at all.

I agree with the pet store thing typically, I went into petsmart a few times and got little to no help if not the opposite when they "think" they know. I've gone in a couple times when their reptile specialist is in and she knows her stuff. Now I know if I want to go there with a question, if shes not in, don't bother - I even call ahead at times.

I liked dealing with her and my local shop as both the people their own and have owned many, especially beardies - - not just housed them at work as a job. So its more like discussing advice with you guys than anything. I found the local shop will discuss more DIY type stuff ie things they don't sell whereas as good as the petsmart specialist is, she still maintains the commission style aspect.


Oh and I'm not feeding soully mealies. I tried crickets but he doesn't seem to care for them and at 7 years he just couldn't be bothered mostly. I give him lots of supers as well, with a couple others as treats. Also he gets greens and pellets are left in during the day incase hes in a hungry mood while I'm not around.