Noodles!

[NoodlesTheDestroyer]

Hi! My name is Diana and my family and I just adopted a 2 year old Beardie named Noodles! I am hoping someone can help me with this because I'm at a loss... He is EXTREMELY picky... I've watched videos of bearded dragons eating basically every fruit and veggie on the planet, but I can barely get this guy to eat collard greens or spinach! Well... I found out today he likes bananas when he ripped a bite off of mine and he loves crickets!

He has been through 2 owners prior to us and sadly was ignored and malnourished for a long time. The last owner did better but not quite enough.

Has anyone else had a picky eater? Or have tips on things I could try?

Thank you!!!

 

[RangoRocky]

Bee pollen will work wonders.

 

[xp29]

Please dont feed spinach. It has calcium binders that will keep him from absorbing the calcium he eats.
Calcium deficiency leads to metabolic bone disease.
The first thing you need to do is get his habitat setup correctly.
He needs good uvb, no coils they are horrible. Mercury vaper bulbs are not great either. He needs a long tube that is 2/3 the length of his habitat. Its best if its inside but can go above the screen if you get a stronger bulb. 10 to 15 inches is the distance from him.
You need to over lap that with his basking so he can get both at once.
At 2 years old his baskibg temp should be 100 to 103 ish measured with a digital probe. The infrared thermometer are not accurate enough, you will be off on his temps if you use those.
Their light and heat have to be correct or you will struggle with eating, behavior, and overall health.
Staple greens are collard, mustard, turnip, and kale. You can give fruit and Berries as treats. None citrus. Can also give green beans, peas, and carrots occasionally.
Staple feeders, dubias, superworms,crickets silkworms, and hornworms (as a treat). Be careful with the hornworms they will very quickly become their favorite and it will be hard to get them to eat the other stuff.
Keep him hydrated. If he won't drink on his own you can use an eye dropper or syringe to drop water on his nose. If he still refuses add a little none citrus fruit punch to the water.
I hope this helps, if you have other questions please don't hesitate to ask, especially about the lightning. Its absolutely critical to get that right.

 

[KarrieRee]

Welcome Noodles
As far as the diet goes you can try getting him some BSFL order large www.symtonbsf.com put those on top of his salads in front of him they are a staple feeder usually great for babies but adults like them too -- use those as lure to your salad bowl https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d this works great for keeping them in the bowl - here is a nutrition website to help you out please ignore the kale thing its a really good staple feeder Nutrition Content
Yes please no more spinach or broccoli either --- fyi
And as stated before your UVB and surface basking temps are the MOST important things in your tank -- MVB are good if you are using a good one --- some can cause eye issues - a good one is a Mega Ray but we always recommend another long tube UVB like a Zoo Med fixture w/ a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 for a 40 + gallon tank or a Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ a 12% bulb --- if you need websites or help w/ these please ask -- I would switch out the MVB when it expires and just go w/ a regular solid bright basking bulb instead of the MVB -- its going to be cheaper in the long run -- basking bulbs like Flukers - Zoo Med Repti basking bulbs - or Arcadia Halogen are good ones

 

[NoodlesTheDestroyer]

Welcome Noodles
As far as the diet goes you can try getting him some BSFL order large www.symtonbsf.com put those on top of his salads in front of him they are a staple feeder usually great for babies but adults like them too -- use those as lure to your salad bowl https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d this works great for keeping them in the bowl - here is a nutrition website to help you out please ignore the kale thing its a really good staple feeder Nutrition Content
Yes please no more spinach or broccoli either --- fyi
And as stated before your UVB and surface basking temps are the MOST important things in your tank -- MVB are good if you are using a good one --- some can cause eye issues - a good one is a Mega Ray but we always recommend another long tube UVB like a Zoo Med fixture w/ a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 for a 40 + gallon tank or a Arcadia Pro T 5 w/ a 12% bulb --- if you need websites or help w/ these please ask -- I would switch out the MVB when it expires and just go w/ a regular solid bright basking bulb instead of the MVB -- its going to be cheaper in the long run -- basking bulbs like Flukers - Zoo Med Repti basking bulbs - or Arcadia Halogen are good ones

Thank you so so much!! Very helpful information!! I think the bulbs are the thing that confuse me the most, as it is all new lingo to me so I get lost in it quickly, especially since there are such varying opinions on lighting! And there are a lot of opinions on what should be kept at the bottom of the tank too!! Right now we have one of those mats but I don't like it because it is hard to clean . I have heard sand, those wood chip things, tile, linoleum.... What do you use?

 

[NoodlesTheDestroyer]

Please dont feed spinach. It has calcium binders that will keep him from absorbing the calcium he eats.
Calcium deficiency leads to metabolic bone disease.
The first thing you need to do is get his habitat setup correctly.
He needs good uvb, no coils they are horrible. Mercury vaper bulbs are not great either. He needs a long tube that is 2/3 the length of his habitat. Its best if its inside but can go above the screen if you get a stronger bulb. 10 to 15 inches is the distance from him.
You need to over lap that with his basking so he can get both at once.
At 2 years old his baskibg temp should be 100 to 103 ish measured with a digital probe. The infrared thermometer are not accurate enough, you will be off on his temps if you use those.
Their light and heat have to be correct or you will struggle with eating, behavior, and overall health.
Staple greens are collard, mustard, turnip, and kale. You can give fruit and Berries as treats. None citrus. Can also give green beans, peas, and carrots occasionally.
Staple feeders, dubias, superworms,crickets silkworms, and hornworms (as a treat). Be careful with the hornworms they will very quickly become their favorite and it will be hard to get them to eat the other stuff.
Keep him hydrated. If he won't drink on his own you can use an eye dropper or syringe to drop water on his nose. If he still refuses add a little none citrus fruit punch to the water.
I hope this helps, if you have other questions please don't hesitate to ask, especially about the lightning. Its absolutely critical to get that right.

Thank you so much for your post!! I had no idea spinach was bad until you posted!! Luckily we had only fed him spinach once and he didn't even eat it so thank goodness!!!

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you so so much!! Very helpful information!! I think the bulbs are the thing that confuse me the most, as it is all new lingo to me so I get lost in it quickly, especially since there are such varying opinions on lighting! And there are a lot of opinions on what should be kept at the bottom of the tank too!! Right now we have one of those mats but I don't like it because it is hard to clean . I have heard sand, those wood chip things, tile, linoleum.... What do you use?

Ok so the best way to keep the tank clean is some textured NON adhesive shelf liner or some slated ceramic tile of which is what I use - my tank tho is one hes in forever no more upgrading its a 4x2x2 or 120 gallon- the shelf liner would be the most economical for now if hes in a 40 gallon - the bulbs are very confusing when beginning thats why we are here --- so what wattage is the MVB ? You want at least a 100 watt regular basking bulb if your gonna switch to one of the ones I posted - start there but you MUST have a digital probe thermometer to get those surface basking temps - place the probe where he sits to bask and wait 10 min or so then get the temp it should be 95-100 --- ambient temps in the area around 90's -100-- cool side of the tank 80's -- let me know what you decide to do w/ the bulbs --- you only need 2 good bulbs in the tank your UVB and the basking bulb- you can find the shelf liner at Walmart or your local home improvement store --- remember NO adhesive and some w/ texture so he not slipping on it rub your hand across it if you can

 

[NoodlesTheDestroyer]

Hi! My name is Diana and my family and I just adopted a 2 year old Beardie named Noodles! I am hoping someone can help me with this because I'm at a loss... He is EXTREMELY picky... I've watched videos of bearded dragons eating basically every fruit and veggie on the planet, but I can barely get this guy to eat collard greens or spinach! Well... I found out today he likes bananas when he ripped a bite off of mine and he loves crickets!

He has been through 2 owners prior to us and sadly was ignored and malnourished for a long time. The last owner did better but not quite enough.

Has anyone else had a picky eater? Or have tips on things I could try?

Thank you!!!

Update!! So... Noodles is now in a 40 gallon tank, which... For his size right now is plenty of room for him to grumpily wander around he is... Well he's a brat hahaha... But we love him all the same. The only person in the house he doesn't give the black beard to is my boyfriend. So he does bath time and is working with him on being handled more before I, or my daughter, make any more attempts. We had an incident where one of our cats jumped on top of his tank and went right through the screen. Funnily enough he just sat up on his rock and she curled around the rock under the light and tried to go to sleep. We moved him into a different room and keep the door closed. We got lucky that time, but I don't trust her... She's a bit of a jerk too maybe that's why they seem to like each other. That incident aside... We are trying every different green and veggie we can, but he doesn't seem to want to eat much of it at all. He loves the horn worms but we can't give him those very often. A nice pet store owner told us if we give him too many he can develope goute? Idk how to spell that lol. But we also adopted another Beardie. He is a year younger than noodles and 3 times his size. The people were keeping him in a closet! He came with a 120 gallon tank (and the 40 gallon that noodles is now in). He had bite marks all over him because they were mass feeding him crickets and then just shutting the door to the closet and checking on him over a week later. He has self harm wounds

and scars. But since we have had him he is doing SO much better!! He is a VERY friendly Beardie and loves to snuggle at night before bed. He stalks me from the corner of his enclosure when I sit on the couch and does a little head dance and scratches at the door until I let him out we named him Mister Phil Lickie and we are so happy we got him out of that bad situation. We don't take the boys out at the same time because they clearly don't like each other from a distance so we aren't taking any risks! Mister Lickie LOVES greens and yellow squash and anything that wiggles

 

[xp29]

It makes me happy reading this post. Anyone that rescues a beardie IS a hero. If you need help or advice please ask, there is somebody or another here that can help with about anything you can imagine. CONGRATZ on your new boy!!!!

 

[NoodlesTheDestroyer]

It makes me happy reading this post. Anyone that rescues a beardie IS a hero. If you need help or advice please ask, there is somebody or another here that can help with about anything you can imagine. CONGRATZ on your new boy!!!!

Thank you!!! We are having to force ourselves to stop at 2 right now. But there is a pet store near where we live that has like 5 Beardies that people abandoned there. 2 of them came from a house fire and we're the only survivors out of an entire reptile room AND the poor people who lived there. They found them still in their tanks somehow they survived. But we have to be responsible... We have 2 we have to rehabilitate already and it's a lot of work.

 

[xp29]

Oh man thats so sad. But you are right if you take on to many it's hard to give them proper care. It can become a job instead of a passion.

 

[xp29]

OOOHHHHH the pics didn't load last time, they are adorable!!!!

 

[KarrieRee]

Update!! So... Noodles is now in a 40 gallon tank, which... For his size right now is plenty of room for him to grumpily wander around he is... Well he's a brat hahaha... But we love him all the same. The only person in the house he doesn't give the black beard to is my boyfriend. So he does bath time and is working with him on being handled more before I, or my daughter, make any more attempts. We had an incident where one of our cats jumped on top of his tank and went right through the screen. Funnily enough he just sat up on his rock and she curled around the rock under the light and tried to go to sleep. We moved him into a different room and keep the door closed. We got lucky that time, but I don't trust her... She's a bit of a jerk too maybe that's why they seem to like each other. That incident aside... We are trying every different green and veggie we can, but he doesn't seem to want to eat much of it at all. He loves the horn worms but we can't give him those very often. A nice pet store owner told us if we give him too many he can develope goute? Idk how to spell that lol. But we also adopted another Beardie. He is a year younger than noodles and 3 times his size. The people were keeping him in a closet! He came with a 120 gallon tank (and the 40 gallon that noodles is now in). He had bite marks all over him because they were mass feeding him crickets and then just shutting the door to the closet and checking on him over a week later. He has self harm wounds View attachment 72293 View attachment 72294 View attachment 72292 and scars. But since we have had him he is doing SO much better!! He is a VERY friendly Beardie and loves to snuggle at night before bed. He stalks me from the corner of his enclosure when I sit on the couch and does a little head dance and scratches at the door until I let him out we named him Mister Phil Lickie and we are so happy we got him out of that bad situation. We don't take the boys out at the same time because they clearly don't like each other from a distance so we aren't taking any risks! Mister Lickie LOVES greens and yellow squash and anything that wiggles View attachment 72295

God bless you - thank god you got him out of that h** * hole-- I dont understand people --- dragons are a desert animal why would you keep it in a closet??????????? Horn worms are a good treat worm and hydrating worm they will not give gout--- dubia roaches can give gout if over fed -- please do not rely on the store your going to for anymore advice --- you can try some BSFL large on top of his salads as lures to the salad bowl -- do not dust them and feed as many as you want -- here is a website for nutrition if you dont have it already Nutrition Content ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder --- I would start getting your insects on line they are cheaper in the long run -- I would switch over to dubias -- you can get yourself a 10 gallon aquarium and feed dubia food along w/ dubia dew and feed them what you feed the dragon except for carrots feed either the roaches or the dragons but not both too much Vit A -- what kind of wounds does he have? I hope your using a long tube fixture for his UVB -- did we go over Noodles tank w/ you at one time? Your rescue is going to need the best UVB and calcium D 3 since he was kept in a closet ---

 

[NoodlesTheDestroyer]

God bless you - thank god you got him out of that h** * hole-- I dont understand people --- dragons are a desert animal why would you keep it in a closet??????????? Horn worms are a good treat worm and hydrating worm they will not give gout--- dubia roaches can give gout if over fed -- please do not rely on the store your going to for anymore advice --- you can try some BSFL large on top of his salads as lures to the salad bowl -- do not dust them and feed as many as you want -- here is a website for nutrition if you dont have it already Nutrition Content ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder --- I would start getting your insects on line they are cheaper in the long run -- I would switch over to dubias -- you can get yourself a 10 gallon aquarium and feed dubia food along w/ dubia dew and feed them what you feed the dragon except for carrots feed either the roaches or the dragons but not both too much Vit A -- what kind of wounds does he have? I hope your using a long tube fixture for his UVB -- did we go over Noodles tank w/ you at one time? Your rescue is going to need the best UVB and calcium D 3 since he was kept in a closet ---

Luckily my "closet case" lol had the correct lighting and they had him on a timer so at least that part they did correctly. His wounds are healed now and scales are growing back he looks so much healthier than when we got him! We have Noodles lighting corrected as well so we are good there too. He has gained a TINY bit of weight. It's slow going...

 

[KarrieRee]

Luckily my "closet case" lol had the correct lighting and they had him on a timer so at least that part they did correctly. His wounds are healed now and scales are growing back he looks so much healthier than when we got him! We have Noodles lighting corrected as well so we are good there too. He has gained a TINY bit of weight. It's slow going...

Ok so w/ the screen on the tanks is it a fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type? This will make a difference in those rays- we need them to be spot on w/ placement and distance