I thought I posted this, but it didn't show up so I'm posting again. Sorry if there is a duplicate. I am so so new to discussion boards.
I have 3 major concerns with my beardie. We purchased him Feb. 28th. I was told he was about 4wks old.
1. He's not eating well and it's been getting progressively worse (over the last month). He is offered crickets (was dusting with RepCal w/ vit D daily but quit as of 3 days ago because I was told by a breeder at the reptile store it was not absolutely nec and that it tastes bitter and may be why he's not eating crickets anymore), meal worms (I know those aren't the best choice, but for a while it was all he would eat but I wouldn't give him more than 3small a day), he has eaten phoenix worms but quit those after a week (this was several months ago as I can't get them shipped to me if the temps are over 85 and I'm in Tucson, AZ. We blew past 85 in April!) and just recently I tried, wax worms of which he's eaten only two in 3 days. He gets greens every day in the AM (kales, collards, dandelion grns. etc.) Haven't seen him touch them in a looooong time. He looks at the crickets and might attempt a catch, but just isn't really interested. He'll lick the wax worm but doesn't go after it like the gal at the reptile store said he would. "He'll go crazy for them!" they said. Uummm...nope.
2. He is SMALL for a 5-6 month old beardie, no?
3. After being up for about 6 hours, he hides in the corner of his cage, farthest from the basking spot for the rest of the day. Never moves again till the next day. At least, I don't see him move. It's like he's trying to get away from the light but he won't hide *in* anything. Pushes it aside and hides behind it, up against the glass in the corner. I read the best way to determine how much uva/uvb is best is to observe your beardie. So I was turning off the lamp at 2pm (on around 7-9am) because he was hiding so much at the opposite end of the cage. Then I see most ppl have theirs on a 10/14 (or is it the opposite?) split so I got a timer and now he's on 13/11 split. Heck! I just don't know what's best!!
Set up:
20 g tank
100W PowerSun MVB at one end of tank (see photo)
Basking spot under lamp 100-110- it varies. I just today built up his basking spot so he could get closer to the light (thus 100-110 temp basking measurement) which is not reflected in the attached photo. We have swamp cooling and I think that is why basking temp fluxuates so much? Our house is never the same temp for more than 20mins at a time.
"Hot" side of tank measures at about 93-95.
Cool spot at the end where he sleeps- 80-85 during the day and down to roughly 76-79 at night
Digital thermometer with probe is used inside tank.
Bowl of water (I hold him under the faucet- very small stream- every other day. He will drink 1 out of every 3 times offered.
Carpet (he had a nasty habit of getting that darn substrate in his eye so we just decided to get rid of it till he got bigger. He's only a little bigger!)
Now, he gets a good soak about once a week- but didn't get any for the first 4 months as I didn't know it was important.
He has had one full shed. About 6-8 weeks after we brought him home.
I've read and read and read here. I've read and read and read elsewhere on line. I've talked to different people at the reptile store where I got him. So much contradcting info out there! The ppl at the store said if he's gaping it's too hot. I read they SHOULD be gaping at the basking spot, it's how they cool off (high heat is nec for proper digestion) he just started gaping at his basking spot after I moved it up closer to the light. I was sold Rep Cal w. Vit D and Rep Cal MultiVit and was told to dust daily with the calcium and thrice a week with the mulit. A different person at the store just told me 3 days ago not to dust at all, that it really isn't nec if they are getting proper nutrition, which I think Bubbas was getting up until most recently. I'm sort of loosing my mind because I don't know what to do. I read about burmation, but I don't think that explains his size and the timing doesn't seem right. Again, we got him Feb. 28th so he's at least 4+ months old (he was so very small when we got him). Maybe it's the PowerSun all in one UVA/UVB plus heat lamp? I've read that lamp can be crap. Maybe I need a lamp that isn't all in one? just want the little guy to eat. When he's up and awake( roughly 8 am to 1pm) he's very alert and seems fine. But what do I know? I'm a newbie to this! Any suggestions? Thank you so much-
I have 3 major concerns with my beardie. We purchased him Feb. 28th. I was told he was about 4wks old.
1. He's not eating well and it's been getting progressively worse (over the last month). He is offered crickets (was dusting with RepCal w/ vit D daily but quit as of 3 days ago because I was told by a breeder at the reptile store it was not absolutely nec and that it tastes bitter and may be why he's not eating crickets anymore), meal worms (I know those aren't the best choice, but for a while it was all he would eat but I wouldn't give him more than 3small a day), he has eaten phoenix worms but quit those after a week (this was several months ago as I can't get them shipped to me if the temps are over 85 and I'm in Tucson, AZ. We blew past 85 in April!) and just recently I tried, wax worms of which he's eaten only two in 3 days. He gets greens every day in the AM (kales, collards, dandelion grns. etc.) Haven't seen him touch them in a looooong time. He looks at the crickets and might attempt a catch, but just isn't really interested. He'll lick the wax worm but doesn't go after it like the gal at the reptile store said he would. "He'll go crazy for them!" they said. Uummm...nope.
2. He is SMALL for a 5-6 month old beardie, no?
3. After being up for about 6 hours, he hides in the corner of his cage, farthest from the basking spot for the rest of the day. Never moves again till the next day. At least, I don't see him move. It's like he's trying to get away from the light but he won't hide *in* anything. Pushes it aside and hides behind it, up against the glass in the corner. I read the best way to determine how much uva/uvb is best is to observe your beardie. So I was turning off the lamp at 2pm (on around 7-9am) because he was hiding so much at the opposite end of the cage. Then I see most ppl have theirs on a 10/14 (or is it the opposite?) split so I got a timer and now he's on 13/11 split. Heck! I just don't know what's best!!
Set up:
20 g tank
100W PowerSun MVB at one end of tank (see photo)
Basking spot under lamp 100-110- it varies. I just today built up his basking spot so he could get closer to the light (thus 100-110 temp basking measurement) which is not reflected in the attached photo. We have swamp cooling and I think that is why basking temp fluxuates so much? Our house is never the same temp for more than 20mins at a time.
"Hot" side of tank measures at about 93-95.
Cool spot at the end where he sleeps- 80-85 during the day and down to roughly 76-79 at night
Digital thermometer with probe is used inside tank.
Bowl of water (I hold him under the faucet- very small stream- every other day. He will drink 1 out of every 3 times offered.
Carpet (he had a nasty habit of getting that darn substrate in his eye so we just decided to get rid of it till he got bigger. He's only a little bigger!)
Now, he gets a good soak about once a week- but didn't get any for the first 4 months as I didn't know it was important.
He has had one full shed. About 6-8 weeks after we brought him home.
I've read and read and read here. I've read and read and read elsewhere on line. I've talked to different people at the reptile store where I got him. So much contradcting info out there! The ppl at the store said if he's gaping it's too hot. I read they SHOULD be gaping at the basking spot, it's how they cool off (high heat is nec for proper digestion) he just started gaping at his basking spot after I moved it up closer to the light. I was sold Rep Cal w. Vit D and Rep Cal MultiVit and was told to dust daily with the calcium and thrice a week with the mulit. A different person at the store just told me 3 days ago not to dust at all, that it really isn't nec if they are getting proper nutrition, which I think Bubbas was getting up until most recently. I'm sort of loosing my mind because I don't know what to do. I read about burmation, but I don't think that explains his size and the timing doesn't seem right. Again, we got him Feb. 28th so he's at least 4+ months old (he was so very small when we got him). Maybe it's the PowerSun all in one UVA/UVB plus heat lamp? I've read that lamp can be crap. Maybe I need a lamp that isn't all in one? just want the little guy to eat. When he's up and awake( roughly 8 am to 1pm) he's very alert and seems fine. But what do I know? I'm a newbie to this! Any suggestions? Thank you so much-