Scale discoloration?

Craisin

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zuko
Zuko is 6 months old and over the past couple weeks these dark spots have developed on his right side. I am not sure if these are normal scales or if I should be concerned it is a scale infection or something? I know paradox scaling is a thing, so is this just natural scale color changes as he sheds/grows? The biggest spots are on his back with some on his front right leg and the top right of his head (visible in the pic, no discoloration on his left side). His behavior is normal, but he has also started eating way less than when he was 4/5 months old. Is it normal for beardies to stop eating so much at the 6 month mark?
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Zuko is 6 months old and over the past couple weeks these dark spots have developed on his right side. I am not sure if these are normal scales or if I should be concerned it is a scale infection or something? I know paradox scaling is a thing, so is this just natural scale color changes as he sheds/grows? The biggest spots are on his back with some on his front right leg and the top right of his head (visible in the pic, no discoloration on his left side). His behavior is normal, but he has also started eating way less than when he was 4/5 months old. Is it normal for beardies to stop eating so much at the 6 month mark?
Lets have another member take a look at the scales--- as far as eating he should be eating a lot still -- please go over your UVB your using coil or long tube fixture and his surface basking spots and how your taking them
@AHBD
 

Craisin

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zuko
Lets have another member take a look at the scales--- as far as eating he should be eating a lot still -- please go over your UVB your using coil or long tube fixture and his surface basking spots and how your taking them
@AHBD
basking spot is the 100w zoo med basking spot lamp (started using mid nov), uvb is the long tube arcadia D3 24w desert T5 lamp which I started using June 21st. Should I buy a new uvb bulb? i was waiting six months to get another one so it is about time. basking spot temp is ~106 F
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
basking spot is the 100w zoo med basking spot lamp (started using mid nov), uvb is the long tube arcadia D3 24w desert T5 lamp which I started using June 21st. Should I buy a new uvb bulb? i was waiting six months to get another one so it is about time. basking spot temp is ~106 F
T 5's or 12% bulbs need to be replaced approx one year - I recommend 10-11 months -- placement is crucial for the UVB - it is determined by your screen --- what type of screen are you using on your tank? fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type? I would lower the basking temps down to 95-100 - about 6 months they start not wanting the real hot temps - are you using a digital probe thermometer to get that temp?
 

Craisin

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zuko
T 5's or 12% bulbs need to be replaced approx one year - I recommend 10-11 months -- placement is crucial for the UVB - it is determined by your screen --- what type of screen are you using on your tank? fine mesh like a screen door or a wide hole type? I would lower the basking temps down to 95-100 - about 6 months they start not wanting the real hot temps - are you using a digital probe thermometer to get that temp?
It is not a super fine screen, I would say it is a wide hole type. I have a photo attached. The 106 F temp is right under the bulb, I use a laser temp gun bought from lowes (general irt205). I have noticed he doesn't sit right under the bulb for long, only a few minutes. He likes sitting at the base of the tree or on the sides of the tree away from the direct heat. Should I change his tree out for something lower? I liked the tree because there are lots of spots he can sit in but I would love some suggestions.
He doesn't act sick, his behavior is normal. I figured he was eating less because he was too lazy to chase his food but now I'm worried about it cause of his scales.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
It is not a super fine screen, I would say it is a wide hole type. I have a photo attached. The 106 F temp is right under the bulb, I use a laser temp gun bought from lowes (general irt205). I have noticed he doesn't sit right under the bulb for long, only a few minutes. He likes sitting at the base of the tree or on the sides of the tree away from the direct heat. Should I change his tree out for something lower? I liked the tree because there are lots of spots he can sit in but I would love some suggestions.
He doesn't act sick, his behavior is normal. I figured he was eating less because he was too lazy to chase his food but now I'm worried about it cause of his scales.
Ok the temps are too hot if hes sitting lower on the tree- get a temp of where hes sitting thats gonna tell you what temp he likes --- the screen is a wide hole please make sure you have a basking decor piece directly under the UVB 8-10 inches-- I dont think the scales are going to have an effect on his eating- lets see what AHBD says about them
 

xp29

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Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
As far as i know paradox patterns don't show up in babies, they develop as they age. So if he is a possible paradox, his looks may change dramatically.
 

Groggyfroggie

Juvie Member
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Beardie name(s)
Draco
Zuko looks a lot like my beardie! When Draco hit 5-6 months old he started eating less, whether as a result of nonstop shedding, weather changes, or parasites, I don't really know. After his parasite treatments, his appetite bounced back, but still not eating as much as he used to. You might wanna test him for parasites if he's barely eating.
 
What is Paradox? My beardie has some slightly darker splotches that occasionally get more or less difficult to see. If he's really happy colors they seem to disappear. Also is it normal for beardies to get colored outlines around their scales?
 

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