Separate feeding area

[Lorilyn]

Just wondering on what the opinion is on a separate feeding tank. I currently feed my baby in his 40 gallon tank. He is approximately 11-12 inches and I feed him 20 crickets twice a day along with his salad of greens and veggies/fruits. I have been told that its better to feed him his live food in a separate tank for various reasons. His crickets do like to hide and I have to help him hunt them by moving his rocks, water and salad bowls. I was told by someone at the pet store that if I miss a bug it could bite him and that if I feed him in his home then every time my hand goes into his space he will associate it with food and become aggressive. I have had him since Feb 4th and the only time he seems grumpy are when he starts to shed.

 

[CooperDragon]

If he hunts well in his tank there's no problem continuing to do so. I suggest offering bugs in small batches of a few at a time so they are easier for both of you to track and are less likely to hide. Some dragons find an external feeding bin to be stressful and others are fine with it. When I offer my adult some dubias, I offer them one at a time on the kitchen floor and let him chase them around a bit =)

 

[Lorilyn]

Thank you so much for all of your advice. He does hunt very well and seems to love to chase his crickets down and stalk them. (Maybe he thinks he is half cat LOL) I haven’t tried Dubia Roaches yet (I am so afraid they will escape and then I have an infestation on my hands) thanks to you my new light should be in today if this storm allows delivery. But I think I ordered one a little too large. I will try feeding a few crickets at a time and see if that helps me keep track of the little buggers. And I am thinking of ordering the black fly larvae as another staple live food source for him.

 

[Lorilyn]

So update, last night I tried a separate feeding tank and Mr Biggie Smalls was having no part of it! Little devil froze and refused to hunt. After getting him out and some cuddle time he seemed less stressed so when I put him in his vivarium I offered him some crickets and he ate about 10. This morning I took out some of his rocks and offered him 2 at a time and kept slow feeding him that way until he decided he was done and he moved to his basking spot. He ate 20 crickets this morning. Thanks for a great suggestion. Much easier to keep track of the bugs and how much he is eating!

Biggie says thank you too!

 

[CooperDragon]

That's good to hear! It takes a bit longer and some patience to do it that way but I've found that it works best. Gets easier when he's older and doesn't scarf down so many bugs in a meal =)

 

[Lorilyn]

He is an eating machine! Had to go buy MORE crickets AGAIN! Met a really nice person with 5 big Bearded Dragons and he convinced me to take a deep breath and buy a small cup of Dubia Roaches also.... I thought he went nuts over crickets.....nope he was in full feeding/hunting mode and I was trying to only give one or two at a time but he was just about jumping up to get them. Glad I found this site it has been a huge help!

 

[CooperDragon]

Sounds like all is well. If he likes dubia then starting a colony might be a good idea. Very easy to take care of and saves trips to the store. If not, then buying crickets online in bulk works well. I used to order about 1,000 at a time which lasted around a month.

 

[Lorilyn]

Yeah.....ummmm....nope! I will not be starting a colony. But any recommendations onthe best site to buy them would be great. Yes I have issues with bugs. I hate them. But totally in love with my Biggie.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Let him hunt in his tank , a few fast moving bugs at a time , let him watch you give them to him, he'll soon learn to watch you in anticipation of yummy bugs you will be giving him.
When he looses interest in hunting them - he's full.

If you have BSFL or silkworms ,they can be left in a dish for him to grase on at his leisure.

I use this set up for my BSFL - viewtopic.php?f=75&t=239661&p=1837017#p1837017

BTW : I can see some obvious issues with your setup

1) dial type analog thermometer - these are hopelessly inaccurate , better off replacing with a few of these digital thermometers = https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aquarium-LCD-Electronic-Digital-Thermometer-Fish-Tank-Water-Detector-Practica-BU/252762165947?_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D6ac464a2a1b24339be32c744b2ff5cf9%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D201577608563

2) compact UVB globe mounted ontop of the very fine mesh lid
>> issues here are , it's likely not strong enough , needs to be AT LEAST a 25W UVB200 (10% UVB)
>> too far from the dragon's basking spot to give him sufficient UVA and UVB exposure , see this for working out appropriate distances : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611 , ie for a 25W UVB200 in a reflector hood or dome , the appropriate distance is NOT MORE THAN 8 inches to the basking spot (gives 180 - 200 microW UVB / sq.cm at the basking spot)
>> the mesh will be blocking in excess of 40% of the UV produced by the compact globe (or the MVB if you are using an MVB as the basking globe / UV source).
Easy fix is to invest in ExoTerra NanoHood http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_top.php
(for one compact globe) and mount this UNDER the mesh lid ==> will instantly double the UV the dragon can enjoy. This can mounted very easily using cable ties or even a couple handy length of mono-fishing line or wool or string (poked through the mesh and wrapped around each of the nanohood.
Even better if you have the money , upgrade to a t5ho reflector hood about 2/3 the length of the viv and a 12% UVB t5ho tube to match and mount these under the mesh with one end adjacent to the basking globe.

3) mesh hammock - these are risky for dragons because they pose a snag risk for their curved nails which can easy become caught in the mesh and a panicking struggling dragon can easily do very serious injuries to an arm or leg if it can't get a snagged nail loose.

 

[JessPets]

While it seems you have figured out the answer to your original question, like kingofnobbys, I can see some problems with your setup that need to be changed. First, what UV do you have? Any compact/coil will need to be traded for a ReptiSun 10.0 t5 or an Arcadia bulb, which are long tube-style ones.

The thermometers are junk, and can be off by as much as 20f!! IR guns are my preferred method, and can be purchased for roughly $15 on Amazon.

The mesh hammock can be problematic as well, I would switch it out for a solid fabric one.

 

[Lorilyn]

Thank you all for your help! I spent the day combing all the pet stores and found a Reptisun T5 HO 34 inch fixture and a Reptisun 10.0 bulb. Unfortunately it is too big to fit under the screen, but I am hoping it’s good on top. Please let me know. I took the coil UVB out and only use the one side for the basking light. They were out of probe thermometers so I ordered the IR temp gun from Amazon. Please let me know what you think.

I will be removing the mesh ladder thing and make him a hammock and I’m looking for better basking platforms for him. I love my Biggie Smalls and all of your help is very much wanted and appreciated.

 

[JessPets]

Wow that is perfect! The t5 is strong enough to be placed on top, and everything else sounds perfect! KUDOS to you for immediately taking action and fixing everything immediately - this way any problems he may have down the road will (hopefully) been avoided all together!

 

[Lorilyn]

Thank you. I am doing my best. 2 months ago if you told me a lizard would bring me the same joy and love that my dog (who passed away last June after 16 years of love) bought me I would say your crazy. But he really does and my son thinks it’s hysterical that if anyone else is holding him and he hears my voice or sees me he jumps to get to me. I never owned a lizard so all criticism/suggestions will be acted on by me. Except for starting my own bug colony. But I said that about feeding him Dubia also and look at me now :roll:

 

[JessPets]

LOL i totally know what you mean!!