Sleeping Problems

[XxSIMONExX]

I just got my three year old dragon named Popeye and for the first 5 or 6 days he was fine. He would always go over to the night side of the viv and sleep in his wood hide , but lately he has been falling asleep right on his basking rocks which are on the day side. Is that ok? Am i just like over thinking it?

 

[ziggy23]

let him sleep where he wants. Doesn't matter

what do you mean by night side and day side? are you leaving a light on all night? cause that's not good for them. They don't need heat or light at night. lights disturb their sleep. as long as it stays above 60F at night, then you don't need anything.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Hello and welcome. Could you tell us about the set up as in what size is the cage, what type of lights are you using as in UVB brand, type coil or compact, diet and what supplements are you using? What are your temps and how are you measuring them? Some or all of this may contribute to the factors.

 

[AndyT]

I agree with ziggy. There should not be any lights on at night, it disturbs them. If you leave the lights off tonight, he should sleep wherever he wants.

 

[XxSIMONExX]

Dont worry everything is back to normal he is sleeping in the hide and is happy! I only turn the light on when i need to show someone him or when im checking up on him. O and the light is red so he (and i) cant see it while we are asleep. So every now and again ill turn it on like halfway through the night if I am feeling cold just to be sure! So i guess the enclosure info isnt needed right?! Yup! thanks again

 

[Trogdorpheus]

Actually a bearded dragon's visible spectrum is different than ours and they CAN see those red bulbs. I'd get that changed out if possible. You should only have your bulbs on for 12 to 14 hours, then off for the night. From the sound of things, your setup has a couple flaws, so I'll just go ahead and say that yes, your enclosure info is still needed.

 

[XxSIMONExX]

Alright I currently have him in a 40 gallon breeder tank with a mix of unfinished slate tile and paper towels as a substrate. (I have reptile carpet on order so its coming) In the back left corner i have 8 tiles stacked with 4 on the bottom and 4 on top so its about an inch high. Those tiles are pretty well sized and he can fit almost entirely on 2 of them. Now in the center of those i have 4 smaller tiles making a square, and i stacked 4 flat basking rocks on top of it all in a way where the 3 smaller rocks a placed down and the one bigger rock is on top. That is where he spends a lot of his time after he eats. Right to the right of that stuck on the wall i have a fake plant that hangs down. Ok so in front of the basking area i put ramp type thing that sticks to the wall and gives him a way to climb higher if he wants. (but he rarely does) Now over on the right side of the cage i have a wood log hide that is pushed against the right wall facing in. (he climbs on that some times too) It has enough room near the back of the tank for him to fit in and catch crickets that got in there and in front of it i have his big water dish which he sometimes lays in, even though i bath him once a week, and his salad dish. As for the lights, he came with both his florescent tube UVB bulb and his basking bulb so i don't know the brands, but they both look very new. I know i should change the UVB every six months or just when it burns out and because i just got him i might even go buy a complete new one just to make sure its all good (10.0) The temps are pretty good, I have 2 thermometers on each side that I got at the pet store. The one near the basking rocks is about 100-105 and near the hide is 80-85. I know some people don't like the stick on thermometers so my dad gave me his infrared one that basicly u point at a surface and click the button and BAM! it works! (its also very acurate so i use it to check everyday) Ok and finaly for his supplements i dust all the crickets that he eats with 2 Rep Cal powders from the previous owners, one with Beta Carotene Multi vitamins and one with calcium and vitamin D. Ok ONE last thing, his last owners had him on calcium sand, but i switched it to the tile and paper towels like 4 days after i got him because i read it was bad.

(Just so u guys know, the dude at petsmart told me that the light wouldn't disturb him while he sleeps and on the bulb's box it had a beardie and it said they can't see it. Its called night glo. but whatever i trust you guys so ill stop.)

 

[Trogdorpheus]

Yeah, a lot of the stuff that pet store salespeople say is a bit off. I know there are some out there that are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, but realistically most of them are just tryin to sell stuff. They also have heat rocks and pads that are "ideal" for bearded dragons, but we know that's not the case either. All in all, doesn't sound like a bad setup, only concern is knowing the brand/age of the UVB. Other than that keep your lights on a good schedule and you're probably set. Just let them sleep wherever they fall :mrgreen:

 

[XxSIMONExX]

im glad you say it was a good set up, and i understand about the petstore workers. I'll be more carefull with what i buy! thanks