Some Questions NOW WITH PIX

[Rozen]

Howdy! I just got my new bearded dragon named Dudley. Now i have some questions that i couldn't find the answer for and i think posting on this forum shall help :3

Im going to be putting Dedley on a 12 hour light cycle from 8-8 until the summer time comes around. Hes in my room in a 46 gal. Terrarium, I divided it 50/50 so he can catch his food easily but the thing is if i turn my light on to get changed to go to bed will that upset him? Hes only really sleeping on his perch. (Is that the correct term to use for some branches of driftwood?) I had the perch up high so he could get his UVB/A light and his heating lamp close to there. I made sure to check that the temp was around 100F. ( I know it should be higher for a baby but where the thermometer is isn't in the warmest place he can get to.) So its probably a little warmer 105-107F. I feed him but he only ate one cricket which i am kind of worried about. Should there be anything i should look out for? I'll post some pictures of him later on tomorrow. (He rocks)

But yeah, I just want to make sure he is happy and safe.

Thanks

EDIT: I meant to also mention my Humidity is at around 40 how can i lower it?

 

[dolcedragon]

Hi! :wave:
Beardies do tend to get irritated when a light comes on when they're trying to sleep. They usually go back to sleep quickly though. I am a night owl so I've got lights on all over and it doesn't disturb my beardies b/c I spoil them by tucking them in their blankies each night. However, if you're not there to do that, then you could just throw a towel over his head when you come home or keep a little hidebox in there so hopefully he will go in there to sleep.
As far as eating... if you just got him he may be experiencing relocation stress and should get a normal appetite after a couple of weeks. Otherwise, try some different foods and see what he likes.
Dividing the cage was smart, temps sound good, the term perch works.
Sounds like Dudley got a good home.

 

[Rozen]

mmm, I have a a little stone cave for him to sleep in but he doesn't seem like he wants to use it right now, Hes just sleeping on his perch hahaha.

But wow, I've fallen in love with these little guys! I can't wait till i can hold him >w<

 

[Embee]

Howdy! I just got my new bearded dragon named Dudley.p

Welcome, and congrats on Dudley! :mrgreen:

if i turn my light on to get changed to go to bed will that upset him?

Once the tank lights are out, and beardie as well, coming in and out of the room, turning the light on in the room, etc., isn't usually a problem. We will go on and out of "beardie's room" during the evening and she might open one eye for a moment, but then she'll drift right back off to sleep, easily. Occasionally, we'll be occupying that room, playing with the kid and such, and we'll look over to see that she's gone off to sleep without us noticing. No worries.

Hes only really sleeping on his perch. (Is that the correct term to use for some branches of driftwood?) I had the perch up high so he could get his UVB/A light and his heating lamp close to there. I made sure to check that the temp was around 100F. ( I know it should be higher for a baby but where the thermometer is isn't in the warmest place he can get to.) So its probably a little warmer 105-107F.

I assume you are referring to his "basking area" then? Perch works too. :wink: I'm not clear on the type of lighting you're using. You mention UVB/A light, as in one light only... are you using a mercury vapor bulb then, which has UVA/UVB/Heat/D3 all in one? Or are you using a tube type UVB such as the ReptiSun 10.0 along with a bright basking bulb for heat and UVA? Being that you're dividing the tank so that it would be smaller than a 40 gallon, I imagine you're using the second type of lighting as MVBs are recommended for 40 gallons and bigger, but just in case, I'll give you the distance stats for each. For a tube lighting/basking bulb set up, beardie needs to be getting to within 6-8 inches (no closer though) of the bulb at the basking area, and the tube and basking bulb should line up as follows in the basking end:

______ tube UVB
0 basking bulb

...so that beardie has benefit of both bulbs while basking.

For a MVB, it depends on the wattage of the bulb. For 100W, beardie should be able to get NO CLOSER than 12 inches, and with a 160w, NO CLOSER than 18 inches.

If you can provide me with the details of your lighting set up, I can be more specific. Type (tube, coil, compact, MVB) and brand (ReptiGlo, ReptiSun, ESU) of UVB would be VERY helpful to know, as with beardie care, type and brand matter a lot, (something I learned the hard way I'm afraid). :roll:

Also, I HIGHLY recommend that you get a digital thermometer WITH probe so that you can more accurately determine your individual temps: (1) basking 105-110 (2) ambient 85-90 and (3) cool side, about 80. If you're not able to gauge the temps in the very basking spot, it's extremely difficult to guess at what they might be, and knowing them absolutely is a huge part of keeping beardie's environment healthy. The temps directly under the basking spot can be VERY different from those just a few inches away.

I feed him but he only ate one cricket which i am kind of worried about. Should there be anything i should look out for?

Did you just bring Dudley home then? Many beardies experience relocation stress at first. A little skittish, appetite off, etc. It can take a few days (perhaps a week, sometimes more), for them to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. When you post more details about your set up, we can make sure there isn't something else there that could be causing a low appetite, but aside from that, could just be, he needs some time to adjust. When babies are healthy and calm, they can wolf the food, up to 40-100 bugs a day. :shock:

I'll post some pictures of him later on tomorrow.

Great!

(He rocks)

I have no doubt. :mrgreen:

But yeah, I just want to make sure he is happy and safe

.

Well then, you are well on your way to becoming a most excellent beardie slave, and with that, you've come to the right place!!

EDIT: I meant to also mention my Humidity is at around 40 how can i lower it?

Humidity should run 30-50%, so 40% is just fine. You may find with time, as your heating lights are on all day, that it naturally dries out the tank and the humidity levels will dip some more. Many people opt not to place a water dish in the tank as many (if not most) beardies don't prefer to drink from them, and this can lessen the humidity as well. We bathe our beardie 3-4 times per week, and will sometimes mist her (out of the tank, then place her back in), and she'll drink the water that falls from her nose, and such. I do place her water dish/bath in the tank when she's shedding because this is the one time she'll opt to jump in, and take a bath on her own. But aside from that, I usually leave it out of the tank. It adds humidity and also, standing water can invite bacteria.

So, when you have a moment, take some time to describe some more of the details of your set up, lighting, heating, and so on. I (or another here ) would be happy to help with any further questions.

Welcome again, and enjoy...

Em

 

[Rozen]

Well luckily I have a lot of time, I will go get everything that i got today and list it out for you

K so starting with the lights i got a Porcelain Lamp with Glow Reflector in which i have a 150w Tight Beam Basking lamp. I also have a ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB/15W 45cm/18".

I don't really know inches that well since i am from Canada but i hope that he didn't get to close to the UVB light. D:!

But also another thing is that i think the temp gages i got don't really work well casuse on the side of the tank where i have the basking lamp it still says its around 80F where the other part (The cool part) says around 70. Now its night time and i turned off the light for him and he seems to be sleeping well!

I also got some Repti Calcium dust which doesn't have any Vit D3 in it (I didn't read the label well enough when i bought it) I also have some ORANGE CUBE cricket food to feed my crickets with.

 

[Rozen]

Hey! Its a new day and my Dudley ate about 4 crickets today when i fed him in the morning. I fed him about 4 hours later and he didn't seem hungry. Oh well!

I bought a Exo Terra Digital Precision Thermometer and his basking spot is only around 100 degrees! How do i make it hotter for him?

Also He still has lots of stress marks. I had to pick him up today to clean some stuff up and he didn't run away or anything. Is this bad or a sign of him being good?

I bought him some new things to climb around on today too, im just washing them right now. How long should i put the wood i got into the oven to make sure there is nothing on it?

I also got some pix x3

This is his home! Any advice on what to do would be nice. I have the 5.0 UVB light above him, I'm thinking of changing to a 10.0

Also im going to have to cut that reptile carpet the crickets really like hiding in there.

oh and one more pic

 

[Freeie]

Oh hes a cutie!

 

[Embee]

Hi. Thanks for getting back with me on the questions. It always helps a ton to know of the exact set up. The pics are wonderful... Dudley is a dear!

K so starting with the lights i got a Porcelain Lamp with Glow Reflector in which i have a 150w Tight Beam Basking lamp. I also have a ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB/15W 45cm/18".

Ok, so you are using a tube UVB with basking. Being that you're dividing your tank, you may be able to go with a lower wattage bulb, but it does vary as to size, length and height. Great that you were able to get a thermometer! I'm unfamiliar with that exact one, it does have a probe yes? Place the probe on the exact basking spot, and LEAVE IT FOR 45 MINUTES. Only then, will get the full accurate reading. Then let me know.

The ReptiGlo bulbs, I hate to say, do not come well recommended. They have been associated with low appetite, sleepiness, growth issues, and eye problems. The best tube you can get (and really, the only one worth getting), is the ReptiSun 10.0. Only problem is, I'm not sure of a website that ships to Canada. You can look for them in stores, but even if you find one, the price will be monumentally marked up. *sigh* The following is a link to a site that ships to/within Canada, but I'm not familiar with it, so you will probably want to do your own research as well:

ttp://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/skus/re/RELI-OS18.asp?L+scstore+yjlt0639ff487048+1237502357

The only other recommended bulbs are the ReptiSun 5.0, which is just "ok." And the ReptiGlo (only Glo recommended) 8.0, which "will do." Neither are great bulbs, and usually, they come about the same price as the ReptiSun 10.0, which for the money, it worth the effort in finding it.

I don't really know inches that well since i am from Canada but i hope that he didn't get to close to the UVB light. D:!

Oh, sorry... beardie should be able to get no closer to the bulb than 15cm (6 inches). :mrgreen:

I also got some Repti Calcium dust which doesn't have any Vit D3 in it (I didn't read the label well enough when i bought it) I also have some ORANGE CUBE cricket food to feed my crickets with.

The general rule however is that with tube lighting, where the UVBs emissions are "lighter" than say, a MVB, calcium WITH D3 supplement is recommended. I use the orange cubes as well, they're nice and neat... I do supplement the cricket goat loading diet however, with veggies such as greens and squash, and also use some moistened beardie pellets.

I'll leave you there for now. Time to go feed the beardie! Let me know if I can be of any further help.

Em

 

[Rozen]

Well im going out right now to go track down a Reptisun. Haha not even a day in an he already has me whipped

But anyways i must be off to go get it.

 

[Embee]

Well im going out right now to go track down a Reptisun. Haha not even a day in an he already has me whipped

But anyways i must be off to go get it.

Ah yes, you are fast becoming a most devoted beardie slave, Rozen. You are among good supportive company, I assure you. :wink:

Best of luck in finding the ReptiSun 10.0 tube. And while it may not be necessary to mention, I'll go ahead anyway: in your search for the UVB tube: AVOID ALL COIL AND COMPACT bulbs. I mention this because ReptiSun makes a 5.0 in a compact, and it can get confusing. To be clear: there are no compacts or coils that are recommended.

The best, and good luck!
Em

 

[dolcedragon]

Just wanted to say Dudley is adorable. Just a little hatchling. Hope he does well for you. He's got the "spoil me" face down already.

 

[Rozen]

Just another question, I left him in his tank with a few new fake plants that i got him and left for around 4 hours. When i came back he had climbed up them and was really close to the UV light.

I moved the fake plants down away from the UV light. But is this bad to have (fake) Plants in his tank and is it bad that he was so close to the UV light?

 

[Embee]

Just another question, I left him in his tank with a few new fake plants that i got him and left for around 4 hours. When i came back he had climbed up them and was really close to the UV light.

I moved the fake plants down away from the UV light. But is this bad to have (fake) Plants in his tank and is it bad that he was so close to the UV light?

Ah, he surprised you, huh? Our beardie LOVES to climb in/on her plants. Fake plants are just fine, so long as they don't allow him to climb too high toward the UVB. The 15cm/6inch rule applies, so good you were able to move them down a bit. If he was close to the UVB for a just a few hours, once, it's probably fine. Be on the look out for him closing one or both eyes more often than is usual (they do some of that already of course, so it would have to be more than the norm). If so, turn off the UVB light completely, and give him time to recoup. Our beardie had some eye damage that was caused by our original compact light and when we turned it off, she recovered in a day or two, no problem.

Have you been able to get a ReptiSun 10.0 tube? Some would say here to just go ahead and turn off the ReptiGlo while you wait, the general wisdom being, no UVB (temporarily) is better than insufficient/possibly hazardous UVB.

The best,
Em

 

[Rozen]

Well I searched everywhere in my town and couldn't track one down so i switched to the 10.0 reptiglow. (AHHHHHHHHH I DIDN'T KNOW THAT REPTIGLOW 10.0 WAS WORSE! AHHH ;___; I FEEL LIKE SUCH A HORRIBLE PARENT!!!!) He has been closing one of his eyes and not the other one when he is basking. I work Friday and sat but on Sunday i plan on going on a road trip around 2 hours drive to go to a place where i was able to track one down!

I guess another question is. The 150W basking light "Sunglo" Only heats up his basking spot to around 100 (I used a probe to find out) Yet the problem is, if i was to move his basking spot up he would be getting to close to the UVB rays. Im really at ends wit on what to do! I fed him around 10 crickets today and he ate them all up! Then i cut up some greens for him and he ate them too! The only negative thing is i haven't seen any poop yet. The only thing that i can see around the bottom of the tank are little white things. I hope he is not impacted. Tomorrow after i feed him im going to try and handle him. What are some signs (Other then stress marks, because he has them all the time right now) that he deff doesn't wanna get picked up?

 

[Embee]

Well I searched everywhere in my town and couldn't track one down so i switched to the 10.0 reptiglow. (AHHHHHHHHH I DIDN'T KNOW THAT REPTIGLOW 10.0 WAS WORSE! AHHH ;___; I FEEL LIKE SUCH A HORRIBLE PARENT!!!!) He has been closing one of his eyes and not the other one when he is basking. I work Friday and sat but on Sunday i plan on going on a road trip around 2 hours drive to go to a place where i was able to track one down!

You are NOT a horrible beardie parent. The problem truly, is that the pet supply industry is not regulated nearly enough and this stuff is out there on the shelves at all. *sigh* Many here, have been exactly where you are now (myself included). For now, my best advice is to turn off the UVB, leave on the basking light, until you're able to find the ReptiSun 10.0 TUBE, and we'll go from there. Hang in there!

I guess another question is. The 150W basking light "Sunglo" Only heats up his basking spot to around 100 (I used a probe to find out) Yet the problem is, if i was to move his basking spot up he would be getting to close to the UVB rays. Im really at ends wit on what to do! I fed him around 10 crickets today and he ate them all up! Then i cut up some greens for him and he ate them too! The only negative thing is i haven't seen any poop yet. The only thing that i can see around the bottom of the tank are little white things. I hope he is not impacted. Tomorrow after i feed him im going to try and handle him. What are some signs (Other then stress marks, because he has them all the time right now) that he deff doesn't wanna get picked up?

So you left the probe for 45 minutes, and still only 100? Hm. I'm not familiar with that exact bulb but at 150w, I would think it would be heating your basking area much better than that. My only suggestion would be to try a different type of bulb. I have found that household floods throw out more heat than regular bulbs, so this might be an option for you. For instance, I was using a 60w reptile basking bulb in my cool end, for supplement heat, and I was able to switch it for a 45w household flood, and the 45w flood is doing the same work as the 60w bask.

Is he not eating a lot, yet? You mentioned 10 crickets, was this all you fed, or all he would eat? The general rule for babies and juveniles is this: feed live feeders 2-3x per day, as many as beardie will eat. Babies are in the business of protein, and they need as much as their little bellies will hold. Some eat up to 40-100 live feeders a day. Dust 5 meals per week with calcium, 1-2 meals per week with vites. Wonderful that he ate the greens. Perhaps he could have a little chat with my beardie, then? :wink: The whites you're seeing are the urates (pee), and they usually come with the poop, but not always. If he's not eating a ton yet, the that could very well explain why no poop as of yet. Also, with the current UVB light, beardie's appetite might not yet be properly stimulated. The ReptiSun should take care of that, right off. Are you bathing your dragon? 3 times a week (or more), warm water to shoulder, good 15 minute soak will help him keep hydrated, which always helps with the poop, among other things of course.

Hope this helps!

Em