Still not eating?
- Thread starter Gizmo9803
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Over the weekend he ate 2 crickets and that was it. Hes only 6 wks and about 6 and 1/2 ins.eruantalisse
Member
Hi,
Is it possible that you offer some other food, like phoenixworms or other small food? Also, you can offer some greens (diced thoroughly) in a small salad. Do you feed him with a tweezer or do you just let loose the crickets?
Also, how is the temp and UVA/UVB in your tank? When it is too hot or cold or they do not get sufficient UVA/B rays, this might affect their appetite as well.
Cheers,
J.
Is it possible that you offer some other food, like phoenixworms or other small food? Also, you can offer some greens (diced thoroughly) in a small salad. Do you feed him with a tweezer or do you just let loose the crickets?
Also, how is the temp and UVA/UVB in your tank? When it is too hot or cold or they do not get sufficient UVA/B rays, this might affect their appetite as well.
Cheers,
J.
thanks! His temps are 110 basking and 85 on the cooler side I just took them. I have tried to offer some salad but he wont eat it, salad consits of endive and alfafa, and some squash. he won't touch it. the crickets we just put in the tank after my son takes the hind legs off so they can't jump as much. occasionally I offer mealies but he won't touch those either. last night while we were out we got some dragonfly larva maybe I'll try those today as last night he wouldn't touch them either. We have the repti sun 7.0 when I replace it I will get the 10. Also I can get him to drink if I put a drop of water on my finger and touch his nose with it.
eruantalisse
Member
Hi,
This is what came into my mind.
I think the basking side can even get a bit warmer (up to 118). Don't worry if he refuses the salad. Just keep offering daily a fresh small portion. Usually, young beardies eat little to no greens, so they have to get used to it. Same goes for water. If he licks drops of water from your finger or his nose, try to mix the water with a tiny bit of vitamins before offering it. Also, you can solute some vitamins in his bathing water (as they cannot store moisture themselves yet, they need a hand warm bath daily in order to hydrate them).
Don't offer food in the evening, while they need heat for digesting food. Better offer it in the morning. Reptisun should be sufficient up to about 97". I only think that the 10.0 was meant for adults and the 5.0 (or 7.0, I haven't this in the Netherlands) for babies. Also, provide sufficient vitamins and calcium (a bit over the greens, put the live food in a small bag with some vits and shake well before feeding them).
Mealworms are not proper food, too much shell and too little nutricion. You might be giving them as a treat, but not as a meal. You can slow down house crickets by putting them in the frig for about 15 mins or freezer for about 5 mins. House crickets cannot cope with low temps. You can also buy a so called cricket feeder, a small rock where you can put in some crickets. It has an opening just large enough to release one cricket at the time. However, crickets can cause stress to baby beards. They are after all nocturnal animals, while a beard is a day-active animal. So they run around if they can, sometimes making noise and prevent the beard from sleeping properly. So removing should be best. Provide food for the remaining crickets as well (leave the salad bowl in the tank during the night) to prevent the buggers eating from your beardie.
Perhaps the tank is open (full glass)? Then close 3 sides (back/side) and perhaps the top of the tank so you have only the front side open for view. Closing the top side is always a good idea: predators usually come from above.
Cheers,
J.
This is what came into my mind.
I think the basking side can even get a bit warmer (up to 118). Don't worry if he refuses the salad. Just keep offering daily a fresh small portion. Usually, young beardies eat little to no greens, so they have to get used to it. Same goes for water. If he licks drops of water from your finger or his nose, try to mix the water with a tiny bit of vitamins before offering it. Also, you can solute some vitamins in his bathing water (as they cannot store moisture themselves yet, they need a hand warm bath daily in order to hydrate them).
Don't offer food in the evening, while they need heat for digesting food. Better offer it in the morning. Reptisun should be sufficient up to about 97". I only think that the 10.0 was meant for adults and the 5.0 (or 7.0, I haven't this in the Netherlands) for babies. Also, provide sufficient vitamins and calcium (a bit over the greens, put the live food in a small bag with some vits and shake well before feeding them).
Mealworms are not proper food, too much shell and too little nutricion. You might be giving them as a treat, but not as a meal. You can slow down house crickets by putting them in the frig for about 15 mins or freezer for about 5 mins. House crickets cannot cope with low temps. You can also buy a so called cricket feeder, a small rock where you can put in some crickets. It has an opening just large enough to release one cricket at the time. However, crickets can cause stress to baby beards. They are after all nocturnal animals, while a beard is a day-active animal. So they run around if they can, sometimes making noise and prevent the beard from sleeping properly. So removing should be best. Provide food for the remaining crickets as well (leave the salad bowl in the tank during the night) to prevent the buggers eating from your beardie.
Perhaps the tank is open (full glass)? Then close 3 sides (back/side) and perhaps the top of the tank so you have only the front side open for view. Closing the top side is always a good idea: predators usually come from above.
Cheers,
J.
eruantalisse
Member
Hi,
Most beardies (though not all) cannot resist wax worms. As they do not make proper food (too sugary/fatty), they can be given as a treat or to see if the beardie wants to eat.
Also, and that is what I am getting through at this moment, they just do not want to eat. When they are adult and they are fat enough to survive some weeks, there is no need to make fuzz about this. However, if they are not fully grown yet or already weakened by some illness, it might be necessary to force some food into their mouths. This is not recommended, while it gives a lot of stress. You can try to blend some fruit/veggies, mix it with some vits and put a little drop of it on your finger or directly on its nose. Perhaps it likes it when licking it off and it cannot stop licking. If that is so, it will be hopeful and you can put some of the stuff on a small dish in his tank. If it is not interested, then things are getting more complicated because of force-feeding.
Cheers,
J.
Most beardies (though not all) cannot resist wax worms. As they do not make proper food (too sugary/fatty), they can be given as a treat or to see if the beardie wants to eat.
Also, and that is what I am getting through at this moment, they just do not want to eat. When they are adult and they are fat enough to survive some weeks, there is no need to make fuzz about this. However, if they are not fully grown yet or already weakened by some illness, it might be necessary to force some food into their mouths. This is not recommended, while it gives a lot of stress. You can try to blend some fruit/veggies, mix it with some vits and put a little drop of it on your finger or directly on its nose. Perhaps it likes it when licking it off and it cannot stop licking. If that is so, it will be hopeful and you can put some of the stuff on a small dish in his tank. If it is not interested, then things are getting more complicated because of force-feeding.
Cheers,
J.
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