stress or something else? Should I be concerned? Please help

[beachgirl5757]

so my girl in her cage normally is fairly dark with some stress circles on her belly...when she comes out she brightens right up and is as happy as can be...the last few days she has been darker than normal in her cage, but continues to brighten up when I take her out. I noticed last night she didn't eat to much, and this morning she barely ate...tonight she hasn't eaten a thing...should i be super concerned or is there a normal behavior of beardies...she is 12 inches (not sure if you needed to know). She has been pooping daily, her basking temp is at 108 and the bottom of the cage is at 82. At night the cage goes down to 72. She was born in february so I wouldn't think brumation. Her body just came out of shed about a week and a half ago, but she has not shed her tail, legs or head lately...let me know if you have any questions I have tried to include all the details I can think of. Is it stress, sick, something else please help!

 

[Mediabandit]

What type od UVB bulb are you using? Coil, Strip, Flourescent? Reptiglo or Reptisun? How close can she get to it? Do you bath her?

 

[beachgirl5757]

She has this: Zoo Med ReptiSun® 10.0 High Output UVB Fluorescent Bulb 17 Watts, 24-Inch and yes she gets baths about every other day. She had one last night.

 

[beachgirl5757]

Forgot to answer how close she can get...to the uvb she can on her perch (not sure if it is direct) about 6 inches and from her hammock about 8 inches from it...directly under her perch is the basking light but the uvb is right next to it.

 

[Goonie]

[Moved from General to Health (for starters)]

************************
When was the last time she had a bowel movement? Was it normal in consistency/color and smell? How often does she get a bath for hydration?

Try lowering her basking temp a few degrees (down to 105 for starters). She may not like it that hot, which could explain why she's happier out of her tank.

 

[Mediabandit]

Does she still have the stress marks when she is hanging out on the cool side or are they there the entire time she is in the enclosure? I agree with lowering the basking temp as well. The rest of the setup sounds like it is on par.

 

[beachgirl5757]

she has a bowel movement every day. They used to be more solid and now they are solid with almost a mucus slimy covering over it...but it is definitely formed still. Color and smell are normal. She gets a bath every other day. How would you recommend lowering the temp...I started with the 50 watt bulbs but they weren't getting the spot warm enough so I went up to 75s and they are in the range...I don't think there are any bulbs in between.

 

[Mediabandit]

You may have to pick up a dimmer an use that to be able to lower the temp if you are not able to raise the bulb distance.

 

[Mediabandit]

Sorry. Double post.

 

[beachgirl5757]

Its very rare that she does not have stress marks in the tank. They definitely are lighter at times however yesterday and today she is a dark brown and she is citrus tiger so she is usually quite a pretty color especially out of the tank!

 

[beachgirl5757]

Thanks I will pick up a dimmer tomorrow and try that and see if it helps.

 

[Goonie]

Are you using a household incandescent bulb? Clear or soft white?
Or are you using a specifically designed 'basking bulb'? (which in my opinion, is money wasted)
In what type of fixture (clamp dome lamp, slider hood)? Can you raise the fixture a bit until the basking spot isn't so warm?
If you use a dome lamp with a dimmer feature, you could greatly play with the strength of the light and much easier to adjust it. Unfortunately, the dimmer lamps cannot be used on UV bulbs, so you'll have a fixture that'll be specifically used for heat sources.

Speaking of heat sources, are you only using the 75 watt bulb for heat or also for additional light? If you think it's bright enough without the additional light source, you may want to invest in a ceramic heat emitter instead.

 

[beachgirl5757]

I have the reptisun 10.0 light fixture and then I have the dome lights with basking bulbs in them. They are the night (blue) basking bulbs in 75 watt. I thought they were to cold at night, but have since learned they are fine so I have not bought new lights. Do you think the blue lights are bothering them...They have been in for about 2 months and all of my 3 beardies have been fine except the one girl the last two days. That is why I am puzzled as nothing has changed. So I need to get a dimmer and lower the temps. I will try that tomorrow when I can go to the pet store.

 

[Goonie]

It could be the hue that the blue basking bulb is giving off that's bothering your girl. Try using a regular household bulb and see if it'll make a difference. It'll also be much easier on your wallet.

 

[beachgirl5757]

If I'm using a 75 watt basking bulb now what would you recommend trying with a regular household bulb? I need to try to take it down about 3 to 4 degrees in temp. Any recommendations?