Super stressed or just darker color?

[Juliaskis]

We are new Beardie owners. We just got a set up for my son for Xmas. I have been incredibly sick leading up to Christmas so I didn’t get to do as much research as I would have liked. The day after Xmas my husband took our son to pick up this dragon at PetSmart. There were 2 in the tank, they’d just come in that day and they were “snuggling”. Son and Hubby said that they just couldn’t separate them. The lady sold them both to my husband without a word about them being solitary creatures. So now we are setting up a second tank.
Here’s my question… one is much darker on the back, and also has dark patterns on the underside. Is the darker one, hella-stressed, or just normally going to have a darker underside? The darker one has been generally more active.
They are together in a large tank, until we finish setting up the 2nd tank in another day or two.

 

[xp29]

We are new Beardie owners. We just got a set up for my son for Xmas. I have been incredibly sick leading up to Christmas so I didn’t get to do as much research as I would have liked. The day after Xmas my husband took our son to pick up this dragon at PetSmart. There were 2 in the tank, they’d just come in that day and they were “snuggling”. Son and Hubby said that they just couldn’t separate them. The lady sold them both to my husband without a word about them being solitary creatures. So now we are setting up a second tank.
Here’s my question… one is much darker on the back, and also has dark patterns on the underside. Is the darker one, hella-stressed, or just normally going to have a darker underside? The darker one has been generally more active.
They are together in a large tank, until we finish setting up the 2nd tank in another day or two.

That is stress marks. Babies almost always go through relocation stress. They will settle in in a couple weeks or so. They need to separated asap. There's a good chance they will bite each other. Their bite is strong enough to amputate limbs.

 

[Juliaskis]

That is stress marks. Babies almost always go through relocation stress. They will settle in in a couple weeks or so. They need to separated asap. There's a good chance they will bite each other. Their bite is strong enough to amputate limbs.

Thank you.
Will the darker one have some darker pattern marks underneath, or am I expecting him to go completely white?
Yes, we are in the process of setting up the second tank. We had to literally rearrange the house to fit the second. I’ve read the horror stories and we are hurrying.
Thanks again!

 

[KarrieRee]

Congrats on the little ones--- your lighting must be up to par for the dragons- NO coils for UVB's and surface basking temps taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - 105-110- NO colored bulbs NO off white NO yellowish and NO daytime bulbs please -- if you need help w/ any of this please ask - we are here to help

 

[Juliaskis]

Congrats on the little ones--- your lighting must be up to par for the dragons- NO coils for UVB's and surface basking temps taken w/ a digital probe thermometer - 105-110- NO colored bulbs NO off white NO yellowish and NO daytime bulbs please -- if you need help w/ any of this please ask - we are here to help.

Thank you! I think we have all the bulbs right. We originally set the tank up in my sons room, but moved everything around today to bring it downstairs to the livingroom as the ambient temp wasn’t staying high enough last night, even with a ceramic emitter. They seem to be whiter this evening, even with the second move and the temps are way better. We should have the second tank set up tomorrow so we can split them up.

 

[Juliaskis]

Thank you! I think we have all the bulbs right. We originally set the tank up in my sons room, but moved everything around today to bring it downstairs to the livingroom as the ambient temp wasn’t staying high enough last night, even with a ceramic emitter. They seem to be whiter this evening, even with the second move and the temps are way better. We should have the second tank set up tomorrow so we can split them up.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you! I think we have all the bulbs right. We originally set the tank up in my sons room, but moved everything around today to bring it downstairs to the livingroom as the ambient temp wasn’t staying high enough last night, even with a ceramic emitter. They seem to be whiter this evening, even with the second move and the temps are way better. We should have the second tank set up tomorrow so we can split them up.

They could be going into shed the white- the uvb needs proper placement and distance - fine mesh screen uvb should be inside the tank-- T 5 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor

 

[Juliaskis]

They could be going into shed the white- the uvb needs proper placement and distance - fine mesh screen uvb should be inside the tank-- T 5 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor

We just ordered an in-tank uvb bulb, to replace the one in the dome.
Thank you!

 

[KarrieRee]

We just ordered an in-tank uvb bulb, to replace the one in the dome.
Thank you!

What did you order? You will need two unless you have one already

 

[xp29]

Thank you.
Will the darker one have some darker pattern marks underneath, or am I expecting him to go completely white?
Yes, we are in the process of setting up the second tank. We had to literally rearrange the house to fit the second. I’ve read the horror stories and we are hurrying.
Thanks again!

No the stress marks will disappear as he settles in. His belly will be white

 

[Juliaskis]

No the stress marks will disappear as he settles in. His belly will be white

Thank you!

 

[Juliaskis]

What did you order? You will need two unless you have one already

Husband ordered it, (yes 2, I for each tank) but I think a zoo med, reptisun 10.0. The long one with the hood that mounts to the back wall or under the lid, so it goes at least 2/3 of the tank length. Then we can keep the basking spotlight on the top, and swap for the emitter at night.
We have 1 uvb light right now, but it’s the kind that is in the dome, on top of the screen (came with the set up) and I don’t think it’s possible to have the uvb light and the basking light close enough together with the domes.
Thank you!

 

[KarrieRee]

Husband ordered it, (yes 2, I for each tank) but I think a zoo med, reptisun 10.0. The long one with the hood that mounts to the back wall or under the lid, so it goes at least 2/3 of the tank length. Then we can keep the basking spotlight on the top, and swap for the emitter at night.
We have 1 uvb light right now, but it’s the kind that is in the dome, on top of the screen (came with the set up) and I don’t think it’s possible to have the uvb light and the basking light close enough together with the domes.
Thank you!

Ok those are good fixtures and he got the Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb correct? Those hoods come w/ a 5.0 bulb - distance and placement for the UVB will be determined by the screen on the tanks- please post when you get the UVB's and I can help you get them set up for the tanks- also as the dragons get older its best that they do not see each other - do you know the sexes of the dragons? If not we can help w/ that as well -

 

[Juliaskis]

Ok those are good fixtures and he got the Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb correct? Those hoods come w/ a 5.0 bulb - distance and placement for the UVB will be determined by the screen on the tanks- please post when you get the UVB's and I can help you get them set up for the tanks- also as the dragons get older its best that they do not see each other - do you know the sexes of the dragons? If not we can help w/ that as well -

Thank you so much!!
We currently have the tanks placed so that they will not be able to see each other. So as soon as we have all the pieces in place in the second we can move one of them.

We do not know their sexes. I read a great post on how to tell, but we are letting them settle for a bit before too much handling. They’re only about 5 inches long, so we assume still pretty young.

Spike (the one that is darker on the back and has had much more pronounced stress marks) is fairly active. Moving around, exploring, hunting crickets, soaking, eating lettuce then basking.

Beardy (the lighter colored one) seems less interested in food or exploring the tank. Is basking with its head up, and will move closer or farther from the light, but that about it. We’ve placed lettuce in front of him and tiny crickets, but he’s only eaten a tiny bit.

They’ve been here about 60 hours now (about 2 and 1/2 days, but we moved the tank after they’d been here about 24 hs.) I read it can take up to 3 days for them to start eating and exploring. When do I start to worry?

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you so much!!
We currently have the tanks placed so that they will not be able to see each other. So as soon as we have all the pieces in place in the second we can move one of them.

We do not know their sexes. I read a great post on how to tell, but we are letting them settle for a bit before too much handling. They’re only about 5 inches long, so we assume still pretty young.

Spike (the one that is darker on the back and has had much more pronounced stress marks) is fairly active. Moving around, exploring, hunting crickets, soaking, eating lettuce then basking.

Beardy (the lighter colored one) seems less interested in food or exploring the tank. Is basking with its head up, and will move closer or farther from the light, but that about it. We’ve placed lettuce in front of him and tiny crickets, but he’s only eaten a tiny bit.

They’ve been here about 60 hours now (about 2 and 1/2 days, but we moved the tank after they’d been here about 24 hs.) I read it can take up to 3 days for them to start eating and exploring. When do I start to worry?

Lettuce? What kind of lettuce? It could take weeks for them to acclimate to their tanks- as long as they are eating something its good its when they quit eating all together is when to worry- the surface basking temps and the UVB are going to keep them healthy and issues away for the most part - sometimes tho they can come sick and you dont know it till signs really start to show - but w/ the proper temps and UVB this will keep most at bay-- usually at about 5-6 months is when you can tell sexes- we can help w/ that so they are pretty young yet- Are you dusting the crickets? They need calcium D 3 5 x per week lightly coated on the crickets ONCE per feeding - vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week lightly coated on the crickets ONCE per feeding - I would get them switched over to dubia roaches they are a better feeder and you will need to set up a 10 gallon tank to keep them in w/ 2 little dragons once their appetite engages you will be going thru them fast - they will be eating like 10-15 dubias appropriately sized in one feeding - crickets will be alot more dubias are more filling and less headache- I would also get them some BSFL great staple for babies and good hand tamers -
these are good salad bowls and good for keeping BSFL and small dubias in
https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
here is a website for salads they need these as well every day for now diet is 20% salads 80% insects
ignore the kale info its outdated and its a good staple feeder
Nutrition Content
websites for insects and worms
www.dubiaroaches.com good hornworms - they grow fast so feed off fast order small amounts- small super worms dropped on top of the salads 1-3 along w/ 20-25 BSFL first thing in the morning will draw the dragons to the bowl -- also known as salad lures - silk worms stick to everything along w/ the horn worms they are a good hydrating worm --
www.symtonbsf.com
www.reptilianarts.com nice silk worms and a good staple and good for variety
www.joshfrogs.com
www.abdragons.com
Rinse the salad before serving and they will get moisture from that as well as dropping water on their noses - watch the poops for dehydration - white urate should be formed white and moist no crusty or dried out looking dark poop formed and moist --