Superworms for baby beardie

[Calcal]

Alright. So, my beardie hasn't been eating his crickets lately.. and he's starting to get pretty skinny. I've tried Phoenix worms and he loves them, but the problem is they're very small and the pet stores here only sell them in small amounts.. so, today I decided to get him some small superworms. Not mealworms, since I know those can impact them.

He ate one, on his own.. since I've been having to force feed him. He's fairly small. I'd say he's a two or three months old. But he certainly managed to get it down easily. After eating one, he just went back up to his basking spot.. sat there for a while.. then came back down, did some usual active beardie stuff, and hasn't eaten anything else. I also got him some crickets in case the superworms were of no interest either or don't settle in well.. I heard it's fine if he's able to get it down with no problems, though. I had to force feed him another since his belly is still flat. I'm very worried, but so far the only food he's ever shown interest in is pantry moths and Phoenix worms.. what do I do? I keep having to force feed him everything and I feel it's leading to him disliking me. :/

 

[MsCarter]

They usually will not starve themselves and refuse food when they feel full. People advise against supers before a certain age due to impaction but also because they are high in fat. If you believe your beardie handles the small supers well and has no issues digesting them I would still only recommend them as treats while he's growing.

Are you able to order black soldier fly larvae online in bulk? I know there are some vendors on eBay and Amazon that sell them at a decent price. Medium or even large would probably be a good size for him.

 

[kingofnobbys]

DEFINITELY NO superworms or mealworms for your hatchling , way too young to deal with them.

Key to a good hatchling appetite are :
bugs FIRST (give the greens and veg with the last bug meal of then day, else little piggy will fill up on low protein green junk instead of his live bugs .... LIVE BUGS are the BEST food for them at 3 months old)
very high UVA (at least 30%)
high UVB (at least 10%)
basking temp about 40degCelsius
long days (my lighting schedule is 15on/9off).
keep them warm overnight ( I have warm hides about 36degCelsius )

NO COLORED LIGHTS
NO SAND or other PARTICLE TYPE BEDDINGS.

Best feeder options are :
BSF maggots ( hard to beat )
silkworms ( for a 2 - 3 month old worms up to 2in long are fine - as they soft and squishy )
gut loaded 1/3 sized crickets or similar sized roaches.

That's it , no other feeder bugs are suitable for use as staples for a young hatchling.

 

[Calcal]

They usually will not starve themselves and refuse food when they feel full. People advise against supers before a certain age due to impaction but also because they are high in fat. If you believe your beardie handles the small supers well and has no issues digesting them I would still only recommend them as treats while he's growing.

Are you able to order black soldier fly larvae online in bulk? I know there are some vendors on eBay and Amazon that sell them at a decent price. Medium or even large would probably be a good size for him.

Alright.. gotcha.. now I have a whole container of these superworms for nothing.. what am I supposed to do with them?

 

[Calcal]

DEFINITELY NO superworms or mealworms for your hatchling , way too young to deal with them.

Key to a good hatchling appetite are :
bugs FIRST (give the greens and veg with the last bug meal of then day, else little piggy will fill up on low protein green junk instead of his live bugs .... LIVE BUGS are the BEST food for them at 3 months old)
very high UVA (at least 30%)
high UVB (at least 10%)
basking temp about 40degCelsius
long days (my lighting schedule is 15on/9off).
keep them warm overnight ( I have warm hides about 36degCelsius )

NO COLORED LIGHTS
NO SAND or other PARTICLE TYPE BEDDINGS.

Best feeder options are :
BSF maggots ( hard to beat )
silkworms ( for a 2 - 3 month old worms up to 2in long are fine - as they soft and squishy )
gut loaded 1/3 sized crickets or similar sized roaches.

That's it , no other feeder bugs are suitable for use as staples for a young hatchling.

He's not exactly a hatching. He's fairly bigger than a "newborn". I know that their diet sort of... swaps when they grow up. I just wasn't sure what to give him anymore since he refuses to eat crickets.

 

[MsCarter]

I'm sorry I know that sucks. It's always best to be safe though. If you know anyone with a reptile that eats insects you can give them away or even sell them if you wish.