Turning Black when put back in tank

[redborzoi]

My 9 week old bearded dragon turned very black today after I put him back in his tank and hid in his sleeping place. Blacker then i’ve ever seen him turn. I was handling him for 5 minutes like normal, and he wasn’t black until I put him back in his tank + hid on his stick he sleeps on. Did I do something wrong , is this any cause for concern? He has been acting fine all day.

https://ibb.co/88JryYx

I’m a new beardie owner so I freak about every little thing haha, I just want him to be okay. I’ve been handling him every couple days for 5 minutes to get him used to me, but he still seems to prefer his tank to being out with me. Although i can’t really tell.

Also- any tips for getting him to eat greens? He’s barely eaten any since I first adopted him , i tried putting BSFL in his salad but he ate those and not the salad. The only thing I’ve seen him eat out of his salad occasionally was butternut squash pieces.

 

[KarrieRee]

The UVB is a brand and bulb please? And the fixture I can see a little bit does it have a reflector and a cover over the bulb -- basking temps need to be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer --- I would let him acclimate to the tank and his surroundings -- let him alone for a few days and then start again w/ the handling for 5 min in the tank - keep on the w/ BSFL the butternut squash is good you are on a start w/ the veggies - you will need to keep trying w/ stuff he will eat as far as veggies

 

[redborzoi]

The UVB is a brand and bulb please? And the fixture I can see a little bit does it have a reflector and a cover over the bulb -- basking temps need to be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer --- I would let him acclimate to the tank and his surroundings -- let him alone for a few days and then start again w/ the handling for 5 min in the tank - keep on the w/ BSFL the butternut squash is good you are on a start w/ the veggies - you will need to keep trying w/ stuff he will eat as far as veggies

reptisun T5 - it has a self made foil reflector- it’s temporary as he’s moving into another enclosure soon, what are other good options to get him to eat veggies and fruit?

 

[KarrieRee]

small super worms like 1-3 top of salads along w/ the BSFL - small horn worms like 2 they can be found at www.dubiaroaches.com -- how close is the T 5 you want it 12-15 inches directly above basking decor - anything closer that 12 is too close - fruit should be fed occasionally - his main diet is the bugs so if you can get him eating his veggies even a little thats good

 

[redborzoi]

small super worms like 1-3 top of salads along w/ the BSFL - small horn worms like 2 they can be found at http://www.dubiaroaches.com -- how close is the T 5 you want it 12-15 inches directly above basking decor - anything closer that 12 is too close - fruit should be fed occasionally - his main diet is the bugs so if you can get him eating his veggies even a little thats good

sorry just double checked- uvb is a T8 and is 8 or so inches above his basking spot- i will try to feed him the veggies more often and see if he’ll take them- just want to make sure the lack of veggies isn’t going to damage him in the long run

 

[kingofnobbys]

This will give you a handle on how the T8 needs to be from the basking spot

T8 10% in reflector hood :
14x10/12 = 12cm to 17x10/12 = 14cm from basking spot is ideal for a bearded dragon . 8" is too far.


Based on behavior
- suggest double checking all tank zone and basking spot temperatures <== going dark all over indicates too cool
- can also mean not impressed about you stopping cuddles when dragon is not ready to go back.

 

[redborzoi]

small super worms like 1-3 top of salads along w/ the BSFL - small horn worms like 2 they can be found at http://www.dubiaroaches.com -- how close is the T 5 you want it 12-15 inches directly above basking decor - anything closer that 12 is too close - fruit should be fed occasionally - his main diet is the bugs so if you can get him eating his veggies even a little thats good

sorry just double checked- uvb is a T8 and is 8 or so inches above his basking spot- i will try to feed him the veggies more often and see if he’ll take them- just want to make sure the lack of veggies isn’t going to damage him in the long run

This will give you a handle on how the T8 needs to be from the basking spot

T8 10% in reflector hood :
14x10/12 = 12cm to 17x10/12 = 14cm from basking spot is ideal for a bearded dragon . 8" is too far.


Based on behavior
- suggest double checking all tank zone and basking spot temperatures <== going dark all over indicates too cool
- can also mean not impressed about you stopping cuddles when dragon is not ready to go back.

temperatures are -
basking rock 110F
cool side 81F
humidity 49%
distance of uvb to basking spot 14-15 cm

he is in his cool side / sleeping spot again an hour sooner then usual- severe stress marks but not as bad as yesterday- not sure what i’m doing wrong besides the distance of UVB-

 

[KarrieRee]

There should be NO cover over the UVB bulb if there take it off -- then make sure your distance is 6-8 inches -- get that straightened out and then go from there see if he quits turning black - how long does he bask under the basking bulb?

 

[redborzoi]

There should be NO cover over the UVB bulb if there take it off -- then make sure your distance is 6-8 inches -- get that straightened out and then go from there see if he quits turning black - how long does he bask under the basking bulb?

there is no cover- he usually basks under his bulb most of the day sometimes moving positions and moving from the rock to the log to thermo regulate-

he has never gone to the cool side except the past two days- 2 hours sooner then he usually does- most of the time a hour before his lights are timed to shut off he goes to his cool side to sleep -

i will get a taller basking spot that gets closer to the uvb and see if that helps -

 

[kingofnobbys]

There should be NO cover over the UVB bulb if there take it off -- then make sure your distance is 6-8 inches -- get that straightened out and then go from there see if he quits turning black - how long does he bask under the basking bulb?

there is no cover- he usually basks under his bulb most of the day sometimes moving positions and moving from the rock to the log to thermo regulate-

he has never gone to the cool side except the past two days- 2 hours sooner then he usually does- most of the time a hour before his lights are timed to shut off he goes to his cool side to sleep -

i will get a taller basking spot that gets closer to the uvb and see if that helps -

He's staying there because he senses he needs to BECAUSE UVA & UVB flux he is getting @ the basking spot is inadequate for him metabolize .

Double check the temp @ the basking spot, if he's staying there it's under the Preferred Body Temp , should be 97 to 100 degF @ basking spot NO HOTTER. ( this will boost his metabolism and coax him to thermoregulate ( move from warm to cool regularly ).

How are your measuring the basking spot temperature?
Tell us the kit and your procedure (in detail).