Very New to This

[BellaDragon]

We purchased a bearded dragon from a person who couldn't house him anymore.

He came with a purple basking light and an exo terra 10 uvb lamp. I switched his basking lamp to zoomed 75wv basking lamp.

The basking temperature is between 95-100 and the rest is between 85-70

Ever since I switched his basking light to a brighter one he has been going insane, trying to get out of the cage and just a lot more alert.

I turn all the lights off at night and the temperature goes down no lower than 67.

He is about 17 inches long and eats about 40 - 1 inch young adult crickets, I gave him a bath for the first time today, he does not have any stress marks on his belly, but he is trying to break the glass getting out.

He is eating salad and doesn't seem to be dehydrated, what the hell am I doing wrong or is this just normal, he was use to having that purple light but then would sleep all during the day and night.

Any input would be great.

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Glad you changed his bulb. Colored are bad for their eyes. Is the uvb a coil, compact or tube?

 

[AKnorthstar]

What are you using to measure your temps?

 

[bunnyrut]

how long have you had him?

having new lights that aren't dark is going to make him go bonkers. plus he is in a new place.
and it sounds like he is at the size/age that they usually start getting crazy.
have fun with that.

i would suggest taking him out when he is running all over and let him see his new home. if there is an area you can set up for him to have a bigger space to explore then that will help him burn off some energy.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

make sure the UVB is a reptisun 10.0 TUBE.
the lights might bother him for a while.
is the tank too small? (what size is it)
take him out daily to get some exorcise and burn off energy until he stops acting this way.

make sure to feed him collard greens because they are nutritional unlike many other types of greens, do not feed lettuce as a staple, and stray away from kale/carrots due to too much vitamin A. (tip: green beans cause diarrhea that could make you think he has parasites when he doesnt.)

dust his crickets with calcium dust WITHOUT added d3 before feeding.
also dust them with multivitamin dust once a week.
these are both fairly cheap to get.

if your tank is too small i HIGHLY suggest building your own for a lot cheaper than the glass ones, search what woods are ok. melamine works too. i built one for $120 compared to the $300 glass tank at the store.
this also gives you some say in the way you access the tank (i can get in from the front which allows easy access that doesnt scare him like a bird is coming.) and if he cant see out of it besides the cheap plexi glass i have on the front, it completely changes their personality. it calmed mine down alot he was scared of EVERYTHING from the glass tank.

 

[BellaDragon]

Thank you for all that info the tank is 40 gallons, and we are hoping to get a bigger one soon.

I also have one more question.

I gave him a bath today, and he pooped regular poop, after I put him in the tank he went what look like pee/diarrhea, there was no poop in it just liquid chalk like substance.

His head also started shedding after the bath and now he is in hiding, but he ate normally after the bath.

Anything I should look for?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

That is their urine. It is released as a chalky urate, the fact that it was delayed s weird (its usually released right after they poop). You may hAve scared Him or it could have been stuck to his tail, or he simply wanted to wait. See if it happens again tomorrow, (i bathe mine daily to keep him hydrated and so he doesnt poop in the tank). But te chalky urate is normal. The tank size is good by the way.

 

[BellaDragon]

Thank you so much makes me feel a lot better

I was surprised it happened maybe 10 minutes after I took him out, then again I bathed him for maybe 5 minutes because I was scared I will hurt him

He seem agitated when I put him back in the tank, but that could possibly be due to shedding from what I read.

Once again Thank you

 

[TipsyTraveler]

He could have been agitated to shedding, or it could be his personality, or he doesnt like baths xP

 

[DixieLonestar20x]

for the price of buying and setting up a tank you can build one if you have the energy and you would be much happier than with a glass set up. I build them for people in my local area because they would rather spend money than build their own, which i am fine with but you can do a 4x2x2 using BIRCH plywood as your walls top etc. Birch is cheapest to go, but if you have the money go melamine. i use birch on mine as I have been happier than working with melamine. i get the 4x2 sheets for like $13 a piece at lowes. get four (top back and bottom, then cut 1 in half for your sides. plexiglass on the front as sliding doors. you can't go wrong!

My two cents!

Hope you enjoy your new friend!

 

[BeardiesOnBlast]

Hi there,
I read all the comments and every single one was correct. The running and such in the cage might be due to 3 different things or a combination or all three!
So these are the thing I think might be happening.
1. He is stresses out with the new environment.
2. Since he is shedding he may have been trying to remove the shed.
3. He is not used to the bright lights and they are bothering him.

Try covering all sides of the cage with paper for a few days to see if that helps at all. Also bathe him for about 10 minutes he will get over himself if he does not like it very much. They absorb water through their vents and need time to let is soak in.

Best of luck.