Why won't my bearded Dragon eat this.

[Beardy1]

Hi, i just got my bearded dragon a week ago and he would eat his pellets and Collard greens and carrots and apples. Now he only heats his crickets, horn worms, and the apples and carrots. He won't eat the pellets( They are small and red) and his collard greens. What do i do to get him to eat?? He is a bout 1 moth and 10 days old.

 

[diamc]

[Moved here from Off Topic forum]

A beardie that is only a month old needs LOTS of protein to help him grow. It's great that he's eating since you only got him a week ago, some beardies get quite stressed and won't even eat until they have settled in for 2 wks or so. Are you giving him all the feeders he wants to eat 2 to 3 times a day in about a 10 to 15 minute time frame each time? A lot of beardies don't show an interest in pellets especially at such a young age but it's fine to keep offering them, make sure they are moist so put some water on them.

To make sure everything is perfect for him, can you give us your setup details including type of substrate on bottom of tank, size of tank, wattage of heat bulb(s), brand & type of UVB, tank temps, type of thermometer you're using. Any other detailed info would be helpful.

 

[Beardy1]

[Moved here from Off Topic forum]

A beardie that is only a month old needs LOTS of protein to help him grow. It's great that he's eating since you only got him a week ago, some beardies get quite stressed and won't even eat until they have settled in for 2 wks or so. Are you giving him all the feeders he wants to eat 2 to 3 times a day in about a 10 to 15 minute time frame each time? A lot of beardies don't show an interest in pellets especially at such a young age but it's fine to keep offering them, make sure they are moist so put some water on them.

To make sure everything is perfect for him, can you give us your setup details including type of substrate on bottom of tank, size of tank, wattage of heat bulb(s), brand & type of UVB, tank temps, type of thermometer you're using. Any other detailed info would be helpful.

Hi, Thanks for responding. I will try and send a picture of my tank but in my setup I have a log looking tin as a hut/backing spot. I have a log plank thing leading to the top t bask at. (What he's sleeping on tonight.) Also i have a styrofoam wall that he like to climb and back on. On the bottom i have reptile bark chips. I also have a feeding bowl and a water bowl. I spry him with a warted sprayer everyday tho just incase he doesn't drink from bowl. I know the cage doesn't have a lot but i don't have the money atm to buy more stuff. Everyday in the morning i feed him the pellets and 2 freeze dried crickets. Thats at 6 am when i wake up for school 7-8 when I'm off from school. Then al about 4 after school i feed him Collard greens and apples and carrots.( the apple and carrots are every other day. Then at night at like 5-6 i feed him 1 horn worm. ( after there all gone will be a few crickets.) Now i don't know if thats good or not but he does poop every day sometimes more then once a day. Is that bad? Now the bulbs i got are UVB: 150 watt and basking bulb: 100 watt.

 

[Beardy1]

Heres the setup. It flipped everything around but its all on the opposite side
https://plus.google.com/u/0/107421217151813367389/posts/RDzYK6rnrHY?pid=6066505754964812082&oid=107421217151813367389

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Your beardie needs to be fed way more. He needs to be fed live feeders 2x a day for 10 to 15 mins. Dusted with calcium 5x a week one feeding and vitamins 2x a week. Also the bark subtrate is very bad as it can cause impaction and harbors bacteria. I would use either paper towels or non adhesive shelf liner. Misting is not hydrating her. She needs baths every day as they absorb water through their vent. Misting also raises the humidity and will give your little guy a respiratory infection.

 

[Beardy1]

So i woke up this morning and gave her one cricket dusted with calcium and the pellets not dusted. I just think he didn't like them dusted. And ill try not dusting the Collard greens today just give he 2 horn worms dusted.

 

[diamc]

Are you giving him all the feeders, crickets or hornworms that he wants to eat 2 to 3 times a day in about a 10 to 15 minute time frame each time? Are you using live crickets now? How big are the hornworms you're feeding him?

We weren't able to view the picture of his setup. You would need to download it into Photobucket and then post the tag here.

What size tank is he in? What is the wattage of your basking bulb, 150 or 100 watt and is it a white or colored bulb? Is your UVB bulb a coil, compact or fluorescent tube and what brand is it?

It's also important that we find out what type of thermometer you're using, digital strip, round gauge (dial), temperature gun or digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end? What is the basking & cool side temp?

 

[Beardy1]

Are you giving him all the feeders, crickets or hornworms that he wants to eat 2 to 3 times a day in about a 10 to 15 minute time frame each time? Are you using live crickets now? How big are the hornworms you're feeding him?

We weren't able to view the picture of his setup. You would need to download it into Photobucket and then post the tag here.

What size tank is he in? What is the wattage of your basking bulb, 150 or 100 watt and is it a white or colored bulb? Is your UVB bulb a coil, compact or fluorescent tube and what brand is it?

It's also important that we find out what type of thermometer you're using, digital strip, round gauge (dial), temperature gun or digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end? What is the basking & cool side temp?[/quote]



Hi, so Ive been giving him only 1 hornworm a day bc there like adult size noes because they had to grow so fast but i do not have lie crickets yet. Im going to the pet store this week to buy them so he will be getting them. And I'm stating to get worried because he won't eat his greens the only thing he ate yesterday were the freeze dried crickets now and the horn worms.

Ill upload the picture today after school.

Hes is a 23.5" x 17.5" x 17" I went by width length and hight. UVB: 150 watt and basking bulb: 100 watt. White bulbs. The uvb is coiled. i can't find if there compact or fluorescent and its by Exo Tera, and the heating one is Zoo Med.

So i do not have a thermometer. Ill buy one when i go to pet store. What type of thermometer should i get?

Thanks, respond soon!

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. A temp gun or a digital with a wire probe are the most accurate thermometers. The you uvb you have has been known to cause eye problems, lethergy and appetite problems. The reptisun 10.0 Tube is one of view the most recommended on here. He needs to be fed live feeders everyday 2x to 3x a day. That means can easily eat 50 or more crickets. One adult horn worm is not enough. Freeze dried really are not that good for them. As salads go most babies don't really eat that until they are older. Just offer it everyday.

 

[diamc]

A full grown horn worm is too big for a one month beardie. How many inches would you say the horn worms are that you're feeding him now? Are they quite fast too?

That's great that you will be getting live crickets, bet he will like chasing them & it's so cute to watch. Make sure they are the small ones, no larger than the space between his eyes. It would be cheaper for you to order live crickets online as a little beardie can eat a LOT of them which is what he needs.

Great that you will be uploading a picture to Photobucket.

That's good that you will be getting a thermometer as accurate temps are VERY important. As destiny said, make sure it is either a temperature gun or a digital with a long wire & probe end as those are the only 2 accurate ways to get readings. If you want links to see what they look like, let us know. The 100 watt bulb may actually be too hot for your 33 gallon tank. Where does he spend most of his time when he's in his tank? Are you bathing him?

The sooner you can replace the UVB you have now, the better. We highly recommend the Repti-SUN 10.0 strip fluorescent tube.

Babies don't usually show much interest in greens at all until they are at least close to a year old. But, keep offering fresh ones daily. What greens have you been offering him?

 

[Beardy1]

A full grown horn worm is too big for a one month beardie. How many inches would you say the horn worms are that you're feeding him now? Are they quite fast too?

That's great that you will be getting live crickets, bet he will like chasing them & it's so cute to watch. Make sure they are the small ones, no larger than the space between his eyes. It would be cheaper for you to order live crickets online as a little beardie can eat a LOT of them which is what he needs.

Great that you will be uploading a picture to Photobucket.

That's good that you will be getting a thermometer as accurate temps are VERY important. As destiny said, make sure it is either a temperature gun or a digital with a long wire & probe end as those are the only 2 accurate ways to get readings. If you want links to see what they look like, let us know. The 100 watt bulb may actually be too hot for your 33 gallon tank. Where does he spend most of his time when he's in his tank? Are you bathing him?

The sooner you can replace the UVB you have now, the better. We highly recommend the Repti-SUN 10.0 strip fluorescent tube.

Babies don't usually show much interest in greens at all until they are at least close to a year old. But, keep offering fresh ones daily. What greens have you been offering him?

Ok so I'm going to Petsmart Thursday so he will be getting crickets soon and the horn worms rant to fast they rarely move. The hornworm are about 3 inches long. The bulb i might not be able to get yet because i don't know if i will have enough money. How much are the thermometers? and i would link a picture. I bathe him 3 or four times a week. I bathed him once this week so far i will tomorrow and saturday. or should i be doing it every day. And he spends most of his time on basking log and on the wall right next to the sun bulb or the heat bulb. Sometimes even right intron of the heat one like his head is touching the top part. Also he sometimes sits in the corner. Can i have a list of what i should be feeding him too and what to put calcium on. I give him collard greens and apples and carrots. He won't even touch the collards anymore. He like hates them he run away from them and I'm really scared because he only eats the horn worms now and apples. I hope he will eat a lot more once i get crickets. Also can i have a link to where to get live crickets online? And how do i tell if he's trunking or not.

The video won't go on here so heres link to it http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/J...-4D82CCEE4469_zpsa9xzxec2.mp4.html?sort=3&o=7The video was taken a few days after i got him so the horn worms were a bit smaller and i just fed him one and he didn't eat it right away like usually.

 

[diamc]

His very cute and looked quite content basking.

Here's a link to a few digital probe thermometers. This one is very cheap and you should be able to find it in your pet store. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Terrarium-Thermometer/dp/B000MD3MFA/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725520&sr=8-31&keywords=probe+thermometer

This is the one most of us use, they have it at Walmart & probably even Lowe's & Home Depot: http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instruments-Acu-Rite-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725595&sr=8-2&keywords=chaney+acurite

And, here's a temperature gun: http://www.amazon.com/Nubee%C2%AE-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725663&sr=8-1&keywords=temperature+gun You should be able to find one of them in Lowe's or Home Depot.

Bathing 3 to 4 times a wk is fine. Does he like his baths?

Do you have a guard (wire) over the heat bulb so that he can't get burned since he goes so close to it?

Here's a site that shows the best greens/veggies to feed in green print: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html When mine were babies, they liked escarole, endive, dandelion, mustard greens. Maybe he is tired of the collards and would like a different one for a change or even 2 of the best ones that are shown in green print. To give you an example, I feed my beardies turnip & mustard greens, escarole, dandelions this wk. I change them around but their favorites are dandelion and turnip greens.

Since he is so young, you should be dusting all the crickets he can eat in about 10 minutes but only dusting them one feeding a day. You should do that 5 days a wk. Then on the other 2 days a wk, you should dust all the crickets he can eat in 10 minutes but only dust one feeding a day. Here's where I've been getting my feeders. http://www.lindasgonebuggie.com You can get 100 any sized cup of crickets for $5.00 which is a very good price. Scroll down about half way on this page and you will see all the $5.00 choices. You have to make sure to pick the size crickets you want. The horn worm in the video looked a little too big to feed him. I certainly wouldn't feed him ones that are bigger because he could get part of it stuck in his little throat and it could cut off his breathing. Do you have a lot of the big ones left?

And how do i tell if he's trunking or not.

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you meant by this.

Rather than using bark substrate which he could be eating & could cause some health problems, it would be better to use NON-adhesive shelf liner or even paper towels. When you use a loose substrate, it's impossible to clean up all the liquid when they poop so it could cause bacteria to grow which is NOT good.

Glad to see that you have Rep-Cal brand calcium, that's what most of us here use.

 

[Beardy1]

His very cute and looked quite content basking.

Here's a link to a few digital probe thermometers. This one is very cheap and you should be able to find it in your pet store. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Terrarium-Thermometer/dp/B000MD3MFA/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725520&sr=8-31&keywords=probe+thermometer

This is the one most of us use, they have it at Walmart & probably even Lowe's & Home Depot: http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instruments-Acu-Rite-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725595&sr=8-2&keywords=chaney+acurite

And, here's a temperature gun: http://www.amazon.com/Nubee%C2%AE-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412725663&sr=8-1&keywords=temperature+gun You should be able to find one of them in Lowe's or Home Depot.

Bathing 3 to 4 times a wk is fine. Does he like his baths?

Do you have a guard (wire) over the heat bulb so that he can't get burned since he goes so close to it?

Here's a site that shows the best greens/veggies to feed in green print: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html When mine were babies, they liked escarole, endive, dandelion, mustard greens. Maybe he is tired of the collards and would like a different one for a change or even 2 of the best ones that are shown in green print. To give you an example, I feed my beardies turnip & mustard greens, escarole, dandelions this wk. I change them around but their favorites are dandelion and turnip greens.

Since he is so young, you should be dusting all the crickets he can eat in about 10 minutes but only dusting them one feeding a day. You should do that 5 days a wk. Then on the other 2 days a wk, you should dust all the crickets he can eat in 10 minutes but only dust one feeding a day. Here's where I've been getting my feeders. http://www.lindasgonebuggie.com You can get 100 any sized cup of crickets for $5.00 which is a very good price. Scroll down about half way on this page and you will see all the $5.00 choices. You have to make sure to pick the size crickets you want. The horn worm in the video looked a little too big to feed him. I certainly wouldn't feed him ones that are bigger because he could get part of it stuck in his little throat and it could cut off his breathing. Do you have a lot of the big ones left?

And how do i tell if he's trunking or not.

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you meant by this.

Rather than using bark substrate which he could be eating & could cause some health problems, it would be better to use NON-adhesive shelf liner or even paper towels. When you use a loose substrate, it's impossible to clean up all the liquid when they poop so it could cause bacteria to grow which is NOT good.

Glad to see that you have Rep-Cal brand calcium, that's what most of us here use.

You i like those tanks ha. So your talking about the walk up to the basking spot to change right? I have 2 big ones left and 2 babes left. Ill ask my dad if i can order the crickets tonight. Also Do i need both thermometers. Lol the website of the greens is the website of the person i bought the dragon from lol. She gave me a sheet to use to go to that website but idk if its hers or not. And i meant to say how do i tell if he's drinking or not. Idk why you mean by guard wire is. At the top i have the top wire thingy that regular tanks come with. Ill go buy some of those greens soon too. My collards might be bad tho bc it smells bad in the bag. Should i keep offering him it or just wait till i get new greens? And for dusting your saying ply 1 cricket dusted and the rest non dusted and then 2 days just dust all crickets? Also what do you mean by dusting?

What inch crickets do i get from site?

 

[diamc]

You actually only need to get one of those thermometers or get a temperature gun.

I meant that the bark on the bottom of the tank isn't safe to use and that NON-adhesive shelf liner or even paper towels would be much better. Do you think you can remove the bark?

I see now that your lights are on top of the screen so you wouldn't need the wire guard that I mentioned. Are the lights on top of the screen or is there screen across the bottom of your dual dome? Sorry but it's hard to tell for sure. I am worried about him getting to close to the heat bulb though since you said his head touches the top part sometimes.

That's good that you already had that list of greens. Would be good to pick out at least 2 from the best greens listed. If your collards smell bad DO NOT feed them, could make him very sick or worse, just throw them out.

I use the cardboard from an empty toilet paper or paper roll and put that in the cricket tank. They love to hide in it. When it's time to feed your beardie crickets, take a plastic ziploc bag & put a small pinch of calcium in the bag. Slowly pick up the cardboard tube that had crickets in it and gently shake the tube into the bag with the calcium. Zip up the top and gently shake the bag to coat the crickets with calcium. You would do that 1 cricket feeding a day, 5 days a wk like Monday through Friday. Since you should be feeding him all the small crickets he can eat in about 10 minutes 2 times a day, you should be dusting (coating) those 20 or more crickets for one of the 2 daily feedings.

Then on the other 2 days, Saturday & Sunday, you would put a small pinch of vitamins (http://www.amazon.com/HERPTIVITE-Multivitamin-reptiles-amphibians-Bottle/dp/B00076HT3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412729769&sr=8-1&keywords=herptivite) in a ziploc bag, pick up the cardboard tube of crickets & lightly shake some crickets into the bag, seal it up, lightly shake it to coat the crickets with the vitamins and then feed them to your beardie. You will only dust one feeding of crickets with the vitamins per day, the 2nd feeding of the crickets that day will be UNdusted.

For cricket size, I think I would go with 1/2 inch. Did you find where the crickets were on that site?

Hope that helps clear it up for you.

 

[Beardy1]

You actually only need to get one of those thermometers or get a temperature gun.

I meant that the bark on the bottom of the tank isn't safe to use and that NON-adhesive shelf liner or even paper towels would be much better. Do you think you can remove the bark?

I see now that your lights are on top of the screen so you wouldn't need the wire guard that I mentioned. Are the lights on top of the screen or is there screen across the bottom of your dual dome? Sorry but it's hard to tell for sure. I am worried about him getting to close to the heat bulb though since you said his head touches the top part sometimes.

That's good that you already had that list of greens. Would be good to pick out at least 2 from the best greens listed. If your collards smell bad DO NOT feed them, could make him very sick or worse, just throw them out.

I use the cardboard from an empty toilet paper or paper roll and put that in the cricket tank. They love to hide in it. When it's time to feed your beardie crickets, take a plastic ziploc bag & put a small pinch of calcium in the bag. Slowly pick up the cardboard tube that had crickets in it and gently shake the tube into the bag with the calcium. Zip up the top and gently shake the bag to coat the crickets with calcium. You would do that 1 cricket feeding a day, 5 days a wk like Monday through Friday. Since you should be feeding him all the small crickets he can eat in about 10 minutes 2 times a day, you should be dusting (coating) those 20 or more crickets for one of the 2 daily feedings.

Then on the other 2 days, Saturday & Sunday, you would put a small pinch of vitamins (http://www.amazon.com/HERPTIVITE-Multivitamin-reptiles-amphibians-Bottle/dp/B00076HT3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412729769&sr=8-1&keywords=herptivite) in a ziploc bag, pick up the cardboard tube of crickets & lightly shake some crickets into the bag, seal it up, lightly shake it to coat the crickets with the vitamins and then feed them to your beardie. You will only dust one feeding of crickets with the vitamins per day, the 2nd feeding of the crickets that day will be UNdusted.

For cricket size, I think I would go with 1/2 inch. Did you find where the crickets were on that site?

Hope that helps clear it up for you.

I found the crickets, Ill change the bark tomorrow. I don't want to wake him up. So calcium for 20 crickets 5 days? and 1 day vitamins? Also how many crickets do you recommend me buying tomorrow? The pigs do not touch the wire at top its in the air. And i ca use the bark log to get to basking dock? Or do i need new one? Also how do i get him to drink? Also for crickets I'm also buying the food for them to eat so they don't die or don't even bother?