5month old Beardie sleeps alot

[ROSEMARIE]

My 5month old seems to want to sleep for a long period of time during the day. When shes is in her tank her under belly seems to ne very dark,but when i take her out it goes away. She eats normal, im not exactly sure whats wrong or why shes acting the way she does in her tank. Could there be something wrong with her or am I over reacting?

 

[Aleena]

Hi Rosemarie Can you post a pic of your setup and your baby? This is the same tiger fire bd that wouldn't eat, right? We need more information then what we have been given to go off of.
UVA/UVB strengths and temps, and what you are using to measure the temps with, basking side and cool side. They won't eat or anything really if they're not getting warm enough, they can't digest there food, and it will make them lay about.
What size of tank do you have?
What substrate?
Please get this bd to a vet quickly if you are worried about it and it's this young. There have been quite a few incidents with people going off of some chain pet store setups that are completely all wrong for beardies and killing them... which is why we ask you questions about the setup.

 

[Germ]

Sounds like it could possibly be a setup &\or heat issue

 

[ROSEMARIE]

 

[ROSEMARIE]

This is not the same beardie the first one i talked about was my sisters. I bought her from someone and this was their set up i put the heating rock but its not on so she has somewhere cool to lay. I also have a 75watt basking bulb and 75watt night bulb. For now i have her in a 10 gal tank i will be upgrading soon.

 

[Germ]

I am going to go out on a limb here & guess that you may be using this kit or something very similar.

Although it has been asked, you have not mentioned if you are using an actual UVB bulb & it sounds like you may not have one. This is a required part of the husbandry where there is no compromise & is explained below. This is feeling like a Dejavu & I am not going to pull any punches. If you check recent posts (Do a search for the words 'Died', then 'Dead'), this week, on this forum alone, there have been 2 youngsters die, as a direct result of being kept in the above setup, which is all wrong & quite dangerous to the health & wellbeing of the animal! The keepers asked for help too late or did not heed the advice in time. A 10 Gal is too small for any size BD.

Bananas are a very poor staple food, a good nutrition list has been previously submitted to you.

Very few BDs will recognize standing water. Many of us do not provide a water dish for this reason, none of mine will use it & it just raises the humidity in the enclosure unnecessarily. Humidity is quite high where I live so I don't need any more.

Basking Temps should be taken directly at the basking spot (The closest area the BD can get to the Heat Bulb) & should be in the vicinity of 110F for a Juvenile, 95F-105F for an adult. The cool side temp should be taken at the opposite end of the enclosure from the basking Bulb, near or on the floor & should be in the 80F-85F range, providing the necessary Heat gradient, for them to choose & regulate their body temps, which is virtually impossible to achieve in a 10 Gal tank. Analog thermometers are well known for their inaccuracy (have been known to be out as much as 20%) & are difficult to get accurate temps in the right spots. Digital thermometers with a sensor that can be placed anywhere in the enclosure, or an Infrared thermometer (Temp Gun) are highly recommended.

Both Heat & UVB lights (Specialty Fluorescent Coil or Tube Bulbs formulated to emit UVB) should be above, covering the basking spot, on for 12-14 hrs a day, off for the rest, consistently, On/Off at the same time of the day, everyday. An electronic timer is a really good, inexpensive option. These are not Cats or Dogs & should not be treated as such pets. Extended time spent outside of a properly set up enclosure, robs them of the time under the basking heat needed to digest their food properly, along with the UVB rays, missing in captivity from the sun, required for their body to manufacture Vit D3, which in turn enables their system to process their much needed Calcium intake. Without sufficient UVB exposure they can not process their calcium, leading to, among other serious ailments, crippling & often deadly MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). UVB cannot pass through solid filters such as glass or plastic, so placing the enclosure in front of a window is not beneficial to them & can cause quite dangerous heat spikes in the enclosure because of the sun's heat magnification through the glass.

The majority of the feeders they eat have a very poor Calcium/Phosphorus ratio, so feeders must dusted with Calcium in order to supplement this.

Although BDs are well known for their calm demeanor & their ability to tolerate handling well, most BDs would just as well be left alone.

BDs don't really chew their food, they crush or tear until it is small enough or in a shape or form that can be attempted to be swallowed whole. Large pieces of Greens that are not fastened to something, as they would be on the plant, make it very difficult for a BD to tear a piece off small enough to swallow, so they should served in smaller portions.

Pet Stores are notorious for giving false information, very few are specific species husbandry knowledgeable. Whether it be because they just really don't know better or they are just there for the sale, not knowing the specific store or branch, it is unknown. As a whole, the majority of Pet Stores are very poor sources of good info. There is the odd exception, but they are few & far between, leaving the unwary customer at the mercy of the ones that aren't.

It is imperative that the enclosure size & lack of UVB issues be rectified as soon as possible.

Cute Dragon ...

Good Luck to you & yours

 

[Germ]

Heat rocks can be very dangerous & are not recommended at all. They are notorious for malfunctioning & many BDs have burned their bellies on them. Please don't turn it on. Night heat is not needed or wanted unless your ambient room temps drop below the low t0 mid 60sF. They should be allowed to cool at night, slows the metabolism for a good rest. Any kind of night light, no matter what color, will bother most BDs sleep, also. Should night heat be absolutely necessary, a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) is recommended.

 

[ROSEMARIE]

I did not use that start up kit. when i bought her the guy gave me the tank set up with her. I am using a uva bulb . she will go in the water every now and then. I just felt bad not giving her any water. But i am somewhat new at owning one myself so that's why i am asking for help so that i can correct anything i am doing wrong so she can live a very healthy happy life.

 

[Germ]

And that is what we are doing, if you read the message we are giving you, there is all sorts of wrong with that enclosure & setup. And the depicted kit is likely what that set up is. It is a 10 gal.

 

[Germ]

The BD looks very small for 5 months.

 

[ROSEMARIE]

I am reading all the info and i appreciate it alot. Yes it is a 10 gal I am looking into a bigger tank. That is how big she was when i got her she hatched on halloween 2011. What is the proper tank set up besides lighting and keep proper temp.

 

[Germ]

Minimum 20 gal now & minimum 40 gal as it gets older.

 

[ROSEMARIE]

Ok so a 20 gal min...how should i set it up properly. what can i put in her tank as far as decor. And for proper lighting use a uvb bulb. what wattage is good, no light at nite.

 

[Aleena]

I am reading all the info and i appreciate it alot. Yes it is a 10 gal I am looking into a bigger tank. That is how big she was when i got her she hatched on halloween 2011. What is the proper tank set up besides lighting and keep proper temp.

And you need a UVB 10.0 in addition to the heat lamp. I know you asked besides lighting, but it is necessary, and it doesn't sound like you have one

 

[Aleena]

Ok so a 20 gal min...how should i set it up properly. what can i put in her tank as far as decor. And for proper lighting use a uvb bulb. what wattage is good, no light at nite.

Wattage isn't a factor with the uvb, make sure the uvb rating is 10.0.

 

[Germ]

It requires a Basking\heat bulb And a UVB 10.0 bulb, Wattages for heat vary with setup & ambient room temps. Both above & covering the Basking spot. It will need a place to bask, usually a raised branch or rock, possibly a hide, a real rock to help keep it's nails wore down, & a feeding dish. Any thing else is all fluff.

 

[Aleena]

Ok so a 20 gal min...how should i set it up properly. what can i put in her tank as far as decor. And for proper lighting use a uvb bulb. what wattage is good, no light at nite.

No night light, if the temp is dropping below mid 60's at night, you can get a ceramic CHE which emits heat for the beardie. The UVB and UVA should be on the same side of the tank.
The 20 gal should be a 20 long, not tall.

 

[ROSEMARIE]

Ok so how exactly is the best way to set up her tank.

 

[Germ]

Some examples ...

33 gal

90 gal

 

[Aleena]

food and/or water should be on the cool side, you should have a digital thermometer on the cool side bottom, furthest from the heat and the warm side directly at the basking spot. You need a tall rock, or branch for them to bask on, a way to get up to the basking spot, a real rock is good for keeping the nails trimmed. Keep the uva/uvb on the same side of the tank above the basking spot. The reptile carpet is better then most of the substrate they use for beardies, so good job on having that!