Hello, I got my bearded dragon about 2 months ago and he's around 10 inches long (don't know age or gender). He seems to be too scared to bask. The temp of the basking rock is 105F and 85F on the cool side. I feed him about 15 dubia roaches and mealworms once a day. I'm concerned that he may not be getting the optimal heat as he only seems to bask when I am out of the room. Admittedly, I've only worked with him for about a week, so I should probably begin attempting to tame him again? My goal is to tame him so he isn't so skittish and scared of me. Furthermore, just yesterday I changed the entire substrate to ceramic tile and gave the enclosure a deep clean. He also glass surfs quite a bit. Any tips are much appreciated!
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Bearded Dragon skittish/scared after 2 months
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Lets go over first the basking temps --- how are you taking them? NO stickons they are inaccurate- you want a digital probe thermometer- you didnt mention a UVB-- please NO coils --- they are inadequate and will cause all kinds of health issues --- we will start there - these need to be on par - it is not uncommon for dragons to adjust and acclimate to their tanks and surroundings for a while but his basking temps and UVB must be on par-- it is best to get him hand tamed w/ some BSFL --- please stop w/ the meal worms -- they are too harsh on babies stomachs - please start feeding fresh salads along w/ his staple insect - but he needs to be offered salads now or you will have issues getting him to eat them at one year old if feeding only insects now -- his diet will flip to 80% greens to 20% insects -
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info it is outdated and a great staple feeder
www.symtonbsf.com order large for a 3 month old dragon-
use the BSFL to hand tame him add them to the tops of his salad in front of him this will get his attention - we need to get him to eat some greens even if its only a bite or two - this is how most dragons get their water - please rinse the greens before serving -- please start dropping water or use a eye dropper on his nose-- and I would offer once or twice a week -- no baths for now - its going to take time w/ him - approach from the side not over head he will think your a predator - pet him in the tank feed him the BSFL and go slow --- patience is key here - but we need to get the surface basking temps and UVB correct so he can start to acclimate to the tank
The temps were taken with a Infrared Thermometer. I do have a 15W T5 High Output 10.0 Zoo Med Reptisun UVB (not coil). Should I be offering salads daily along with the insects? How often should I take him out of the tank? How often and how much should he be eating?
I would not take him out of the tank for now --- how old is the dragon? The screen on your tank will determine where your UVB goes -- how long is the fixture? He should be fed fresh salads every day -- I would feed that first in the morning then your insects --- use the BSFL as a lure to the bowl they are a great staple feeder -- put them on top of his salads in front of him it will get his attention
https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
this is a great salad bowl -- it will keep the BSFL in the bowl
please get the digital probe thermometers -- IR guns can be off -- I do use them as well but rely on my probes for most accurate temps - certain materials will throw IR guns off depending on what they are made out of
I got the dragon from LLLReptile and they told me they weren't certain of the age but they said around 7 months. He's a hypo if that changes anything. I just ordered 200 of the Large Feeding-Grade Black Soldier Fly Larvae now. The UVB fixture is 12 inches long. The screen on the top of the tank is thin mesh. How many BSFL should I give per day?
Ok how big is the tank? For a 7 month old dragon he needs to be in a tank of 40 gallon but I would get him into a 120 gallon - the uvb fixture is too short - for a 40+ gallon and up to a 120 he needs a 24" fixture-- I would feed him 25 or so at a time they will gobble them down really fast if he likes them then you need to watch for them coming out undigested - that's when you need to cut back on them-- I didn't realize he was that old - the uvb needs to go inside the tank - screens cut the uvb by 30% - please unobstruct it by taking the screen off - cutting it or putting it inside- 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor
I've currently got a 40 gallon. I can attach a photo so you can estimate his current age. Should the UVB and heat lamp overlap?
Juvenile is between how old? 5-8 months?
Gotcha, thanks. I'll try to get the new UVB fixture as soon as I can. I'm assuming it's very crucial to have this one.
Are the zoo med reptisun fixtures suitable?
Yes that's one I recommend 24" found on line www.petmountain.com this comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you want the 22" reptisun 10.0 bulb-- or you can go w/ a Arcadia pro T 5 w/ the 24 watt 12% bulb found at PetSmart or a sunblaster nano tech
https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html get the 2 ft fixture and change the bulb out to the reptisun posted above
If I purchase this bulb https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Fluorescent-24-Inch/dp/B0009YHSWK what hood do I need to get?
https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-high-output-terrarium-hood?variant=40651
Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO High Output Fluorescent Bulb
Zoo Med Reptisun T5 HO 10.0 UVB High Output Bulbs offer increased UVB and brighter light output that's perfect for larger reptile habitats. This helps enhance vitamin D production to prevent or reverse metabolic bone problems in reptiles. High output UVB bulb that's perfect for larger reptile...
www.petmountain.com
