First timer, please help!

[soobie]

Hi, I just got a little guy this weekend for my daughter,and we need some reassurance. We brought him home on Sunday, and he ate two mealworms and two crickets that day (plus whatever he had eaten in the store that morning). He ate nothing yesterday, and nothing so far today. He's been in his water dish several times, so hopefully is not dehydrated.

We've offered mealworms, crickets, cucumber, kale, green pepper, red pepper, and mango, but he's not interested in eating. Is this normal for a little one that has just been relocated? How long can they go without eating? He also seems to sleep a lot.

I think he's about 2 months old (5.5 inches long including the tail). We have him in a 40-gallon breeder glass tank with a screen top, a 150-watt daylight/basking UVA light, an 18-inch T8 Desert 50 UVB light, and a 100-watt nocturnal infrared heat lamp that's only on at night. Furniture includes mopani wood under the basking light, a "rock" cave/basking structure at the other end of the tank, and "rock" water and food dishes. Brown reptile carpet on the floor.

After reading here, it seems we shouldn't have gotten the red night light? My house is in the high 50's at night from October to May, so the guy in the store said we needed the red night light (never mentioned a ceramic one).

Help please. Should we be worried?

 

[Kmay571]

I would definitely get rid of the red light. Regardless if they can see red or not, it still shows up as a brightness in their tank at night. Go with a ceramic heat emitter.

My beardie refused to eat for a week when I got him. It sometimes takes a little while for them to settle in.

He also might be nervous about the size of the tank. Baby beardies are prone to predators in the wild and are very nervous in open spaces. He may not be able to find his food as easily because of the openness of the tank.

What are your temps? That might help us figure out what's going on.

 

[soobie]

Thanks so much for responding! The temp on the very top of the wood pile under the basking light is about 107-110, and about 103-105 on the flat spot where he likes to sleep. This end (with the daytime basking wood pile) has been getting down to about 65 at night, while the top of the rock cave/basking structure (under the red night light) gets to about 78-80 at night when the other lights are off.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Hi, I just got a little guy this weekend for my daughter,and we need some reassurance. We brought him home on Sunday, and he ate two mealworms and two crickets that day (plus whatever he had eaten in the store that morning). He ate nothing yesterday, and nothing so far today. He's been in his water dish several times, so hopefully is not dehydrated.

We've offered mealworms, crickets, cucumber, kale, green pepper, red pepper, and mango, but he's not interested in eating. Is this normal for a little one that has just been relocated? How long can they go without eating? He also seems to sleep a lot.

I think he's about 2 months old (5.5 inches long including the tail). We have him in a 40-gallon breeder glass tank with a screen top, a 150-watt daylight/basking UVA light, an 18-inch T8 Desert 50 UVB light, and a 100-watt nocturnal infrared heat lamp that's only on at night. Furniture includes mopani wood under the basking light, a "rock" cave/basking structure at the other end of the tank, and "rock" water and food dishes. Brown reptile carpet on the floor.

After reading here, it seems we shouldn't have gotten the red night light? My house is in the high 50's at night from October to May, so the guy in the store said we needed the red night light (never mentioned a ceramic one).

Help please. Should we be worried?

Welcome to the forum!
Don't worry about your little one not wanting to eat well we call it "relocating stress" It just takes time for them to acclimate to their new home and new owners..This can take several days to a week or more. I would suggest not feeding mealworms as they contain alot of chitlin in their shells that make them super hard to digest for these little ones and can cause impaction. There are many bugs to choose from that will benefit your beardie. Several of us have 2 links below our comments and those will take you to threads that we have put together for new comers and they have food item lists that most of us use...Don't worry about him not eating greens as babies they really need the protein more, but continue to offer the greens as they become adults they will typically eat more. In the meantime you can feed your feeders the greens and your little one will get those nutrients that way, especially if you feed a feeder such as roaches as they have very long digestive systems keeping the goodies in them longer.
If the tank is getting below 65F then you would want to get a CHE (ceramic heating element) in the approved ceramic fixture to be used during the cool night times.. But yes please don't use any lighting at night as they do need the temp drop and the darkness in order to really sleep. As their "3rd eye" ontop of their head it's an organ that senses light/shadows of predators.
Feel free to ask anything and please do share some pictures as we love seeing them..

 

[PatsyB]

I agree with what the others said. Another thing that could help him feel safe is to cover 3 sides of his tank with construction paper or something so that he doesn't get overwhelmed with what's going on around him and gets settled in to his new home.

 

[DragonLadyX3]

My dragons use red lights at night but they are also a few years old now and have been on the same routine since babies, basking light on during the day and red light at night. Blocking off 3 of the sides may help get used to the environment but it will take time to get adjusted. Plus you don't want to do much playing with them at first or they can be overwhelmed. I fed my beardies small meal worms, the dried foods (you must get it wet first) and even fed them baby food.

 

[Hdrydr31]

My dragons use red lights at night but they are also a few years old now and have been on the same routine since babies, basking light on during the day and red light at night. Blocking off 3 of the sides may help get used to the environment but it will take time to get adjusted. Plus you don't want to do much playing with them at first or they can be overwhelmed. I fed my beardies small meal worms, the dried foods (you must get it wet first) and even fed them baby food.

@DragonLadyX3 do you have dark enough hides for them to avoid the red lamp? What are your dragons eating now? A very hydrated dragon can eat mealworms but it is not advised to do so. Adult dragons are "big enough" to handle a few here and there. Sometimes using baby food if you need to get medications and more water into them canned pure pumpkin is a good one to use.
It really comes down to you getting to know your dragon and what they like and don't like.
Enjoy the process and enjoy your little one!