I have had my 6 month old bearded dragon for about a week. He seems to have been doing okay. I cleaned out his cage a couple of days ago and took out the exo terra background that was in it. I was gone all day yesterday so I don’t know if he was doing this yesterday. I left food and he didn’t eat any bugs but he ate like his whole salad. but when I got home today he started coming up to the glass and glass surfing and his beard got all black. He would go to the front of the enclosure and scratch at the glass and then go back to his basking spot. At first his beard wasn’t black but it become that way. I don’t know if it was the cat watching him, or me, or what it was. He has never done this before. I have spent almost full days with him and he never did this. I thought maybe it was the reflection so I covered the walls but he still did it again. I have noticed him glass surfing before when I first got him but never this much and his beard never turned black. He his currently in a temporary 40 gallon enclosure till I get a 2x2x4. His basking spot is normally 95-105 maybe 110. He has stopped glass surfing but his beard is kinda staying black. I am just wondering if me coming home could have stressed him out since he is scared of me. Or if there could be something else. The picture is of him a little after his last glass surf. He has stopped for now but his beard is still back for a little while now.
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Glass surfing with black beard
- Thread starter amber.n
- Start date
Black beard is distress or pain - you did not mention a UVB --- temps are good are you taking them w/ a digital probe thermometer- glass surfing could be his tank is too small - temps are off too hot - colored bulbs being used - your UVB -- is it a long tube fixture or a coil?
I do not use colored bulbs. His UVB is a tube. 5.0 12% Arcadia. I was just feeding him dubia and he went back to normal but I left and walked back in and his beard was black again. Maybe his humidity is too low. It’s at about 25%. Also he is shedding.
Unless this bulb is bad to use. This is his heat bulb. He has started doing it again with glass surfing.
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I am thinking this is a T 8 if this is the case it needs to be inside the tank it is not strong enough to go thru a screen - and distance should be 6-8 inches directly above your basking decor - and if its over a 6 months it needs to be replaced - his humidity is fine you dont want it under 20 and not over 70%- shedding will cause crabbiness for sure - sometimes lack of appetite -
Yes please replace that bulb w/ something like this Exo Terra Intense basking or a Zoo Med Repti basking bulb - the daytime bulbs have this coating on them
Neodymium bulbs
the neodymium coating which is a rare earth mineral, decreases the CRI or Color Rendering Index which affects the overall brightness. It does this by cutting the yellow color range out to make it appear brighter but since reptiles are very sensitive to light & can see more of the spectrum than we can it is best to use a bright white light for basking
instead.
These bulbs can cause eye damage
I will change that bulb right away. Thank you for letting me know. I didn’t know it had color. Thank you
Ok your 5.0 threw me off I know Arcadia makes T 8 so w/ that being said lets make sure you have it properly placed - what kind of screen on the tank? Fine mesh or a wide hole type? Top of screen placement it must be a wide hole w/ 8-10 inches directly above your basking decor- fine mesh inside the tank directly above the basking decor 12-15 inches --- once all these issues are fixed w/ the basking bulb and your UVB watch his behavior --- we need to rule these out first and see what he does --
I believe I have fine mesh. I can get a different top if necessary.
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Ok the Zoo Med is fine its a clear bright white bulb - and the screen is a wide hole type so I would get it around 10 inches above your basking decor piece --
ok. I will get a good basking bulb. And make sure the basking area is close enough. I will check back in once I have made changes.
Not sure once the lighting is corrected and situated then it could be his hormones kicking in -- also known as spring fever - hes pretty young for them to be kicking in tho but it is a possibility-- any animals around like cats dogs stressing him out - is he by a window where he can see birds flying by?
I do have a cat and I think sometimes it stares at the bearded dragon and that could be it. He is not near a window where he could see birds tho.
