Hello from Idaho c:

[boneless]

Hello everyone! My name is Kellee and I am a new beardie owner. Or rather, my boyfriend and I are new beardie owners. Personally I wanted Leopard Geckos, but he let me have my hamster so I let him have his beardie

I've attached a picture of our tank set up and a picture of a beardie. I'll try to find out it's gender tomorrow using the flashlight method I read about here. We just picked him up after getting his cage and food all ready yesterday! We have some Phoenix Worms on order, but for now just veggies, crickets, and some fruit

A few things!

UVB bulb is bought, we have a Reptisun 10.0 we just didn't install it tonight since it was time for the lights to go off anyway once we got home
The tank is a 40 Gallon Long
We struggled with getting the heating up, the spot heater only allowed his basking spot to be 85 at most so we got a ceramic heater and are getting temps around 103

 

[PatsyB]

Welcome!

Couple of things, your tank is tall so you are going to need a high watt basking bulb to get the temps up high enough during the day. You want the temps for a little one to be around 107 in the basking spot. You also need a more reliable temperature gauge. The one stuck to the glass is only measuring the temp on the glass and the area around it where your dragon is not sitting. A digital probe thermometer that you can attach right to the basking spot (and one for the cool side) will give you a better reading or a temp gun would be even better.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome and your dragon is a cutie. I agree with PatsyB on getting a higher wattage bulb and the importance of getting a good probe thermo and even a digital hand held temp gun is advised to help give you an accurate temp will help alot in getting the temps right for your little one. As it is very important for digestion as well as the combo with UVB for absorption of calcium.
Feel free to ask away..

 

[boneless]

Welcome!

Couple of things, your tank is tall so you are going to need a high watt basking bulb to get the temps up high enough during the day. You want the temps for a little one to be around 107 in the basking spot. You also need a more reliable temperature gauge. The one stuck to the glass is only measuring the temp on the glass and the area around it where your dragon is not sitting. A digital probe thermometer that you can attach right to the basking spot (and one for the cool side) will give you a better reading or a temp gun would be even better.

We might need to get a new basking bulb as her temps where she sits on her basking tree (she doesn't sit at the highest point closest to the bulb) was 101, but at the highest point it was 104.

We have a temperature gun, just didn't think I would have to mention it The one on the glass is only there because, well, it came for free. It always says 80 no matter what the temperature is haha.

We're adding a few more climbable things to her tank because I think she will like them. Do you think she would? Or is too many things too much? She ate her crickets really good but refuses to touch her greens, also! So I will try to put her crickets in with her greens and trick her into eating some hehe.

Thanks for your responses! Oh, also, we decided her name is Amelia as I believe she is a girl ^^

 

[boneless]

So Amelia has eaten very well today and pooped! She ate some veggies and all her crickets. She also has a little bit of skin shedding from her nose.

That being said, she is very blackened up under her neck and is showing her beard off fully How can we help calm her down? We are leaving her alone but we aren't sure why she's upset as the only time we've messed with her is to give her her food... help?

 

[Hdrydr31]

Glad to hear that your baby has pooped.. Don't worry too much if she/he doesn't eat too much greens some do some don't at the young age but continue to offer it..It's possible your little one is a boy if the beard turned very black however both sexes can show off a bit of black bearding ...They might be upset with too much changing to their environment. Have you covered 2-3 sides of the glass to help him/her feel more comfortable?
Hang in there it sounds like all part of your little one adjusting to it's new home.

 

[boneless]

She was black all the way under her, including her tummy. Only boys have beards normally? I used a flashlight to try and tell her gender and didn't see any obvious bumps but maybe s/he just hasn't developed fully yet

S/he isn't blackened up anymore! We don't have her cage covered, would that help her calm down?

 

[Mordecai's mommy]

Hello. I am in Idaho too. What part are you in? Your beardie is cute.

 

[Hdrydr31]

She was black all the way under her, including her tummy. Only boys have beards normally? I used a flashlight to try and tell her gender and didn't see any obvious bumps but maybe s/he just hasn't developed fully yet

S/he isn't blackened up anymore! We don't have her cage covered, would that help her calm down?

Both sexes can black beard but typically the males will get super black..So trying the flash light test on a flat surface should work. Covering the back and the sides can help alot to make them feel safe while in their tank.

 

[boneless]

Hello. I am in Idaho too. What part are you in? Your beardie is cute.

Hi! I'm from Boise

Both sexes can black beard but typically the males will get super black..So trying the flash light test on a flat surface should work. Covering the back and the sides can help alot to make them feel safe while in their tank.

Yeah I tried that, she didn't have any definitive sex organs but we've decided (for now) that she's a girl since it didn't seem like two bumps. We'll wait until she's bigger.


We can't seem to get her to eat Everyone here says their babies are eating like 50 crickets a day, but Amelia would barely touch 5 when we had crickets and now that we're feeding Phoenix Worms she will only eat 3-4. We leave a salad in her cage too and some days some of it is touched and others it isn't. Is there any way to increase her appetite? Aside from when we feed her, we leave her alone and let her have her space. She has only shed once, and it was only her legs.

 

[Hdrydr31]

So how long have you had her? have you had her checked by a reptile vet to see if she has any parasites keeping her from being hungry? if that's clear then maybe trying some bee pollen you can get it at walmart or healthfood stores it's a good supplement and appetite stimulant.