Help! (food and water question)

[kaylaw]

Hi, I had my bearded dragon on Monday 26th April 2021, his name is Diablo and he is 2 years old. He came in a 3ft viv, I have now upgraded this to a 4ft. I was giving him calcium everyday that I had him, up until today. I read that he is only supposed to have it 2-3 times a week as he is 24 months old. I give him live food 2-3 times a week with greens and then just greens the rest of the week. He has a T5 tube light and a basking light. Before he had some sort of purple LED light from the old owners, but I have upgraded this. Can I just have advice on what is the right info regarding his diet please? He also hasn’t had a drink of water today but has eaten greens and has been quite active when he has been out of the viv for about half an hour but he is sleeping a bit in the viv now. Basking, pooing etc as normal, I have witnessed him drink before but not today. His skin is a little wrinkly and I’m wondering if he’s dehydrated. Please, any advice is welcome but please no hate or anything as I am trying my best as a new beardie owner and I will feel terrible if I have caused an issue by giving him as much calcium as I did.
P.S he will be having more decorations there next week, I’m just adding little bits at a time so as not to stress him. He came in the last picture to us.

 

[kaylaw]

EDIT* apologies, he came in the one with a purple light to us, and he is now in the big grey vivarium.

 

[Sadie]

EDIT* apologies, he came in the one with a purple light to us, and he is now in the big grey vivarium.

So it's good you got rid of the colored bulbs they cause eye damage--- the basking light looks like it's giving off a yellow ish color- if it's a off white or yellow please replace w/ a bright white like a Exo Terra intense -- how tall is your tank? Calcium should be given on the insects but since your using a T 5 give the calcium w/ out D 3 no phosphorus-- he will get moisture thru his greens rinse them before serving- his urate- will look dry and chalky if he's dehydrated-- insects 2-3 times per week and salads everyday

 

[kaylaw]

So it's good you got rid of the colored bulbs they cause eye damage--- the basking light looks like it's giving off a yellow ish color- if it's a off white or yellow please replace w/ a bright white like a Exo Terra intense -- how tall is your tank? Calcium should be given on the insects but since your using a T 5 give the calcium w/ out D 3 no phosphorus-- he will get moisture thru his greens rinse them before serving- his urate- will look dry and chalky if he's dehydrated-- insects 2-3 times per week and salads everyday

Hi, we had a coil bulb fitted whilst we waited for our T5 to arrive in store, the picture was taken yesterday and the coil bulb caused the yellow ness. The tank is 2ft tall I’m sure.

 

[Sadie]

Hi, we had a coil bulb fitted whilst we waited for our T5 to arrive in store, the picture was taken yesterday and the coil bulb caused the yellow ness. The tank is 2ft tall I’m sure.

Ok so the coil is a terrible bulb--- make sure your T 5 is 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor+ poor dragon had all bad lighting between the colored bulbs and coil UVB he had a triple whammy! How long was the coil used for?

 

[kaylaw]

Ok so the coil is a terrible bulb--- make sure your T 5 is 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor+ poor dragon had all bad lighting between the colored bulbs and coil UVB he had a triple whammy! How long was the coil used for?

Yes I know, we changed it after a day of usage, we just had to wait for it to be delivered. We felt terrible for him when we collected him. These were the items we purchased for him, he now has those in the tank. The basking light is an exo terra light, I’m unsure if it’s an intense but my husband is in a UK forum on Facebook and they had a problem with the coil light too but not the basking. It is not bright white but not completely yellow. The T5 is bright white for him and he seems to be happier since in his new viv, he has done his first two poos since we had him in that viv. Aside from the worry about the calcium and dehydration, he is perfect.

 

[Sadie]

Yes I know, we changed it after a day of usage, we just had to wait for it to be delivered. We felt terrible for him when we collected him. These were the items we purchased for him, he now has those in the tank. The basking light is an exo terra light, I’m unsure if it’s an intense but my husband is in a UK forum on Facebook and they had a problem with the coil light too but not the basking. It is not bright white but not completely yellow. The T5 is bright white for him and he seems to be happier since in his new viv, he has done his first two poos since we had him in that viv. Aside from the worry about the calcium and dehydration, he is perfect.

So you only used the coil for 1 day? The reason I asked is dragons are started on calcium D 3 when babies then w/ good UVB the D 3 gets fed less- and only the regular calcium is fed- so I would feed w/ D 3 2 times per week and the w/ out the 1 time per week - watch the urate- will get yellowish on the edges of the urate- if it's too much then you would need to back off the D 3-- watch the urate- for the dehydration

 

[kaylaw]

So you only used the coil for 1 day? The reason I asked is dragons are started on calcium D 3 when babies then w/ good UVB the D 3 gets fed less- and only the regular calcium is fed- so I would feed w/ D 3 2 times per week and the w/ out the 1 time per week - watch the urate- will get yellowish on the edges of the urate- if it's too much then you would need to back off the D 3-- watch the urate- for the dehydration

Yes, only for one day. So feed him it 2-3 times a week instead of every day with his live food and then greens everyday. He had his second poo yesterday and it looked great, I’ll watch for the urate, I think it comes with the poo, if so then it was perfect yesterday.

 

[Sadie]

Yes, only for one day. So feed him it 2-3 times a week instead of every day with his live food and then greens everyday.

Are you feeding insects everyday? I thought he was 2? If he's 2 he should only be getting insects 2-3 times per week -- if he's younger than a year 5 x per week if he's a year or younger then those insects should be dusted every day once per feeding-- meaning if your feeding insects 2 times per day dust once! He should be getting vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week - lightly coat the insects w/ the supplements-

 

[Sadie]

Are you feeding insects everyday? I thought he was 2? If he's 2 he should only be getting insects 2-3 times per week -- if he's younger than a year 5 x per week if he's a year or younger then those insects should be dusted every day once per feeding-- meaning if your feeding insects 2 times per day dust once! He should be getting vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week - lightly coat the insects w/ the supplements-

What was used for a UVB when you got him?

 

[kaylaw]

Are you feeding insects everyday? I thought he was 2? If he's 2 he should only be getting insects 2-3 times per week -- if he's younger than a year 5 x per week if he's a year or younger then those insects should be dusted every day once per feeding-- meaning if your feeding insects 2 times per day dust once! He should be getting vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week - lightly coat the insects w/ the supplements-

Sorry no, I realise the way I worded it is confusing. I mean his calcium. I realised last week that he needed live food 2-3 times a week. But I was putting calcium on every bit of food he had including live and greens. He is 2 years old, from what the previous owner told me.

 

[kaylaw]

What was used for a UVB when you got him?

The purple light.

 

[kaylaw]

Sorry no, I realise the way I worded it is confusing. I mean his calcium. I realised last week that he needed live food 2-3 times a week. But I was putting calcium on every bit of food he had including live and greens. He is 2 years old, from what the previous owner told me.

I feed him live food 2-3 times a week and greens every day. How many insects should he be eating each time?

 

[kaylaw]

Hi, I had the information I needed originally so I will delete this post now - thank you for the information

 

[Sadie]

Sorry no, I realise the way I worded it is confusing. I mean his calcium. I realised last week that he needed live food 2-3 times a week. But I was putting calcium on every bit of food he had including live and greens. He is 2 years old, from what the previous owner told me.

It depends on what insects-- I recommend dubia roaches-- if you feed those feed large he would eat around 5-6 if he's eating his salads too - I would get him some super worms feed those 2-3 times per week feed like 3 of them horn worms they grow really fast and they are a hydrating worm feed 2 at a time-- meal worms feed like 4-5 2-3 times per week - butter worms they are spendy and you can only get them from mulberry farms- crickets probably more as they are not as filling as the roaches-- BSFL ALOT like 50 large-- silk worms around 4-5 it just depends on what all your feeding him - salads first thing in the morning-- sparingly on those treat worms you don't want him hooked on the treat worms - the silk are also a staple along w/ the BSFL DO NOT dust them---

 

[Sadie]

The purple light.

Yeah not good - so the dragon has NO UVB basically till you got him