I have a bearded dragon that is around 10 months old and the last 2 days he has just been laying around with his eyes closed in the coldest spot in his terrarium and he has not been eating much for the last 2 weeks but the days before he started laying around with his eyes closed he was glass surfing alot.
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Is my bearded dragon sick or brumating?
- Thread starter Axel
- Start date
-
- Tags
- brumate please help sick
JumpinJellyfish
Juvenile Dragon
- Messages
- 319
Can you tell us about your temps and lighting? What fixtures/bulbs, placement, and how you measure ambient and surface temps?I have a bearded dragon that is around 10 months old and the last 2 days he has just been laying around with his eyes closed in the coldest spot in his terrarium and he has not been eating much for the last 2 weeks but the days before he started laying around with his eyes closed he was glass surfing alot.
JumpinJellyfish
Juvenile Dragon
- Messages
- 319
The cool side could probably stand to be a bit cooler, and the surface temp for the basking spot should be a little higher - aim for 100-105 surface. Unless your house is very cold (below about 65F), you don't really need the CHE on that side - maybe you could use it near the basking spot instead to help bump the heat up there? (And you're not using any colored bulbs, right? Only asking because of the closed eyes).
The mercury vapor provides uvb it's a powersun uv 100w and it is yellow when It first turns on but within 10 or 20 min its white and it is about 12 or 13 inches away from his highest basking spot. I use to have a reptisun 5.0 going with all my lights but I was worried it was making it to bright for him so I took it away.
Not sure if it too late now but, my experience with MVBs had been quite negative. I decided to change to the Arcadia MVB 160w when my T5 expired. The whole time I used it, my BD never ate as he should at all and, like you mentioned, he always seemed to have his eyes closed when near it. I actually bought it last December so, like you I was not sure if it was brumation (he was only about a year old) but, it carried on until March/April so, I tried the previous old T5 to see if it would make a difference. As soon as I switched the old T5 on he perked up immediately and ate anything I put near him. I think those MVBs are not suited to all BDs. Who know what intricacies are involved in the different UV wavelengths but, I think the tubes just are better suited overall.
Rodney Kirtsinger
Bearded Dragon Egg
- Messages
- 10
- Location
- Corpus Christi, Texas
Closed eyes might be that the light is wrong. Needs to be 10 T5. Or it is too close. The bulb company usually has a graph about distances.Can you tell us about your temps and lighting? What fixtures/bulbs, placement, and how you measure ambient and surface temps?
Right now give him a hide to get into so he can get into the shadows. Be sure that the light is overhead. Raise the light higher.
It sounds like it is trying to get away from the light. 90 to 95 in the hot side, 90 on the cooler side with a shady hide. If it doesn’t feel better after the reduced light, you might need an expensive vet exam.
Good luck, R K
Thank you for your input I have been thinking about going to the Arcadia t5 but the mvb is one is like my main heat source I have a ceramic heat emitter and I got the temp around 100 on the basking side would it be ok to have 2 or more ceramic heat emitters With the t5?
I dont claim to be an expert... but that is exactly how my Boo acts this time every year... and then he sleeps for 3 months... So to me it does sound like pre-brumation behavior... however every dragon is different... I know mine likes his sleep... some however do not and this being your first full winter with yours makes it a tough call... If you havent changed anything prior to his behavior change, I'd bet he is just getting ready to take a winter nap... if you did make changes, change them back... see if it helps...I have a bearded dragon that is around 10 months old and the last 2 days he has just been laying around with his eyes closed in the coldest spot in his terrarium and he has not been eating much for the last 2 weeks but the days before he started laying around with his eyes closed he was glass surfing alot.
Thank you jellyfish I raised his light like 2 days ago because I was thinking the the light was to close it was 12 inches away from his highest basking spot now its 16 inches away from his highest basking spot the chart says it should be 12- 14 inches above and he has a hide but he doesn't go in side it.
Thank you I have been debating on going to the t5 I think I will now. Since that's what most people on here recommend. But do you know if I could use like 2 or 3 ceramic heat emitters because the reason why I went with mvb is because it helps with getting up to temp so I would need more heat emitters to get it back up after taking the mvb out.Closed eyes might be that the light is wrong. Needs to be 10 T5. Or it is too close. The bulb company usually has a graph about distances.
Right now give him a hide to get into so he can get into the shadows. Be sure that the light is overhead. Raise the light higher.
It sounds like it is trying to get away from the light. 90 to 95 in the hot side, 90 on the cooler side with a shady hide. If it doesn’t feel better after the reduced light, you might need an expensive vet exam.
Good luck, R K
JumpinJellyfish
Juvenile Dragon
- Messages
- 319
You may find you only need one, but if you're able to use a thermostat, you could control the outputThank you I have been debating on going to the t5 I think I will now. Since that's what most people on here recommend. But do you know if I could use like 2 or 3 ceramic heat emitters because the reason why I went with mvb is because it helps with getting up to temp so I would need more heat emitters to get it back up after taking the mvb out.
You may find you only need one, but if you're able to use a thermostat, you could control I was looking in to a thermostat when I first got him but they dont work with mvb so I completely forgot about the thermostats till now.
I was looking in to a thermostat when I first got him but they dont work with mvb so I completely forgot about the thermostats till now. Thank you for all your help.
