Jetta is not growing?

[karishmaBD]

Hi guys as you know i got my bearded dragon Jetta about 2-3 weeks ago and she is not growing its starting to scare me? she has a tank she gets crickets she has a purple night lamp and i non heat emitting bulb that is cermaic to keep her warm. The guy at the pet store said that it will act as a uvb. im getting scared i do not wanna lose her i would be so sad. Help??? Picture of your enclosure please ...

 

[Germ]

Hi guys as you know i got my bearded dragon Jetta about 2-3 weeks ago and she is not growing its starting to scare me? she has a tank she gets crickets she has a purple night lamp and i non heat emitting bulb ? that is cermaic to keep her warm. The guy at the pet store said that it will act as a uvb. He is full of it! im getting scared i do not wanna lose her i would be so sad. Help???

Please read through this http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/index.php?threads/basic-bd-care-sheet-a-place-to-start.5177/ Are you providing an actual UVB bulb, a white/clear bulb for heat. What size is the enclosure? What are your temps, Basking & cool side? What with & extactly where are you taking the temp readings from? Please post pics of your setup.

Have you read any of the recent posts of this past week???

 

[karishmaBD]

Im providing a non light emitting heat bulb that is ceramic for her heat. And the warm side of the tank is about 83 and the cool side is about 70-75. Its a 10-20 gallon tank not sure. I have a white heat light but i dont think it provided heat which is why i bought the other heat bulb.

 

[Aleena]

Even UVB bulbs emit some heat. What is the bulb exactly? A night bulb is not needed or wanted, it is an irritant to bearded dragons. You need a basking bulb as well. And yes, pictures would help us help you, we're pretty much tied up by what we can do to help you if we're not positive about the information.

 

[Aleena]

Im providing a non light emitting heat bulb that is ceramic for her heat. And the warm side of the tank is about 83 and the cool side is about 70-75. Its a 10-20 gallon tank not sure. I have a white heat light but i dont think it provided heat which is why i bought the other heat bulb.

you need a 20 long minimum for your enclosure, and the basking spot should be a minimum of 105, while the cool side should be 80-85. She can't digest her food properly with that setup for her to grow.

 

[Germ]

Your temps are no where near high enough! What about the UVB? We ask questions for a reason, if you don't answer them & accurately, it is impossible to give you any help. We have to know the situation. Please read the link provided and the other 'Problem Threads' posted this past week in the health section, then come back with questions.

 

[karishmaBD]

Ok i will take pics now and post them. But can i put the lights on the cage it has a metal top so i think it will be fine. but let me get pics for u guys

 

[Germ]

It is a good idea to do a search to see if there have been others with related problems & how it was rectified, which is one of the benefits & functions of a forum.

 

[karishmaBD]

The one in my hand is the one i do not use and the other is the heat bulb?

 

[karishmaBD]

other bulb not sure if uploaded with the others

 

[Germ]

Holy Crap! That is a 5 gallon tank! If you are not putting the lights on the screen, where the heck are you putting them???

 

[karishmaBD]

I have a piece of wood nailed on the wall and I have them hooked on the wood and hanging over the cage I was worried about fire hazards.

 

[Germ]

You do not have a UVB bulb. This is a required part of the husbandry where there is no compromise & is explained below. This is feeling like a Dejavu & I am not going to pull any punches. If you check recent posts (Do a search for the words 'Died', then 'Dead'), this week, on this forum alone, there have been 2 youngsters die, as a direct result of being kept in 10 gal tanks let alone 5, which is all wrong & quite dangerous to the health & wellbeing of the animal! The keepers asked for help too late or did not heed the advice in time.

Basking Temps should be taken directly at the basking spot (The closest area the BD can get to the Heat Bulb) & should be in the vicinity of 110F for a Juvenile, 95F-105F for an adult. The cool side temp should be taken at the opposite end of the enclosure from the basking Bulb, near or on the floor & should be in the 80F-85F range, providing the necessary Heat gradient, for them to choose & regulate their body temps, which is virtually impossible to achieve in a 10 Gal tank. Analog thermometers are well known for their inaccuracy (have been known to be out as much as 20%) & are difficult to get accurate temps in the right spots. Digital thermometers with a sensor that can be placed anywhere in the enclosure, or an Infrared thermometer (Temp Gun), are highly recommended.

Both Heat & UVB lights (Specialty Fluorescent Coil or Tube Bulbs formulated to emit UVB) should be above, covering the basking spot, on for 12-14 hrs a day, off for the rest, consistently, On/Off at the same time of the day, everyday. An electronic timer is a really good, inexpensive option. These are not Cats or Dogs & should not be treated as such pets. Extended time spent outside of a properly set up enclosure, robs them of the time under the basking heat needed to digest their food properly, along with the UVB rays, missing in captivity from the sun, required for their body to manufacture Vit D3, which in turn enables their system to process their much needed Calcium intake. Without sufficient UVB exposure they can not process their calcium, leading to, among other serious ailments, crippling & often deadly MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). UVB cannot pass through solid filters such as glass or plastic, so placing the enclosure in front of a window is not beneficial to them & can cause quite dangerous heat spikes in the enclosure because of the sun's heat magnification through the glass.

The majority of the feeders they eat have a very poor Calcium/Phosphorus ratio, so feeders must dusted with Calcium in order to supplement this.

Although BDs are well known for their calm demeanor & their ability to tolerate handling well, most BDs would just as well be left alone.

BDs don't really chew their food, they crush or tear until it is small enough or in a shape or form that can be attempted to be swallowed whole. Large pieces of Greens that are not fastened to something, as they would be on the plant, make it very difficult for a BD to tear a piece off small enough to swallow, so they should served in smaller portions.

Pet Stores are notorious for giving false information, very few are specific species husbandry knowledgeable. Whether it be because they just really don't know better or they are just there for the sale, not knowing the specific store or branch, it is unknown. As a whole, the majority of Pet Stores are very poor sources of good info. There is the odd exception, but they are few & far between, leaving the unwary customer at the mercy of the many that aren't.

It is imperative that the enclosure size, temps & lack of UVB issues be rectified as soon as possible & in this case, like yesterday.

 

[Aleena]

The one in my hand is the one i do not use and the other is the heat bulb?

That doesn't look like any UVB I have seen. Is that the CHE? (I'm not familiar with CHE's, so I don't know what one looks like) Get a basking bulb and a UVB 10.0 ASAP before the baby doesn't have a chance at getting to full size potential. Do you have a pic of the enclosure yet? Lets see if we can help your baby. Please do what Germ asked though, as your problem may be very similar to others that we have helped recently. Get your baby out in the sun (a window will not suffice, UVB can't go through solid plastic or glass) for a while today, if temperature permits where you are at, please!​

 

[Aleena]

Holy Crap! That is a 5 gallon tank! If you are not putting the lights on the screen, where the heck are you putting them???

5 gallon? You have good eyes, I couldn't tell from the top!

 

[Germ]

That doesn't look like any UVB I have seen. Is that the CHE?

Yes it is.

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

I hope you can help your baby before it's too late! Do what Germ said ASAP! Good luck!

 

[jessica domke]

oh my goodness!!! yes, seriousely do as germ has explained ASAP!!!! no uvb is terribly, terribly bad 4 ur beardie's health!!!! in-proper temps of the enclosure(as germ said ur temps are WAY 2 low)is as well a terribly bad mistake!!!! beardie's are very good at hiding problems & unfortunately u won't kno something is wrong until last minute!!! i really hope u can get all of this sorted out 4 ur poor lil beardie!!!!! just take in2 gr8 consideration wut germ said, seriousely..he kno's wut he's talkin bout!

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

any new updates or "equipment" change updates? Are things getting better? I hope so!

 

[shehzain]

@Germ: Oh, they don't need the light on at night? Maybe I'll try turning mine off tonight and see if it helps...it's been warm lately so I don't think the room temp will drop below 60 at all. But what should I do when it's during a colder time of the year, like the winter? Would a dark purple heat light be okay? Thanks!