The tail has a nip on it please keep an eye on it it may fall off if it does get some raw unpasteurized honey on it - it will kill the infection --please NO crickets in the tank -- the surface basking temps should be 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and your UVB should be a 24" Zoo Med fixture w/ a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb for a 40+ gallon tank if your using a 20 gallon a 5.0 bulb will work but the two bulbs have certain distance and placement -- if your using a coil please get rid of it now-- your dragon will not eat w/ out proper UVB --- he does not look good -- please get some water into him and start feeding a slurry of greens like collard turnip kale or mustard -- see if he will lick off a spoon or feed by syringe very SLOW -- you do not want him to aspirate -- he should be active and alert-- hes getting weak from no food - they will go thru relocation stress and eat a little but he does not look good -- please get some food and water into him w/ the slurry make it soupy so hes getting hydration --- if you can get him outside for some good UVB if your using a coil shut it off -- put him in a plastic tote DO NOT LEAVE him - place in direct sun/ partial shade for 15-30 minutes --- watch him I dont know how hot it is where you are but this will give him the UVB he needs -- NO GLASS containers please ---
Thank you I I use a Arcadia uvb lamp 12% and the Temps I did check with a infrared thermometer I bought him from petsmart and he's been like this since I got him but I've been doing my best to try to get him active and to recover I normally take him out to feed but he won't eat and when I put a couple in the tank like 4 I also take them out if he don't eat within a half hr I did alot of research for his setup
Good uvb make sure it's 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor - you may have gotten a sick dragon-- all you can do is try- get some food in him keep him warm overnight temps around 80 ambient if possible- it will keep his immune system up- use a heating pad placed in tank w/ a dish towel over it on low- if you have a che use that
I do use crickets rn brown and I've been looking into getting dubias that's my next investment is making a breeding /feeder colony and feeding off some nymphs so he will have plenty of free food that's controlled by me for his/her entire future I'm going to try to make a slurry see if that helps I don't want to take back to petsmart atleast he/she has somewhat of a chance with me
I do have a che and it it used at night set to a thermostat I have also been giving a soaking for 15 to 20 mins every few days so far all my lights are on automatic timers as well I will measure and check the distance of the uvb as well thank you for your knowledge and help
Yes they will just put him in the back to die- you can look here for dubias this place is good
I am so sorry about your little baby--- he must of been ill when you got him --to make sure your getting accurate surface basking temps please get 2 digital probe thermometers -- they are the most accurate for getting those temps they should be 105-110 --- the piece of decor you have in the tank that he is sitting on in the pic is great for getting different surface temps- you can lay the big part of the stick down on the floor w / the thick trunk part directly under the basking lamp I use that piece in my two tanks and the dragons utilize the different parts of the log to bask on-- its good hes eating and we want him to keep eating so please get those thermometers -- I have a dragon right now on another forum that is severely impacted because of incorrect surface basking temps - shes got all the correct bulbs -UVB etc but the surface basking temps were incorrect-- we need those to be on par so this does not happen- you can hand tame him w/ those nutri grubs and I would feed as many as you want they are a great staple and compliment to the dubias--- please offer fresh salads and you can use those nutri grubs as salad toppers to lure him to the bowl -- what UVB are you using? coil or long tube fixture--- this is crucial to the overall health and behavior of the dragon-- are you giving calcium D3 on the insects? any vitamins w/ beta carotene?
I do have two top right right and weaved in the hammock the left just under basking spot I also have a I fared digital thermometer to check often everytime I take him out I spot check with it and I offer collard greens and carrots in the am and the light is a t5 12%from Arcadia and a 100w basking and a che for night time set to a thermometers I will be picking up one more digital probe next week though so I can have a full gradient at just a look as I walk by and will be adding 2 more tiles o ce I can get them cut to size to cover the entire bottom of enclosure. But as always I appreciate your input and i will use that nutri grub trick to lure vesper to the greens in the am I want vesper to be happy and very healthy so I will upgrade and do what's needed. Oh and vesper drinks water from a syring aswell very social Lil one. I do wish I had a place to rent a solar uvb test though so I can be 100 percent sure the basking spot is at the right uvb levels I may just invest in one when I get some overtime.
Ok things look good make sure your UVB is directly over a piece of basking decor 8-10 inches -- watch his behavior it will tell you if hes getting enough hence the eating--- but that is the normal distance for UVB's on top of a wide hole screen
Hi he does not look heathy at all and should be eating 20-25 crickets 4 times a day or Dubai roaches. As youngens u feed hem proteins 4 times a day then lower to 3 times a day when he’s 4 months or so then at 9 months U feed the proteins twice a day and after a year proteins every other day. But always cut up a mixture of the green everyday for snacking. Don’t ever feed mealworms or bottled food. He needs UVB Please order the long tubular UVB bulb the best and most recommended is the Reptisun 10.0 T5. Order from Amazon because petco and Petsmart doesn’t have the 19.0 T5; and the length u order should cover 70 percent of the tank. And they also need heat; a good bulb is the zoomed basking heat bulb. Never ever use colored or coiled bulbs. Leave both lights on for 12-14 hours in the summer; more like 14 and in the winter 10-12 hours; more like 10. He will have no energy without UVB and won’t be able to really move or eat. Also dust the crickets once word day with calcium powder 4 times a week and on a noncalcium day sprinkle herptivite vitamin powder. Also always a plate of greens and veggies the best ate mustard greens collard greens yellow squash and butternut squash and 2-3 times a week blueberries/mangoes & papayas as treats they love blueberries. Mist him 2-3 times a week and baths twice a week in dechlorinated water more baths when shedding. Buy Reptisafe drops to remove the chlorine. Poop should be firm I’d it’s runny he’s got a parasite or the heat is not warm enufff. Keep the tank super duper clean and remove all food and water bowls before bedtime. Here are photos of tanks and what to buy. Also he needs a basking platform with a cave inside to get away from the lights as needed. Get a soft fleece blanket to lay on and a hammock to place behind the basking spot they love it and provides another cooler spot for basking if it’s too hot on the platform. When he turns 6Mnths of age; the heat should be 95-100 they like it less hot when older. GL
What kind of uvb bulb are you using? You need the t5 or t8 high output, long uvb bulb. It needs to span at least 2/3 of the top of the tank. If you get the t5 it should be mounted in the outside of the tank but the t8 has to be mounting on the inside. They come with mounting kits. Other than crickets what else are you trying to feed him or get him to eat? And as far as substrate what are you using? Please do not use any sand, bark or any type of loose substrate as this can cause impaction that can and will lead to paralysis.
Do not mist your dragon. If he starts shedding you can give him a bath. Get you an infrared thermometer so that you can test the water, which should be around 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you get the reptisun t8 uvb bulb, make sure to also order some calcium. You very lightly sprinkle that on his food once a day. Please do not feed any meal worms as they can’t be digested and could cause impaction. Make sure all foods are live and fresh. You can also try some greens like turnip, mustard, or collards, but most babies won’t eat greens. It’s still good to offer them daily to encourage them to eat them. Dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae are also a wonderful staple which most dragons love as well. You can find any of these live feeders online. Dubiaroaches.com is a great place to order all feeders. Also do not feed any food that is larger/ wider than the space between your dragons eyes.
I’m so sorry you lost your first one. I also got a very sick baby dragon as my first dragon 4 years ago. I spent months and months going back and forth to a vet that claimed he was a licensed exotic vet, just to get a wrong diagnosis and find out he wasn’t an exotic vet. My baby ended up having gout, and that was a horrible, heart breaking experience.
I used bleach and then soap after then hot hot water to make sure I got all bleach and soap out soaked decoration in a bleach mixture then hot hot water and baked slate at 200 degrees for 20 mins and then let it stand and dry for 24 hrs before putting new dragon in
Ok just letting you know for future reference, and this can be good for anytime, especially if anything were to happen and your dragon were to get coccidia. (They have coccidia already, but it’s controlled until they get stressed out or get it from another animal, but every bearded dragon already has coccidia in their poops) Coccidia cleaner is ammonia based, you can’t use straight ammonia to get rid of coccidia (I don’t know why and it makes no sense to me as to why you couldn’t, but you can’t) and you can find it online, it’s not very expensive either, so it won’t break the bank. But it sounds like you did good with cleaning your tank and decor with what you had. Please keep me posted on the new baby and his/her progress as (s)he gets older.
