Need some help calming my nerves.

[DaniMalfoy]

So, it's been a long time since I've had a baby beardie.

I have a 4x2x2 reptile habitats enclosure, heat lamp, regular household bulb on the cold side for extra light because it was pretty dark without it, tube UVB, temps are at 73.9 for cool side and right around his basking area ranges from 108 to 110. Ambient air is around mid 80s.

We got him yesterday and he bopped around his enclosure a little last night, ate about 5 little dubias and then found his cave when lights went out(830pm)

This morning(lights came on at 630am) he pooped around 1030am, I fixed him a little salad and he ate two dubias but didn't wanna eat the salad.

But today, he's just been laying around on his rock, he's gapped a couple times and then I noticed he was breathing heavily, like so much his but was coming off the rock. But he wouldn't do that constantly, just every once and a while. There's no stress marks on him at all and he did drink a couple drops of water from a dropper I had. But mostly he's just been laying on his rock sleeping but if anyone gets up or moves he immediately pops up.


I just wanna make sure this is normal, like I said it's been a while since I had a baby beardie and the last one I had (years ago) I remember being way more active (my husband and I joked that she was chasing the brain cell )

This isn't my first rodeo with beardies, I adopted an older dragon with my ex back in 2009, he was sadly around 9 or 10 years old and was only with me for a year before he passed naturally. Then I adopted my first baby beardie when I met my husband back in 2015 (she passed away from complications from laying eggs, sadly.)

So, again, it's been a minute since I've had a baby beardie and I'm probably freaking out over nothing but still wanted to make sure lol I added pictures of the little one. If there's anything else you guys need to know, please let me know!

 

[Sadie]

So, it's been a long time since I've had a baby beardie.

I have a 4x2x2 reptile habitats enclosure, heat lamp, regular household bulb on the cold side for extra light because it was pretty dark without it, tube UVB, temps are at 73.9 for cool side and right around his basking area ranges from 108 to 110. Ambient air is around mid 80s.

We got him yesterday and he bopped around his enclosure a little last night, ate about 5 little dubias and then found his cave when lights went out(830pm)

This morning(lights came on at 630am) he pooped around 1030am, I fixed him a little salad and he ate two dubias but didn't wanna eat the salad.

But today, he's just been laying around on his rock, he's gapped a couple times and then I noticed he was breathing heavily, like so much his but was coming off the rock. But he wouldn't do that constantly, just every once and a while. There's no stress marks on him at all and he did drink a couple drops of water from a dropper I had. But mostly he's just been laying on his rock sleeping but if anyone gets up or moves he immediately pops up.


I just wanna make sure this is normal, like I said it's been a while since I had a baby beardie and the last one I had (years ago) I remember being way more active (my husband and I joked that she was chasing the brain cell )

This isn't my first rodeo with beardies, I adopted an older dragon with my ex back in 2009, he was sadly around 9 or 10 years old and was only with me for a year before he passed naturally. Then I adopted my first baby beardie when I met my husband back in 2015 (she passed away from complications from laying eggs, sadly.)

So, again, it's been a minute since I've had a baby beardie and I'm probably freaking out over nothing but still wanted to make sure lol I added pictures of the little one. If there's anything else you guys need to know, please let me know!

Cute little guy- sounds like your on the right track-- are you getting the surface basking temps w/ a digital probe thermometer? Your uvb is what brand and bulb please and where is it? Inside the tank or top of screen? He's going thru relocation stress it's good he's eating tho- I would cut your tank in half for now-- smaller area is better for him since he's so little- use your roach's as lures to the salad bowl -you can get him some bsfl from www.symtonbsf.com and use those as lures as well- they are a great staple for babies- feed like 20-25 at one time if he eats them to fast they will come out undigested - use as a hand tamer too -

 

[DaniMalfoy]

Cute little guy- sounds like your on the right track-- are you getting the surface basking temps w/ a digital probe thermometer? Your uvb is what brand and bulb please and where is it? Inside the tank or top of screen? He's going thru relocation stress it's good he's eating tho- I would cut your tank in half for now-- smaller area is better for him since he's so little- use your roach's as lures to the salad bowl -you can get him some bsfl from www.symtonbsf.com and use those as lures as well- they are a great staple for babies- feed like 20-25 at one time if he eats them to fast they will come out undigested - use as a hand tamer too -

I use probes on both sides and my husband borrows a heat temp gun from work and we check that too.

The UVB is mounted inside the tank and it's the Arcadia brand? I think that's how it's spelled lol I don't remember the exact type I think it was T10? It was gifted brand new to me and the box has been recycled since, I had the enclosure set up a week before we got the beardie so get the temps right. Husband said he was going to order a couple more in a couple weeks when he gets paid again. Whats the best brand nowadays?

Also, how should I go about making the enclosure size smaller for him but still having the temps right?

We have a local pet shop that has BSFL, so I can have my husband pick some up this week. He ate the dubias last night from my hand, he's definitely not hand shy or people shy.

 

[Sadie]

I use probes on both sides and my husband borrows a heat temp gun from work and we check that too.

The UVB is mounted inside the tank and it's the Arcadia brand? I think that's how it's spelled lol I don't remember the exact type I think it was T10? It was gifted brand new to me and the box has been recycled since, I had the enclosure set up a week before we got the beardie so get the temps right. Husband said he was going to order a couple more in a couple weeks when he gets paid again. Whats the best brand nowadays?

Also, how should I go about making the enclosure size smaller for him but still having the temps right?

We have a local pet shop that has BSFL, so I can have my husband pick some up this week. He ate the dubias last night from my hand, he's definitely not hand shy or people shy.

You have a good uvb- 24 watt / 12% bulb needs to be directly above the basking decor 12-15 inches- you can partition off w/ card board- change the bulb out in approximately 10-11 months-- use your probes when you partition it off it will tell you what wattage you'll need-

 

[DaniMalfoy]

You have a good uvb- 24 watt / 12% bulb needs to be directly above the basking decor 12-15 inches- you can partition off w/ card board- change the bulb out in approximately 10-11 months-- use your probes when you partition it off it will tell you what wattage you'll need-

Awesome! Thank you so much. I think my mother in law has some cardboard, I'll be making a trip to her house tomorrow for my son to visit, so I'll grab some from her then and switch stuff around. And the UVB is directly above his basking area, right around 13 inches away.