New 13 week old - Need help feeding

[Max_horne]

Hello, I’m a new beardie owner and would please like some help. I have now had my new 13 week old bearded dragon for a week and it has stopped eating and was wondering if anyone could help to find the reason why.

It ate around 15 crickets on the first day we took it home, running around chasing them and munching on them. However, it ate significantly less the next day and has now not eaten any greens or crickets for a few days and I am getting worried.

The enclosure is set up okay as far as I’m aware, I have a 24W Pro T5 UVB and a 100W ceramic heat lamp which I have set to 34 degrees Celsius during the day. The humidity in the tank stays between 35% to 40%, and I have tried a variety of greens including rocket and watercress.

I have been trying to feed it small-medium sized crickets ( smaller than the distance between its eyes ) which is what it was eating in the store.

I have tried feeding them to it using tweezers etc and have also tried walking away and leaving it to eat without me watching but to no luck. It will watch the crickets walk around but even if they go up to it they still won’t eat it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Sadie]

Hello, I’m a new beardie owner and would please like some help. I have now had my new 13 week old bearded dragon for a week and it has stopped eating and was wondering if anyone could help to find the reason why.

It ate around 15 crickets on the first day we took it home, running around chasing them and munching on them. However, it ate significantly less the next day and has now not eaten any greens or crickets for a few days and I am getting worried.

The enclosure is set up okay as far as I’m aware, I have a 24W Pro T5 UVB and a 100W ceramic heat lamp which I have set to 34 degrees Celsius during the day. The humidity in the tank stays between 35% to 40%, and I have tried a variety of greens including rocket and watercress.

I have been trying to feed it small-medium sized crickets ( smaller than the distance between its eyes ) which is what it was eating in the store.

I have tried feeding them to it using tweezers etc and have also tried walking away and leaving it to eat without me watching but to no luck. It will watch the crickets walk around but even if they go up to it they still won’t eat it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The UVB is great but it must be properly placed and distanced for the screen on the tank if there is one-- if its inside the tank 12-15 inches directly over the basking decor piece -- next you need a solid clear bright white basking bulb this is a must -- surface basking temps need to be 105-110 F - he will not eat w/ out this - the temps start digestion and ceramic heat emitter are not adequate to do this --- good for night time heat if the tank is falling below 65 F --- you also need 2 digital probe thermometers to get actual surface temps --- please do this right away -- he will go thru relocation stress but for him not to be eating at all is not good - he needs salads every day I would get him some BSFL also known as phoenix worms calci worms or nutri grubs ---- use them as salad lures use as many as you want drop them on his salads in front of him to get his attention - please rinse the greens before serving they get most of their hydration from salads --
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info its a great staple feeder
https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
great salad bowl ---

 

[Max_horne]

The UVB is great but it must be properly placed and distanced for the screen on the tank if there is one-- if its inside the tank 12-15 inches directly over the basking decor piece -- next you need a solid clear bright white basking bulb this is a must -- surface basking temps need to be 105-110 F - he will not eat w/ out this - the temps start digestion and ceramic heat emitter are not adequate to do this --- good for night time heat if the tank is falling below 65 F --- you also need 2 digital probe thermometers to get actual surface temps --- please do this right away -- he will go thru relocation stress but for him not to be eating at all is not good - he needs salads every day I would get him some BSFL also known as phoenix worms calci worms or nutri grubs ---- use them as salad lures use as many as you want drop them on his salads in front of him to get his attention - please rinse the greens before serving they get most of their hydration from salads --
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info its a great staple feeder
https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
great salad bowl ---

Okay thank you!

So I’ll need a basking bulb alongside the ceramic heater, and to only use the heater at night to keep the temperatures up? Would I have both at the same end of the tank next to each other?

 

[Sadie]

Okay thank you!

So I’ll need a basking bulb alongside the ceramic heater, and to only use the heater at night to keep the temperatures up? Would I have both at the same end of the tank next to each other?

It's up to you- but he needs the basking bulb-- I would only run your che when you need it but your basking bulb should get temps to what you need them for basking- this starts the digestion process- good basking bulbs are flukers basking bulb-- exo Terra intense and Arcadia halogen - you don't want night time temps above 75 f

 

[Max_horne]

It's up to you- but he needs the basking bulb-- I would only run your che when you need it but your basking bulb should get temps to what you need them for basking- this starts the digestion process- good basking bulbs are flukers basking bulb-- exo Terra intense and Arcadia halogen - you don't want night time temps above 75 f

Thank you so much! I’m going to move my che to the middle of the vivarium and put the basking bulb on the far right, if I attach a picture later with the new bulb would you please be able to tell me if I’ve done anything wrong?

 

[Sadie]

Thank you so much! I’m going to move my che to the middle of the vivarium and put the basking bulb on the far right, if I attach a picture later with the new bulb would you please be able to tell me if I’ve done anything wrong?

Pics are the best so yes please post and I can help from there -- but the CHE in the middle of the tank is good - I only run mine in the winter when we are getting below zero - I use a 100 watt bulb for a 120 gallon tank and it keeps temps around 70 then

 

[Sadie]

Update on the dragon please