New Beardie - Lethargic? Stress?

[ShinyHunter]

Hey guys, not sure if this post should be under diet, health or general discussion.

Hope everyone is doing great.

I'm a first time beardie owner, she is a female, named Rayquaza, about 8 1/2 inches long, the shop said she's about 5 months (although I think she might be a bit younger tbh), I've had her since Friday.

My issue is that she doesn't seem to eat almost anything at all! In the shop they almost only gave her meal worms, which I know is awful for impaction so I have dubia roaches as a staple, meal worms for a rare snack and I just ordered some Calciworms.

Day 1-2 she ate about 3-4 roaches a day, which is a lot less than she needs, I believe

Day 3-5 she ate another 3-4 but in all those days, I've tried giving her meal worms sometimes because I want her to eat but even then she only eats like 1-2.

I've been dusting her roaches with Calcium + D3 everyday once a day and giving her a multi vitamin twice so far, although with what she as ate, I doubt she ingested much of them.

I also offer her salads everyday mostly of: collard greens, endives, mustard greens, turnip greens and I gave her mint once. I've also tried to put some bee pollen powder on top, didn't work out.

I've also tried to hand feed her, she ate like once like that, then sometimes I try to make her free hunt, she shows some interest and looks for a bit but only sometimes goes to eat them.

Yesterday I gave her a bath to help her hydrate, she drank some water and I think she enjoyed it.

I have not been handling her at all but yesterday to take her to the bath and one other time I had to clean up her basking spot.

She has been pooping almost everyday, it looks okay from what I've read.

Her temps are:

Basking spot is 105F
Warm side is around 83F
Cool side ranges from 73F to 76F
At night it doesn't go below 65F
Her humidity is 30-40%, averaging 37% most of the time
She has a 12% Arcadia T5 w/ reflector (she's about 15 inches from it, I've been thinking about putting her closer maybe? but I dont want to change the setup yet because it might stress her)
The UVB and the basking spot are overlapping.
The basking spot is made of tile, as her flooring is so far.
She is in a 115 gallon tank.

I'm getting a bit worried, I want her to thrive and grow healthy and strong, not sure what I can do.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Edgar do Carmo

 

[ShinyHunter]

Edit: Could be because she's shedding? Not sure if this "dull" colour is what shedding initially looks like (she's on bark + the wood has no pine or high tanin woods w/ safe treatment)

 

[Sadie]

Edit: Could be because she's shedding? Not sure if this "dull" colour is what shedding initially looks like (she's on bark + the wood has no pine or high tanin woods w/ safe treatment)

Your doing great --- the basking temps are you getting them w/ a digital probe thermometer? Those are the most accurate - and you ambient temps in the hot area are 83 or in the middle of the tank? I would get your cool side up to around 80's during the day -- night time temps are good -- humidity is good as long as your getting that w/ a digital probe hygrometer - analogs are always off -- the UVB is on top of the screen or in the tank? Distance is good as long as its inside the tank --- if its on the screen its too far and the screen MUST be a wide hole type-- she is shedding could be effecting the appetite but for sure relocation stress is effecting the appetite -- its good shes eating -- if she stops eating there is a issue--- the calci worms use those on your salads as a salad lure - try giving water to her by dropping on her nose for now - taking her out is going to cause more stress -- let her adjust to her tank and surroundings the correct surface basking temps and her UVB are going to help w/ that

 

[ShinyHunter]

Your doing great --- the basking temps are you getting them w/ a digital probe thermometer? Those are the most accurate - and you ambient temps in the hot area are 83 or in the middle of the tank? I would get your cool side up to around 80's during the day -- night time temps are good -- humidity is good as long as your getting that w/ a digital probe hygrometer - analogs are always off -- the UVB is on top of the screen or in the tank? Distance is good as long as its inside the tank --- if its on the screen its too far and the screen MUST be a wide hole type-- she is shedding could be effecting the appetite but for sure relocation stress is effecting the appetite -- its good shes eating -- if she stops eating there is a issue--- the calci worms use those on your salads as a salad lure - try giving water to her by dropping on her nose for now - taking her out is going to cause more stress -- let her adjust to her tank and surroundings the correct surface basking temps and her UVB are going to help w/ that

Heyo! Thanks for the reply!

Il try to raise the the cool side! I do have a CHE thats not on atm, might put it in the middle of the tank to warm it throughout. Would that work?

I'm using two digital thermometers/hygrometers, im also measuring the basking temps with an infrared one.

Ambient temp in hot side is around 83 - 86F, is that too cold?

The UVB is inside the tank, I have a solid top/only front side is mesh.

I'll be giving her water like that from now on!

Once again, thank you so much!

 

[Sadie]

Heyo! Thanks for the reply!

Il try to raise the the cool side! I do have a CHE thats not on atm, might put it in the middle of the tank to warm it throughout. Would that work?

I'm using two digital thermometers/hygrometers, im also measuring the basking temps with an infrared one.

Ambient temp in hot side is around 83 - 86F, is that too cold?

The UVB is inside the tank, I have a solid top/only front side is mesh.

I'll be giving her water like that from now on!

Once again, thank you so much!

Yes the CHE would work -- set it in the middle of the tank - distance for the UVB should be 12-15 inches directly over the basking decor piece- you want 3 temps in the tank hot side basking 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- 90's middle of the tank and cool side 80's -- you should be getting ambient temps on the hot side of 100 or so -- what wattage are you using for the basking bulb? please get a accurate temp of surface basking temp w/ the digital

 

[ShinyHunter]

Yes the CHE would work -- set it in the middle of the tank - distance for the UVB should be 12-15 inches directly over the basking decor piece- you want 3 temps in the tank hot side basking 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- 90's middle of the tank and cool side 80's -- you should be getting ambient temps on the hot side of 100 or so -- what wattage are you using for the basking bulb? please get a accurate temp of surface basking temp w/ the digital

My basking bulb is a 100w Exoterra Intense Basking Light. I'll set up the CHE today or tomorrow to make the ambient temp warmer, hopefully it'll allow her to be a bit more comfy.

I get my basking temps on the stone where she basks, 100F on the stone right now, I also placed some branches if she wants to sit on something that doesn't get as hot.

So that duller color is a sign of shedding right?

 

[ShinyHunter]

My basking bulb is a 100w Exoterra Intense Basking Light. I'll set up the CHE today or tomorrow to make the ambient temp warmer, hopefully it'll allow her to be a bit more comfy.

I get my basking temps on the stone where she basks, 100F on the stone right now, I also placed some branches if she wants to sit on something that doesn't get as hot.

So that duller color is a sign of shedding right?

Correction:

105F on the stone right

Her ambient side hot right now is 86F, hopefully with the CHE it'll rise.

 

[Sadie]

Correction:

105F on the stone right

Her ambient side hot right now is 86F, hopefully with the CHE it'll rise.

That 105 is w/ the digital probe? IR guns can be off and give inaccurate temps on certain basking decor material -
yes the opaque color is shed

 

[ShinyHunter]

Just confirmed with the digital probe I have, 104-105F (40.5 C) sitting on top the slate im using as basking spot (literally a ceramic rectangle).
Thanks for the clarification! You're an angel.

 

[ShinyHunter]

That 105 is w/ the digital probe? IR guns can be off and give inaccurate temps on certain basking decor material -
yes the opaque color is shed

Wanted to give you a little update:

Thanks for the help! She is shedding currently still, doing great though, she has been eating about ~10 Dubias a day and seems to be going for more, she also eats salad like a champ, sometimes even better than the insects lol.

Her temps have been great and whenever I put my hand inside her cage for some reason she always climbs on it and climbs on me. I have been feeding her the Calciworms with my hand and on the salad.

I guess she wouldn't eat much because of shedding + new home, had to give her a bath yesterday because she kinda loves to roll on her poop sometimes lol, she loved the bath and she has been drinking water just fine from the few drops on her nose + baths.

Everything looking great, she has grown a bit too, makes me happy.

Thanks, Sadie.

 

[Sadie]

Wanted to give you a little update:

Thanks for the help! She is shedding currently still, doing great though, she has been eating about ~10 Dubias a day and seems to be going for more, she also eats salad like a champ, sometimes even better than the insects lol.

Her temps have been great and whenever I put my hand inside her cage for some reason she always climbs on it and climbs on me. I have been feeding her the Calciworms with my hand and on the salad.

I guess she wouldn't eat much because of shedding + new home, had to give her a bath yesterday because she kinda loves to roll on her poop sometimes lol, she loved the bath and she has been drinking water just fine from the few drops on her nose + baths.

Everything looking great, she has grown a bit too, makes me happy.

Thanks, Sadie.

Thank you for the update --- glad to hear shes doing good -- once she hits around 6 months of age she may not like the 104 temps - they usually go for temps 95-100 so keep any eye on where she is sitting at that age