Separate Feeding Bin

[nitrous12]

Spike, our new beardie, will be with us a week tomorrow. He ate his crickets really well the first few nights right in his enclosure. Right around 12 each time. A few days in I decided to try feeding him in a large plastic tote lined on the bottom for traction. The first night he did pretty well but as I recall not quite as many. The next day per advice here I decided to try crickets twice a day and he ate only 5 in the morning in the separate bin and just a few in the evening. I only did it that day and went back to crickets once a day the past two days. Yesterday he took 7 and tonight only 5. He seems interested right away but after a few he seems uncomfortable and doesn't go after them and eat as many as he did the first few days.
I am switching the enclosure to tile as soon as I can (have the tile so tomorrow if I have time). It is sand now and the idea to feed in a separate bin and now switch are mostly driven by the risk of impaction from ingesting it.
I am hoping the change in the eating is from moving him.
Does anyone else do this and did it take some time for your beardie to adjust? Should I even both once I get the tile in?

 

[Canicke]

He is going through a lot of changes it can sometimes take two or three weeks for them to settle into their new home.

 

[Mushuandcricket]

I tried feeding Mushu in a separate container he did the same thing. He likes to eat in his enclosure. I would continue avoiding feeding in the sand until you get the tile.

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

Make sure he is hydrated, when was his last poop?

 

[nitrous12]

Got him last Monday. We put him in his first bath Wed eve and he pooped while in there. Pooped in his enclosure at some point Friday, pooped in the bath on Sat and again today. I think he is fairly regular

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

Something to watch while you have them on Sand

 

[nitrous12]

Switching tonight. I have the tile, but I am still trying to decide if I want to leave a small section under his hammock as a sand pit. He seems to like to burrow in a bit to sleep in that corner. I have seen a few others on here have done something like that. I do want to go back to feeding him in his enclosure I think though so I am torn as I know the reality is he will likely go after some crickets in that sand area.

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

As long as he is properly hydrated it shouldnt be an issue

 

[omarmald]

I have a general question, can you over feed your bearded calcium and what's the side afects.

 

[nitrous12]

Not sure on the calcium thing. I was advised to dust the crickets every other day.

I got the tiles in and fed Spike 13 crickets in the enclosure. He ran them down like a champ. So I guess that is his preference. I will just use the bin I got for feeding for keeping larger batches of crickets.

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

You can give to much but with reptiles its very difficult. Just don't give every day and you should be fine.

 

[jarich]

Just make sure of two things when using calcium powder. First, that you have a good UV source for them to produce their own Vitamin D naturally. Then make sure your calcium is pure with no Vit D added. You cannot overdose on the pure calcium as it will simply not be absorbed without the added Vit D. Any extra will simply be excreted and never enter their system.

 

[Mushuandcricket]

Just make sure of two things when using calcium powder. First, that you have a good UV source for them to produce their own Vitamin D naturally. Then make sure your calcium is pure with no Vit D added. You cannot overdose on the pure calcium as it will simply not be absorbed without the added Vit D. Any extra will simply be excreted and never enter their system.

There are so many calcium supplements on the market. Is there any they you recommend that is pure calcium with nothing added.

 

[jarich]

Its all pretty much the same. There are a few different ways they combine the calcium, some is carbonate, some gluconate, some citrate, etc. The carbonate is the easiest and cheapest generally, and normally works just fine. Citrate is a little easier to digest apparently, but again shouldnt be a big deal either way. I use the RepCal right now, but thats mostly because I got it on sale.