Will not stop glass surfing!

[Abbie123]

Hi there,
My bearded dragon has recently come out of hibernation and has begun to frantically glass surf all day everyday (even at night!) Looked to us that he wanted to get out but even when we take him out he continues to run up to windows and glass surf on those too. As soon as we put him back in he simply starts doing it again. Have tried getting him out regularly to play and explore as well as covering the glass so he doesn’t see his reflection or what where doing. Don’t think the problem is the size of enclosure either as the tank is quite large.

Please help us because he is driving us mad! And simply cannot find the reason he is doing it. Have any of you guys experienced this in the past or have some idea of why it happens and how to stop it?

 

[Sadie]

Hi there,
My bearded dragon has recently come out of hibernation and has begun to frantically glass surf all day everyday (even at night!) Looked to us that he wanted to get out but even when we take him out he continues to run up to windows and glass surf on those too. As soon as we put him back in he simply starts doing it again. Have tried getting him out regularly to play and explore as well as covering the glass so he doesn’t see his reflection or what where doing. Don’t think the problem is the size of enclosure either as the tank is quite large.

Please help us because he is driving us mad! And simply cannot find the reason he is doing it. Have any of you guys experienced this in the past or have some idea of why it happens and how to stop it?

Yes he is active after sleeping for so long --- go over your tank set up the UVB brand and bulb coil or tube and the basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons --- we will start there and then narrow down the issue

 

[Abbie123]

UVB brand is zoo med and it is a tube. Measured temps with heat gun : Basking spot about 102 while cool side 90ish

 

[Sadie]

UVB brand is zoo med and it is a tube. Measured temps with heat gun : Basking spot about 102 while cool side 90ish

Cool side needs to go down to 80's --- warm side 90's and the basking spot is good - tube UVB is a T 8 or a T 5 and where in the tank is it? Placement and distance between the two bulbs is essential

 

[Abbie123]

UVB is T8 and About 7 inches from heat lamps. I have attached photos bellow to see setup

 

[Sadie]

UVB is T8 and About 7 inches from heat lamps. I have attached photos bellow to see setup

I would say your tank is too small thus the glass surfing and the UVB fixture does it have a reflector on it? It would be a piece of shiny looking tin foil like behind the bulb? Distance is good -- The red bulb in the tank needs to go ---- colored bulbs are harmful to the eyes and can cause long term eye damage and disrupt the sleep--- another reason for glass surfing -- I would replace the off colored yellowish basking light for a bright white basking bulb --- all these things I am mentioning would cause all the glass surfing --- please do the recommendations I have mentioned and then let me know his behavior then ---- are you in the states? If so I can give websites for bulbs you need or you can look at your petstores for the basking bulb --- I use Exo Terra bulbs for basking --- you must have a digital probe thermometer to get actual basking temps the IR gun is good but to get a temp off the hammock is not accurate you need the probe --- for some reason the IR gun cannot read correct temps off of hammocks---I am thinking it needs to be a solid piece of material for them to read --- what about humidity in the tank how are you measuring it? And your substrate your using what is it? Your tank is what size? Adult dragons need a 75-120 gallon tank -- floor space is essential --- if your in the states you can start looking on FB marketplace or craigslist for tanks --- look for one w/ front doors --- if you find one on there make sure you sanitize it really good w/ something like F 10 or Rescue or Zoo Meds Wipe Out --- if you need more help please ask

 

[HoomanSlave]

What size is your tank? The 40 gallon tanks are actually inadequate size, and are often marketed towards beardies because that's the biggest size terrarium most stores offer.
I've seen 75-150 gallon tanks on Craigslist for under $200, you might want to check them out! Just be careful not to get scammed. Many people offer the tanks with fish supplies or bad reptile supplies, so you might need to ask for the price without the accessories.

 

[CaHarding]

Hi there,
My bearded dragon has recently come out of hibernation and has begun to frantically glass surf all day everyday (even at night!) Looked to us that he wanted to get out but even when we take him out he continues to run up to windows and glass surf on those too. As soon as we put him back in he simply starts doing it again. Have tried getting him out regularly to play and explore as well as covering the glass so he doesn’t see his reflection or what where doing. Don’t think the problem is the size of enclosure either as the tank is quite large.

Please help us because he is driving us mad! And simply cannot find the reason he is doing it. Have any of you guys experienced this in the past or have some idea of why it happens and how to stop it?

It’s possible the tank is too small like others have said. My dragon will glass surf when she wants more vegetables. Not sure how I figured that out but it’s the only time she surfs. Once she gets them, she’s good. Maybe yours is wanting something specific as well or is still hungry.

 

[Petite]

Yes he is active after sleeping for so long --- go over your tank set up the UVB brand and bulb coil or tube and the basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons --- we will start there and then narrow down the issue

Take him out into the sun and garden. Give him space to run free he must be tired of sitting in the cage

 

[HoomanSlave]

If you get some wire cube shelving or a small animal playpen, you can build a portable pen for your beardie. If you use the wire cube shelving, you can shape it to fit your room and it can be disassembled and brought outside when it's warm.
The Petco dollar-per-gallon sale usually occurs sometime in November (usually around Black Friday, they'll tell you if you call them), and pet stores usually have huge Black Friday sales on supplies. I've heard of people getting expensive tanks for over $100 off on Black Friday.

 

[Abbie123]

Hi there,
Thanks for all the great advice, sorry that I couldn’t get back sooner. What heat bulbs should I be using instead of the red ones? I am in Australia so not sure exactly how large a gallon is. The tank my beardie is in is about 90cm (36 inches) wide and About 50cm (20 inches) Tall. Is this large enough? The guys at reptile store did say that it was large enough to hold a full sized bearded dragon. Only got tank about a year ago so wouldn’t be too happy to have to replace it.

 

[HoomanSlave]

Hi there,
Thanks for all the great advice, sorry that I couldn’t get back sooner. What heat bulbs should I be using instead of the red ones? I am in Australia so not sure exactly how large a gallon is. The tank my beardie is in is about 90cm (36 inches) wide and About 50cm (20 inches) Tall. Is this large enough? The guys at reptile store did say that it was large enough to hold a full sized bearded dragon. Only got tank about a year ago so wouldn’t be too happy to have to replace it.

Many pet stores say that size is accurate since it's the largest they carry, and the most inexpensive and easy to sell. However, most hobbyists recommend something in the 120x60x45 cm range instead. This provides plenty of room for plants, hides, and the lizard.
As a replacement for the red bulb, get a basking bulb that doesn't give off colored light. For the tank you have currently, a 100w basking bulb will work perfectly. If you move your beardie to something bigger, you might have to upgrade to a 150w if it isn't getting hot enough. Make sure your light fixture can handle the wattage, otherwise your bulbs will blow out. I don't have a specific light I recommend, but look for trusted brands such as Zoo Med and Exo Terra.

 

[Sadie]

Many pet stores say that size is accurate since it's the largest they carry, and the most inexpensive and easy to sell. However, most hobbyists recommend something in the 120x60x45 cm range instead. This provides plenty of room for plants, hides, and the lizard.
As a replacement for the red bulb, get a basking bulb that doesn't give off colored light. For the tank you have currently, a 100w basking bulb will work perfectly. If you move your beardie to something bigger, you might have to upgrade to a 150w if it isn't getting hot enough. Make sure your light fixture can handle the wattage, otherwise your bulbs will blow out. I don't have a specific light I recommend, but look for trusted brands such as Zoo Med and Exo Terra.

And make sure you have a digital probe thermometer to get actual basking temps --- for an adult 95-110