hi there new to the forum we just got this little dude a few days ago (est 1-1.5 months old? he about 4-5 inches?) picked up some crickets (small) and wax worms and meal worms and veggies for it. Its probably nothing but need to get some insight after getting some crickets (small) and coated it with some cal powder...we feed him at least 5 for the time being ( we will increase it ofc more ... just wanted to be sure he will go after it) this morning with all the lights turned on and basking light turned on, just now he been sitting in the cool spot behind the fake plant in the back. the temp of that area is 75-80 F and hot zone is 99 F but i think i have to move the gauge a bit more closer to get the right heat temp. i am wondering is that normal? should i wake him up or at least move him to the basking area? hopefully its nothing as he probably still adjusting to the new environment thanks in advance for all the tips...cheers
Question: Are you using a digital thermometer or tempgun when measuring temps? Reason I ask is often the plastic, "stick-on" thermometers sold in pet stores can be inaccurate. Some check out, but their degree of accuracy can vary quite a bit and an improper reading can make a significant difference to a reptile's well being. The temperature on the basking spot under the basking light should ideally be around 105-110 for juveniles, and about 100-105 for adults. A minimum temperature of 95 degrees F is needed to properly digest food. I would consider bumping the temperature up a bit if possible - juvies like some extra heat and because they lack the body mass of adults can tolerate and enjoy a warmer basking temperature...some breeders will even push them into the 110-115 degree range so long as there is still a place to retreat in the enclosure for cooler temperature. You can increase the temperature by either decreasing the distance between the bulb and basking spot (i.e. moving the light fixture or basking spot object closer to the bulb) or by increasing the wattage of your basking bulb. You can use a regular household incandescent bulb from any store for a basking light to produce heat (you don't need a fancy basking bulb from a pet store) BUT you also still need your UVB producing bulb. Be sure if your UVB and heat are coming from the same bulb not to allow the dragon to get too close to the UVB producing bulb... I'll explain: If you have a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) that provides both heath and UV (such as ZooMed's Powersun) then you do not want the dragon getting any closer to the bulb than 12" or the excessive UV radiation can be harmful. On the flipside, if you are using a long, flourescent tube bulb as a UVB source (examples include ReptiSun 5.0/10.0, Exo Terra ReptiGlo 8.0/10.0, etc) then the dragon can get within 6" of the UV source because these bulbs are lower output and do not generate heat. The following guides elaborates on this: http://reptileboards.com/threads/uvb-basics.64396/ Now - you may have all of this set up perfectly fine; just wanted to include this detail to be thorough. I'll continue to check in when I can and I will provide you with some info on rearing feeder insects as well within the next day or so. Just kind of pressed for time right now...but we won't forget about you! If you have any other questions or would like any elaboration, we are all happy to assist you = ) Here is an extensive guide to rearing feeder cockroaches. The same methods can be applied to rearing crickets - but actually BREEDING crickets requires a little extra work. I'll elaborate more on this later, but crickets require a container of soil within their bin for laying eggs, as females oviposit eggs into the ground. http://reptileboards.com/threads/how-to-keep-and-breed-roaches-extensive.64560/
alright so i moved the "stick-on" closer and still outputting 105.... i will go and get a digital temp gauge with probe and replace that...and at the same time i will get a higher watt bulb as just before he/she went to sleep, it climbed as close as possible to the basking bulb so it requiring/asking for more heat.... As for the cricket i will check out but i think i need to take a few day break as my wife accidently released 40+ cricket in the tank as she was trying to release 10.... man o man, what a mess...most of them jammed themselves to the back of the background and i had quite some fun trying to get them all and put them back....NOT!!!! Another question to you would be, should i get a UVB+Heat (two in one) bulb or have it separated? whats your opinion?? My initial thought would be i better off getting it as individual as the uvb has to be replaced every 6 months anyways correct? but at the same time it would be awesome to have a cool side UVB and a Heat UVB..... am i wrong? Note to yourself, you may have to make a correction to your wording...i hope i ain't reading it wrong but you said..... "You can increase the temperature by either decreasing the distance between the bulb and basking spot (i.e. moving the light fixture or basking spot object closer to the bulb) or by increasing the wattage of your basking bulb" as you can see i bold and Italic the word "decreasing"...do you not mean increasing as prior to your example? LOL appreciate you taking the quick moment to reply my thread.
The choice is entirely up to you - and it depends partially on your enclosure as well. For example, a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) that produces both heat and UVB will get wayyy to hot in a smaller aquarium (<15 gallons). So in this case it would be better to have a separate heat source and UV source. I personally use an MVB (the Zoomed Powersun). You actually want both the UVB source and heat source on one side preferably... this way the beardie can bask and get both heat and UV rays. Totally natural, given that basking behavior in nature is from the sun, which produces both heat and ultraviolet radiation. The benefit to MVB's you get a higher output of UV and can have essentially a '2-in-1' bulb. They also only need replaced once yearly as opposed to once every 6 months or so required for flourescent/tube bulbs. The downside to MVB's is they are a bit pricier and require a further distance from the reptile to be safely used (no closer than 12 inches). But again - the decision is yours and what works best for you and your setup. Many breeders and keepers successfully rear them using either an MVB or a heat bulb + UV bulb. So long as you are providing the proper temperatures and have a UVB source, your dragon should thrive = ) And I apologize for my funny wording earlier, but I did mean decreasing, lol ; ) I meant to say that you decrease the distance between the bulb and basking area by moving the bulb closer to the basking spot... so say from a 12" distance between the light and lizard decreased to 8", for example.
Hey Jeff So after reading your post. I went ahead an purchase a higher bulb and a digital temp gauge. Now the temp reads at 110-112 F. So it all better. I have also started using my nightlight as I believe the temp in there gets cold and thus that's why it takes my berdie longer to wake up and be active. After setting everything up we also found out there shouldn't be any plants til they are sub-adult. What's your input on that? The only reason why I got concern is because it keeps sleeping and barely ate. Just today wifey caught him grab a bite from his salad and only manage to get it to eat one cricket. I got home from work as can see that it sleeping again. I picked it up and woke it up and started playing with it. After 15 mins. I was able to get it to eat about 6-7 cricket. Can you tell me is the reason why this beardie is sleeping a lot? What I did above is wrong? Cause ever since then it's been active and now since the nightlight is on, the guy is fast asleep behind the cave Waiting tmw to see if any more improvement on it being active during the day with a few naps Any input/thoughts would be appreciated it Cheers
Thought I would give give you an update. So far beardie is doing great!!! It coming out once the day lights are on and munching away on roman lettuce and crickets. Notice it loves the attention with the cats. The cats are constantly watching it walking around and trying to get it. Just the last few day we noticed that it was rubbing its head on the rocks and glass. Just today finally saw some shedding. It's head is clear lighter color and now it's onto shedding the rest of the body. Can't wait for its to slowly shine Any advice and/or suggestion would be great Cheers
The shedding may have been part of the reason for his loss of appetite earlier; along with making the changes to modify his husbandry as he was getting used to things. The cats shouldn't be an issue if he gets used to them, but just keep an eye on him and his behavior to ensure they aren't stressing him out in any way. As for plants - Something to keep in mind with bearded dragons is they will often trample and eat any live plants you place in the viv. Be sure whatever you choose is 100% safe for consumption. The following website is OUTSTANDING; this link provides comprehensive info on what kind of salad items to feed your beardie every day and also at the very bottom of the page, provides a list of plants that are approved safe for use with them in the cage: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html I keep a fake plant in with my guy, but he does trample it. With fake plants, you want to make sure they are well-made and the leaves are large enough and attached enough to the main body of the plant that they can't accidentally be consumed if the dragon were to try and take a bite. And just to err on the side of caution - Assuming your nighttime bulb produces some kind of light (red, blue, etc) I would actually recommend getting a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) for the nighttime temperatures instead. As long as it doesn't dip below 65 degrees F, you shouldn't have to worry about supplemental nighttime heat, but you can provide some gentle heat if you wish...just make sure it isn't roasting in there (its natural to have a slight temp drop at night, after all). The reason I recommend a CHE is black, red, and blue lights can actually be seen by bearded dragons, and may disrupt their day/night cycle. Beardie's have a highly adapted pineal gland that rests at the top of their head which acts as a "third eye" to detect ultraviolet radiation and allows them to see light frequencies that some other reptiles cannot see. Glad to hear he is doing good though! Keep us posted on the little guy! = )
