i totally agree, when l first got yoda he was about 6 months old and even 37 for basking temp wasn't enough. As soon as l bumped it to about 40, he started to eat like no mans business. 30-40 small crickets morning and night as well as about 4 tablespoons of greens a day. Now he's on medium crickets and he eats about 20 in one sitting and double the amout of greens.
Baby beardie questions?
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dragonfoot
Not so new Member
So instead of replying to both of you, ajandj & thepythonguy, I'll reply once?
So what should I do? Do I put the basking lamp back in? At the moment I only have the 10.0uvb and his tank is basically an overall temp of 29-31 (it fluctuates because I didn't think I needed the thermostat - I'm not using any heating because someone earlier said he wouldn't need it during summer? I'm not questioning your advice, I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Sorry :/)
I moved him to a smaller tank, hoping he will feel more secure. He ate one cricket, then got over it.
He doesn't seem to be drinking when I mist him, would that be because he's hydrated enough?
Obviously I've never owned a beardie before, Ajax is my first. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm running circles.
[EDIT]
I asked my brother this morning and he said he thought the breeder said Ajax was only a month and a half old. I'm going to call him tomorrow to find out for sure.
So what should I do? Do I put the basking lamp back in? At the moment I only have the 10.0uvb and his tank is basically an overall temp of 29-31 (it fluctuates because I didn't think I needed the thermostat - I'm not using any heating because someone earlier said he wouldn't need it during summer? I'm not questioning your advice, I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Sorry :/)
I moved him to a smaller tank, hoping he will feel more secure. He ate one cricket, then got over it.
He doesn't seem to be drinking when I mist him, would that be because he's hydrated enough?
Obviously I've never owned a beardie before, Ajax is my first. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm running circles.
[EDIT]
I asked my brother this morning and he said he thought the breeder said Ajax was only a month and a half old. I'm going to call him tomorrow to find out for sure.
My opinion is that you need to have a UVB bulb or tube (my personal choice is tube), you need to have a basking light. Alot of people including myself use a flood light from bunnings.
They need to bask to be able to digest food. You can pick up a temperature gun on ebay, i paid about $35 for mine. I have basking light at one end of tank and thermostat at the other. My thermostat is set at about 28 degrees, which makes the thermostat end the cool end. The other end is quite a bit hotter (not sure how hot as the radient hesat doesn't matter as much as the basking temp. All my lights go off at between 8 -9pm and i don't run heating summer or winter. Our house seems to stay around 18 degrees even in winter.
After all the babble above, my short answer is buy a IR (infer red) heat gun and give him a basking area again of around 40 degrees. If they get a little hot, they either move to the cool end or they will still bask with an open mouth (to regulate body temp).
All the adive l have been given from this forum and everything l have been reading points to this.
I mist every second day, i mist yoda as well as his branches. I also bathe once a weekexcept for when he is shedding. During shedding l bathe everyday. If you are concerned that your's isn't drinking enough then give him a luke warm bath, just make sure it's not too deep. Make sure he can hold his head up out of the water because they can drown. I use the basin in my bathroom and yoda lloves his baths now.
BUT REMEMBER THAT THIS IS MY OPINION
They need to bask to be able to digest food. You can pick up a temperature gun on ebay, i paid about $35 for mine. I have basking light at one end of tank and thermostat at the other. My thermostat is set at about 28 degrees, which makes the thermostat end the cool end. The other end is quite a bit hotter (not sure how hot as the radient hesat doesn't matter as much as the basking temp. All my lights go off at between 8 -9pm and i don't run heating summer or winter. Our house seems to stay around 18 degrees even in winter.
After all the babble above, my short answer is buy a IR (infer red) heat gun and give him a basking area again of around 40 degrees. If they get a little hot, they either move to the cool end or they will still bask with an open mouth (to regulate body temp).
All the adive l have been given from this forum and everything l have been reading points to this.
I mist every second day, i mist yoda as well as his branches. I also bathe once a weekexcept for when he is shedding. During shedding l bathe everyday. If you are concerned that your's isn't drinking enough then give him a luke warm bath, just make sure it's not too deep. Make sure he can hold his head up out of the water because they can drown. I use the basin in my bathroom and yoda lloves his baths now.
BUT REMEMBER THAT THIS IS MY OPINION
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whatmeworry
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bit unrelated, but im soo keen to get a beardie!!!
what kind is yours dragonfoot?
what kind is yours dragonfoot?
dragonfoot
Not so new Member
Thank you, ajandj. I will bath him if he continues not to drink, and I'm bargain hunting for a temp gun right now. Thank you so much, everyone seems to have clashing idea's and opinions and no two reptiles personalities are the same so it's more of a trial and error, but with this hopefully Ajax and I will be on the road to happiness asap, lol.
hey man, i replied to your message too
I fairly sure he's just a normal Central beardie. I didn't actually buy Ajax, my brother did as a gift. My brother said that the father was more white and the mother more yellow. I can post a pic?
View attachment 232558
In the photo his colors are a lot darker than they actually are. This was taken just after he was introduced into his new tank.
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LizardLady
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Thanks everyone for your replies, the only problem I have atm is that he won't eat properly? He's eaten two crickets, a worm and he had a lick of some tomato earlier. I've had him at least four days now.
Hey Dragonfoot!
Substrate: At the moment I'm using fake grass I got from bunnings because I was worried about impaction. Sort of like outdoor fake landscaping grass. It's not long enough for the crix to hide in the grass, they just seem to go right underneath it.
That's fine, but make sure you keep a dish of salad in his enclosure overnight - to feed the rogue crickets!
Lighting: I have two globes on during the day, and at night I have none, this where the heat mat comes in. I have a 26W Exo-terra 10.0 desert coil bulb (I'll replace this as soon as I can after reading that coils can cause eye problems? Someone can correct me?) and the other is the Exo-terra intense basking bulb which is 100W.
Okay, I'm going to try to be as gentle as possible... PLEASE get rid of the spiral UV - reports have indicated these UV "globes" are dangerous to your dragons' eyes. Within a few days, especially if the animal is quite close to it, you will find the animal will keep his eyes closed. These "globes" have also been associated with "welders flash" in humans. Try using a NEC T10 "tube" type arrangement... As for your heat light, just a normal "household" spot globe will be ample - Philips "SpotOne" R80, for example. Pretty sure you can still get these at "some" supermarkets, if not, Bunnings will have them...
Heating: during the night I've been using an 'under the tank heat mat' by reptile one, which is 20W. I've also been using a heat rock that ive been checking daily for cracks incase of electrocution. Unless Ajax has these he doesn't have any source of heat during the night and I'm worried that hell be too cold during the night - he sleeps close to the rock but hardly ever on it.
Totally unnecessary to use supplemental heating UNLESS the ambient temperature in your house gets to below 16C... Heat rocks have also been known to cause issues with overheating (as previously mentioned) - Bearded Dragons don't have temperature sensors in their bellies, they have what is called a Pineal Gland (Third-Eye) on the top of their heads - this is how they 'measure' the temperature, know when to bask, when to cool etc...
Anything else: breeder had the clutch on dusted woodies but my local reptile supplier only sells ones that would be much too big, he'd probably choke.
General rule for prey items with Bearded Dragons "No bigger than the distance between the dragon's eyes"... Also, no mealworms at a young age... Dusted crickets, woodies (appropriately sized), silkworms (expensive, but fantastic nutritional quality)...
I took him outside today on our drive way for 10-15mins and he seems pretty alert out there, but when I have him out inside he sits on my hand and closes his eyes. Yesterday he did a bit of exploration of my couch, my arms and my shoulder.
Ive been misting him two to three times a day, but he looks like he's never done it before. He closes his eyes and extends his front legs as if enjoying it, but then he puts his head back down and makes slow licks as if he has an idea of what he's supposed to do, but it seems really difficult for him.
Totally normal for a dragon to drink this way, don't stress!
Im sorry about the essay, I just hope I've given enough information for someone to get an idea of what's going on. Thank you again for your replies and any future advice.
NEVER apologise for asking questions - "essay" or not!
That's what we're here for!Hope this helps!
All the best,
Carolyn
Please forgive me jumping in here Nezikah, but Spinach is one of the worst greens you can offer... "High in vitamin A (67IU/g), high in oxalates (19:1 ox:ca), goitrogens, QUESTIONABLE"...
I have a Care Sheet, Food Information Chart, and Food Suggestions list - if you'd like a copy, PM me here with your email address, and I'll send it to you - or anyone else who would like it, for that matter!
Just to help us help you further, could you please tell us the size (dimensions) of your enclosure?
PM me with your email addy, and I'll send you some info!
Basking site temp needs to be much higher than this - if it's not 'warm' enough, your dragon won't be able to digest his/her food properly, and this will cause all sorts of problems...
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dragonfoot
Not so new Member
Thank you, Carolyn. I just feel like I'm bugging everyone with my stupid questions. I thought I had researched enough, but clearly I haven't and I'm paying for it now. Almost time for feeding, for his veggies I'm just going to chop up some boy choy, squash and spinach, see if the lack of anything red and acidic will have him eating.NEVER apologise for asking questions - "essay" or not!
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Carolyn
Is it possible for the crickets I'm offering to be sort of intimidating him? They don't bite him or anything, he just seems ultra weary of their movements because they are so fast. Half the crickets I've been offering I pull off one of the jumping legs so they are easier to chase.
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LizardLady
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Your dragons are too young for mealworms... Just out of curiosity, are you keeping your dragons together? I hope you're aware, that around the age of 2-3 months, you will need to separate them into their own individual enclosures - before you lose toes, tail-tips, or life...
Bok Choy, Yellow Squash, Butternut Pumpkin, Green Beans, Parsley, Parsnip, Red Capsicum (mainly for the water content, not harmful), Endive, Watercress... NO spinach...
How big are the crickets? No bigger than the space between the dragons' eyes... For his age, you should be using Small crickets...
And the only "dumb" or "stupid" question is the one that's NOT asked!
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dragonfoot
Not so new Member
Your dragons are too young for mealworms... Just out of curiosity, are you keeping your dragons together? I hope you're aware, that around the age of 2-3 months, you will need to separate them into their own individual enclosures - before you lose toes, tail-tips, or life...
Bok Choy, Yellow Squash, Butternut Pumpkin, Green Beans, Parsley, Parsnip, Red Capsicum (mainly for the water content, not harmful), Endive, Watercress... NO spinach...
How big are the crickets? No bigger than the space between the dragons' eyes... For his age, you should be using Small crickets...
And the only "dumb" or "stupid" question is the one that's NOT asked!
The crickets are sized small, but I watched one shed inside the container. The herp breeder was breeding his food for his snakes/lizards so maybe he was feeding Ajax crickets/woodies that are even smaller than the ones I give him. I am calling the man today to ask about Ajax's proper age, and to ask if I could possibly buy Ajax's live food from him? Do you think he would say no?
I did buy some capsicum and put some in his salad yesterday because a friend of mine has an adult female named Steve (long story lol) who absolutely LOVES it, and it's how she got Steve to just chill out when she was out of the cage.
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LizardLady
Guest
Oooooh, the freshly shed crickets are AWESOME!
Nice and squishy! If your breeder "objects" to supplying you with some information, I'd suggest he'd be a "questionable" breeder... I am available for my "people" 24/7, and have absolutely no qualms about it! He "may" prefer to keep his bred livefood stock for his/her babies, and that would be understandable. However, you could at least ask to SEE the size of crickets he's feeding to his babies, so you have a better understanding of what you can do to maintain your dragon's health...They do seem to enjoy capsicum, and yes, they will pick out certain colours! For what it's worth, try offering your dragon the salad (email sent) first thing in the morning, then dusted crickets at lunch time... This will get him into a solid routine, which you both will benefit!
Hope this helps!
Best,
Carolyn
dragonfoot
Not so new Member
Oooooh, the freshly shed crickets are AWESOME!
They do seem to enjoy capsicum, and yes, they will pick out certain colours! For what it's worth, try offering your dragon the salad (email sent) first thing in the morning, then dusted crickets at lunch time... This will get him into a solid routine, which you both will benefit!
Hope this helps!
Best,
Carolyn
View attachment 232559
View attachment 232560
View attachment 232561
These are some pics of his tank, the last one shows the distance between the spiral "globe" and him. That branch is the closest he can get, the question I have about it is: Will this be as damaging to his eyes? He used to be able to get on the cage, but I've taken that option away because I don't want his eyes to get hurt and I don't have a car (or enough money at the moment) to go out and buy the new globe and fitting.
My Brother has a diamond python, I've read they don't need as much UVB (and some people actually keep them without it?) would it be okay if I used that bar light instead if the spiral light is going to hurt him no matter how far he is from it? And would my brother's Diamond be okay for a day or two while I get my crap together? Otherwise I'll borrow the money from someone lol.
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LizardLady
Guest
Hmm, the pics don't seem to want to load for some reason...
Personally, without seeing the pics, I'd still ditch the UV Spiral - just not worth the risk, in my opinion...
Diamonds DO need UV - one of the few Morelia that do - but again, I wouldn't put a spiral UV in with a Diamond either... Again, my opinion... You 'could' get away with not having the UV in the Diamond's enclosure for a short period of time - a couple of days or so - so would be okay for you to get things together!
Hope this helps!
Best,
Carolyn
Personally, without seeing the pics, I'd still ditch the UV Spiral - just not worth the risk, in my opinion...
Diamonds DO need UV - one of the few Morelia that do - but again, I wouldn't put a spiral UV in with a Diamond either... Again, my opinion... You 'could' get away with not having the UV in the Diamond's enclosure for a short period of time - a couple of days or so - so would be okay for you to get things together!
Hope this helps!
Best,
Carolyn
thepythonguy
Active Member
So what happens when the dragons gets to much uv ? I haven't got a uv light installed in my enclosure I was told by the breeder they only need it every 2-3 days and for one photosynthesis period (daylight hours) So I keep the enclosure next to the window and take them out every weekend for a couple of hours to play in real sun
Lizardlady - only time will tell whether or not the mealworms at this age is bad for them or not but at the moment no impaction problems and their passing waste regular. I haven't found anything that suggest that it could be problem. If you have reference to text or something explaining the impaction of mealworms on hatchy dragons Could you post it please. I don't house my dragons together 2 are in separate 3ft enclosure and the other in 4ft enclosure. I have also sent you a pm for the list of foods and health chart please
Lizardlady - only time will tell whether or not the mealworms at this age is bad for them or not but at the moment no impaction problems and their passing waste regular. I haven't found anything that suggest that it could be problem. If you have reference to text or something explaining the impaction of mealworms on hatchy dragons Could you post it please. I don't house my dragons together 2 are in separate 3ft enclosure and the other in 4ft enclosure. I have also sent you a pm for the list of foods and health chart please
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LizardLady
Guest
Well, as I mentioned in an earlier post, those spiral UV's tend to "upset" things a little (I think, for memory, there was even a thread here about the effects of those spiral uv's on both dragons and their keeper...)...
As for what you were told by your "breeder", I am sorry, but you have been misinformed. Dragons (any diurnal animal, for that matter) NEED UV, up to 14 hours per day (except in winter) EVERY day, not every two-three... Also, by keeping the enclosure by the window, you are potentially "cooking" the animal, as it will only heat up - no UV gets through glass, plastic etc... By taking them out into the sun every now and then is GREAT, but not enough...
Email sent!
Best,
Carolyn
They cannot get enough UV light thru glass. I agree with Carolyn, they need alot of UV to help with growth and prevent MBD.
Also there are no silly/ stupid questions.. you should never feel like you cant ask a question no matter what it is. I was told when l first joined the forum that there is only one stupid question... and that's the one you don't ask.
The more you ask the more you learn... the more you learn, the better off your beardie is going to be.. You are going to have differing answers as (like you said earlier) all dragons a different and you have to work out what suits you and your new family member
Here is a food chart i use. Easy to read
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=229618&d=1323564099
Also there are no silly/ stupid questions.. you should never feel like you cant ask a question no matter what it is. I was told when l first joined the forum that there is only one stupid question... and that's the one you don't ask.
The more you ask the more you learn... the more you learn, the better off your beardie is going to be.. You are going to have differing answers as (like you said earlier) all dragons a different and you have to work out what suits you and your new family member
Here is a food chart i use. Easy to read
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=229618&d=1323564099
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dragonfoot
Not so new Member
You guys are great!
Thank you so much for all of your help with Ajax's temps and lights, it seems summer throws everyone off, lol. I am going down to the pet store today to buy a new uv globe, the bar type. Does anyone know if bunnings have cheaper fittings? Any favourite brands of light or fitting out there?
Atm I'm mixing squash, bok choy, red capsicum and crickets twice a day for food (he's still not a big eater.. although I think he's living off moths that fly into his tank) and I'm reduced my misting to once a day, unless he seems a bit lethargic. He seems more active now that I have turned the UV spiral off, always watching what me and my room mate are doing. Except this morning I think he was trying to puff his beard out at me, haha.
Thank you so much for all of your help with Ajax's temps and lights, it seems summer throws everyone off, lol. I am going down to the pet store today to buy a new uv globe, the bar type. Does anyone know if bunnings have cheaper fittings? Any favourite brands of light or fitting out there?
Atm I'm mixing squash, bok choy, red capsicum and crickets twice a day for food (he's still not a big eater.. although I think he's living off moths that fly into his tank) and I'm reduced my misting to once a day, unless he seems a bit lethargic. He seems more active now that I have turned the UV spiral off, always watching what me and my room mate are doing. Except this morning I think he was trying to puff his beard out at me, haha.
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LizardLady
Guest
Hehehe, sounds vaguely familiar!
You are most welcome Dragonfoot!
That's what we're here for! And you're quite right - summer DOES have a massive effect on our animals' conditions - for what it's worth, when my lot's temps are above what they need to be, even after I've dropped the wattage of the heat globe, I turn their heat light off (still leave the UV on) until late afternoon when their temps drop back to where they should be.You're now on the right track with Ajax, and I'm certain he will become the perfect "Master" - to which you must respond accordingly!
Have you tried him on Parsnip yet? My lot would take my arm off at the shoulders with that stuff! And Sweet-potato! And Mango... And Parsley... And Nasturtiums (adult form of Watercress)... And Silkworms... Well, anything that can be hand-fed really! Anyway, I for one, am glad you dropped in and asked your questions, and like I've said before, anything else you can think of, just ask!
Best,
Carolyn
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nusturtium flowers and leaves, dandelion flowers and leaves, pansy flowers and rose petal make yoda go nuts.. he loves em.
Dragonfoot - do you have a tank with no lid? Not so much now, but when he gets bigger you need to watch that. They are fantastic when it comes to jumping and escaping
Dragonfoot - do you have a tank with no lid? Not so much now, but when he gets bigger you need to watch that. They are fantastic when it comes to jumping and escaping
dragonfoot
Not so new Member
He has a tank topper, but I already have a tank ready for when he gets bigger. He was already in it, but I think the space was too much for him to chase his food. Atm, he could get out if he were bigger, and I'm home almost all day so I don't think it's much of a worry.
I spoke to this guy who own my local reptile supplier, and he said due to Ajax's age, he needed heat during the night, and that's why he wasn't eating. It was taking too long for him to warm up after getting so cold during the night. I bought a 75w moonlight globe, the blue one, and he's doing much better. Although I think I may need to take him to the vet because it seems difficult for him to poo.
traceylee
Well-Known Member
I have a Care Sheet, Food Information Chart, and Food Suggestions list - if you'd like a copy, PM me here with your email address, and I'll send it to you - or anyone else who would like it, for that matter!
..
I would love a copy if this is that's ok please?!
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