Baby Bearded Dragons, can anyone advise?

[jact38]

Hi we have 2 baby beardeds. One week on, and one is eating more or less and one not at all. Still skittish. We reckon 4 months old? 2 inches long plus tail.

Anyway, we started out with sand = then I decided that was a bad idea, changed to tiles, which FREAKED them out and now to Astro Turf. They still dont really want to walk on the floor, so the crickets just run.

We are ging them a bowl of chopped veg and rcket, but not touched. We tried to feed them in a click clack - no good either - they freaked again. We are water spraying them, and I got the one that would not eat to take 6 hand fed crickets the other day. But all in all, it isnt going great.

What do I do? Do I just keep putting a dozen crickets in and hope for the best each day? Do I try worms? I know they take time to settle so I wonder if I should stop putting anything in each day for a day or so and let them settle more.

Anyway, help appreciated. And oh yes, I am now trying a ceramic heat globe, I had a 75w basker but the end of the basking light was only 30. its a 3x2x2 tank, some wood, some glass. I think I need it to be way hotter?

Andrew

 

[Fiamma]

Hi Andrew,
I originally used newspaper in my baby beardies tank. I put a container with crickets in their tank, one will stay in to eat but the other two now will go after them in the tank. Stick with crickets or woodies if you can get them, they're better for them but I wouldn't give them worms.

Good Luck....Deb

 

[nagini-baby]

for my bubs i use no substrate. as then the crickets cant hide. also make sure if they dont eat them you take the crickets out as they will bite and can kill your beardie. temps should be 39 degrees in the basking spot. most peoples problems are due to wrong temps.

 

[Sel]

They need a basking light, if 75watts is not hot enough get 100watts..

If there are 2 dragons in one enclosure, one of them may bully the other one, leading him to not eat and stress out, so you may have to seperate them if this keeps up. They also may be scared of the big tank, fill it up with alot of logs and hiding places for them.

Woodies are a great thing for beardies, i hatched some babies this year and found when feeding them that they much prefer the woodies over crickets, as do all my bigger beardies. If you can get woodies, try them. Offer them veges still, they will eventually start eating them, chopped up bok choy they love and fresh picked dandelions from your backyard (not chemical sprayed)

 

[Grogshla]

try and keep the dragons different tanks.
They need a good UVB tube like reptisun10 or arcadia12.
Also need a good basking light. For a 40 gallon tank i would use a 60-75w light. Get this basking temp up to 110degrees f.
Feed pin head crickets or small crickets. Dust with calcium and with vitamins.

 

[jact38]

Thanks..

They have a UV10 Fluro. I was worried about the cage being big. They have a lot of stuff I must admit. I took a few things out today, but they have 2 plants, a house, 3 big logs at angles, and a waterfall and some jungle vine.

I will increase the temp for starters. The 60w ceramic I tried today is not getting past 30. I might just go 150 and if it gets too hot put a thermo.

Where should the probe be? I have it near the bottom under the heater through a hole in the viv.

I am going to leave the heater on for a bit and stop handling them. I think I might try the idea of crickets in the container for a bit. The pin head crickets are fast, I can see why this is hard to learn. Anyway, will keep battling away. I think the key now is to stop changing things and let them settle and keep offering.

I tried to slow the crickets down in the freezer today, but needs adjustment - all dead.

Andrew

 

[Grogshla]

well you should use a white/yellow colour bulb during the day. They associate light to heat and it resembles the sun to them. During the night if the ambient temp drops below 18degrees celcius then i would use your 60w ceramic to bump it up a bit. Don't use any night bulb/black light/red lamp. Umm what else.. Don't use a heat mat.. dragons sense the heat from above not below so all you really need is a basking lamp. Place the probe on his basking spot where he can get closest to the bulb. Be sure that the lizards can get within 7-10 inches of the uvb tube. Otherwise they will not get any beneficial rays. Yep let them settle a bit. Keep him up with the small crickets. Feed him after he has warmed up for an hour (in the morning) feed them again just after lunch and then feed them around 5pm. Switch the heat off about an hour after he has eaten. I usually switch mine on from 9am-7pm.

 

[mxf92]

i breed bearded dragons and i use clumping kitty litter im my cage, the crickets dont dig under it so there is always food, but i also have a real plant and water bowel which the crickets hide under. each day i lift the containers and they run away, which is good coz the baby lizard knows that food is only present for some of the day making it eat at the opportunaty.
dont feed them meal worms just yet beacause sometimes the meal worms eat their way out of the babies belly.
:s