Hello everyone

treestalker · #1 (**permalink**) 08-04-2008, 08:27 PM

Hello everyone!
i just joined vivarium today. I have a small bearded dragon a blue macaw and two cats. i just bought the beardie about a week ago and it does not have much of an appetite the second day it ate out of my hand prob. a half dozen small crickets or so but since then it has not eaten all that much it does not eat every day but today it ate two or three crickets. it does not touch the greens but goes to bathroom regularly. i have it in a 29 gallon with a 24 inch uvb 10.0 and a red heat lamp i use 24/7 the temp ranges from mid 90s to 110 in baskin area and 80 to 89 tops in cool side. he is drinking and i bath it almost daily anything i should do it seems that it is stressed to me but you tell me please! i would love to hear all opinions i just want it to be happy and healthy thank you so much!! cant wait for feedback!!

Athen · #2 (**permalink**) 08-05-2008, 12:55 AM

a couple questions how big are the crickets you are feeding it? and how big is he? you bath him daily? it is good in some respects but you also gotta realize they are a desert species and they arent too accustomed to water or even swimming you said you have had him about a week so yes it is quite possible he is stressed general rule of thumb is let them be for a little while so they can acclimate and there isnt much worry about hand feeding a beardie daily since they are a very very docile critter they almost enjoy human presence right out of the egg try just dropping the crickets in his tank and not rly bothering him for a few days and watch him and see if he actually goes onto a good regular eating habit on his own at that point it is safe to say he is comfortable and feeling safe and he will welcome any and all attention you wanna give him i know its hard to do beardies are just such an awesome lizard but its for his best. i totally recommend a bearded dragon for a beginning reptile keeper they are very people friendly and easy to keep also about him not eating his greens if he is young like i am assuming he is dont worry about him eating his greens as a young beardie they dont rly require greens and havnt got a taste for them as a baby they need to be fed live crickets daily once they start to get to the juvenile/ young adult stage they will be more willing to eat greens it isnt bad to try to start him on them yet tho try some alfalfa i give mine alfalfa hay like you give to rabbits he loves it but still as a youngin live crickets area mainstay you could also try small roaches less risk of impaction and a healthier meal meaning you need to feed less and they will get better nutrition out of the few than they even would out of the 30-50 crickets they would normally eat per day =) i hope i helped and good luck!

treestalker · #3 (**permalink**) 08-05-2008, 03:35 AM

the dragon is about six inches maybe seven ive yet to measure and the crickets are small two week i beleive. i willl try to give him his space for a while and just observe his eating habbits whatever it takes just want it to be happy what kind of roaches do you speek of i will investigate availability thanks for feedback!!

Athen · #4 (**permalink**) 08-05-2008, 11:26 AM

my personal preference for feeder roaches would be blatta lateralis and is what i am trying to get ahold of to start a feeder colony for my lizards because they are about the same size as crickets and do not fly or climb

treestalker · #5 (**permalink**) 08-05-2008, 05:33 PM

ok thanks and good luck getting them ill check it out.

treestalker · #6 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008, 05:02 PM

hey well i just wanted to thank you for the advice. my dragon is now eating rather regularly. he has been going right for the crickets for the past few days and before that he was slowly progressing THANK YOU