Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey,

i have 2 beardies....they are both about 18 months old now and were the same size when i got them...there not related....one (the male) is of normal size (if not bigger than normal) for his age...he eats everything and anything....he's a great beardie...the other (the female) is very small for her age and has never eaten like a normal beardie....i have always been really patient and tried giveing her everything anyone can think of.....last friday she went to the vet because she hadn't eaten anything for almost 2 weeks....first the good news, she had no blockage and the vet said she looked alright (or as all right as an 18month old 74 gram beardie can be)....they vet said that we should probably try to deworm her and give her some vitamins...well we did that and she's hasn't really responded...my vet has called a few times to check up on her and she can't think of anything else....and we can't do a fecal cause if she dosen't eat then she can't poop.....i'm at my wits end....she dosen't want veggies(not that she ever has)..i have an order of crickets on its way (sometimes she'll eat those if nothing else)....she dosen't seem to want pellets anymore....and i think thats it....any ideas...i need any and all advice that there is....are some beardies just not good eaters or what???i love my beardies and i can't stand to see her the way she is...so little and thin.......any advice is greatly appreciated

thanks

carbonatom13

p.s. she drink alot... i mean alot alot so i have been giveing her water with her vitamins and her calcium and her probacteria, that live bacteria stuff like nutribac

What is the setup of her cage like?....size, lighting, basking spot temps,...etc. Are the two dragons in sight of each other?
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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

Ok questions for you

1) what types of lights are you using? Brand, wattage, location, and type of light

2) What are the cage temps on the basking side and the cool end? How are you measuring the temps?

3) What size cage is she in?

4) What type of substrate?

5) Has she ever had a fecal done?

6) What do you offer her for food daily? Has this ever changed?

7) What did the vet try and worm the dragons with, dosage and what type of med?

8) Any other animals in her line of sight? remeber they have great eyesight

9) Does she have any cage mates?

10) Anjy other percular activities?
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

.

It is possible that it is husbandry although I doubt it. If they have the same husbandry and only one of them doesn't grow, it may be genetic. At 18 months old and physically fit other than size, it may just be genetic. It could be from poor breeding practices but not necessarily. Sorry to be so vague. Just out of curiosity, do you use UV? if so what kind? Sunlight? MVB? what brand? What size tank? What brand supplements? What cage temps?

You might want to try ParaZap it is supposed to increase their appetite. You may want to also use a probiotic. If she is drinking a lot you might also want to give pediatite.
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

hey,

there not of the same husbandry...there not related and she is quite sickly....i use reptical suppliments and she is currently on a probiotic in her water.......any more info need let me know

carbonatom13

hey,

she in a 2' by 2' by 4' cage i don't know the gallons....she has always lived on sand (washed playground sand)....i have two bulbs one is a neodymium 100watt reptile basking light and the other is a 100watt uva uvb bulb ( i don't know the brand its just big)....one is held back on a brick so that it gives light to the whole cage the other is used as a sopt light for the basking area.....the basking area consists of 2 cactus logs and a 1/2 concrete block...the temps in the basking area are between 95 and 110 degrees the cool end is around the mid 80's all day....she has heat tape so that she can keep warm on cool nights....temps measured by a digital thermometer....never had a fecal done (been tryin recently but she hasn't produced...i offer her some sort of lettuce everymorning (redleaf or romain or sumtin like that always beardie freindly) and i offer her crickets mealworms or pellets in the afternoon....i try to make it on a schedule but its really hard....i'm gone before her light turn on and i get home around 2:45 which is when i try to give her her crixs or worms but on some days...like weekends her veggies come alittle late cause i get up late and i have to work sometimes so the schedule isn't perfect and sad to say rarely the same......oops........i try and keep her from seeing any of the surrounding critters (her cage is surrounded by cardboard) but she might catch an occasional glance of the kenyan sand boas of the chineese rat sanke or even her old cage mate....she had a male cage mate but i removed him for burmation and so that they don't mate cause she is in no condition to mate....her new hobby is basking and drinking alot.....she was dossed on b complex by the vet last friday and dewormed with anthelban (it says .5 on the dosage but dosen't give unit)....anything else u need to know let me know i'll get u as much info as possible i need alot of help

glenn

thankyou

Never heard of anthleban. I always use panacur and metronidazole. I would put more light on the tank. Like a fluoro that runs the length of the tank. I would put the merc vapor (100 watt uva uvb bulb) in a 10" ceramic dome light and put it right on the screen right along side the neo bulb. The tank size is tit 4' long by 2' deep by 2' high. That may be a little large for such a small dragon. They can sometimes become overwhelmed by such large tanks. What size crickets are you feeding. I do not believe that there are many genetically stunted dragons. Keep answering and maybe we will find something
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

i'm gonna try a new lighting set up cause i think mine sucks....i'll also try a slightly smaller cage(besides the king aka spike would love to have his large cage back....she eats 1/2 inch sizied crickets (when she actually eats) i have a shippment on its way (i ran out.......stupid crickets) lol....anything else let me know

carbonatom13

where can i order the light u recomendeda and where are they not so expensive...that 86.50 vet visit was a little hard cause i'm 16 and only work part time

thanks again

carbonatom13

Ok here is what I recomend for lights. I recomend you go to home depot and buy a phillips halogen flood light. The ones for the outdoors in the motion lights. If you have a small enclosure I would get a 45 or 50 watt one. The bigger one should be the size of a 90 watt one. They are really heavy and nice. If you don't know what I mean I will get you a picture. If you need a fixture for it while at home depot buy a clamp lamp. The two together should run you about $10. Buy a fluorescent light fixture (T8 I believe) while you are there make sure it is the lengthy of the tank, or smaller need to fit it and the spot on top remeber. Buy one fluoro light while at home depot if it is a dual tube which i would recomend. Thes two should only run you another $20. Then go to www.lllreptile.com and buy 1 (or 2 if you have the money but not really neccesary) zoomed reptisun 5.0 ($15) these I believe are t8 type fluoros. Put the halogen in the clamp lamp. Put the fluoros in their fixture. Put the halogen above the basking site run the fluoro over the rest of the tank. Or if you want you can use the merc vapor (if that is what you have) in a 10" clamp lamp (not the flukers one) can probably get that at the website to, but still give them the fluoro lights. Light intensity can stimulate their appetites. I hope this helps light is very important and can get the marginal beardie over the hump. it will not stop all beardies from growing well but it will some.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

thanks for all the info i'll be goin to homedepot tommorow....i'll post an update in a week

thanks again u've helped alot

carbonatom13

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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

If your going to buy the Repti-Sun 5.0 bulbs they are size T12 not T8. T8 are the skinny kind like Repti-Glo 8.0's I think. I would definitely go with the T12 Repti-sun 5.0 for the fluorescent light. Make sure you get a fixture for that size. I bought 4 fixtures there two days ago and it was a dual 4ft shop fluorescent fixture for under 16 bucks, and it held both T12 and T10 size bulbs.Worth the money for sure, but the singles bulb fixtures where around 11 bucks. Good luck with your dragon.
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Mystical Dragons webshots pictures
Mystical-Dragons Website

NP
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

I blew a fixture last week LOL My fixtures take both t12 and t10. You don't know the size of these reptile fluorescents before you buy the damn things. Not one site I've used said the sizes. Well I wanted to try a Reptiglo 8.0 bulb it was not listed on the bulb or package at all anywhere. The next day my fixture is buzzing and the bulb is burning hot and flickering LOL HMM I figured it was a T8 after that. Both fixture and bulb shot... It figures.
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Mystical Dragons webshots pictures
Mystical-Dragons Website

48" T12 takes 40 watts
48" T8 takes 32 watts
that is a way to tell think it stays the same as you get smaller. just something I noted when scouring home depot. reptisuns 48" is a 40 watt so that is a t12.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

Sorry to jump in,,, whats the difference between these two??
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Eddie)
2.0.0 Dogs (Black German Shepherd-Nicholas, Black Lab-Cooper
1.1.0 Budgies (Kia and Simon)
0.0.1 ?Fiddler Crab-Crusty
0.0.25 Various Fishies (Freshwater)
2.1.0 Hubby and kids (Boy and a Girl)

Sorry, being stupid for a moment,,, got my head on straight again.
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Eddie)
2.0.0 Dogs (Black German Shepherd-Nicholas, Black Lab-Cooper)
1.1.0 Budgies (Kia and Simon)
0.0.1 ?Fiddler Crab (Crusty)
0.0.25 Various Fishies (Freshwater)
2.1.0 Hubby and kids (Boy and a Girl)

NP
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Mystical Dragons webshots pictures
Mystical-Dragons Website

As far as output of UVB I'm not really sure to be honest. I saw one test result on the web with the Repti-Glo 8.0, and it was a dual fixture test with two bulbs. As far as that test, the test said it did provide the beneficial UVB. I personally would not go by one test especially with not knowing the tester or their motives. Lots of the bulbs that came out after the Repti-Sun 5.0 claimed higher output of UVB, claimed a higher percentage of power in the UVB range, and even dressed their boxes with higher numbers like 7%UVB and numbers like 8.0 and beautiful pictures of reptiles on the box. These bulbs once tested showed that they did none of the above claims. Hardly putting out if any UVB rays. The Repti-Sun 5.0 when it first came out was tested and found to provide the UVB rays, and still today is putting out the beneficial rays after many impartial tests. This is one of the bulbs I personally got to use a solar meter on, and it did provide UVB when I tested my bulbs, and these were older bulbs I had laying around. I just feel more comfortable recommending this bulb or the Iguana light 5.0 because I know they do provide the UVB and UVA rays. It's been around the longest, and continues to be at the top of the list as far as tubes go. I wanted to try one of these Repti-Glo bulbs myself, and when I got it, it was a lot skinnier then the Repti-sun 5.0. My fixture holds both T12 & T10 sizes if the Repti-Glo is in fact T8 I do not know for sure as the box or bulb does not state the size of the bulb. It does give out the same watts per size as the Repti-Sun 5.0. Wheather it was the bulb itself or my fixture not being able to fit this size or old it blew on me, and I just replaced it with what I know the Repti-Sun 5.0 which is T12. www.beautifuldragons.com has results from a few different bulbs they tested so far. You can see on this site how a bulb claimed the higher 8.0, and did not provide sufficient uvb at all. Also how a bulb can claim it provides uvb at high levels and in the first test the bulb was scrapped as it hardly put out any, and would not be worth running the test on Yahoo also has a group copy & paste that has been testing a few different bulbs as well http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UVB_Meter_Owners
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Mystical Dragons webshots pictures
Mystical-Dragons Website

WOW Mattman,,, thats alot of insite you've given me. Thanks so much. I use the Repti-sun 5.0 also. Thats what i had read the most about when setting up for my beardie. (although the salesman tried to get me to buy the 8.0-- i stuck to my guns) Thanks again... o, one more thing,,, they need to be replace every 6 months right? (i'm only going on week 7 of owning a beardie)
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Eddie)
2.0.0 Dogs (Black German Shepherd-Nicholas, Black Lab-Cooper)
1.1.0 Budgies (Kia and Simon)
0.0.1 ?Fiddler Crab (Crusty)
0.0.25 Various Fishies (Freshwater)
2.1.0 Hubby and kids (Boy and a Girl)

Yes, over months the fluorescent bulbs slowly decrease the amount given off. It is suggested to switch them out every 6-7 months to keep the UVB output at a higher level. Also as these bulbs get further from the basking dragon the amount of uvb rays decrease. Try and keep the bulb as close as possible to the dragon while basking. If you use a glass cage with a screen if it's possible to keep the screen slid back a bit and set the bulb right in front where it's open it will increase the amount reaching the dragons as well. I try to do this on my glass cages, but the uvb will go through the screen just not as much as it would without the screen blocking some of the light. I found that using the reptile hammocks are awesome in getting the reptiles during basking into a close range of the fluorescent bulbs. My dragons love their hammocks to bask on and stay in them most of the time right under the fluorescent light which is a plus. Good luck with the new dragon!!
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Mystical Dragons webshots pictures
Mystical-Dragons Website

Ok, good I still have a few months before i need a new one then.. I do have a glass tank but but the wire top for it which allows the light fixture to sit right on it and i think alot of light goes thru it. ( i would think more than with a screen but don't know for sure) and i emailed classylizards (?) the other day about a hammock but haven't heard back from her. Thanks for reminding me about that,,,, i'll email again.
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Eddie)
2.0.0 Dogs (Black German Shepherd-Nicholas, Black Lab-Cooper)
1.1.0 Budgies (Kia and Simon)
0.0.1 ?Fiddler Crab (Crusty)
0.0.25 Various Fishies (Freshwater)
2.1.0 Hubby and kids (Boy and a Girl)

adasd

The fixture and lights you need are T12 not T8. The T8's are the thinner bulbs.
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Paul Morlock
of CaptiveCreations and
Retail Sales Rep. for Sandfire Dragon Ranch