New Bearded Dragon owner-Need help with feeding

[BJones0982]

I just purchased a baby Bearded Dragon yesterday and he is roughly around 3 months old according to length. We purchased crickets yesterday and he has gone through that supply and no pet store will have any more until tomorrow afternoon. I have put some finely chopped kale and a small amount of carrots for color but he isn't taking to it. I was only able to feed him 5 crickets around 7:30 this morning.

Will he be ok with the very little protein he got or is there something else I can give him until I get more crickets tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks!

 

[HoomanSlave]

I just purchased a baby Bearded Dragon yesterday and he is roughly around 3 months old according to length. We purchased crickets yesterday and he has gone through that supply and no pet store will have any more until tomorrow afternoon. I have put some finely chopped kale and a small amount of carrots for color but he isn't taking to it. I was only able to feed him 5 crickets around 7:30 this morning.

Will he be ok with the very little protein he got or is there something else I can give him until I get more crickets tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks!

If possible, switch to feeding dubia roaches, silkworms, or black soldier fly larvae. They're cheaper, cleaner, and healthier than crickets. You can get 1,000 dubias for $30-50, depending on where you buy from. Ordering online is also more reliable than pet stores since they almost always have the feeders in stick. He should be okay as long as the time he goes without food is as short as possible-try not to push being without food for more than 24 hours, until then see if you can get your hands on canned bugs. It would be best to start ordering feeders and offer the pet store crickets while you wait for the package.

 

[Sadie]

Please order on line dubia roaches and small super worms and nutri grubs also called phoenix worms calci worms or BSFL--- www.dubiaroaches.com this place is really good --- feed your baby the BSFL on top of the salads you can rinse your salads before serving so she gets moisture http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale thing its a great staple feeder -- use 1-3 small super worms on top of the salad and as many BSFL as you want do not dust them they are another great staple feeder for babies --- silkworms are a good staple feeder also but I think the only place you can get those now as far as small is from here www.coastalsilkworms.com they have a east and west coast and they are a little spendy they do come w/ food - the place I usually get them from are out of stock now for smalls -- they have cupped but I think they might be a little too big at this time for you to feed her they come cupped w/ food I will give you the website and you can check it out later www.reptilianarts.com this place is good too -- shes going to go thru relocation stress so the eating maybe off but she should keep eating something -- if she quits eating all together something is off --- correct UVB NO coils and correct basking temps taken w/ a digital probe thermometer are going to keep her eating -- basking temps of 105-110--- those two things I just mentioned are the most important things in that tank ---

 

[BJones0982]

Thanks for all the good advice! I have placed an order for dubia roaches that will be here Friday. I have also order a non coiled UVB light. I am currently using the coiled light that came with the 40 gallon tank setup.

 

[Sadie]

Thanks for all the good advice! I have placed an order for dubia roaches that will be here Friday. I have also order a non coiled UVB light. I am currently using the coiled light that came with the 40 gallon tank setup.

What did you order please ---brand and bulb? I will need to help you get it placed properly for the best UVB

 

[BJones0982]

What did you order please ---brand and bulb? I will need to help you get it placed properly for the best UVB

It’s the Zilla Slimline Desert 50 UVB T8. Comes with a Zilla brand bulb as well.

 

[HoomanSlave]

The Zilla bulbs are cheap rip-offs, the most trustworthy brands are Arcadia and ReptiSun.

 

[BJones0982]

The Zilla bulbs are cheap rip-offs, the most trustworthy brands are Arcadia and ReptiSun.

Good to know. I’ll replace the bulb in the fixture.

 

[BJones0982]

The Zilla bulbs are cheap rip-offs, the most trustworthy brands are Arcadia and ReptiSun.

Another question, when looking at a replacement bulb, what is the difference between the 10.0 and 5.0?

 

[Sadie]

Another question, when looking at a replacement bulb, what is the difference between the 10.0 and 5.0?

The 5.0 is equivalent to a T 8 bulb they are more for aquarium use- they are not designed for reptiles like the 10.0-- the 10.0 is a stronger bulb-- you want a Reptisun 10.0 T 8

 

[HoomanSlave]

The 5.0 is better for some tropical nocturnal species that don't need uvb but benefit from it. The T8 10.0 is more aimed at tropical species that need a stronger light, and the T5 10.0 is designed for desert/full sunlight species and doesn't have the flickering problems found in the T8.

 

[Bostonfinest]

Since you got him yesterday he is probably still adjusting to the move and it is normal for them not to eat. The most important thing right now is the basking temperature and UVB setup. What is the basking temp and how are you measuring it

 

[Bostonfinest]

If possible, switch to feeding dubia roaches, silkworms, or black soldier fly larvae. They're cheaper, cleaner, and healthier than crickets. You can get 1,000 dubias for $30-50, depending on where you buy from. Ordering online is also more reliable than pet stores since they almost always have the feeders in stick. He should be okay as long as the time he goes without food is as short as possible-try not to push being without food for more than 24 hours, until then see if you can get your hands on canned bugs. It would be best to start ordering feeders and offer the pet store crickets while you wait for the package.

I disagree with this a little bit, Dubia roaches, BSFL and silkworms are better options but variety is the key key here. Crickets can carry parasites but all feeders can. Beardies also have a habit of eating the same food so you have to mix it up

 

[Bostonfinest]

The Zilla bulbs are cheap rip-offs, the most trustworthy brands are Arcadia and ReptiSun.

Actually the zilla UVB is good for a baby beardie and it provide sufficient amount of UVB rays, I saw a YouTube video and they were reviewing several bulbs and fixtures and the Zilla was one of them and I was impressed, but you have to remove the plastic piece and mount it inside the enclosure. Arcadia and reptisun 10.0 is the best though

 

[HoomanSlave]

I disagree with this a little bit, Dubia roaches, BSFL and silkworms are better options but variety is the key key here. Crickets can carry parasites but all feeders can. Beardies also have a habit of eating the same food so you have to mix it up

Pinworms have yet to be traced back to dubia roaches as far as I know, not sure about silkworms or BSFL. I've only heard about them being in crickets, supers, and wild caught insects. If you don't want to deal with crickets, you can still provide enough variety in the diet as long as you're willing to fork over some extra cash (and get weird looks from the neighbors whenever you buy feeders online).

Thanks for the info on the Zilla bulb! The issues I've read about might have been from an older model.

 

[Bostonfinest]

Pinworms have yet to be traced back to dubia roaches as far as I know, not sure about silkworms or BSFL. I've only heard about them being in crickets, supers, and wild caught insects. If you don't want to deal with crickets, you can still provide enough variety in the diet as long as you're willing to fork over some extra cash (and get weird looks from the neighbors whenever you buy feeders online).

Thanks for the info on the Zilla bulb! The issues I've read about might have been from an older model.

All live feeders can carry them, you just have to be careful where you get your bugs from. My boy don’t like BSFL