Not a big eater....relocation stress?

[Matty06]

My son recently purchased a baby beardie which he named Techno. We got him from a breeder and he was shipped to us. He is 9 weeks old now and was 6 inches long and weighed 8 grams at last weigh-in. We've had him for 9 days now. I know from the breeder he was already eating veggies and worms. We've tried various veggies (mustard, collard, yellow squash, sweet potato) and mixes of bsfl and dubias (with an occasion waxworm thrown in). Techno has yet to really develop an appetite. On a good day he'll eat a small piece or two of a mustard green and maybe a small piece of squash. The rest of the day he'll consume 5-10 insects total. I think the most I saw him eat in any one sitting was 6 dubias. The insects are placed in a bowl and he eats a few, loses interest and runs away! He has pooped everyday, is quite active (I have a "Techno-Cam" I can watch him from at work!), and enjoys hanging out with my son.

I guess I assumed he would be eating more bugs per day! The dubias are around 1/4" nymphs. It seems he's full but the numbers don't match up with what I read he "should" be eating.

Techno is in a 40 gallon breeder tank. 100W basking light producing a 97-112 deg basking spot at it's focal point with several easily accessible gradients nearby providing temps down to 90 deg. Ambient temps on the basking side are 88-92 during the day. The cool side sits at upper 70s during the day. During the night a CHE keeps the cooler side at about 75 while the basking side will dip to about 70. A 24" Zoomed Reptisun T8 bulb sits slighty above the screen top and about 7-8" away from his main basking platform. Usually when we are home, the screen is taken off. All surface temps have been measured with both a laser temp gun and a dual probe contact thermometer.

Attached are pics of Techno and his tank setup.

 

[Matty06]

Actually, the light is in a fixture with a reflector. I swiped the fixture from my dj equipment and swapped out the black light with the T8. Can't change the bulb without changing the fixture. I probably should angle it down a little more. If I put it in the tank, it's going to be less than 5 inches from his basking spot...too close from what I read. Think I'll modify the screen and cut out a portion under the light or just leave the lid off altogether.

 

[Matty06]

Also, I mistyped the basking temps...it's running 107-112. A bit hot but only if he's is right at that one spot. An inch to the right or down his ramp a bit and it sits at 105-108. Think the temps are good.

 

[Matty06]

Yes 5 " is too close - from the picture it didnt look like it had a reflector on it ---- you need to take the screen off then - the rays are not getting thru that screen --- once you take the screen off dont do anything else w/ it -- see if his eating changes w/ just taking the screen off for now

Thanks! I do think it's probably more reflecting out kind of at a 45deg angle than directly down (which makes more sense for a mounted djay light broadcasting to the flood, so if I can I'll figure something to angle it down a little bit.