Baby bearded dragon health

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I was wondering if you could offer any insight in the behaviour of by baby bearded dragon. It is about a month and a half old, and has been acting differently than I would have expected. Firstly, is it normal at this age for it to be inactive, and for it to spend most of its time hiding under the newspaper I put down for it? Also it has no interest in eating fruit or vegetables, and I have never seen it take a drink on its own, only when I drip water onto its head will it lick the droplets, though recently it is ignoring this. I am getting fairly worried, so any help you can offer would be great, thanks in advance, AJ

ANSWER: Hello Alan,

What type of lighting are you using?  He is extremely young, so it is somewhat normal for them to be skittish.  However, at that age, he should be very active & basking.
So, let's go over your setup first to see if something in your setup could be off.
What type & brand of UVB light are you using, is it a flourescent tube bulb or a compact or coil light?  
What type of basking light do you use, is it a bright white light or a colored light?
What are the temps in the tank, & what type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures?  A round analogue stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?  

What type of bugs are you attempting to feed him?  At that age, he will not be real interested in greens, fruits or veggies yet though you can keep trying.  He needs at least 50+ feeders per day to grow.  
Are you using a calcium supplementation 5 times a week for him?
In the UK, you can get calypso pure calcium powder, or Miner-All calcium either one.  You should also use Vita-All powder 1-2 times per week for his vitamins right now.   

Can you post a picture of your tank setup for me too?  Thanks!

Tracie

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QUESTION: Hi again, thanks! I'll try to post a pic later, The light is exo terra uvb fluorescent 10%, and a ceramic heat lamp (no light). Temp is 80 to 85 degrees farenheit in the cool, and at a guess 5 to 10 degrees higher ambient in the hotter, with maybe 105 to 110 basking temp under the log. She (think its a she) used to spend all of her time basking on the log, but recently has took it upon herself to hide under newspaper when people come in from work, and will spend all day and night down there. The thermometers i had been using were the analogue coil type, but have recently bought digital. Um what else.... oh yeah, I had been using Komodo cricket dust (calcium) and Nutrobal calcium balancer & multivitamin, about 3-4 times a week. can you explain what you mean by 50+ feeders? I am feeding her small crickets (possibly size 2) but dont know how much she has, as I have to leave some in with her on she will not eat enough. Thanks yet again! AJ

ANSWER: Hello Alan,

Ok, well unfortunately your problems with your baby are most likely going to be due to the Exo terra Reptiglo 10 flourescent tube bulb.  These lights are the latest upgrade from the Reptiglo 8 lights, but, were not a good upgrade.  They emit low wavelength UVB which is borderline to the UVC emissions.  They emit less UVA which is hard on their eyes & the wavelength that is produced is not conducive to D3 synthesis.  What that means is long term use will not allow for proper calcium absorption which will lead to metabolic bone disease & or other health issues.
Also, IF you do use it for short term, it must be at least 10 inches away & be used in conjunction with a bright white basking light such as a halogen flood light.  

So, since you are in the UK, you can look for the Arcadia D3 12% flourescent tube bulb or the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb either one.  They are both excellent lights.  A bright white light must always be used with ANY UVB flourescent tube light not just for heating, but for eye protection, & behavior & feeding stimulation.  They are sensitive to light & using not enough bright light in the tank will appear to look like dusk to them.

Great that you got a digital probe then to accurately measure the temperatures.  The temperatures sound like they are ok, so when you choose a halogen light, try maybe a 75 watt or so.  

The number of feeders just refers to how many crickets or worms she can eat during a day.  Some babies can eat upwards to 100 small to medium crickets per day.  She should be fed at least 2 times per day to allow her sufficient amounts of protein to help her grow.  It is not recommended to leave any crickets in with her for any extended periods of time.  They have the tendency to bite them & stress them.  


Let me know how she is doing.

Tracie

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QUESTION: Hi again, Im pretty sure the bulbs are fine, as they are the ones used in the shop I bought everything from, and the beardies in the shop are very healthy. these bulbs are also used by a couple I was chatting to in the shop also, who had  brought along 6 youngsters, 6-10 months old, which were all healthy. I think my pet is also not eating nearly as much as it should, as it was half the size of one its equal age. This aside, 100 crickets seems an enormous amount to be feeding her. Thanks! I hope to hear from you again,

AJ

Answer
Hello Alan,

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you.  I have worked with too many people that have had terrible results with the Reptiglo 10 lights.  They emit hazardous low wavelength UVB which is radiation.  There are no long term studies that have been done on reptiles that are exposed to hazardous lights so we do not know the full extent of damage that can occur with them.  
Please turn the ceramic heat emitter off & replace it with a bright white light, either a halogen flood light bulb or a household lightbulb, either one.  
Also, they are from Australia, & they live out in the bright desert outdoors in which is it very bright.  Just using a ceramic heater is not bright enough light.  One major reason is that when they are not exposed to bright light, their pupils do not constrict properly, but instead stays dilated which allows too much UVB to penetrate into the eyes.  If the light is bright, then the pupil constricts which does not allow any UVB light to penetrate the eyes.  The constant influx of bad UVB without proper lighting will damage his eyes over time, & will affect his health long term.  That is probably why he is not eating.  
Ultimately, it is up to you as to what lights you want to use.  I just give information that I get from UVB meter testers who pass it along to me so I can properly inform reptile owners.  
Are the pet store owners using bright white lights as basking lights?
Well, 100 is very to attain, if they are small crickets.  Usually it is 50-75 daily.  When they are growing, they eat tons, that is how they grow so quickly.

Tracie