weird bearded dragon habit

Question
QUESTION: hey man.  i have read some of your stuff on bearded dragons and i have a few questions.  my dragon i about 6 or 7 inches from head to tip of tail.  he varies a lot on his diet and you are right.. he is very picky about what he likes to eat =P.  anyways, there are times when it seems he is more interested in fighting his reflection and/or trying to get out of the tank.  oh and i have a ten gallon tank by the way.  but yeah he will jump up against the side of the tank and try to crawl up the side of the tank and will ignore his food.  i am keeping his cage around 85 to 90 degrees.  there are days when it seems he just doesn't want to eat.  i am just wondering if there is anything i can do to make him more comfortable so he will eat more consistently and also if this behavior is weird.  i don't know what to think of it... it is really strange..

-thanks,

peter

ANSWER: Hello Peter, It sounds to me like he needs more space. Bearded Dragons require at least 20 gallons at hatchling size 20 long is best and a minimum of 55 for an adult. Its best to just jump to the 55 as they are young because changing tanks all the time isn't healthy for them and can be stressful with a new territory. Bearded Dragons will run at the glass not realizing they cant get through it and they can get injured by doing so. If you can not get a larger enclosure at this point in time for whatever reason you need to cover the bottom 4-5 inches of the tank with a paper. Darker paper the better like construction paper or paper bags. This should help him realize he cant go through it. If he still wont eat because of the size and you really can NOT get a new tank right now then buy a cheap LARGE rubbermaid type of tub don't worry about a lid as he cant climb up and pick him up into it then toss the food in there. That should help. Remember to always offer fresh veggies.
I hope this helps and good luck.
-Yex

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks alot for the responce =)  i took your advice and that of the breeder i bought it from and bought him a 50 gallon tank.   already after a few days i can see better attention span, better attention to his food and he isnt so jittery.  he still occasionally rough houses with his reflection but it isnt as frantic as before and he only does it for a little bit then goes about his business.  the reptile owner told me that it is normal behavior for dragons to that from time to time.  but yeah over all i can tell he his much happier.  mt goal is when he is old enough to get him a mate and have them grow together and eventually mate and have baby dragons =)  but we will see.  ow and i changed his diet a bit.  i added silk worms, more veggies (dark lettuce, carrots), and mixed with crickets and mill worms.  i keep him cage around 90 degrees.  please tell me if anything ere sounds good or bad.  i hope i am on the right path to having a healthy strong dragon =)  thanks again for your time

-peter

Answer
Hey again Peter, I am glad he got a larger tank and that helped a bit. Another reason he would still scratch at the reflection is he sees himself and wants to "get the other lizard" OR something in the tank isn't correct (temps humidity substrate etc.) and he doesn't like it. It is normal for beardies to act this way to their reflection and many lizards do it just be sure that he doesn't hurt himself on the glass.
Be sure to do TONS and TONS of research on mating Bearded Dragons because it can be dangerous to the animals to mate and lay eggs.  The diet sounds great, and the temps and such sound good as well. Glad you are interested in the best for your pets well being. Good luck with your Beardie!