My water dragon wont stay awake

Discussion in 'Water Dragons' started by Ellanah Kirk, Jan 17, 2013.

  1. Ellanah Kirk

    Ellanah Kirk New Member

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    Ok so my water dragon has been sleeping ALL day, he was very active just the night before, I don't know if he has been sleeping much due to some changes in his home, is there something wrong I should be worrying about?​
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. Sharman Wisdom

    Sharman Wisdom HOTM Winner December

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    What are the temps. in cage? Has there been a change in it?
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. Ellanah Kirk

    Ellanah Kirk New Member

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    It used to be too cold for him so I heated it up to eighty and he was just fine, but ever since I got the heat lamp working he has been attacking his refection, and he rubs his nose on the side due to changes in the tank, like I said he was active at one in the morning but now he's just a lump is he tired or is something wrong with him?
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. Sharman Wisdom

    Sharman Wisdom HOTM Winner December

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    At night you want to make sure all the lights are turned off but if its too cold at night you want somthing that still keeps the cage warm but not to warm so that they sleep. A ceramic heat emitter or one of those night lights or under tank heating pads.
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. Sharman Wisdom

    Sharman Wisdom HOTM Winner December

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    You may also want to put some paper around its cage so it does not see reflection.
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. Ellanah Kirk

    Ellanah Kirk New Member

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    so He's just tired then? thank you, I was sooo worried about him I'm glad he's just tired, and yes I will do the lights and heating stuff thanks again.
     
  12. Sharman Wisdom

    Sharman Wisdom HOTM Winner December

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    Let me know what happens.
     
  13. Cammy

    Cammy ReptileBoards Addict

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    We really don't have enough information to say that this is just a case of your CWD being tired. Diurnal lizards generally should not be fully asleep or laying with their eyes closed during the day unless they are brumating, which we don't know is the case here (and I don't believe CWDs truly brumate under normal conditions anyways). If you can answer some pivotal questions, we can truly help you out.

    1.) What are the basking and ambient temperatures in your cage? What is the temperature at night?
    2.) What kind of thermometer are you using to read those temperatures? (stick on, round gauge, mercury, digital with probe, temp gun, etc.)
    3.) What kind of UVB light are you using? (Be very specific--brand, style, strength; better yet, provide a link to the exact product you are using.)
    4.) How far away is the UVB light from the basking site?
    5.) When was the last time you changed your UVB light?
    6.) What is your water dragon eating (types of food, amount, frequency of eating)?
    7.) What kind of supplementation are you using on his food, and how often are you using it?
    8.) What size tank is he in?
    9.) What kind of substrate are you using?
    10.) When was the last time he passed stool?
    11.) Any other important details we should know? (Changes in environment, changes in behavior, etc.)

    Again, without knowing the details of his care, we are simply jumping to conclusions about what may be the problem here. If you can answer these questions, we can likely provide you with a much better understanding of what is going on.
     
  14. Ellanah Kirk

    Ellanah Kirk New Member

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    1 His cage usually stays around 75-80
    2 I am using a stick on round gauge
    3 I am Using a light the pet store recommended he has a red one for night and a regular one for day, um I'm not sure Zoo med i think.
    4 the light is right above him a few inches about 4"
    5 Just about 2 weeks ago changed the bulb.
    6 Meal worms and crickets, have some calcium powder too.
    7 Calcium powder.
    8 50 gallon tank.
    9 it's like this sawdust stuff Zoomed
    10 ALL THE TIME
    11: He seems to be fine after a day if rest, even more active now.
     
  15. RomanLA

    RomanLA New Member

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    I'd suspect the red light. My dragon was up all night, until I swapped to a black light. I've seen a lot of discussion about this issue on other forums. It wasn't clear from your response...do you have a UV light?
     
    Ellanah Kirk likes this.
  16. Cammy

    Cammy ReptileBoards Addict

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    Do you have any kind of temperature gradient? 75-80 is on the cool side if that is the only temperature he is able to get to. Ideally he should have a basking spot of about 90 with a cool side of around 85. Exposure to less than ideal temperatures for an extended period of time is bound to lead to stress and most likely growth and digestive problems.

    Unfortunately, this style of thermometer is very unreliable. In addition, it will only give you a (most likely incorrect) air temperature reading, when what you really want to be measuring is surface temp. I'd strongly recommend picking up a temp gun or a digital thermometer with probe so you can get an accurate reading and can fix any issues with the temperatures as mentioned above. Temperatures are vital to reptiles' well-being, so it is essential that we monitor these closely and accurately.

    3 I am Using a light the pet store recommended he has a red one for night and a regular one for day, um I'm not sure Zoo med i think.

    As RomanLA mentioned, red lights are pretty disruptive to diurnal lizards' sleep patterns. They can actually see the light, despite what the pet store worker may have told you. A better option would be a Ceramic Heat Emitter or a heat pad. These both emit head without emitting any light. Again, monitor temperatures closely. Your night time temps should be around 75-80.

    I am a bit concerned about the "regular one for day" though. Are you 100% positive it is a UVB producing bulb? Did the package specifically say that it produces UVB? Most pet store workers are highly uninformed when it comes to reptile lighting requirements. If you only have a "full spectrum," "basking," or "day light" bulb, you do not have a source of UVB. UVB is, like temperatures, essential to your reptile's health. I would give this article a read and verify that you have a UVB bulb. I suspect that the worker did not show you the correct kind of bulb(s) you need.


    How much is he eating and how often? Has his appetite changed recently at all? How often are you dusting his food with the calcium?

    Are you talking about the aspen shavings by Zoo Med? Or possibly the crushed walnut shells? Either way, these are not a great substrate choice for a water dragon. They do not hold humidity well at all, which is needed for a tropical reptile such as your CWD. Walnut shell has also proven very dangerous in the past when it comes to risk of impaction. I encourage you to change to a substrate more suited for a tropical reptile. Sphagnum/peat moss or coconut fiber soil (like eco earth or bed-a-beast) are great choices.

    I'm glad to hear that he is doing better now. However, there are still some key flaws in his husbandry that could stand to be corrected. I'm sorry if it seems as if I am being nit-picky. I am not trying to single you out or make you feel bad by any means. My only objective is to make sure your lizard leads a long and healthy life. With some adjustments to his setup, particularly with the lighting, temperatures, and substrate, I believe he can do just that. Let us know if you have any further questions or need me to explain anything more in depth. We are all happy to help. =)
     
  17. Ellanah Kirk

    Ellanah Kirk New Member

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    48
    Ok I'll get a better temperature gauge ASAP, and fix everything aslo I want Pip to be the happiest he can be
     
  18. RomanLA

    RomanLA New Member

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    15
    There's nothing wrong with the little stick on gauges. You can walk by and get an idea of what's happening at a glance. You know which way your temperatures are trending and can get some idea of the temperature difference. With that said, I love my digital infrared detector. I'm using the ZooMed ReptiTemp and it works well for the price.

    Personally, I like reptile carpet as a substrate. You don't have to worry about them getting impacted or eye infections. If a cricket gets loose, it's easy to find and you don't end up with a bunch of baby crickets. When it's time to clean (which will be much less often), you just swap it out with a spare piece of carpet. Oh and if you have an undertank heater, no worries of them digging down to the glass and getting burned. If you need something to hold moisture, add a couple boxes of frog moss. If you setup your tank right (hot side water dish and openings on screen covered), you should be fine without it though.

    There's probably more that I wanted to add, but this is all I can stand to type on my phone! Lol
     
  19. RomanLA

    RomanLA New Member

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    15
    Oh I know what else I was going to add! If you don't have a UV light I'd go with a fluorescent tube style light. If you have a 55 gallon, they're fairly tall and I'm assuming you're going through a screen. If that's the case, I'd probably go with a Reptisun 10.0 bulb. Although, if you happen to run across one of the new ZooMed T5 high output fixtures, they're coming with a free Reptisun 5.0 bulb for a limited time. It's a much stronger bulb, so that would get the job done. Assuming its a standard 55 gallon, it should be 48 inches long. If that's the case, you'll want a 3ft fixture with it all the way on the hot end. That way you get a UV gradient that tapers off to the cold side. You need to have a stick for him to move up and down to self regulate both his temperature and UV exposure. You want his basking spot to be 90-95F, but at the same time, you need to limit his access to the UV light. That distance will be based off the bulb you're using. Sounds fun huh? He also needs a hide to get out of the light.
     
  20. Ellanah Kirk

    Ellanah Kirk New Member

    Messages:
    48
    thank you for all of your help guys I really, really appreciate it
     

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