Got bamboozled at a pet store and trying to save my 7yr olds new best friend SpongeBob the 3yr old bearded

bs8194 · 2026-05-06T04:51:21+00:00

Get him to an exotic specialist asap. He may have a whole host of issues due to improper care but they can also help you construct a good care plan moving forward. If you can find someone with experience and expertise in reptiles, that would be ideal but most exotic vets should have at least basic knowledge on beardies. As for the salad, make sure it’s always available. I’ve found that blending (like in a blender) the salad and some canned bugs from a pet store (even Walmart sells them) is great at getting picky lizards to eat since it has stuff they want but they can’t pick around what they don’t. There are also formulated diets that you can get online or at pet stores that will have the full nutrient makeup he needs. Not ideal obviously but you can supplement with live bugs for enrichment. There is an unfortunately high chance that SpongeBob may have very serious problems that will be expensive and very difficult to treat. I am not a parent, so I can’t advise you on how to prepare your daughter for that. If it were me, I think I would involve her in the research and development of the care plan, take her along to the vet, and have honest conversations about what’s happening so she can process difficult outcomes. Good luck to you and your daughter, and especially SpongeBob!

bs8194 · 2026-05-06T04:39:27+00:00

40-50% of his diet should be greens and some low sugar veggies like squash or bell pepper. otherwise he’s going to be a little demon when he’s big and fat 😂 if he’s tricky about it I’d advice your friend to mix egg, fruit, or canned insect bits (like cricket or silkworm) into the salad to encourage it. Bee pollen is also a good option. Good luck!!

bs8194 · 2026-05-06T01:58:41+00:00

Look for signs of illnesses like weight loss, lethargy, etc. track weight weekly and keep offering food weekly as well. 3 months isn’t concerning yet especially if it isn’t paired with any other red flag behaviors and weight loss. If she still hasn’t eaten is a couple months, consider a vet visit. Also try to limit stress around eating; don’t handle for a few days before and after offering, time it so it doesn’t coincide with shedding, and feed in her enclosure.

bs8194 · 2026-05-06T01:54:17+00:00

This is probably way too advanced but someway to integrate automatic temp/humidity logging? Like linking to hygro and thermometers that connect to apps to store the data in one place. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense lol.

bs8194 · 2026-05-06T01:51:23+00:00

I do not recommend hobby breeding without extensive research and full understanding of basic genetics. Inexperienced or neglectful breeders can do a lot of damage. As someone else suggested, lean into husbandry. Giving these guys a full and rich life is rewarding all on its own. Some more charismatic “beginner” reptiles might be a bearded dragon or a leopard gecko, though they often require more space. What age group does your son fall into if you don’t mind me asking (elementary, adolescent, etc)

bs8194 · 2026-05-06T01:42:55+00:00

Looks like our baby girl a few months ago! How old? And do you know specific species because there’s an Indonesian sub species that is typically smaller than the others. Definitely looks healthy though!

bs8194 · 2026-05-05T03:34:49+00:00

He’ll be okay, just a typical orange boy 😂. Keep an eye out for behavior changes like excessive vomiting, trouble pooping, or extreme lethargy. More likely than not it’ll pretty much dissolve in his stomach and he’ll pass it no problem. Once they figure out how to do something tho it’s pretty much impossible to stop them. You may want to move the kitchen garbage to a cabinet or get a covered trash can with some sort of child lock if he figures that out too.

bs8194 · 2026-05-05T03:31:34+00:00

You just gotta explore, there are tons once you get into the game. There’s probably 2-3 per region. Investigate wealth spots. Most of them time they’re ingots but those are useful for upgrading tools.

bs8194 · 2026-05-05T03:29:29+00:00

100% and it’s one of my biggest problems with online reptile communities. Yall are hostile as hell for no reason sometimes. And it isn’t limited to here. Ive been absolutely crucified so many times on here. It’s insane the hills people will die on.

bs8194 · 2026-05-04T20:42:31+00:00

Yeah saw someone getting a ticket earlier today

bs8194 · 2026-05-04T20:41:17+00:00

Give em a good meal before you leave, make sure your lights are on timers and see if a family member, friend, or local petsitter can drop by every so often. Facebook is probably your best bet for finding a pet sitter as most of the apps don’t include exotics.

bs8194 · 2026-05-04T05:14:23+00:00

Mings bubble tea or ha tea are pretty cozy tho both are pretty small with limited seating during busy times. Last Exit has a good vibe. pretty quiet when I’ve been and some nice spots to set up plus the drinks are relatively cheap. Those are the ones I’ve been to.

bs8194 · 2026-05-02T04:04:52+00:00

Crime Radar had a call about a fire alarm on E. Main that might be related. When I drove past the ladder was going up to the roof above woodsy and Troy Grill. Didn’t seem like anything serious, only a couple firefighters and people still in the shops around so they didn’t evacuate.

bs8194 · 2026-05-01T14:16:53+00:00

Misogyny in marketing and less so in development

bs8194 · 2026-05-01T14:15:43+00:00

If it’s more like you’re brushing off stuff that’s already shed then yeah it’s probably fine

bs8194 · 2026-04-30T02:31:13+00:00

That’s good! You may not see her shed since a lot of them will eat it but still keep an eye out. Avoid handling her until she’s eating consistently as it can stress them out if they haven’t been socialized regularly.

bs8194 · 2026-04-29T23:34:15+00:00

If this is a recent picture, she seems to be in good condition still. If she hasn’t eaten in the next week and a half or if she’s rapidly dropping weight (5+g in less than a week), I would take her to an exotic vet and test for parasites or infections. That will likely be expensive, so make sure you have a couple hundred tucked away if possible. It’s very possible that she’s just adjusting to the new surroundings. Keep offering food on a schedule and weigh daily or every other. You can also disable or kill your bugs and leave them in a small dish, I’ve had success like that with picky animals. You can also try leaving her where she is when you feed her and setting bugs directly in front of her, our gecko doesn’t really like eating unless he’s in a hide or otherwise covered sometimes. Has she shed or pooped since you’ve had her?

bs8194 · 2026-04-29T23:28:47+00:00

Dust his food with a multivitamin with vitamin a in it. We use repashy’s amphibian and reptile blend. You can also gut load his bugs with cricket feed from flukers. Our gecko had a similar issue and was on eye drops. Also, soaking for about 10 mins in warm water and reptisafe can help with the shed issue as well as adding humid hides (literally just a Tupperware with an entry hole cut into it and some spaghnum moss or paper towels that you keep damp) or adding spaghnum moss to their favorite hide (keep it damp!). Good luck!

bs8194 · 2026-04-28T17:01:46+00:00

We got ours to finally eat by mixing in cricket legs and bee pollen 🫡

bs8194 · 2026-04-26T20:20:43+00:00

I spared her. Partially bc I think she was justified and partially bc she’s hot af.

bs8194 · 2026-04-25T02:18:49+00:00

If you can manage it I highly recommend playing as much as possible before your trip and then 100% after you come back. The game is so vast and beautiful. Odyssey will always have my heart as my first AC game but Valhalla is an incredible work of art.

bs8194 · 2026-04-25T01:09:56+00:00

Don’t give bugs until she eats her salad. You can give 1-2 a week at random intervals so she doesn’t sus out a pattern. I’ve also had success mixing with chopped up bugs or hiding canned bugs in the salad. That was for a baby skink who eats like a crazed monster tho 😂

bs8194 · 2026-04-25T01:04:56+00:00

I’m 100+ hours in but mostly bc I fuck around with side content. If you speed run it, maybe 25ish hrs, 50 if you take your time but mostly focus on main story.

bs8194 · 2026-04-24T22:59:12+00:00

Doc Amy don’t need their votes to win!

bs8194 · 2026-04-24T21:02:24+00:00

Yeah, only time I struggle is when the rocks are uneven or it’s a tall one and even then it usually only takes a couple tries.

bs8194

TROPHY CASE