TeamNHL
Member
We just recently got a Bearded Dragon, his name is Thor. Not exactly sure how old he is, we are guessing he's about 9.5 weeks or so. We had been looking at beardies for a few weeks and kept seeing this little guy at a PetSmart. The lady there said he had been with them for a little while, she said had taken a liking to him handling him everyday she was there. He is missing all but 1 toe on his back left foot and the tip of is tail. I'm guessing that's why no one wanted him.
Our daughter fell in love with him the first time she saw him, and out of all the other we looked at in other shops she kept saying how she wanted him.
A friend gave us a deal on an extra 40gal breeder tank he didn't need (he has 2 BDs). Then we ran face first into the wall of confusion and miss information that surround Bearded Dragons. Lighting, substrate, feeding, ect... For the first 2 weeks we just used some retile carpet for his substrate, we just got 2 18" tiles for the bottom of his enclosure now.
As far as lighting goes: We went with the Zoo Med Heat & UVB combo pack that was suggested at one of the chain petshops. From what I've read and gathered the UV coil light is not recommended at all. We haven't had any issues with the heat light, the temps seem to be spot on. Looks like my best to option as far as UV light would either be: mail order the Arcadia D3+ T-5 22 Inch 24 Watt *12% Desert UVB (along with the t5 fixture) from http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22t5hofihouw2.html or pick up locally a Zoo Med Retisun T8 tube 10.0 UVB and fixture. Price wise they both are nearly the same, the only real factor is shipping cost and convenience of replacement bulbs. I'm leaning towards ordering the Arcadia setup. What do you think? What size bulb would be good for our enclosure, it's 36" long?
Here are some pictures:
Our daughter fell in love with him the first time she saw him, and out of all the other we looked at in other shops she kept saying how she wanted him.
A friend gave us a deal on an extra 40gal breeder tank he didn't need (he has 2 BDs). Then we ran face first into the wall of confusion and miss information that surround Bearded Dragons. Lighting, substrate, feeding, ect... For the first 2 weeks we just used some retile carpet for his substrate, we just got 2 18" tiles for the bottom of his enclosure now.
As far as lighting goes: We went with the Zoo Med Heat & UVB combo pack that was suggested at one of the chain petshops. From what I've read and gathered the UV coil light is not recommended at all. We haven't had any issues with the heat light, the temps seem to be spot on. Looks like my best to option as far as UV light would either be: mail order the Arcadia D3+ T-5 22 Inch 24 Watt *12% Desert UVB (along with the t5 fixture) from http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22t5hofihouw2.html or pick up locally a Zoo Med Retisun T8 tube 10.0 UVB and fixture. Price wise they both are nearly the same, the only real factor is shipping cost and convenience of replacement bulbs. I'm leaning towards ordering the Arcadia setup. What do you think? What size bulb would be good for our enclosure, it's 36" long?
Here are some pictures:
I can't help you much for which light to use, the arcadia or reptisun. But those eyes do not look healthy at all. I don't know how long you've had the lizard or the coil UVB. But turn the coil off. It is hurting his eyes, that is why they are slightly closed. And leave it off until you can get a new correct UVB. It is better to be without UVB then with bad UVB. Question, were his eyes half closed like that when you got him? If so, he may need a vet checkup. I just care for everybody's dragons. Other than the light, cute little lizard and glad you fixed the setup. 
