New Beardie, Please help

Hello
Wondering if you could tell me what size ubv light to get for a 55G tank. The tank is 4 ft long by 13. Will get repisun but not sure of the size. I just got an adult dragon I think. He is 101/2 inches long and they said just about a year. He seems small to me. He was with another dragon and said he did not get as big because other one ate most food. Right now I have hi on paper towel substrate but want to get better. Some say indoor/outdoor carpet some say no Which is best shelf paper, carpet or ? I do not want to use sand or slate tile since cant cut it. Also fed him 10 large crickets yesterday (when got him) and 15 today since I think he needs food. Also veggies all items dusted with calcium with D3. I know to feed him every 2 days with live food correct? Just didn't think got enough yesterday? Any help would be appreciated Thank you
[GALLERY=media, 59025][/GALLERY]

Is this the best ubv lighting to order: Sun Blaze T5 High Output Fluorescent Strip Light 960315 24
Inch with Zoo Med 26061 Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22" ( I am using y turtles lighting ubv until this come in so he has some until this comes in) or should i get

Zilla 08616 Desert T8 Light Fixture, 24-Inch says 15 watt 50 uvb bulb included This is uch cheaper but want to make sure getting the right thing.. thankes


[GALLERY=media, 59024][/GALLERY]

I would do the reptisun t5 10% bulb. It’s a good brand, just under the Arcadia t5 d3 12%. The Arcadia is more expensive.
Are you saying that your tank is only 13 in. wide front to back? That is quite narrow. My tank is 4ft long, but 2ft wide and 18 in tall. IMO, your dragon will be a little too cramped in there.
Also, I personally use the shelf liner. I have two, and alternate them during cleanings.
At this age they still need to eat feeders every day. They ‘ll eat more greens and less feeders at around 2yr old.

oh no, I opted for this cage since it was bigger than the 40 g which I was told was the minimum. Yes it is 4 feet long, by 13in wide and around 20 inch tall. For the basking light, what watt should I get. I was going to get the halogen flood light, should I get 90w or 100 w or is this too high. It will be mounted inside the aquarium.

He has not touched his vegetables. So I should feed him insects every day? The person who had him said twice a week? Not sure of age so just want to do what is best. Thank you for your help

Twice a week? This is why he is only 10 1/2 inches long. He needs a good protein based staple feeder. If he is indeed a year old, I would continue with live bugs twice a day, as many as he can eat (or wants to eat) in a ten minute time period. Be sure to dust them with calcium powder 5 days, and multivitamin powder 2 times a week. He can still grow and gain weight, just not to his full potential.
There are those out there that have no business owning one of these beautiful creatures, I am glad that you rescued him. Doing your research is a good sign that you want to do the best you can for him!

I would definitely switch out tanks for the 40 gallon. If you look in the care sheets on this site, it will show you a good setup. The basking light should go on top of your screen along side you uvb fixture so your dragon can bask and get uvb at the same time. T5 tubes can go on top, but T8 tubes need inside mounting. The ones you mentioned are a good size. I’m not sure the wattage of what you should get for your basking bulb. I have a Phillips 60 watt halogen above my basking spot right now. I use a probe thermometer with the actual thermometer on the cool side of tank and the probe right on the basking spot. I adjust it to 100 degrees with a dimmer switch. The temp fluctuates because of the room temps. You can get fixtures with dimmers built in, but I just bought regular lamp dimmers and attached them to my fixture. The ambient temp on the warm side of your tank should be around 90ish, and on the cool side around 70’s-80’s. Your thermometer should read that temp along with the humidity level. I got a Accurite brand one from Walmart for about $I2, and just use a stick on Accurite gauge on the warm side to see the ambient temp there. I also have a couple extra bulbs on my lid, because of the size of my tank, to keep the temps up. I have the extra bulbs on a temperature gauge that turns them off if the temp reaches above 93 degrees. Hope this helps. It took me along time to get my lighting and temps right when I started out a couple years ago, but I credit this site so much for helping me figure it all out!

Other posters have already gone into detail with the lights and what not, but I would also like to add more about the food. Dragons need to be fed daily, not every two days hun. Maybe someone else talked about this and I didn't see but I feed my 2 dragons (1 Year Old) a large salad filled with cilantro, carrots, celery, lettuce and (sometimes) berries twice a day. I also give them 3-4 super worms, because I personally dislike crickets.
Good for you for taking him in, obviously the previous owner was not very informed. Just keep doing research the best you can and asking questions here. I've got lots of good advice from people on this site! Good luck!

Yes, the salads are important too! Greens should be offered daily. Some dragons are picky like mine, and don’t want to eat their salads. Offer daily anyways. Here is a good start to help you know what to feed. Collard, mustard, turnip and dandelion greens are the base. Plain lettuce is of no nutritional value to them. My guy likes butternut squash too. Banana is his favorite fruit, but only once a week. I add in some colored sweet peppers to entice him to eat.http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

Thank you so much for the great advice. The problem is that I do not know his age because they said he is just about a year. But I got conflicting stories. So either he is really small or he is young. I have given him salad with different veggies. He has not eaten any of it. I put dragon pellets with dried bug to get hi to eat. so I am trying new things. They fed lettuce which is a big no. Hopefully with the right conditions he will grow and be healthy. I will feed him bugs daily too. Thanks