Newbie in training 101

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Landlsmom

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Hello Beardie families. I'm new to this entire process and am looking for some comfort that I'm doing things right. I piggybacked on another thread of similar concerns not realizing that could cause confusion, etc. I'll take what advice I've learned from that conversations last night to avoid repeating myself. However a little back story so that you all know some details.

First of all I'll start off with a quick intro. My husband and I have two boys 11 (12 on the Jan 22nd) & almost 10 yr old along with 2 huskies. This is our first go at a lizard and quite frankly I had NO idea how involved and detailed this process is. My oldest since 5 has been begging for a snake or a lizard. It's been a hard NO. Not because I don't like reptiles, I love and respect them. They are beautiful! I wanted to be sure my son was old enough to be responsible enough to care take a living thing.

Given my oldest is turning 12 Jan 22nd my husband and I decided we would entertain the idea of a lizard. We do not have any Reptile store or vets in our area of TX. Pet-smart was where we purchased our Fancy Bearded Dragon Mushu. I haven't heard anything positive regarding Pet-smarts reptile care in my research after the purchase of Mushu. The employee suggested we get a 10 gal tank reptile desert kit. Which we did. I'll enclose a picture of the set below along with some pictures of Mushu. I have a heap load of questions of which I've tried to research on my own before starting this thread.

Ok, so down to business!! Here is what I have so far and believe I understand regarding our Fancy Mushu.

From the numerous Youtube videos, online website and threads the following seems to be across the board. I have received some inconsistency with some of the following. I know there is a lot of experience breeders and owners here and would appreciate your tips and dos/don'ts.

1. No live prey larger than the space between the eyes.
2. After the 10/15 minute feeding process allow 2 hours of basking for proper digestion.
3. Also after feeding remove any live prey from the viv.
4. Calcium powder 5x out of the week and a vitamin supplement the other 2 days
5. As a young beardie they need 80% protein and 20% greens, reverse % as an adult. 20/80
6. At least a bath once a week in luke warm water.
7. Spray bottle to lightly wet their body, but not to do this in their viv to avoid high humidity
8. Must have UVB light & it to be direct with 6 -12" from beardie w/no screen or glass interference.
9. UVA bulb for basking, young-ins need 12-14 hours of basking & a temp of 95-105 degrees
10. Cool side of viv should be around 80 degrees.
11. Night temperatures not to get below 65 degrees.
12. Small fleece squares or t-shirt etc is ok to leave in the viv for comfort & scent

I believe Mushu is a female, solely because she was enclosed with two other beardies at Petsmart. It's my understanding that males are not to be put together because they are territorial and will most likely kill one another. In a previous thread I stated she was about 4" long so I was concerned she was only about 3wks to a month old. However a helpful threader said she's more like 6" long and mostly likely closer to 1.5, 2 months old. I was happy to hear that she was older than I thought. Her appetite as of yesterday has improved. She is eating WAY more crickets than initially. We purchased her Saturday the 12th around 4pm. So she hasn't been with us for long. I feel as though she is warming up nicely to us however. Just last night for the first time started pacing her glass wall. I've read this is a possible sign of "I want out!" or "I'm hungry." We offered her some crickets and she ate 6. Prior to this she cuddled up on my lap with a fleece blanket for about an hour. She slept which I've read is a good sign, means she is comfortable and trusting.

I apologize for how lengthy this is, it wasn't my intention to write a book. My family has fallen in love with this little girl and I'm trying so hard to make sure we do right by her. PLEASE if anything I've written here seems off or if there is something more or better we can do I'd love the feedback. We will be upgrading her tank to a 40 gal in a couple months and will be purchasing tile for the base as well. Another tip a threader last night gave me. Thank you by the way for all your advice.
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MarlowAndMe

Juvie Member
Hiya :)
Welcome to you and your new baby, Mushu

Firstly I saw AHBD already mentioned about the viv size- returning it for a bigger one is needed

Your 12 bullet points are correct - but the first one should say ‘ no bigger then the space between her eyes’ not the diameter of the eye itself

Your beardie could be either gender because at that young of an age males and females are usually all together
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, I do remember your initial inquiries + I'm glad to see your new personal thread. :) First off, aside from getting the wrong size tank [ not your fault ] you have everything down pat ! And it sounds like Mushu is doing great so far !! He looks healthy in his picture and don't despair because although SOME of the pet stores sell sick dragons, there are members here with huge + healthy boys + girls from chain stores.

Mushu may be male OR female, babies are almost always raised together because they hatch out in huge numbers and all act the same [ the largest clutch I hatched was 39 ] so a diligent breeder separates them in to smaller numbers and feeds them like crazy to avoid nips + bites , which can still happen. Once in a store they may not be cared for or fed as well and are more likely [ but not always ] to have incidents.

Once Mushu is settled in you can post a few pics with his/her tail arched straight up and I can probably tell you what the sex is. Your kids will enjoy this little critter and so will you, looks like you got a healthy one. Too bad they sold you the tiny tank, you might as well get the bigger one in about a month , this lets Mushu settle in + get another 1-3 inches and be ready for his new, bigger home. The 10 gallon can be used to keep crickets but you'll need to be sure the screen fits well because they can crawl up the corner where the silicone sealant is.
 

Landlsmom

Member
Original Poster
Sweet! I have consumed my evenings with tireless research. I really can't believe how smitten I've become with Mushu. I did look up how to tell if your beardie is a male or female. Female has 1 bump right about their private area and males have 2. I haven't looked honestly lol.. I figured I'd let her settle in like you suggested before I get personal with her :lol:

I did have a question concerning the calcium/vitamins. I understood Calcium 5x a week and the vitamins 2x. This was not educated to me while at the pet store. Only the calcium dusting on the crickets. I read in another thread that I should also dust the greens with calcium everyday as well.

Do you suggest I use the All in one Repashy Calcium Plus? This being all in one does this also include the vitamins?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
You're welcome ! It's good that you're getting all the info now + can make needed changes. :) As for dusting, just 1 bg meal per day, and that very lightly. [ Not like a powdered donut :lol: ] The Repashy is probably good but since it has calcium as well as other vitamins I'd only use it 1-2 X a week at most, regular vitamins once a week and calcium the other days.
 

Landlsmom

Member
Original Poster
Ok I haven't done any additional vitamins since I wasn't aware until last night. Eeeek! So what i've been doing is dusting the crickets twice a day with the Zoo Med Repti Calcium +D3. Glad you said not like a powered donut, :? I've literally thrown the crickets in a baggie, sprinkled some powered and coated them bad boys like fried chicken. So do you suggest I dust with this powder one meal a day? What vitamins do you suggest?

Better yet what product do you suggest for best growth and health results and I'll get it ordered or picked up.
 

MarlowAndMe

Juvie Member
I just wanted to add also that my boy was a pet shop beardie, he sat for 9months in a 18”x 18” vivarium with no cool / warm end as the viv is not big enough to do so in that size. He had a red light on all night and many other things wrong with his situation which stunted his growth - yet now he is doing amazing!
As I’m sure you have found with already bonding with your baby pet shop beardies have a lot to give :)
Marlow has gone from only 11” at nearly 10months old to almost 16” at 12months old , his colours have brightened up amazing too as he stole the hearts of our whole family :)

You are doing really well by him and have obviously researched alot which is awesome to see :)
 

Landlsmom

Member
Original Poster
MarlowandMe - Thank you for your compliments. It's crazy how attached you can get in a small amount of time. The cuddling is what did it for me. Also when I stroke the side of her face/jaw and she closes her eyes and tilts her head. I was like "Awe so cute!" LOL... She's not even mine, lol. She was bought for my 12 yr old son who literally cried when I finally said "Yes!" after 6 years of asking. I can't believe the amount of growth in such a small time frame. That's awesome. Congrats on your success.
 

jjkima

Member
Your dragon seems like it will live a very happy life.
I agree with the people above, I bought a 40 gallon breader for my juvenile and just filled it with enough stones and wood to reduce any anxiety about the large space.
From the picture I see sand in the enclosure. Sand is a tricky one with young dragons as they have a tendency to eat it when investigating. (If you didn't know, they tap their tongues on new things). The sand can constipate or impact your dragon and they can get really sick. My baby is on tile and the adult is on desert sand that is course enough that she doesn't seem to eat it.
Also make sure as the baby ages, you reduce calcium intake. My adult dragon is about 3 years old and she gets calcium on Sunday's and a multivitamin on Wednesday's. My juvenile who is 4 months gets calcium every other day and multivitamin twice a week. But not too much as this can also impact the lizard. It's unfortunate that you don't have a reptile store in your area as that is where I get my insects from. When dubia roaches are in season they are the best you can get for your beardie. They are high in protien but should be fed in moderation. I am personally against crickets since they don't provide much in nutrition so I feed mine superworms when dubia's aren't in season. My juvenile gets about 15 baby superworms 2x a day (depending on the insects size) and the adult gets as many as she'll eat in 5 min 3-4 times a week.
The last thing I can leave you with is shedding! My baby is a red morphe so it is easy to tell when she needs extra attention. She gets grey and dull and I know its time for a little more in terms of baths. Recently our adult dragon had some trouble shedding. Her shed got really thick and she was getting constricted from her old skin. We gave her a warm bath every night for 15 minutes and gently massaged. After a 2 week battle she finally dragged her tail enough for it to break and start dragging over her body. In the baths we were able to delicately help some of the skin off. She also needed help getting shed out of her nose which you can find videos on youtube for that help. I recommend keeping track in a journal of times and events in your lizards life. I track lights time, feeding times and amounts, when she pooped, when she bathed, and when she needs a supplement
 

Landlsmom

Member
Original Poster
Thank you JJkima for all your helpful tips. No sand in the viv, it’s reptile carpet that came in our Zoo Med desert kit. Once we upgrade to the 40 gal we will get tile flooring to help with filing down the nails and everyone says it’s great for the beardies.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
The Repashy hass vitamins in it so can be used for now. I use it for my guys as well but I also have Reptivite on hand. So you can use the Repashy twice a week some weeks and switch the next week and use the Reptivite. But I do stress to use it VERY lightly. And as the other poster mentioned you use much less as they get older + bigger.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Oh, but I don't recommend superworms [ even the baby ones ] as a staple. Little beardies can get impacted by them more easily. A few here + there are fine but don't give a new baby a lot of them.
 

Landlsmom

Member
Original Poster
Thank you AHBD. Yes that’s what I’ve read about the worms also. Would you mind suggesting a schedule for me? It seems as though the more I look into the vitamin/calcium regimen and what to use and when to do it I’m confusing myself. Given your expertise and longevity with beardies especially little beardies would you please provide me a detail list of what supplements you use on a week schedule? I’d be so grateful. Currently I have been lightly dusting crickets with Zoo Med brand Repri Calcium with D3. I really appreciate all your help.. so does Mushu ;)
 

vrenee1018

Juvie Member
Ahhh I love this thread. Sounds like you've done so much research for your little one.. It's just perfect! My brother just got my nephew his very first beardie and he's been just like you, looking up everything. He's even gone to beardie YouTube sites. Lol Keep up the good work. She looks happy and healthy!
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Don't be too worried or over think it ! I know it can be overwhelming but there is no real exact science to it. Here's my lazy reply , part copy + pasted from my last post :D


The Repashy has vitamins in it so can be used for now. I use it for my guys as well but I also have Reptivite on hand. So you can use the Repashy twice a week some weeks and switch the next week and use the Reptivite. But I do stress to use it VERY lightly. And as the other poster mentioned you use much less as they get older + bigger. Use the calcium on the days that you don't use the others. And again, always very lightly !

My dragons are 7 year old adults now, the last babies I hatched were in 2012 I believe. The adults get a rotation of Repashy once a week, calcium with D3 once a week and Reptivite once a week on only a few insects. No dusting on their salads and if I skip a dusting now + then it's no big deal. The feeder insects we give our dragons should be fed well [ gutloaded ] so I give mine a variety of veggie scraps as well as some mixed greens. So the dragons get vitamins from the feeder insects as well. Plus, my babies all ate greens from just about 2 weeks of age. I used to shred the greens very finely + drop them in like confetti + the babies pounced, attracted by the movement. So all my babies regularly ate the greens. Some went through a picky stage as they reached the 14-15 " mark it seems but all ate some. Some ate [ and still eat ] more greens than others.
 
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