Handling My New Beardie

Today is my first full day with my little baby. He has eaten three crickets (this morning) and has been basking. How long should I wait to try to handle him?

Get him used to you by putting your hands in the tank --- approach from the side not top --- birds are predators and it will scare him -- he is probably going thru relocation stress so be aware of him not eating as much --- how do you have your tank set up as far as lights UVB and basking? Brand and bulb please? Where did you get your little guy from? Basking temps should be 105-110 for babies -- you can take a piece of clothing or soft fleece and put in his hide w/ your scent on it and that will get him accustomed to you
Karrie

KarrieRee":3o5dlkth said:

Get him used to you by putting your hands in the tank --- approach from the side not top --- birds are predators and it will scare him -- he is probably going thru relocation stress so be aware of him not eating as much --- how do you have your tank set up as far as lights UVB and basking? Brand and bulb please? Where did you get your little guy from? Basking temps should be 105-110 for babies -- you can take a piece of clothing or soft fleece and put in his hide w/ your scent on it and that will get him accustomed to you
Karrie

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I have the basking and UVB bulbs in one of those duo lamp fixtures. Brands: Reptisun 10 and a 75 watt basking bulb that I believe is also Zoo Med. I got him from PetSmart. Thanks for the advice!

Also, I fed him this morning and he ate three crickets. Should I try to feed him again today or wait until tomorrow?

First off the UVB is a coil correct? If it is you need to get rid of it here is some info on the UVB's
Which UVB light should I use?
The best UVB light is a ReptiSun 10.0 fluorescent tube HO (Or Arcardia 12% in the UK). Compact or coil bulbs do not emit the proper amount of UVB light for a bearded dragon, and should not be used. Other brands, such as the Zilla Desert Series and ReptiGlo have been known to cause eye problems and other health issues with bearded dragons, and should be avoided. The reason that some UVB lights (Zilla, ReptiGlo, coils/compacts, ect.) are considered dangerous is because the wavelength of UVB that they emit is shorter and more intense than the wavelength of the "safe" lights (ReptiSun, Arcadia). UVB lights should be replaced every 6 months. The T5’s are a strong bulb and only need to be replaced once a year – the T 8 every 6 months--- where as the T 8 are not as strong—they need to be placed inside the tank the T 5 10.0 bulb approx 10-11 inches from basking spot – the T 8 approx 8-10 inches from basking spot—the cover needs to be off the bulb for full effect of the UVB rays-- please replace ASAP or you will have health issues w/ in a year --- coils do not prevent MBD---- please keep feeding your little one 2-3 times per day since hes not eating very much ---- that UVB will play a huge role in his over all health behavior and digestion ---- he needs to eat as many insects in 10-15 minutes - do not leave them in the tank --- please dust them w/ calcium D3 5 x per week and 2 x per week w/ vitamins - if you have access to dubia roaches in your store I recommend you feed him those -- crickets tend to give parasite / worms- dubias can be ordered on line --- what are your basking temps and how are you taking them -? Best accurate temps to be taken are w/ a infrared heat gun bought from Walmart Home Depot or Lowes for around $%10 --- next what kind of substrate do you have in the tank ? Please NO sand -- causes impaction -- your little guy should be offered a salad every day --- here is a website for nutrition
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Karrie