New to bearded dragon family

Status
Not open for further replies.
105211-3469169904.jpg
I am nee to the bearded dragin family and i have some concerns 1 he keeps itching his head off his food dish and tree that he sleeps on is that normal or should i be worried and also he gets scared everytime i go to pet him i never come in from the top cause i dont wanna scare him so ill come from the side and try then and he gets scared and runs but he will eat from my hands am i doing something wrong here or is all this normal for a beardie by the way his name is bowser.
105211-2880903171.jpg
105211-9287968576.jpg
 

Aaradimian

Juvie Member
Hi & welcome! I see Bowser is on the young side, so nothing really sounds out of the ordinary. The scratching could be that he's getting ready to shed (look for dull/pale scale areas). Trust in handling will come in time. Just be patient & don't force things. Some people have luck with putting their hand in the cage and just leaving it there for a bit without picking the beardie up. You can also put a treat in your hand if you want, but the idea is to let them know hand does not = threat.

If you post your lighting, feeding, heating setup, we can take a look at those since you're new at this. Those things are really important to keeping your new little friend happy & healthy.
 

Krissi1990

Member
Original Poster
Thank you for the advice and he eats out my hand fine just scared to let me pet him for now and how do i add pictured to a post i added three already but it wont let me add any new ones or i just dk how i tried to add picture of hus tank and lighting and all that
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
You may need to refresh the upload page a few times. It gets stuck now & then but there isn't a limit as far as I know. Glass surfing is also common behavior. It can mean different things. I think that often it is just curiosity and not understanding the clear barrier. They want to explore the area beyond the glass. Sometimes the younger ones see their reflection and will go after it. My guys have outgrown this in time though. It can also indicate them wanting to escape if something is wrong in the tank (Too hot, too much uvb, it's not clean, etc) but I don't think that's the case here.
 

Krissi1990

Member
Original Poster
105211-3469169904.jpg
Krissi1990":c40fqvk3 said:
105211-3469169904.jpg
I am nee to the bearded dragin family and i have some concerns 1 he keeps itching his head off his food dish and tree that he sleeps on is that normal or should i be worried and also he gets scared everytime i go to pet him i never come in from the top cause i dont wanna scare him so ill come from the side and try then and he gets scared and runs but he will eat from my hands am i doing something wrong here or is all this normal for a beardie by the way his name is bowser.
105211-2880903171.jpg
105211-9287968576.jpg
 

Krissi1990

Member
Original Poster
What do you mean if you inbox me i can give you number and send you pics that way i just for some reason cant add anymore pics and idk why
 

Krissi1990

Member
Original Poster
O and in the dual doom there is a heat light and a blue light i belive its his basking light i also have a red light for him for night time so he can sleep better cause witb the blue light he wouldnt sleeo
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Oh my goodness --- you need to get rid of all those colored bulbs---- they harm their eyes and can cause long term eye damage------------the only bulbs you need in the tank are a bright white basking bulb that keeps temps to 100-110 for him and a good UVB which I will give you info on that --- if you need extra heat in the tank please invest in a CHE or ceramic heat emitter --- they need a dome and come in different wattages like 75-100 or so -- that would be trial an error -- your tank should not drop below 65 at nite and cool side should be 80's during the day--- you need a infrared heat gun to get accurate basking temps --- and a digital probe on the cool side of tank --- IR heat guns can be purchased at Walmart Home Depot for around $10 or so ---- here is the info on UVB this is crucial for the over all health of your dragon - it controls digestion and behavior --- please no COILS--
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-- if the UVB is a coil please replace ASAP w/ one of these bulbs
thanks
Karrie
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
A bath isn't necessary unless he is soiled so I'd hold off on them at least until he is OK with handling. The added stress isn't worthwhile. As far as lighting goes, I would remove the red light. At night he won't need additional heat as long as the tank stays above about 65 or so. For basking you'll want to use a bright white light that produces heat like the ZooMed Repti Basking Spot bulb. The wattage you need will vary depending on surface temperatures measured. You will also want to get a good UVB light. If you can provide the dimensions of your tank and the distance from the main basking area to the top of the tank I can help find a good fit for you.
 

Krissi1990

Member
Original Poster
thank you so much for the info i just got a starter kit and got what came with it i thought all the stuff would be good for him scence the starter kit was a bearded dragon starter kit
the tank at night is like 82 degrees well durning the day close to 90 so i need a stronger white light and a new uvb balb for the whole thing what wattages would i get for his tank
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

No members online now.

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,897
Messages
1,255,656
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom