jessie4698
Member
Hello!
So I recently brought my 2 month old Bearded Dragon home 2 days ago. Today is day 3. When I first got him, I offered him some "Natural Juvenile Bearded Dragon Food" pellets by ZooMed. I moistened them and sprinkled some Repti Calcium and Reptivite Reptile Vitamins on it. I also added some lettuce to make it more enticing to eat. I found him nibbling at the lettuce a little bit but then no more. Later on, I hand fed him some lettuce and he seemed to like it.
Worried that he was not getting enough to eat, I did some research and read that at his young age he should eat 80% insects and 20% fruits and vegetables. I went out to my local pet store and bought him some small mealworms (not the super worms, as I also read that a good rule of thumb is not to give any insect that it bigger/wider than the space between his eyes).
I talked for a while with a store employee about my beardie's diet and he said that giving him around 20 mealworms is good. I am nervous because online I'm reading that you should be giving your beardie 40-60 crickets every day. I'm not sure if 20 mealworms a day amounts to 40-60 crickets proportionally. Both me and my mother are worried about getting a large amount of crickets because 1) they are very costly 2) they make a lot of noise and smell 3) we are EXTREMELY worried about them escaping.
I understand that they can be expensive and that some of you might say that I should have understood that food for this pet can be expensive. I completely understand. However, I am trying to find out more info in the best interest for my little guy.
Today I offered him lettuce, papaya, and mealworms, all "laced" with the calcium and vitamin powder. I believe he ate some of the mealworms, but maybe only 3 of them. Today is the first day he has pooped too, and from what I've been looking up, his stool seems healthy.
Should I be feeding my beardie more mealworms? How do I get him to eat more? Should I invest in a large quantity of crickets? Try feeding him more mealworms? I know that him only eating 3 mealworms sounds crazy and not enough, but he isn't interested in any more at this moment. That's why I'm trying to see if maybe he could be more interested in crickets?
Just some more info, I purchased a ZooMed Bearded Dragon Kit with a tank, his lights, his water and food dish, the vitamins and calcium, the pellet food, some papaya, and a can-o'-worms. His enclosure is a 40 gallon tank. I purchased him a very large branch, a little wood hidey hut, and a heat rock for when the lights go off at night to keep him warm. He has a green reptile carpet for the floor of his tank. The kit came with sand, but I read that as babies the beardies can ingest sand while eating or roaming around and it can cause health problems.
He is very active and doesn't seem sick or lethargic. I really am trying my best here!! I could use some advice from some very experienced owners. I am a first time owner so I think it is normal for me to be a little nervous. Thank you for any input.
So I recently brought my 2 month old Bearded Dragon home 2 days ago. Today is day 3. When I first got him, I offered him some "Natural Juvenile Bearded Dragon Food" pellets by ZooMed. I moistened them and sprinkled some Repti Calcium and Reptivite Reptile Vitamins on it. I also added some lettuce to make it more enticing to eat. I found him nibbling at the lettuce a little bit but then no more. Later on, I hand fed him some lettuce and he seemed to like it.
Worried that he was not getting enough to eat, I did some research and read that at his young age he should eat 80% insects and 20% fruits and vegetables. I went out to my local pet store and bought him some small mealworms (not the super worms, as I also read that a good rule of thumb is not to give any insect that it bigger/wider than the space between his eyes).
I talked for a while with a store employee about my beardie's diet and he said that giving him around 20 mealworms is good. I am nervous because online I'm reading that you should be giving your beardie 40-60 crickets every day. I'm not sure if 20 mealworms a day amounts to 40-60 crickets proportionally. Both me and my mother are worried about getting a large amount of crickets because 1) they are very costly 2) they make a lot of noise and smell 3) we are EXTREMELY worried about them escaping.
I understand that they can be expensive and that some of you might say that I should have understood that food for this pet can be expensive. I completely understand. However, I am trying to find out more info in the best interest for my little guy.
Today I offered him lettuce, papaya, and mealworms, all "laced" with the calcium and vitamin powder. I believe he ate some of the mealworms, but maybe only 3 of them. Today is the first day he has pooped too, and from what I've been looking up, his stool seems healthy.
Should I be feeding my beardie more mealworms? How do I get him to eat more? Should I invest in a large quantity of crickets? Try feeding him more mealworms? I know that him only eating 3 mealworms sounds crazy and not enough, but he isn't interested in any more at this moment. That's why I'm trying to see if maybe he could be more interested in crickets?
Just some more info, I purchased a ZooMed Bearded Dragon Kit with a tank, his lights, his water and food dish, the vitamins and calcium, the pellet food, some papaya, and a can-o'-worms. His enclosure is a 40 gallon tank. I purchased him a very large branch, a little wood hidey hut, and a heat rock for when the lights go off at night to keep him warm. He has a green reptile carpet for the floor of his tank. The kit came with sand, but I read that as babies the beardies can ingest sand while eating or roaming around and it can cause health problems.
He is very active and doesn't seem sick or lethargic. I really am trying my best here!! I could use some advice from some very experienced owners. I am a first time owner so I think it is normal for me to be a little nervous. Thank you for any input.