questions from a newbie!

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Rainclaw

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Hi!
I've done a lot of research and have a lot of mixed info in my head, :banghead: such as "water dishes are useless, beardies drink in their bath", or "water dishes are a must, if they were in the wild they'd go looking for water and drink it" and would like to get 'straight' answers from people who own beardies. :blob8:

1) I've seen that collard greens are good for their diet and should be provided daily, but when I searched collard greens, it was marrow-stem kale...? Not sure how to prepare this... Help!

2) I have to go to school, so I'm up at 6 30am and leave the house at 8, and I'm not back until about 4 15ish, so that's 7ish hours where I'm not there, and I am set on getting a baby so I could see him/her grow up, so if I fed him/her right before I leave, and ASAP when I come back, would s/he be ok?? I could get my mom to feed it if necessary until s/he'd be older and could go the day without feeding.

3) what I wrote down after a afternoon of feeding related researches was that you feed a baby beardie 3 times a day, and each time crickets or other small edible inverts are offered, but a salad should always be in the tank just in case they wanna try some... right?

4) do they *need* a water dish? I'd offer one anyways, but I'm not sure if that'd be an unnecessary other cleaning task for my early mornings...

5)I've read that Adults are fed twice a day, morning and night, both times a new salad is prepared and offered, and on the second feeding, bugs are given too, or that it's bugs only every second day, twice a day, and salad on every other day... which is correct?

6)How is the transition from "baby diet" to adult diet done? Do you just slowly decrease the amount of insects you give them?

7) vitamin D3 and calcium, and multivitamin how often for each age(baby, juvie, adult)? And is multivitamin needed? Does it go on their bugs or salad?

8 )I've read that roaches are better than crickets, and vice versa, which one is better? I plan on getting the "less healthy" one as a "extra" as in I'll feed it every now and again, but not as a staple and also Phoenix worms as a staple feeder...

9) will a salad with squash (yellow, butternut or spaghetti. I'll switch it up :wink: ) turnip greens, collard greens(maybe) and chopped carrot or red bell pepper be a good daily mix?

Thanks a million!!!!

Rain claw
:mrgreen:
 

Terry15

Sub-Adult Member
A juvenile will need 3 bug meals a day, crickets are ok, but the dubias I hear are better. They will need to warm up in the morning before feeding him. As a juvenile, Mystic only pooped in his water dish. So I've been giving him water from a plastic eye dropper, he is 2 1/2 years old. I believe they need to eat at least a few hours before bedtime to be able to digest thier food. The Beardie slave job can be demanding. You will get a lot of advice on this site.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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Water dishes are sometimes used and sometimes not. Some dragons can be trained to drink by flicking the water to create motion. You can also offer supplemental water by dripping it on their snout to lick up. If you feed the bugs fresh veges they will provide most of the hydration when they are eaten though.

1) Collard greens are very good to offer. They are big rounded leaves. I cut the stems out and feed them to bugs. I take the two halves and cut them in half again and put them in a ziploc bag with a piece of paper towel to keep fresh. I often use them as a staple green along with turnip greens, bok choy, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. I reference this list for salad ideas and get what's fresh at the store/market each week http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

2) Use a timer to set the lights to come on about an hour before morning feed. Offer a bug meal before you leave. Offer a second bug meal when you come back and leave the lights on for an hour or two after the second meal. Total daylight time should be 12-14 hrs in most cases.

3) Two bug meals per day is fine. All they want within about 10 minutes. Using crickets or dubia roaches as a staple is a good idea and it helps to get a dubia colony started ahead of time. Their appetite will vary so just offer until they lose interest or about 10 minutes or so. Leaving a salad in the tank daily is good. Just feed the leftover salad to the bugs. It's good to offer supplemental bugs as well to vary the diet. silkworms and black soldier fly larvae are good for young dragons. hornworms are good to add when they get older (they are very big)

4) Water dish isn't needed. As mentioned above you can offer water via dropper or in a bath but they will get most hydration from fresh food.

5)Adults eat much less. When they are fully grown, usually between about 12-18 months but it varies. Slowly reduce feedings so that they get a nice big salad every day and a bug meal once per day, then every other day, then down to maybe once per week or so. My adult eats mostly veges and is happy and healthy. I offer dubia roaches as a staple bug but also snacks of black soldier fly larvae, hornworms, and silkworms now and then.

6)Yes at about a year old or when growth slows down a lot, gradually reduce the bug meals while still offering daily salad. Some dragons are better than others about eating veges so it can be a chore in some cases. be patient and offer variety.

7) Use plain calcium supplement if you have a high power UVB light like a T5. Use calcium with D3 if you have a lower output bulb like a T8. Dust the bugs at every meal, a nice light even coat. I drop them in a small cup with dust and shake them gently to coat before offering them. You can sub a multivitamin for the calcium once or twice a week if you want. I like using Repashy products.

8 )Roaches are easier to care for than crickets. You can get a colony going and they are very little work. They don't require constant cleaning, don't make noise, and don't stink much like crickets do. I advise getting a colony started a couple of months ahead of time if you take this route.

9) Those are good items to put in a salad. I would offer carrot sparingly. I have excellent luck using all kinds of squash, bell pepper, and chopped green beans. Check out the link I posted earlier and pick 2-3 items from that list for a salad and just rotate based on what looks fresh at the store each week.
 

Rainclaw

Member
Original Poster
Are phoenix worms a good staple?
I've been hearing about silkworms but read that they can be hard to keep alive since they need a specific diet...

Rainclaw
:mrgreen:
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
silkworms need fresh mulberry leaves or mulberry chow which is available from the places who sell them. They aren't too hard to keep in a plastic bin. I put them on a paper towel and shave some of the chow over them daily and they do pretty well. I roll the chow up in plastic wrap and freeze it so it keeps longer and it's easier to shave using a cheese grater.

Phoenix worms are good. That is just a brand name for black soldier fly larvae. You will also see them called Repti worms and Calci worms. They are a good staple but are very small so it would require a lot of time to feed them as a staple. I use them as a secondary feeder/treat and use roaches as a staple because they're bigger and more filling.
 

Rainclaw

Member
Original Poster
Okay good to know!
I was planning on roaches either way, I've read that they're pretty good since they're healthy, "large" and easy to keep
Will get the Phoenix or black soldier fly larvae and look into silkworms... they're like the size of waxworms, right?

Rainclaw
:mrgreen:
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
black soldier fly larvae are smaller. silk worms are about the size of a waxworm to slightly larger. They are very soft though and easy to chew down.
 
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