Beattles from mealworms

I have a bio active tank set up for Guy. He absolutely loves it. I had put some meal worms and superworms in the tank. When he is digging and burrowing he likes his little snacks. Are the Beatles that come from the mealworms safe for him to eat? I kind of guess yes since the worms are. Have only seen one put mostly small and medium in his tank. Just wondering what the thought on this is.

Hello,

I'm not sure if their good, but Superworms and mealworms should not be inside the tank because they are notorious for chewing on the beardie and biting them, Mealworms especially (plus they're not good for beardies, exoskeleton has too much chitin).

I'm no expert on bioactive vivariums so I'm not entirely sure of insects that would be safe in the tank. I'm pretty sure that you could just try the mealworm/superworm beatles in the tank.

-HippieLizards.

The beetles should be fine, a few times on accident when getting mealworms out for my beardies they've ate a few beetles, the two adults I have don't really like them but my younger one seems to really like them oddly.

How old is your bearded dragon currently? Generally you do not want to give mealworms to a beardie unless they are 6 months of age, and superworms can be given at about 12 months of age. Also be careful for bites, mealworms may not do much to an older dragon but superworms could potentially eat your dragon alive while it sleeps, same with crickets.

Also be very careful with bioactive tanks. Personally I would only do a tank thats about 6x2x4, but I've seen some people do tanks that are 4x2x4 and seem to work well as they still offer tons of options, tons of climbing space, different heat levels and different UVB levels.
Also the reason that 6 feet of length to me is necessary is because this means you have more space and can provide more options, thus lessening the risks a tiny bit.

If I were to have a 6x2x4 enclosure and make it bioactive i would have about 3 feet of space thats mostly a rocky and clay area thats dry, and then another 3 feet of space would be where the particle substrate is. I'd also have tons of ledges, logs, branches, and hammocks to make sure my bearded dragon could use the upper space of the tank and get off of the bacteria infested ground as well.
And of course provide multiple basking spots and UVB levels to make sure that the bearded dragon could have a variety of temperature and UVB levels.

Guy is a little over a year old. He does have a couple of basking spots also. I am however going to be doing a larger enclosure for him this summer. He seems to be favoring his hide lately. I do get him out of it often and he loves hanging out on his momma's shoulder. I have been keeping a very close eye on him since setting it up. But he seems to be loving it. Thank you so much for your pointers on the bio active tank also.

echoing what VenusandSaturn said, and Also, Could you post a picture or two of the bio active vivarium? https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/

Sure give me a little bit and I will get some new pics. He is low on his plants right now. Have more coming in for him.

The green basking shelf is currently not in there as I just cleaned it and won't be putting it back in till morning. The first pic was taken when he first went in there. He went digging crazy today again. Also I did research and purchase the substrate from The Bio dude I love this substrate, it stays dry on top and gets moist as you go down through it.

The beetles are a great treat , my skinks and dragons have always eaten them with gusto .... they love crunching them up and they are a good way for the lizard to clean it's teeth.

Guysmomma":fdvdmgd0 said:

The green basking shelf is currently not in there as I just cleaned it and won't be putting it back in till morning. The first pic was taken when he first went in there. He went digging crazy today again. Also I did research and purchase the substrate from The Bio dude I love this substrate, it stays dry on top and gets moist as you go down through it.

Click to expand...

That substrate might be OK for bluetongue skink , but it is NOT suitable for a bearded dragon.

Yeah the tank looks more like a northern blue tongue skink setup more than a dragon setup, not much climbing areas so he's always going to be on the bacterial infested, semi wet ground which by the way will generally cause joint issues, fungal infections, eye infections and scale rot. I'd try and get him a larger tank and or at least more logs and branches.

And even if it does stay somewhat dry on the top you still potentially have those problems, in fact if its too dry and dusty it will probably cause a RI of some sort.

You may want to scrap the bioactive idea honestly, it would be safer for the dragon..
I'm sure one day bioactive would work for beardies but no one is willing to buy/build a large enclosure or take the time where they can make the substrate in the environment like actual ground rather than tons of loosely laid particles.

VenusAndSaturn":3r7s8xw0 said:

Yeah the tank looks more like a northern blue tongue skink setup more than a dragon setup, not much climbing areas so he's always going to be on the bacterial infested, semi wet ground which by the way will generally cause joint issues, fungal infections, eye infections and scale rot. I'd try and get him a larger tank and or at least more logs and branches.

And even if it does stay somewhat dry on the top you still potentially have those problems, in fact if its too dry and dusty it will probably cause a RI of some sort.

You may want to scrap the bioactive idea honestly, it would be safer for the dragon..
I'm sure one day bioactive would work for beardies but no one is willing to buy/build a large enclosure or take the time where they can make the substrate in the environment like actual ground rather than tons of loosely laid particles.

Click to expand...

I agree - my eastern BTs would love the substrate , so would my eastern water skink , they'd have the substrate full of tunnels in no time. The plants would have been dug up in no time too, and the BTs would probably have made a meal of the flowers and leaves too.

An eastern water dragon or a green tree frog would enjoy it too.

These all thrive in damp areas near creeks , but this is not in anyway similar to the kind of ecosystem environment that central, eastern, or western bearded dragons or rankins are found in.

I strongly suggest you look up the type of environment and flora and terrain they are found in. Ignore the BS advise give by the guy who sold you the bioactive setup you have - he's given VERY POOR ADVISE IMO.

What would you suggest for a mixture then? Because it is the exact mixture that is recommended for a beardie.

Ok like I said his other basking shelf is not in there.I also stated he is getting a bigger tank so I can fit more in it. I guess what I didn't say is he spends a very large part of the day out of the tank with me. Wow don't know how anyone can tell what is in the substrate with a pic. Also the top layer is just as dry as can be not moist at all. The leaves are to decompose and feed the good bacteria. Having a. Bio active tank is more then the substrate. It is its own little eco system. His includes Springtails and Isopods. There are mealworms some super worms. It also has what is called bio shot in the substrate. What that does is: promote the conversion of organic waste to nutrients needed for plant growth. So I really don't think there is allot of bad bacteria in there. I haven't posted any pics of his tank in the past because every group has those who like to put others down. It may not be perfect which I knew but I do make up for it by giving him time out of the tank to stretch and play. Oh and yes when he is on the floor his lamps get aimed at the floor to get proper uv.