New owner with a few questions!

Hey guys! I recently purchased my bearded dragon and have had her for three days. I was told she was 4 months old. The employee recommended us not to feed crickets, and so we purchased super worms and horn worms. I am thinking about purchasing Dubia roaches as well. The first day we got her she ate collard greens and ignored the super worms. The second day she was really hungry and ate a horn worm and around 4-5 supers. I was making sure to pick the smallest ones I could find. This morning she ate only two and some greens. She mainly just chills in her basking area and doesn't move all too much. I was curious on how many super worms / other greens and such I should feed her daily. And if she was receiving enough UVB light. Currently her tank is quite Barren but we will be purchasing more things for her tank soon. The reason I'm doubting if she is getting enough UVB light is my lighting fixture is the duel one. And my bearded dragon normally basks on the far right side of the tank, and it seems to be pretty far away from the UVB light, (will provide a picture if asked). And I also have a question about dusting calcium. Should I pour some calcium into a bowl and drop a few worms in there and mix it around? Thanks again for all the help!

Here's my bearded dragon

Axle543210":21fltb16 said:

Hey guys! I recently purchased my bearded dragon and have had her for three days. I was told she was 4 months old. The employee recommended us not to feed crickets, and so we purchased super worms and horn worms. I am thinking about purchasing Dubia roaches as well. The first day we got her she ate collard greens and ignored the super worms. The second day she was really hungry and ate a horn worm and around 4-5 supers.
>>> typical of know nothing petshop employees . They gave you a lot of very bad advice.

Superworms are not suitable for a hatchling. Only suitable for the beardies older than 12 months old and only then as an occasional treat , never as a staple feeder insect, never more than 2 or 3 supers at a time.
Very hard to digest exoskeleton is know to cause serious impactions if eaten too often, and very high fat content.

Hornworms are also only suitable to use as a treat.

See viewtopic.php?f=76&t=234999&p=1807834#p1807834

Crickets are one of the best feeder insects to give to any lizard, so long as
>> they are appropriately sized (for a 4 month old I'd recommend 1/4 to 1/3 size)
>> they are gut loaded with calcium rich greens
>> they are LIGHTLY dusted with calcium powder.
Roaches are also very good feeders.
Other suitable feeders for your wee baby beardie are :
>> BSF maggots aka phoenix worms (excellent naturally rich in calcium and slow moving)
>> blowfly gents
>> silkworms (he can handle small (1 - 1.5 inch long) and medium (1.5 -2 inch long)
>> crickets , roaches and locusts.

I was making sure to pick the smallest ones I could find. This morning she ate only two and some greens. She mainly just chills in her basking area and doesn't move all too much. I was curious on how many super worms / other greens and such I should feed her daily.

<<< is a bonus if your wee hatchling is eating some greens , offer fresh greens daily .

NOTE a 4 month old NEEDS loads of HIGH QUALITY LIVE INSECT PROTEIN and to be fed THREE times per day (as many insects per session as it wants)

And if she was receiving enough UVB light. Currently her tank is quite Barren but we will be purchasing more things for her tank soon. The reason I'm doubting if she is getting enough UVB light is my lighting fixture is the duel one. And my bearded dragon normally basks on the far right side of the tank, and it seems to be pretty far away from the UVB light, (will provide a picture if asked). And I also have a question about dusting calcium.
<<< dusting , I use 4oz tubs with lids , I put 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of calcium dust in , add the bugs (crickets in my case) , shakey shakey , and then fish a few crickets out at a time and drop these where the hatchling can see them ( they soon learn to watch you ) , and continue feeding until the hatchling looses interest.
Only need enough calcium powder to LIGHTLY coat the insects , you don't need to cake it onto them.
Should I pour some calcium into a bowl and drop a few worms in there and mix it around? Thanks again for all the help!
<<< don't use the worms you have.
<<< if you have silkworms or gents or BSF maggots , dusting is not necessary.

Click to expand...

Your bearded dragon needs proper levels of UVA and UVB , these are mandatory for a bearded dragon so this needs to be VERY HIGH PRIORITY. Avoid shop brands , invariably these are nasty cheap Chinese knockoffs and very poor quality, best brands are Exo Terra, Zoo Med and Arcadia.
As is proper proper heating.

Here's my Cheat Sheet :
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050

If you work through it methodically , the chances are their are likely a lot of issues that need to be tweeked or changed and they will pop right out at you, if you can give very detailed answers we will then be in a position to offer help. Is impossible to help you if you don't provide thorough details .

The previous user seems to have given a lot of good advice, and said exactly what I wanted to. You should not be feeding such a young dragon superworms... crickets are actually the go to for dragons that size just because they are nutritious and babies eat A LOT. I also use dubia roaches and Pheonix worms which are also very high in nutrition. You are supposed to give them 3 live feedings of as much protein as they will eat until they get bigger where you can drop it down to 2 feedings and then 1 a day once they hit a year old.
As far as veggies, the collard greens sound find. I also use kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and dandelion greens.

Thank you both for the fantastic help. I will go pick up crickets today. Thank you guys once again.

kingofnobbys":2ubtvy6s said:

Axle543210":2ubtvy6s said:

Hey guys! I recently purchased my bearded dragon and have had her for three days. I was told she was 4 months old. The employee recommended us not to feed crickets, and so we purchased super worms and horn worms. I am thinking about purchasing Dubia roaches as well. The first day we got her she ate collard greens and ignored the super worms. The second day she was really hungry and ate a horn worm and around 4-5 supers.
>>> typical of know nothing petshop employees . They gave you a lot of very bad advice.

Superworms are not suitable for a hatchling. Only suitable for the beardies older than 12 months old and only then as an occasional treat , never as a staple feeder insect, never more than 2 or 3 supers at a time.
Very hard to digest exoskeleton is know to cause serious impactions if eaten too often, and very high fat content.

Hornworms are also only suitable to use as a treat.

See viewtopic.php?f=76&t=234999&p=1807834#p1807834

Crickets are one of the best feeder insects to give to any lizard, so long as
>> they are appropriately sized (for a 4 month old I'd recommend 1/4 to 1/3 size)
>> they are gut loaded with calcium rich greens
>> they are LIGHTLY dusted with calcium powder.
Roaches are also very good feeders.
Other suitable feeders for your wee baby beardie are :
>> BSF maggots aka phoenix worms (excellent naturally rich in calcium and slow moving)
>> blowfly gents
>> silkworms (he can handle small (1 - 1.5 inch long) and medium (1.5 -2 inch long)
>> crickets , roaches and locusts.

I was making sure to pick the smallest ones I could find. This morning she ate only two and some greens. She mainly just chills in her basking area and doesn't move all too much. I was curious on how many super worms / other greens and such I should feed her daily.

<<< is a bonus if your wee hatchling is eating some greens , offer fresh greens daily .

NOTE a 4 month old NEEDS loads of HIGH QUALITY LIVE INSECT PROTEIN and to be fed THREE times per day (as many insects per session as it wants)

And if she was receiving enough UVB light. Currently her tank is quite Barren but we will be purchasing more things for her tank soon. The reason I'm doubting if she is getting enough UVB light is my lighting fixture is the duel one. And my bearded dragon normally basks on the far right side of the tank, and it seems to be pretty far away from the UVB light, (will provide a picture if asked). And I also have a question about dusting calcium.
<<< dusting , I use 4oz tubs with lids , I put 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of calcium dust in , add the bugs (crickets in my case) , shakey shakey , and then fish a few crickets out at a time and drop these where the hatchling can see them ( they soon learn to watch you ) , and continue feeding until the hatchling looses interest.
Only need enough calcium powder to LIGHTLY coat the insects , you don't need to cake it onto them.
Should I pour some calcium into a bowl and drop a few worms in there and mix it around? Thanks again for all the help!
<<< don't use the worms you have.
<<< if you have silkworms or gents or BSF maggots , dusting is not necessary.

Click to expand...

Your bearded dragon needs proper levels of UVA and UVB , these are mandatory for a bearded dragon so this needs to be VERY HIGH PRIORITY. Avoid shop brands , invariably these are nasty cheap Chinese knockoffs and very poor quality, best brands are Exo Terra, Zoo Med and Arcadia.
As is proper proper heating.

Here's my Cheat Sheet :
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050

If you work through it methodically , the chances are their are likely a lot of issues that need to be tweeked or changed and they will pop right out at you, if you can give very detailed answers we will then be in a position to offer help. Is impossible to help you if you don't provide thorough details .

Click to expand...