New Bearded Mommy!! Need Help and/or Advice

Hello everyone!!
Am new to the beardy parent world :mrgreen: I been doing my research wayyyy before i even got him (not sure if he is really a Male or female) but i want to make sure that i am on the right track to having my baby FLEX (thats his/her name) can live a wonderful bearded dragon life
I adopted him from a family friend on 3/30/18 and i was giving everything (housing, food, lights, decor)
The terrarium is by exo terro outback and is 33 gals
I have the basking and uvb light
I been feeding him crickets and mealworms along with plate of veggies (Lettuce, carrot, relish)
I recently tried mixing strawberries into his veggies but he didn't even touch a single piece of fruit
Here is a picture of the set up i have so far

Anyways here comes the beginner questions
I feed him/her once a day with crickets or mealworms and leave a plate full (Smaller brown plate in picture) of mix veggies
**Is there a set amount to how much i need to feed him/her also is there any recommend veggies or fruits that are good for him ? P.S he eats all of his meat food but picky with the veggies
**I did not get a temperature nor humidity meter as of yet. i Will within next week.. so because i do not know the correct temperature would there be any health issues i need to be aware of just in two weeks?
but he looks comfortable so far
**I have read that it takes a few days or weeks for a bearded dragon to get comfortable with his new owner and new environment
He allows me pet him sometimes under the chin and top of the head but soon after a few seconds he starts backing away or flitches but he does not hiss nor puff up his chin would that be a good sign??
P.S i been spending time with him in the morning after he is done eating and at night if he is still up
**A good sign is that he is eating so far and he is pooping everyday for the short time i have kept him but the poop looks really weird with a white watery substance added to the poop balls.. is this a good poop or bad ? if bad what can i do to change it so its not so watery or is this even normal ?

**I plan on cleaning his home soon and putting a background to his home.. only problem is he wont let me grab him in order for me to clean the terrarium what should i do?? should i wait till he gets comfortable with me (which might take another week or more) or should i just attempt to hold him without that invitation (which might end up with him running away around the terrarium or being skittish in my hand)
P.S the terrarium was clean before i gotten him but i want to reinsure his environment is clean properly due to the pooping and water spots on the glass around the terrarium
**Do i need better lighting or set up? what are you guys recommend???
**Any other advice anyone wants to freely provide am all ears
Thank you in advance

Hi. Nice looking beardie. You definitely want to get rid of that red light. Replace it with a bright white basking light. What brand is the uvb? Is it a t8 of a t5? It will say on the end of the bulb. Lettuce is not very good. Mustard greens, collard greens, kale stuff like that are way better. Good feeders are crickets, Dubai roaches, Silk worms and Phoenix worms. Meal worms can cause impaction.

destiny1998":1z0h6ujb said:

Hi. Nice looking beardie. You definitely want to get rid of that red light. Replace it with a bright white basking light. What brand is the uvb? Is it a t8 of a t5? It will say on the end of the bulb. Lettuce is not very good. Mustard greens, collard greens, kale stuff like that are way better. Good feeders are crickets, Dubai roaches, Silk worms and Phoenix worms. Meal worms can cause impaction.

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@destiny1998 sorry for the late reply but the ub light is a t8

The t8 needs to be mounted in the tank. The t8 puts of weaker rays than a t5. The t8 needs to be 6 to 8 inches from the basking spot. The screen blocks alot of the rays. A t5 you can put on top of the screen since its a stronger bulb.

Just want to add something about the diet- Here's a good list of foods that they can and can't eat: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html
As for the amount of food, you can give them as many veggies and leaves as they want, and as many bugs/worms as he/she can eat in a fifteen minute period. Also, you didn't mention if you had any dietary supplements for him/her, which they need in their diet. I use Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 on week days and Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamins on the weekends, coating the bugs/worms in the correct supplement every feeding. Hope this helps.