First time owner - lots of questions!

Hi there
I’m about to become a new beardie mama and he’s 8 months old
I’m in NZ and we don’t have many options for reptile stuff here and to buy from overseas the restrictions are long , but resin and rock items for aquariums and reptiles are usually fine to buy on amazon so if you can suggest items available there I would be happy

I need a hide/ cave for cool end and a basking item or cave for hot end any ideas which ones are big enough for beardies??

http://reptileone.com.au/products/housing/46140 Is the Vivarium I’ve purchased
The light hood is this but the 62cm version not the 90cm https://www.animates.co.nz/reptile-one-t8-fluorescent-reflector-30w-92cm.html
The tube is a reptile one 18w 24inch 10.0 uvb
I got a oz black 100w ceramic infrared heat emitter which I will use 24/7 with a reptaprobe thermostat 0-40c
Is that all I need for lights?

I have A reptile one dual sensor thermostat
And Exo Terra food and water dish

Hi there and welcome.
I too am a first time owner of a 9 month beardie and also live in Auckland NZ. Done lots of research and got good advice from a specialised reptile vet.

For basking items I use artificial logs that my Beardie loves. You can used rock slabs too (but sterilize them first). Got the logs from Animates and Hollywood fishfarm (not sure what pet stores are around you). For a hide, I use a simple cardboard box, which I read can serve well.

Looks like you have your lights, heat lamp and vivarium sorted.

What substrate are you using? Hope it’s not sand. Best is reptile carpet, or tiles.

Good to have a thermo gun too to check temps.

I’m sure others will pitch in too.

Here are some pics. Hope this helps a bit.

Oh thank you for all that your beardie is adorable!
What lights do you use? I’m getting conflicting info on weather I can just use my emitter 24/7 or if I need a seperate basking heat light for day ( animates have a fan one)
Could I see a photo of your full Vivarium please? I like getting ideas from others in NZ as it usually means I can source the items I like in them

As for the logs , do you mean the logs from animates and Hollywood fish farm that look like it’s cut in half? With holes in the sides? If so can your beardie fit in them? Or just on them ?
Or are you meaning the reptile climbing ones in your photo?

Sorry, the logs I was actually referring to the climbing ones in the photo. You can use the half logs, but beardies will out grow them fast.

I’m actually going to get the “stacked rocks” which are great for basking. I had seen this on display and it will support adults.

As for the lights, I wouldn’t get the fan one. I had that for my turtle and it’s loud. This may stress your dragon. Also it doesn’t have enough UVB (only 5). I use the reptile one 18 watt 10 UVB (see photo). Remember to change the every six months even if it still works, as the UV decreases over time.

NZ weather as you know can get very cold. Vet told me to use the ceramic heater (see photo) on ALL the time. I have a 50 watt for summer and a 100 watt for winter. Just check your temperatures are around 40C in basking area and around 25C in cool area. I do have a thermostat to keep it at 40C in the basking area but then realized no need during winter (I only use thermostat for summer).

Any questions keep them coming, I know what it’s like and I’m lucky to have vets that specializes in reptiles including bearded dragons.

Oh thank you I have the same reptile tube in a 10 too and I have a different heat one though , it’s black and 100w... I hope that one is ok? and a different cage for the heat one -

Another question is my Vivarium is 45cm high , my heat emitter will be in a cage in the Vivarium so I don’t know how far away from dragon that is but I brought a low rock from animates to bask on not something high up so I’m hoping that’s ok? But my lighthood with reptile tube will be on top so 45cm from the floor of Vivarium is that ok?

Also what are the “stacked rocks” you mention? Could you link me please?

I’d also love some feeding help... he’s 8months old.
I have NO idea on amounts to feed! I purchased flukers canned crickets, canned grasshoppers and canned mealworms. I also brought flukers juvenile pellets - I’m stumped on how much to give him?
Also I read to Dunk them in calcium powder ( I have the flukers one) but I also read you can over do the calcium and cause liver and kidney issues - so how much calcium powder and how often?

I’m thinking of getting the reptile one basking logs you have - do you like them? And they stay firm in place do they ?

Sorry about all the questions but I have so much to learn! Lol

Hi. I just want to add that those ceramic heat emitters are for night since they don't give off light. During the day he needs a bright white basking light. Also can you get any live feeders? Do you feed any kinds of greens?

The temps here require a heat emitter all the time not just night though , so would I still need a basking light on top of the reptile ubv tube and the heat emitter ?

I don’t have him yet , will be in the next few days as I’m just waiting for my Vivarium to arrive. I am currently looking into which veges and greens to give
I know we will need some live too - it’s mainly crickets and mealworms here so far I have found and I read live crickets can give them internal parasites and that mealworms are not good for them so I’m quite confused....

Ive read mustard greens, collard greens and squash are best for every day foods ... I’ve never paid attention to those greens so I will have to look out at the supermarket and see if we have those ... for squash I know 6months of the year we can get buttercup squash - is that good for beardies?
I’m thinking every morning do a salad and a teaspoon or so of the pellets I have brought , then night either do some of these canned insects or live ( but I have no idea on amount so please help me there)
How many insects generally am I looking at? Locusts is the easiest for me to get live , or mealworms ...
in canned I have crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers
The place I’m getting him from said since he is 9months old I do insects everyday till he’s 1year and then change it to only every second or third day - is this correct info?

The calcium powder I can get is flukers and it has d3 , do I use it daily? And a “light dusting” are we talking a pinch of salt size or half a teaspoon size??
And multivitamin powder - once a week? And again, a pinch of salt size or half a teaspoon size? I don’t want him to overdose on vitamins as I read can happen

Lol. Below is basically what I got from articles in this site and my reptile vet.

Heat:
You can hang your heat emitter so long as your dragon can’t touch it (or you for that matter. I got my arm burnt when cleaning and so did my 9 year old son. We both learnt )
Thus it’s recommended to put your heat emitter inside a protective cage, which you can buy from Animates (refer to photo). You don’t need to have your basking area raised. I had a flat rack slab that did the trick. But swift tail (my dragon) loves climbing.
I have my ceramic heat emitter on ALL the time, day and night. This keeps the basking area consistently at 41 degrees C, and as it has no lights, it won’t disturb the dragon. Remember to have a cool area, mine is around 25 degrees C.

Feeding:
I feed him live crickets for 6 days a week dusted with calcium and 1 day per week dusted with vitamin powder. Crickets I get from this site https://www.inzectdirect.co.nz/ and it’s couried to my place every Tuesday. You get parasites from crickets if they are caught outside. Getting from a trusted source is key. I put the crickets in a 40L storage bin and gut load them (meaning I feed them carrots, squash and basically feed them the same veges as I feed my dragon). I then put about 15-20 crickets in a container with calcium and shake it a bit. Then I have a separate container to feed him in, those storage bins from the warehouse, Mitre10 or bunnings will do. This keeps vivarium very clean. I leave him in there for 15 minutes to chase down crickets, then put him back. He will eat about 15-20 crickets a day. I try not to hand feed him (as a lot of owners do) because I want him to keep his natural hunting instinct to stimulate him.
Veterinarian said can’t overdose doing it this way.
I used to give my dragon freezed dried crickets and he loved them. But very expensive this way and I have a feeling they might be missing something, despite the labels stating they are gut loaded. You doing a mix is a good idea. Oh, by the way...good luck with your pellets . I still have a full jar of them. He (and many dragons) doesn’t like them.

I feed him Veges everyday NOT dusted with vitamins or calcium as this will risk overdosing on vitamins and apparently lose their palette ability (or something like that ). I put Veges in the morning before work and clean up when I get back. This way, he DOES munch on it throughout the day.
There are a whole range of Veges you can feed everyday, some occasional and some never. Please look up the article on this site as a lot of illnesses are due to wrong diet. Basically I feed everyday is butternut squash, water cress and Witloof (Americans call them Endives). Squash you can get from local supermarkets but the others I can only get from Farrels special veg shop.

Dragons need to be misted with Luke warm water every day and bathed once a week. I leave mine in bath for 15 minutes and ensure water level covers his vent (as that’s one way of them taking in water), but obviously not pass his neck. Misting I do outside viviarium so humidity does rise (technical I know). I mist his nose and sometimes he laps it up, and sometimes he don’t. I don’t have a water bowl in his vivarium as he doesn’t drink anyway and risk of him pooping in it and then drinking. My dragon is well hydrated according to the vet.

Don’t be worried if your dragon doesn’t eat in first few days. Mined had stress black lines and no appetite in first few days as moving in is stressful. But some dragons will settle in fast.

Again, any questions, anytime.

Protective Heat Cage for heat emitter:

Thank you so much for all of that info , it’s much appreciated!
I have the cage to put the emitter in already so that’s good
I’ll look into the insect ordering place I’m nervous about live crickets lol!
At what age do they move from young diets of insects everyday to adult diet insects 2-3 times a week? Is that age 1year? The info I’m getting elsewhere ( which very wel could be wrong) is that as baby’s they need 3 feeds of bugs daily to the equivalent of 10-30 crickets a feed, and then as adults they need 2 insect feedings a week totaling 30-50 crickets per Week - is that correct?
I saw the canned bugs say they are gut loaded and I watched YouTube videos reviews on them and apparently they are moist inside
He already loves veges and pellets so I’ll be ok there he HATES baths though so don’t know how I’ll go there

Oh and the calcium powder - I have the flukers one with d3 , am I meant to get the calcium powder without d3 instead??

Oh yes, calcium with D3 IF you don’t put your dragon outside in the sun. Since NZ weather is pretty cold, I only put my dragon outside in the hot sun on warm days. Calcium without D3 if for outside Dragons.

I would avoid mealworms as too many can cause impaction (blockage in the instestines). If you already purchase them, then use as treats, once or twice a week max, and follow the golden rule of feeding (nothing bigger than the space between the eyes).

Oh, black soldier fly larvae are one of the best live foods. They are high in calcium naturally, don’t smell, can leave in their packaging container, no need to feed them, they don’t fly or crawl out. Only drawback is that they are small, so need lots of them.

Reducing crickets is about right. The article I read on this site is once they are sub adult (12-18 months) then just feed only once a day instead of 2 or 3 times a day. When adults (18 months or more) then 2 - 3 times a week. Then they say “every dragon is different!” Lol.

Anyway, I’m going for a routine vet check this weekend so will ask them. Supposed to go after six months..oops.

Well done with the pellets. Keep that up.