Help- new mom!!

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Hello! I am a new bearded dragon owner for 2 weeks now and I have several questions! I bought my beardie from a reptile store and the information I was given seems different from what I’m finding online! First question- the tip of Null’s tail looks like it was cut flat at the tip and looks a little blackish, could this be tail rot? I can upload a pic if needed (preferred)!! 2-I was told they eat about 10-15 crickets a day, and greens m,w,f, and only once a day, but online info says different! According to the store he is 3 months old, but I measured him/her today and he’s only 6” long!
3- I bought the bearded dragon starter tank (30X12) and supplies and wonder if the light (duel light) is working properly! I also got him a hammock and a half log for hiding, is that enough? I want to be sure he is happy and healthy!
4- I plan on getting a different thermometer, but currently use the stick up one the tank came with and I understand they are not reliable to true temp! It says his tank is currently 100 degrees while on and 70 at night, is he going to be too cold, should I get some sort of heater for the floor?
5- I’m not sure how much time to spend handling him, he is just now letting me pick him up without squirming all over! The store did tell me to leave him be for the first week so he can adapt to his new living space, but I did hand feed him a few crickets here and there and gently touch him in his back ( which he was fine with) how do I know if I’m stressing him out by touching and picking him up?
6- cleaning his house! We use the sand mat thingy, which is a pain to clean poop up!! I clean his poop every evening and wipe his water dish everyday, but is there something else I should be found to make sure bacteria doesn’t spread? Today I actually took Null out and put him in a box and took everything out of his house and wipe it down with a damp paper towel! ( I hope I didn’t spread bacteria) and vacuumed the loose pieces from the mat. Any other ideas?
Thank you for any information you might have to help me be the best bearded dragon mom!!
 

CooperDragon

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Welcome to the forum! Some photos of him and his setup would be helpful to us for being able to make suggestions. You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them to your thread using the XIMG button when you reply.

For feeding, the amount will vary. Just offer all he wants in about a 10 minute (ish) window or until he loses interest. Some days he will want more than others and that's normal. They also tend to prefer bugs over veges when they are young. Keep offering a salad every day, but it may go ignored for the most part until he is older and his growth starts to slow down.

As far as lighting goes, I'd need to know more about the brand and wattages and distances. Some photos would be helpful. As you mentioned, accurate surface temp readings are pretty critical so getting a couple of digital thermometers with probes (for the basking surface and for the cool side surface) so you can make temp adjustments as needed. 70 overnight is just fine, you'll just need to double check the readings with a reliable thermometer.

Hand feeding is a good way to form a bond. Try to read his body language a bit to determine how much handling he wants. Don't force it but if he seems OK out of his enclosure and being handled, go for it. They are all different in this respect so it's a matter of being patient and trying to read his reaction. Beard flaring, opening mouth in a biting gesture, or running away/hiding are signs of stress or fear. Squirming may just mean they feel off balance. It's important to make sure their hands and feet are well supported.

The sand mats can be a pain to clean and start to fall apart. For ease of cleaning I suggest looking into some ceramic/slate tile (not glossy, need enough texture for traction) or some non adhesive shelf liner. These tend to be cheap and easy to clean. I use a spray bottle with vinegar and a rag or paper towels for cleaning and then if I need to sanitize something I like to use F10 https://beanfarm.com/products/f10sc-veterinary-disinfectant-100-ml-3-4-oz Just mix that in a spray bottle with water at about a 1:250 or 1:500 ratio (it's very concentrated and lasts quite a long time). Spray surfaces after cleaning the mess up with the vinegar.
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Welcome!

You've gotten some good advice up above :)

Definitely looking forward to some pics :D

-Brandon
 

Obriennicole

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Sorry more questions! Yesterday Null ate about 20 crickets in the morning, at dinner he only ate 9 crickets, I noticed his poop was a little watery but still formed, should I be concerned? And today he didnt want to eat any crickets. I did finally figure out how to upload pics so I did that! I went and bought betadine and neosporin without pain relief and follow the instructions on how to treat tail rot, so I did do a treatment lastnight and today his tail looks like it’s dark color moved up some, what do you think is going on? Now I feel like I’m a bad parent?
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Do you know what brand/wattage your bulb is? That will make a difference regarding how far it should be mounted in order to provide enough UVB (in addition to the temperature adjustments mentioned earlier). I see that it's a dual heat and UVB bulb rather than a dual fixture with two bulbs. A mercury vapor bulb.

As far as the tail goes, it looks like the end was damaged at some point. Usually due to being nipped by a tank mate at some point before you got him. This isn't your fault. It's closed/healed over so that is good. I don't know that topical treatment will do much (but it shouldn't hurt). Keep a close eye on the shriveled area (more than the color). If that isn't moving up the tail then he is probably fine. if the shriveled/flattened area starts to expand, a vet visit is in order and it will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
 
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