Meet Zazu!

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Erikalin

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Hello,
First time perpetually nervous mom to a beardie I am head over heels for! I have had frogs in the past and while they are fun to look at you really can't (or I haven't been able to) bond with them. I decided I wanted to get a bearded dragon; I heard they were friendly, loved to be held and formed bonds with their humans. I hadn't planned on getting one right when I did (I am in the middle of buying a house) but when I walked through the reptile area on the way to the fish tanks in petco back in May she caught my eye as she was looking at me, head tilted, and that was all it took. Before I knew it my SUV was full of bulbs, crickets, mealworms, dried emergency food mix ("local" pet store is 30 mins away) supplements, lighting fixtures, carpeting, decorations, an enclosure, cricket keeper... etc - but my heart was full too. (Yeah, sappy - so what?)

Meet Zazu,
She (?) Is a pretty flower...
111323-8730927994.jpg

or maybe a Venus fly trap? ?
111323-2828644379.jpg

She is roughly 11" long and as far as I can tell she is around 3 months old... best guess. She loves Dubia roaches, basking all day, long walks on the reptile carpet at sunset, dislodging the plants suction cupped to the side of her enclosure, sitting on top of my head, staring at my daughter's gecko (Harley Quinn) incessantly trying to get in her tank, and making me nervous by eyeing my earrings like they are treats she wants to nom. Her favorite hobby seems to be pooping in her bath at night within minutes after I put her in. I have figured out a way to foil her plans by preparing two baths; one small one with just water (her "toilet") and another larger one with her shedding aid added.

She has this strange habit of laying on her perch with her back feet dangling off. She doesn't do it all the time, but it is curious. She walks just fine, her posture is perfect - it's just when she basks. Quirky.

I am so glad this site exists! ☺
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Welcome to the forum --- did you buy a kit or everything separate? If you bought a kit please ditch the coil UVB if it came w/ --- they are NO good --- you also need a digital probe thermometer for actual basking temps -- stick ons are for ambient temp only --- the basking temps and the UVB are the MOST important thing in the tank --- they control the over all health and behavior of the dragon ---- please NO meal worms -- they are too hard on their stomachs --- also dubias are a great staple feeder -- she need fresh salads every morning along w/ the main staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale things its a great staple feeder --
you need long tube fixture for a UVB -- Zoo Med Sunblaster or Arcadia 24" for a 40+ gallon tank - Arcadia 12% bulb or Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb --NO SAND NO COLORED BULBS NO HEAT MATS OR ROCKS PLEASE ---- if you need more help please ask I will help you
 

Erikalin

Member
Original Poster
Hello KerriRee,

I did not buy a kit. I have three thermometers with probes in her enclosure at the moment. Regulating the temp has been difficult with the a/c so I just purchased a day/night thermostat. The vet said mealworms were ok but I have been reading so many conflicting opinions I switched her to dubias and crickets (instead of mealworms I crickets) a few weeks after I got her. She has been on a diet of mostly dubias before this week (bug-wise, she gets fresh greens too). I recently just purchased enough mealworms to keep her going for a few days until the dubias I ordered online come in and they should last while I get the breeding colony set up and started. I only have the pre-made food mix in case I can't get to the store right away, or they're out of stock. Nope, no heat mats for her nor rocks. Her UVB is a coil right now but I have plans to switch that out ASAP. I have a few old fish tank light fixtures but I haven't had a chance to check and see if they take T8 bulbs, if so I will use those. The humidity was a little high so I bought a dehumidifier to put near her enclosure and it has helped.

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
What is the length of the uvb fixture ? If it a 18" it's a T 8- it will need to be unobstructed and 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor w/ no clear plastic cover over the bulb
 

Erikalin

Member
Original Poster
We are in the middle of packing to move. Our closing date is Fri. Unfortunately the fixtures are packed in boxes, and those boxes are somewhere in the growing pile. Once we get everything over there I will be able to get to the fixtures to figure out the lighting situation. I do know that there isn't a plastic cover over the bulb. The fixture sat on a clear section of the tank lid that was acrylic....
 
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