Introducing my baby beardie...and myself

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spaceo

Member
Hi all. I'm new to the forum, and to bearded dragons. And my bearded dragon is new to the world. Not sure how young...but as you can see if you check out the pics he (she) is not much bigger than a newborn.

He (he for now...he's unsexed) took to his new home quickly, and is a happy alert curious beardie.

His name is Zigaboo. He had a big eating day his first day at home. two crickets while i picked him out in the store, and another 4-5 once home. plus a mealworm. He slowed down today though. He hasn't eaten greens yet, but he sure took to some berries this afternoon.

the temp of the house is 80 deg. Per the salesman I would be fine with a thermometer in the center of the tank....but I'll probably buy one for the warm size. My girlfriend, who has profesional experience with animal care - and has owned a handful of lizards herself, also assured me the temp of the basking area was nice and warm.

He likes being handled, and checks out the going ons in the room.. so i'm glad to say i have a happy healthy baby ziggy.

for some pics of him and his home...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hcsdog/album?.dir=/2414re2&.src=ph&.tok=phfMFKFBMPGGU9QU

and oh yeah. I'm Pete
 

ReptileMom

Hatchling Member
sounds like you've got a great start. you may want to skip the mealworms though. they aren't easily digested. you will also find that if you bought him at a pet store, they may have given you alot of false information. i bet if you put those berries in his greens he would start eating them sooner. you may also want to put a thermometer on the basking area and the cooler side. temp is very important, especially for digestion. if he slows down on eating that could be why. congratulations and good luck!
 

spaceo

Member
Original Poster
I read about mealworms not being so great last night. I can't find a store that carries the other worms....like the silkies...so i'll have to order online. he doesn't seem to interested in the mealworms anyway.

I saw some beardie food that would turn into moths if stored right. I think he'll like chasing moths. I put him on my window sill this morning and he climbed right up on the screen to watch the flying bugs outside.

He had a good cricket feast, and his digestion was all in order ;)
 

Nomad85

Gray-bearded Member
Hey Spaceo, welcome to the forums, I am sorry to give you some bad news... That pretty sand the pet store sold you, is no good. Its not digestible even though it says it is... Most folks round here recommend paper towels or non adhesive shelf liner, and I think you might want to try it out, and ditch the sand before your new dragon eats some on accident. What size crickets are ya feeding him? Im sure you will get lots more help from everyone here. Just be sure to take the good advice you get, and youll be well on your way to having a healthy happy dragon.

Its best to give these answers before everyone start to ask them..

Basking temps
Cool side temps. 80 is ok 70-75 is best:)
Supplements used
UVB type,brand and distance from the dragon
tank size,
substrate-I see you have calcisand.. need to fix that:)
 

spaceo

Member
Original Poster
i've read quite a bit of controvesy on sand for beardies. although there's no impaction risk with the non-sand alternatives, i read and hear that they can have foot problems and scale irriation with these. this sand doesn't claim to be digestable - but claims not to clump - so that if he eats it it passes through. as i work out of home - i was able to keep a close eye on him for my first few days and he doesn't munch on it. if he eats any accidently it could be from crickets. (another whole controversy - although this forum approves of crickets for babies)
-so far i'm pretty happy with my choice - but will call a vet to see what they say.
-I'm not at home at the moment...so i can't clarify my uvb brand and type. I got a lighting set up that has two bulbs. one to leave on all the time - and one for basking during day hours. (50 W - omni directional. the lighting fixture reflects the light downward)
-also - i accidently bought a spotlight style bulb for this setup - which i used to make another basking spot on a shelf above my desk. i set up a basking rock - with the light coming from the shelf above it. this light is about a foot or so above the shelf. in his terrarium i'd say 2 ft from the floor - 1.5 feet from the rock he likes to bask on. he's nice and warm after basking. (and extra frisky) with his rock and the sand on the basking side being slightly warm to the touch. (yes....i need to get another therm for that side)
-on sunny days (not toda) i'll probably let him sun himself on my window screen too - and i'll check him by hand to make sure he stays warm. (on breezy days this might cool him more than warm him) i notice he cools awfully quickly when exploring. still a little guy. when i notice him slowing down i'll place him back on his rock or in his terrium. he regulates himself alright - putting more of his body in the shade as he gets warmer.
-crickets - the little ones for now. i'll probably stick with that size - the opinion seems to be more of little ones are better even as they get bigger.
-i'm about to order some other treats for him right now. i've read more bad things about meal worms - and he didn't take any interest in them at all after his first one.
 

Nomad85

Gray-bearded Member
As far as the sand goes, its up to you, but there have been cases where it has casued problems, as there have been cases where crickets have caused problems(aflatoxins). But sand has been more frequently cited as the cause of death for babies due to impaction. Yours may be fine, and if your ok with the risks thought to be involved in using it then so am I, at least you've been warned:) I'm not gonna harass you about it 8) . Do you know what your basking(surface) temps are? Also most care sheets warn against using a water dish since beardies dont usually use them and babies can drown easily. its better just to mist them 2x a day.
 
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