5 Q's for an experienced owner to answer PLEASE

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Info before I start..
Lighting:UVB- Zoomed Reptisun 10.0 T5H0 florecent tube(22in)
Basking: Zoomed repti basking bulb 100w inside an aluminum "clamp lamp" from Walmart.
Substrate: Zoomed Eco carpet for 40 gallon tank
Tempuratures I have a zoomed digital thermometer with a probe but this is something I need help with..[see below]

Questions..
**Please answer questions in order and number them thanks in advance**

1. When I tried measuring my beardies basking spot with the probe it said 120?!?!?! I moved her tree thing farther away and even clamped the light on the side of the tank in hopes this would help but my question is how can I lower the temp of her basking spot and ALSO how to properly make a correct temperature gradient tank?

2. My beardie closes her eyes one at a time all the time. Sometimes it's when being pet sometimes just when she's sitting there on her tree etc is something wrong?

3. She's still like, scared of us. We've had her for almost a month and she still acts like she's scared and tries running away when we hold her....she has been shedding lately but she's always done this so I'm not sure shedding is why.

4. Is there something better I could have her basking on? She currently has an "All Living Things Gnarled wood Ornament" (tall bare tree thing) and "All living things skull cave reptile ornament" (Skull rock cave thing) both from petsmart.

5. Lastly, the substrate carpet isn't wide enough for my tank and so I put paper towels down where there's not carpet but no matter what substrate I use FRICKIN CRICKETS HIDE UNDERNEATH IT and my dragon has a hard time getting them when they hide. Any ideas on how to prevent these stupid crickets from getting underneath her substrate?!? (Tried vinyl tile too that doesn't stop them either)

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE AND GOD BLESS ✨?
 

VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
1. You could get a lower wattage, usually 75 works well to get it to 95-105 in a 36x18x18 enclosure.

2. Nothings wrong. Most of my lizards will bask with their eyes closed and will close their eyes sometimes when being pet.

3. Just give her time, it takes a bit sometimes for them to realize you wont hurt them. Try talking to her, hand feeding, things like that and make sure to move slow when around her and get down on her level. Ive learned that with my baby tegu, you have to get low when going near her at first or she'll freak out. Works the same way with most small lizards/babies.

4. I personally use hides, logs, and rocks for them to bask on as it holds the heat better. I have a cement hide in one of my beardies tank that works very well.

5. You could put large rocks on the corners, thats what i do for my juveniles enclosure. Except instead of rocks its a ceramic food dish for her veggies and then her hide/basking area holds it down pretty well.

Go to https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ upload the picture and then come back and when you go to post something there should be a tab that says "XIMG" when you hit that it'll bring up the photos.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
The best way to feed crickets to prevent them from hiding inside the tank (and the way you should feed him anyway) is by only feeding him 2-3 at a time, waiting until he eats them, then putting 2-3 more in, etc., until he stops eating them and goes to his basking spot, at which point you need to remove any remaining live crickets from his tank. You should never leave any live crickets inside a dragon's tank at all and should always remove the ones he doesn't eat, because they will hide inside and they bite dragons constantly, especially at nighttime. Not only do they bite their bodies and create wounds that often become infected and can cause "Tail Rot" and other severe infections (crickets are dirty and do carry many diseases and microbes), but at nighttime they are known to also bite their mouths, vents, and most dangerously their eyes. There are a lot of dragons who have lost their sight because of loose crickets who have bitten their eyeballs while they were sleeping. So always remove any uneaten crickets immediately, and never just throw in a bunch of crickets at one time and walk away. Actually, some dragons refuse to eat if a bunch of crickets are thrown in at one time, specifically babies and juveniles, because they become overwhelmed by them and scared.
 

PodunkKhaleesi

Hatchling Member
1. A dimmer switch or a lower wattage basking bulb. Or you can get a basking platform/objects that are lower to the floor.
2. This isn’t unusual. Some do it more than others.
3. Babies are often skittish but as they mature (and as you become more familiar) the demeanor gets much calmer.
4. I like to have multiple basking “levels” so there’s a greater basking temperature variant. For example: a higher branch, a lower rock, a hide that’s in between these two other objects in height. I have a pretty enormous cage so having multiple basking zones was pretty easy to accomplish, but you can still have more than one basking level in a smaller setup.
5. I feed my lizards outside of their tanks to avoid stowaway insects. I once met a beardie owner whose lizard lost an eye to insects that were left in its cage overnight. So I have a large Rubbermaid bin that functions as a feeding tank ($3 at Walmart). Or, as the previous poster mentioned, do the one at a time method to make sure every insect gets eaten.
 

Beardeddtagonlover

Hatchling Member
hi i know this post is old but it might help someone i only had my beardie for 3 months but knowing how to setup a terrarium is the first thing you should know here are some suggestions i learned
before i post my suggestions just to let you know i have all kinds of bulbs a solar meter a t8 and t5 reptisun ive used MVb a glass tank and right now a melamine one i also have a temp gun as well as thermometers with a probe.

Lighting:UVB- Zoomed Reptisun 10.0 T5H0 florecent tube(22in)
is good choice for a 40 gallon tank which is 36 long i would of went with a 34 inch there very powerful uvb i wouldn't put it closer then 12 inches if no screen with screen you can go lower.

as for basking spot you can put anything large enough for your beardie to bask as long as the temps are right i know the care sheets say temps between 100 to 110 at least for my beardie anything above 100 is too hot the best way to set a basking spot is set the basking temp to 100 and go from there watch your beardie behaviour if hes gasping is good if he sits in the hot end all day then is not hot enough for me personally i check the temp on the lizard itself basking spot is 98 to 100 lizard is 102 to 104 he likes it that way he don't spent anymore then 4 hours a day basking hes 8 months old now he spends less time basking now then 3 months ago.



Basking: Zoomed repti basking bulb 100w inside an aluminum "clamp lamp" from Walmart.
screen tops and glass tanks are easy heat escapes constantly i would suggest a 100 watt MVB like the powersun on a lamp stand i have multiple of this there great https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/light-fixtures/zoo-medandtrade-reptile-lamp-stand-1851618.html you can raise it and lower it right now there like 17 dollars where i live if you ordered online.also make sure the socket is not plastic it can melt risk of fire.


Substrate: Zoomed Eco carpet for 40 gallon tank
they do sell 40 gallon reptile carpet or you can go to a hardware store by a roll of vynil tile the one you can cut with scissors and you can make multiple carpets very easy to clean just get the ones with no adhesive.

Tempuratures I have a zoomed digital thermometer with a probe but this is something I need help with..[see below]the thermometers with a probe there the best for checking temperatures if its 120 just need to get a lower wattage bulb right now where i live the reptiles basking bulb are the same price as the flood lights zoo med basking bulbs they have a 75 watt i would test with that but like i mentioned above if you get an mvb which is a good supplement of uvb toguether with the reptisun on a lamp stand be great or just get a lamp stand and use the same bulb you have now.also you can go to any hardware store and buy a lamp dimmer and you can regulate temps the ones that home depot sell there good up to 300 watts https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Credenza-Halogen-Incandescent-TT-300H-WH/dp/B0000BYEF6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1531509247&sr=8-7&keywords=plug+in+lamp+dimmers
 
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