1st bearded dragon

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Duce

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I bought my daughter a bearded dragon last week but had kept it at the petshop while i was waiting for its enclosure to be delivered that i bought online.

2 days after i got it (no idea of the sex) they delivered the wrong enclosure so i sent it back got another one on the weekend but it was broken and are currently waiting for the 3rd.

My problem is that the pet shopped called me yesterday and told me i had to pick him up as they had new lizards coming in.

I know its not the best but i had an old 10g tank cleaned and put him in but i have no lights. were I've got gets direct sun all day and sits at the low 30s during the day.

Im hoping his new enclosure will get here hassle free on friday or saturday but what can i do for him now.

The pet shop guy said he will be fine but i shouldnt feed him until i get lights is this right or should i still feed him as normal.

Also how do i post pics
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG on top of message box---
go to the pet store and by this for a UVB Reptison 10.0 T 8 bulb and fixture -- NO COIL!!! you want the tube--- get a bright white basking light like a 100 watt or maybe a 75 watt --- you will need to get a digital probe to get a basking temp -- you want your basking temp to be around 105-110- let the probe sit on the area of where hes gonna sit for around 10 minutes or so to get that temp---- get him some crickets no bigger than the size of his eyes ---- you haft to have lights they cannot go long w/ no UVB or basking heat --- a day maybe 2 no longer----------------- you can use your lights on the tank you have coming --- what size is the tank - take and straddle the UVB over the top of the 10 gallon tank and use a clamp for the basking light --- make sure you have decor in the tank he can sit on and get him a hide as well - your gonna need to think big tho as he will grow - and that 10 gallon will be cramped cuz its so small -- but for a few days it wont matter - feed him greens here is a website for you for that
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html---
make sure you are dusting his bugs w/ calcium D3 5 x per week and 2 x per week vitamins - I recommend getting dubia roaches at some point they are better for him --- I hate to say this but you are gonna haft to take care of the dragon -- dragons are not a childs pet they are too complex - she can help but for the most part you will be the one taking care of the dragon-----------make sure you keep him / her hydrated -- you can mist him / her w/ a spray bottle - I dont know if this one will drink from a dish mine does not - if you spray him w/ a spray bottle every few days or give a bath he may drink from the bath --- watch his poop --- it will tell you if hes dehydrated - the white urate should be firm and hard - if its chalky or flakey looking its a sign of dehydration-- please ask if you have more questions
Karrie
 

Claudiusx

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Welcome!
That's too bad that you're going through such hassle with getting your tank. Where are you buying from?

Do you not have any of the lights yet? Or are they coming with the tank as a package deal?

It's not ideal, but there really isnt much you can do besides go to the petstore and buy a heat fixture and bulb. He will be fine without uvb for a couple days.

But just so you are aware, being near a window has no real benefit. Glass filters out all uvb rays and sometimes being in front of a window can cause the tank to overheat.

If I were you, I'd go to the hardware store and buy one of the dome fixtures (half the cost of a petstore dome fixture) and just find a lightbulb in your house that gives off some good heat. So now for 10 bucks or so you've got him some lights for his tank, and he will be able to bask and eat. If you are worried about the uvb, you can take him outside for a bit each day, but he should be fine until friday anyways.
Make sure you're getting a good thermometer too so you can get accurate temps! :)

Good luck with your new guy or girl. We all love pictures here by the way.. :)

-Brandon
 

Duce

Member
Original Poster
Im in China so this sort of trouble is nothing new just could of happened with anything else.


The 10g is only temp hopefully it will arrive friday. The enclosure measures 80x40x40 and was a zoomed package deal with lights hide and whatnot.

I fed him today and s/he ate 2 crickets and pooped. Ill try taking her out in the sun tomorrow for a while but its still a bit skittish at being handled

I know my daughter wont be able to take care of it shes not 3 yet. She just holds him while im with her and feeds the crickets. She saw an adult bd while i was at the markets swapping my co2 canister 3 months ago and fell in love. I go every week to get blood worms and she always went there to pat him and hold him.

Ive got some spare t5 6500k bulbs for the 10g from from when it was planted will they help or a dome desk lamp. The only place i can get bulbs here is online and nothing can get delivered any quicker then friday. I will be ordering a spare bulb but after this comes as i dont think i want to put it through this again if the bulb blows.

Also whats the best veggies to feed the crickets or it doesnt matter and is there anything i cant feed the crickets.
 

Duce

Member
Original Poster
full


Figured out how to post a pic so heres one of my daughter enjoying her new baby.

Its enclosure came friday and its settled in nicely. Temps are 28 on the cool side 31 to 34 under the basking lamp depend how high he goes on the wood.

My daughter decided to name him lizzy lizard, im sure theres a few others that share a name.

I hand fed him 6 crickets for breakfast and he had another 6 dusted for lunch and 4 3or4mil silkworms as a treat. Am i correct in only dusting 1 meal a day or do i dust all meals. He also decided to lick the calcium powder in his bowl.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
What a cute pic---- I would dust all his bugs he is eating -- offer him a salad too -- I think I posted the website for nutrition--- cool side of tank is good -- you want that basking side for him 105-110-- please get a infrared heat gun or a digital probe to get that temp-- take the probe and set it where he sits for basking and leave for 10 min or so --- he will need it up there for him to digest his food --- you have a UVB correct? please post pics of tank and lighting of the tank
Karrie
 

Duce

Member
Original Poster
KarrieRee":2wwjrskl said:
What a cute pic---- I would dust all his bugs he is eating -- offer him a salad too -- I think I posted the website for nutrition--- cool side of tank is good -- you want that basking side for him 105-110-- please get a infrared heat gun or a digital probe to get that temp-- take the probe and set it where he sits for basking and leave for 10 min or so --- he will need it up there for him to digest his food --- you have a UVB correct? please post pics of tank and lighting of the tank
Karrie

His lights are off for the night so no pic tonight. The digital probe i have can olny sit 3/4 of the way up his wood before it falls because of the incline. His wood is real hardwood that i took out of my 110g planted tank last yr and resterilized. He does perch right up for about 30min after eating before coming down again so i would expect the temps to be higher at the top ill try rubber banding the probe to see the exact temp tomorrow but he hates it or just wants to play with it and is always knocking it of his wood or using it as pillow an resting his head on it.

I do feed him salads, he had mulberry leaves today and celery leaves and stalks yesterday. I also tried giving him a peeled grape but he was more interested in licking up the juices off my fingers the eating the bits of fruit.

What exactly are collard and mustard greens, im thinking mustard greens are just the leaves from a mustard plant but im not sure about collard greens. Also i have a heap of different succulents and cactus but no prickly pear can i feed him them or just prickly pear.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
You dont need to leave the probe on the wood just long enough to get a temp--- collards are a type of green more commonly cooked in the South like Florida and yes they and the mustard green are a leafy green--google them to see what they look like and please check out the nutrition website I sent you the link in a previous post -- celery leaves are not the best staple --- I dont know what China has for some vegies but I am thinking Bokchoy is over there --- I do not know about the cactus please see if its on the nutrition website -- others on here would be able to help w/ the prickly pear thing -- I think thats a fruit and I dont have a clue as if you can feed that or not-- for now I would not feed it to him just to be on the safe side-- but please get a temp on that basking area -- you want the temp up there for basking --
Karrie
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
What a cute pic! :D

My daughter is only a year old so she hasn't held any of mine yet. But, she loves crawling over to their tanks and poking at the glass and watching them. :)

-Brandon
 

Duce

Member
Original Poster
claudiusx":35ziodwq said:
What a cute pic! :D

My daughter is only a year old so she hasn't held any of mine yet. But, she loves crawling over to their tanks and poking at the glass and watching them. :)

-Brandon

How many do you have, Id led her give them a pat while your holding them but that's probably because i know my daughter would break into theyre tank if i didnt let her. Shes fed my fish every night since she was about 1 i just measured out all the foods for her.

She fed him a dozen 5mil silkworms herself tonight for the first time and would let me have a turn, all i was allowed to do was put them on the tip of her finger for her and she did the rest. She tried feeding him a cricket the other night but it threw its leg while she was holding it so she decided that they were scared of her so she couldnt feed them to the bd.

Also a quick q about ball peppers thats just american for capsicum isn't it and does it matter if theyre a bit spicy or not or is it only certain types they can munch on.
 

Claudiusx

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Staff member
Moderator
Bell peppers are a type of pepper, they aren't spicy they are more of a sweet tasting pepper. The capsicum comes from the seeds of the pepper and I'd probably avoid feeding that.

My daughter doesnt have enough control of herself yet to hold or pet them imo. She way too excitable and still doesnt really know what gentle means LOL! But, she will sit their calmly just staring at them, and occasionally wonder why her hand gets stopped by that invisible glass when she decides to try to reach out for one lol.

Her little fingers must look like food to the two younger dragons since they glass dance trying to get to her.

I have 4 currently....

-Brandon
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Bell peppers are commonly known as capsicum outside of the US. They refer to the same vegetable.
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Oops my mistake. The two words are very similar. "Capsaicin" is the chemical that gives them their spice, I was thinking the two words were one in the same! :)

-Brandon
 
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