So sorry to hear you lost two beardies.
I will try and help you so that this does not happen again.
First of all... you do not want to use any type of loose particle substrate. It is not uncommon for the babies especially to ingest the sand, walnut shells, etc.. while eating or just exploring their surroundings(they explore with their tongues licking anything in sight).
Second... it is very hard to overfeed a young beardie. On the other hand.. feeding them live feeders that are not appropriately sized for them can lead to impaction. General rule of thumb is nothing bigger than the space between the beardies eyes.
Young beardies require alot of protein the first year of life, since this is when they do most of their growing. A baby beardie should be fed live feeders 2-3 times a day. Allow them to eat as many feeders as they can in a 10-15 minute period of time. Some babies can eat up to 100(appropriately sized) crickets in one day. Along with the live feeders they should also get a fresh salad daily, consisting mostly of a dark leafy green such as collard or mustard greens.
Beardies also require vitamin supplements. Baby beardies should have calcium dusted on their feeders once a day, 5 x a week and a multivitamin dusted on their feeders once a day 2 x a week.
As far as
bathing your beardie... the babies can become easily dehydrated, so when they are fairly young, they should or can be bathed every day or every other day. Beardies do not always drink from standing water, this is why
bathing them is so important. When
bathing you only need enough warm water in a sink or small container to cover their legs(up to their armpits). They absorb moisture through their vents. A good 15-20 minute soak is sufficient.
Hope this helps!
If you have any other questions... feel free to ask!
