caring tips

[beertney06]

i have had Draco for about a month, he has a 10 gallon tank a night time buld and a daylight uva buld as off now i also have a zoomed halgon light im getting ready to set up he eats twice a day about 8 crickets each time, with calcium and vitamins twice a week but on the days im off work he eats 3 times a day he is shelding now, and hes probly about 1 month to 2 months old his color is great he and is active ..am i doing a good job so far?????? :roll: :roll:

 

[Beardys Rock]

i have had Draco for about a month, he has a 10 gallon tank a night time buld and a daylight uva buld as off now i also have a zoomed halgon light im getting ready to set up he eats twice a day about 8 crickets each time, with calcium and vitamins twice a week but on the days im off work he eats 3 times a day he is shelding now, and hes probly about 1 month to 2 months old his color is great he and is active ..am i doing a good job so far?????? :roll: :roll:

you'll be wanting Calcium every day, vitamins twice a week.

He should be eating more crickets, you'll need a bigger tank soon and he needs a UVB either reptisun 10.0, Arcadia D3+ or a mercury vapor bulb.

if the night time bulb actually do light up you'll be needing a ceramic as light disturbs sleep.

The temp of the basking spot needs to be 105F-110F and the cooler side 70-85F.

I advise getting a 40gall tank sooner rather than later because otherwise you'll need different lights to suit the needs of your dragon by the time you move it from the 10.


not to be harsh, but please get things set up before you buy something like a bearded dragon.

 

[beertney06]

i took him in..he was in a one of those plastic containers with a lilttle battery operated light...she didnt want him and left him in the apt...so i tried to give him to a local pet store but no one wanted him so right now thats all i have and can afford for a week lol he seems very healthy though and ill be getting his new tank soon

 

[diamc]

Hi, so you upgraded from a 5 gallon to a 10 gallon? That really won't last you long.

What UVB do you have? And what type of thermometer are you using to monitor the temps? What wattage is the halogen light you're planning on changing to? You won't want a very high wattage bulb in only a 10 gallon tank or it will be too hot. How are you keeping your beardie hydrated?

He should be getting calcium 5 days a wk, 1 feeding a day and vitamins the other 2 days a wk, 1 feeding a day. Is he only wanting to eat about 16 crickets a day?

It's good that you took him in and we want to help you get everything all setup perfectly for him.

 

[beertney06]

75 watts right now is the llight, the them. is 109 in his basking area...at night the red lnight time buld keeps it about 80-90 he gets misted 3 times dailys if not more and a bath once a week right now hes shedding...i have a zoo med i thnk 75 halogen light and i need a uvb buld soon but i dont know which kind to get ..hes very active and has a water feeder which for once in a months ive actully seen him drink lol but i kno he is..hes very colofull right now as far as brown goes lol ..and hes played with every day i feed him small/med crickets because that the size he needs becasue i was told not bigger than the length from one eye to the other.

 

[diamc]

What type of thermometer are you using, the only 2 ways to get an accurate reading are with either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer that has a long wire & probe on the end. A 75 watt seems a little too hot for a 10 gallon tank as I was only using a 60 watt when I had a 20 gallon set up, that's why I suspect you're not getting a good reading.

If your room temp doesn't drop below 65 degrees at night, you don't need to use anything while he sleeps. A temp of about 90 at night is actually too warm, they need to be cooler at night. If your room temp does drop below 65, then you could use a ceramic heat emitter that gives off heat but no light.

Since you're had your beardie for about a month, you really need to get a UVB light very soon. Because he is a baby, right now is a critical time for his bone development and without UVB, he won't develop those strong bones. Here's a site that has the best fluorescent UVB you can get if you live in the USA: http://www.petmountain.com/product/bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-high-output-uvb-bulb.html They are a very good company to deal with & this is the cheapest place you can find this bulb.

Since it seems like your tank temps might be too high, you should consider giving him a bath 3 to 4 times a wk with his vent area (where he poos) right down in the water for about 15 min as you don't want him to get dehydrated which can happen very quickly with babies.

Since he is so small, you should be using the small sized crickets. They shouldn't be any larger than the space between his eyes. How many crickets do you offer him a day? Are you offering fresh veggies/greens daily too?

 

[beertney06]

oks its 65 and its on 90 right now in is basking light..i give about 15 crickets a day and i offer him kale but he never eats it but its offered everyother day

 

[beertney06]

oks its 65 and its on 90 right now in is basking light..i give about 15 crickets a day and i offer him kale but he never eats it but its offered everyother day the night light will be shut off...but for a 10 gallon tank what watt should i get in the uvb bulb

 

[diamc]

Are you using a thermometer other than the 2 I suggested? How did you drop the temps, did you change the lightbulb?

Actually, 15 crickets a day isn't enough. He should be fed crickets 2 to 3 times a day and all he wants to eat in about 10 to 15 minutes. He needs lots of protein right now to help him grow right. Kale is ok to feed once in a while, but not daily. Here's a site that shows the best to feed and greeens should be offered fresh daily. http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html So, better daily greens would be escarole, endive, dandelion, collards, mustard greens. You should also increase the calcium to 5 days a wk, 1 feeding a day & the vitamins the other 2 days of the wk, 1 feeding a day.

This is the UVB you should get, 18" http://www.petmountain.com/product/fluorescent/507367/18-15-watt-t-8.html You can get the hood at Walmart, Home Depot or Lowe's. Just buy a standard household fluorescent light that you would use over a sink or in a garage and make sure the bulb size will fit it. Then pop out the fluorescent bulb that comes in it and replace with the UVB making sure you keep the plastic covering off the light. These lights are very inexpensive.

 

[peera]

He might just not like kale. Beardies have individual tastes, just like people. Try mixing up his salads with recommendations from the above mentioned site, and you'll find something he does like and will eat before too long.

 

[beertney06]

i get paid fri.ill get the light and them. then also some greens i work 12hr shifs everyother day but ill try to get my bf to feed him on my days off work because i only feed him in the monring 8-9 crickets then 8-9 at night ..i kno you shoudl never jumo into somthing that you dont know about i just couldnt let him die he to cute

 

[diamc]

How did you lower the temps and do you need to get a good thermometer too? Good that you will be getting the light and other greens and will also increase the number of crickets & number of feedings. Make sure to increase the calcium & vitamins as recommended too. :wink: We certainly want your little guy nice & healthy as babies are very particular with their needs, they need the right temps, lots of live food, good staple foods, a good UVB light and lots of TLC. :love5:

 

[ScooterBlenny]

He could probably easily eat 75-100 crickets a day. It's especially important to keep them well fed while they are young and growing.

 

[beertney06]

YAY ok so he ate a lil bit a veggies lastnight..i orded his uvb light which actully for 60 bucks i got the hood for a 10 gallon which came with the uvb light and basking heat uva buld too.