I've wanted a beardie ever since I was little but my parents never let me get reptiles that were any bigger than leopard geckos. So, I've owned about 3 of those, but they sure didn't prepare me for the huge responsibility of being a beardie mom! I've done MONTHS of research, and set up a 40gal breeder tank with a mesh top that I've modified to only allow some of the heat to vent out, and mounted a reptisun 10.0 UVB strip light so that there's nothing inbetween it and the dragon, as well as a 60watt floodlight over the basking area that's held up with a little homemade basking spot that I put together with a cardboard base and some tile on all the sides. There's also a pretty big driftwood branch that spans the length of the tank for climbing, and a water bowl that she can soak in if she feels the need to. (I DETEST the use of sand with pretty much any lizard, I opt for lizard carpet instead) I checked to make sure all the temps were correct with a zoomed infrared temp gun - basking area around 100-105 for the 3 year old beardie I adopted, and a gradient with the cool side being about high 70's mid 80's. I adopted her two days ago, except I think I went and bought all the wrong foods by mistake! The store told me that they fed her yellow squash and carrots as staple foods, but I've been reading around that these are actually only something to be fed occassionally. I also got some collard leaves - and she hasn't been eating much due to the stress of relocation anyways - but would that be okay for one week to feed, or should I run out and get her something else? I know to buy things like collards, mustard greens, cactus pads, butternut squash, etc. What I'm really still wondering about is - at her age, what should my calcium and vitamin dusting schedule look like - and how many veggies should I be feeding to her with her greens weekly? Also, what signs or behavior should I be watching for to know that she's starting to be adjusted and less stressed out with her new environment? Also - does anyone have any good alternatives to crickets or roaches that can be fed as staple insects? Sorry for the overwhelming introduction - I just want to make sure my girl has the best care possible!
(here's a picture of her for reference sitting in her basking area )
(here's a picture of her for reference sitting in her basking area )