Haven't bought it yet

[Cnochur]

Whilst killing time during car service, I wandered into a PetSmart. There, my eyes met with a tiny, spiky, curious little fellow who seemed to call to me from behind the plexiglass- "take me home."

Days wore on and the notion wouldn't leave my head. But I knew I should plan. So I got to researching. To building. To preparing the ideal beardie-friendly environment. Tell me what I've got right and wrong.

I've got a 10 gallon tank set up (with a bigger one in the wings for later). The hot spot (according to the little stickable thermometers) is about 105 Farhenheit (I'm American), the other side gets between 80 and 90 depending on the time of day. The substrate is reptile carpet. There's some (store-bought) driftwood and a half-log for basking or hiding under.

There's a UV light, a 100watt basking bulb, and a red night light, though I've recently heard red lights will annoy them so I'm thinking about getting one of the moonlight-simulating nightlights.

The problem is humidity. Humidity at best is at 60%, past what I understand is comfortable for a baby beardie. So I've ordered a very small dehumidifier (palm sized) that I will place either on or mount in the tank. Until the humidity is lowered (to at least 30%?), I'm not bringing any reptiles home.

I've got a cricket keeper, and my local grocer sells collard greens, kale, bok choi, and squash, which I understand he'll want aside from crickets. I've got a vet who does reptiles in town.

What else do I need to know/do before introducing a young, impressionable lizard into my humble home?

 

[Grogshla]

yep everything sounds pretty good. I would suggest the following though:

house your baby on paper or tile.
for a 10 gallon tank i think a 100w basking lamp would be way too strong. I would use a 60w max.
Basking spot should be 110 for babies.
U need a uvb tube with a 10%-12% uvb ray. Reptisun or arcadia 12 are the best tubes. This tube should be placed 6-9 inches from your baby so it can get the beneficial uvb.
Don't use a night light at all. Just switch your basking lamp and uvb tube off at night
Feed small crickets 2-3 times a day and as many as the dragon can eat within 10 mins. 5 feeds a week you should dust the crickets with calcium powder and 2 feeds per week should be dusted with vitamin powder.

Best of luck! they are amazing pets!

 

[Cnochur]

Ah thank you. Even if the basking area temp is correct, do I still need to get a weaker bulb?

 

[Grogshla]

If the basking area temp is correct then it doesnt matter what wattage bulb you use. But for a 10 gallon tank I think it is better to use a weaker wattage bulb and get it lower to the dragon or get the dragon closer to the bulb. This way the rest of the tank temps wont be affected too much and heat up from the radiating heat from a powerful globe. This way a better temperature gradient is provided for the dragons in which they can choose their positioning in the tank to help regulate their body temps.

 

[Cnochur]

I see. Alright I'll use a lower wattage bulb then and arrange the "furniture" to put him up higher. Now that you mention I did think 90 was a little high for the "cool" side. That's assuming those stick-on thermometers are reasonably accurate of course.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Grogshla]

no problem at all.

 

[jaidonx13]

I think that a 10 gallon is too small. Beardies have to thermoregulate so if it's 100-110 degrees on one side then the other side would be able to be much cooler. Their basking spot shour be 100-110 degrees and their cool side should be 75-85 degrees. But since the cage is so small it will basically be 100 degrees in the whole cage.

 

[Cnochur]

See, but I've been told that the big tank I have (it's like a 40 or 50 gal) is too big for a juvenile and that I should start with a little cage. Hell in the Petsmart they're sitting in 10 gallon tanks and there's three of them in there. Should I just put him in the big tank from the start?

 

[jaidonx13]

Large cages are fine. You just want to have a hot side and a cool side

 

[Cnochur]

Would the 100watt bulb be good in the big tank then? Also, should I feed him his crickets in the little tank? I've heard you shouldn't feed a juvie in a big tank 'cause he won't catch all the crickets.

 

[jaidonx13]

Well, this is perfect. Just feed him crickets in the 10 gallon tank

 

[Grogshla]

It is totally fine to put your dragon in a bigger tank. Just provide some hides for him. I would use a 60-75w globe for your bigger tank.

 

[ShadowRose]

I acquired my beardie when he was 3 months old (still small, fit in the palm of my hand) and had him in a large tank (not sure of the gallon size) and I never had any problems with him. I am only now wanting to upgrade his tank and put him in a breeder tank just to give him more room.
You might also want to look into Mercury Vapor Bulbs to make life a little more simple. These bulbs give heat and UV and are guaranteed for at least 6 months...they cost a little more in the short term, but are well worth it.
Also, your side stick thermometers are only as accurate as to where they are placed....example, if you stick them to the top of the tank then you really are not sure what the temp is at the bottom of the tank (the person I got Helios from also gave me his setup).

He was running around the house when I took that pic...so he is not in the tank. The black mat that is attached to the bottom left of the tank is a heater...though I live in Florida, the winters still get kinda chilly here, so I got that for him for the nighttime when his bulbs are off so that he could have access to heat if he wanted/needed it. And I side mounted it 1. to avoid worrying about heating the substrate and not the dragon and 2. so that he would not sit directly on the substrate and burn himself.

You seem to be doing an excellent job and educating yourself and preparing for your new pet before you get it. It is very refreshing to see responsible owners

 

[Cnochur]

Thanks for the input. I just happen to see a lot of posts about baby beardies needing either a small tank or a tank divider to ease some kind of relocation shock, and to make cricket hunting easier. I think I'm gonna get one of those infrared thermometer guns so I can see what temp the different areas will be for the beardie.

Are those sticky humidity gauges accurate? I could swear mine isn't.

 

[ShadowRose]

really, I am not sure...I used to pay attention to the sticky gauge, but gave up on it. My dragon gets a bath usually everyday but not always, and when bathing is not done he gets misted. When he is shedding I make sure to increase the moisture in his tank (by misting it several times per day) to make shedding a little easier. I am not overly worried about making his tank too dry (less humid) because when he is outside he will be in typical central Florida weather (temps permitting). So far (thankfully) I have not had any issues.
The thermometer seems like it would be a smart move, but I don't trust the accuracy of the stick on gauges, lol.