Hello Everyone

[Bryce]

Really glad I found these forums! Hello everyone!

My name is Bryce. I'm a 34 year old happily married father of 3 and just picked up our very first bearded dragon (Torch) yesterday. I've wanted one for years and thought it would make a great pet for the kids as they grow up. I feel like I really don't have a clue when it comes to care of the dragon though. As most pet shops go, I'm sure I got a lot of pretty bad advice so I've been trying to search through the forums to find out what's best.

So of course the pet shop recommended the Zilla Desert 50 start up kit as a good starter for me since the dragon was pretty young. After reading on here it sounds like the lamps I got with that kid are NOT good for the dragon? Right now I simply have 2 lamps. 1 is for daytime, 1 is for nighttime. I've been trying to sift through the lighting threads here to get an easy answer, but lighting seems pretty darn complicated.

So for a smaller first enclosure, what should I get for Torch? Do I simply head to a place like home depot to pick up these lights?

Thanks!

Bryce

 

[Sasha]

HI!, Congrats on getting Torch! Beardies make awesome pets for kids (with supervision from adults of course).

Is the zilla kit a 10 gallon? If it is, then its the wrong one for a Bearded Dragon. Normally, the 20 gallon long kits are the way to go. They come with the correct lighting and its size appropriate for a growing Beardie.

To start out with, you would want a 100W Day basking spot lamp, 60W night lamp, and a 10.0 desert UVB light. The tropical UVB lights do not produce enough UVB for Beardies. My personal favorite is a Zoo Med POWERSUN 100W -150W bulb. It is heat and UVB in one. They have a 6 ft downward range for UVB, which is the highest I was able to find. They are pricey to start out with, but its totally worth is since they last twice as long, saving money in the long run. When Torch grows up, then I would suggest getting a 150W basking lamp. Here is a good online reptile store that I absolutely love, and they are the cheapest around on the POWERSUN bulbs: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/uvb-fluorescent-lights-mercury-vapor-bulbs/

Hope this helps!
Sasha, Mango, and Cali

 

[Bryce]

Yes, unfortunately it was the 50 that they sold me. He's a pretty small Beardie right now, and it seems like it will be ample room for at least a month or so (in between jobs at the moment, so once I get my new job lined up I'll probalby go ahead and spring for a larger tank). I went out and got a 50w basking light (again pet shop recommended this to start with). I also got a 5.0 UVB, but they had no fixtures (seriously...had the lights, but nothing to fit them). So they are ordering me an 18 inch 5.0 UVB (they are going to try and get me an 8.0). We couldn't find any of the 10's in a size that would even get close to fitting my tank, so hopefully the 5 or 8 will be ok until I can upgrade the size of his tank.

So at this point, I have a small tank, a decent good brand basking light (that may not end up being quite enough watts), a nighttime light (is this needed?), a UVB, but not until next week (going to give him plenty of sunlight by sitting outside with him til I get the bulb), a good substrate, and a few nice things for him to crawl around/bask on.

I am planning on getting a digital termometer as well.

So far he's eating a few crickets (I have to go get some more tomorrow), and he ate some kale dusted with calcium tonight as well. I try to put a small petrey dish of water in the cage for a bit too.

Hopefully this is all ok for now?

Also, does it really hurt him much to be outside of his tank for long periods of time? Our house is normally set to 72 degrees in the summer, but we enjoy sitting and watching TV with him, etc.

Thanks so much,
Bryce

 

[im2tired2dance]

I'm sure that you will get much better advice than I can give you on this, but at his young age, I wouldn't have him at that temperature for too long. That's just my opinion, as I said there are much more knowledgable people on here. Good luck

 

[SamusTheDragon]

Congratz on Torch. I'm sure the kids will love the beardie =D , I always loved having pets when I was younger, cleaning up after them was another thing, but it's a good thing for them to learn. It's alright to have Torch out for kinda extend periods of time, unless he seems stressed, in that case you should just let him settle in for a few days. You could get light fixture from home depot, but I guess you already order the thing from the petstore. You could always take him outside for sunlight til you get a better uvb like a 10.0 (of course I'd keep him in something so he doesn't hop away). Good luck!

 

[Sasha]

The 50W may not last long for him. His basking spot should be at least 85-100F. The high temperature helps them digest their food properly.

The 8.0 UVB would be better, since it is produces more UVB rays. The desert species such as Bierdies require higher UVB content. Depending on where you live, you can get a plastic tote and put him in there with water in a dish and a rock to sit on, and put him outside for about 8-10 hours (with supervision) That would help until you can get him a UVB. Make sure it is at least 75-80F outside so he doesn't get too cold. My Bierdies love being outside and show up their colors quite nicely after being out for a while

You can take him out and hold him while you watch tv or hang out It will socialize him, just don't take him out right after he eats because he hasn't had a chance to digest his food yet. Give him an hour or two before taking him out after feeding.

Crickets are good. Don't feed him meal worms or super worms yet. Their shells are too hard for a little guy and can cause impaction. You can feed him small butterworms, small phoenix worms (repti worms/calci worms) (Those are actually the best since they are naturally high in calcium), and small silkworms. He should also have veggies and fruit: mustard greens, endive, collard greens, lettuce mixes (NO ICEBERG) arugula, ocra, bell peppers, cilantro, parsley, carrots, squash, zuchini, cucumber, blueberries, respberries, strawberries, mangoes, and apples.

Hope It Helps,

sasha

 

[fiver643]

Try giving this a once( or twice) over http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
A 10 gal is pretty small and its hard to keep the temps just right. Make sure your bd has a place to hide. Bd's don't need a night light just make sure the temps don't dropped below 70 degrees f and he will be fine. The night light will just stress him out. If your having problems keeping the temps up at night use a che(ceramic heat emitter) or a heating pad. The heat rocks can burn his belly. If he is still a baby the day time basking spot temp should be somewhere around 110 degrees f and the cool side should be around 80-85 degrees.

As far as uvb light you should use reptisun 10.0. You can get them online $25. I got mine at beardeddragon.co (its .co not .com) you can pick up a fixture at lowes for $20-30.

As for water, just give him a bath 3-4 times a week in warm to warmer water about shoulder height. My bd usually drinks plenty of water in her baths and even goes poop in the bath. They don't need a water dish in their tank. If you want you can get a water bottle and mist the tank 2-3 times a day(just be careful you don't raise the humidity in the tank) he will drink the little droplets. humidity should not be over 40%.

Please do not use sand in the tank. You can use paper towels or newspaper for cheap and easy flooring

If you have any more ??? Feel free to ask
And welcome to the forum

 

[fiver643]

Here's another good link for lighting
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=148006&hilit=lighting+for+newbies