Hello! New and want to ask a couple questions :)

[GraniteGargoyle]

Got a new Bearded Dragon a couple days ago and had a couple questions, if that is ok? I have been reading and have come up with discrepancies in opinions on things like lights and such. I will apologize as I am sure all of this is answered throughout the forums but I am afraid of hurting my new Beardie.
My Beardie is young (3.5" to 4") so please keep that in mind. I got a Zoo Med Bearded Dragon set (20 gallon kit). The cool side of the tank is 85F, the hot side 95F. There is a water dish and food dish in the setup. We bought a reptile carpet for the bottom as I have heard the sand is a no go with young Beardies. Sorry I have no links or pics at the moment. I found you guys and immediately wanted to make sure I am doing this right. I do not want to hurt Calcifer.

Questions:
1) After reading in the manual that came with the kit, it suggested a heating rock from Zoo Med (of course). I read on here that they are not a good idea. I have left it in the tank, but unplugged until I get a definite answer. YAY or Nay?

2) Kit came with a red warming light to be on after dark for sleep time. Also read that this is not needed.

3) Canned crickets and stuff ok from time to time, all the time? I like watching him eat the live ones better and it keeps him active but we bought some of the "canned" stuff for feeding by hand. He takes food by hand with no problem

4) So I need to look for poop everyday or is that an every other day or something activity?

5) Ants? We have put him in a travel like enclosure today to let him soak up some real son, while having a small layer of water underneath. If the occasional ant wanders into his cage, is it ok for him to eat it if he does? We kept them away from the cage but the wife and I were just like "hmmmm?"

Thank you for any and all help. Love these forums so far. A lot of good info here!

 

[zandi202]

1. Heat rocks are bad. Beardies cannot sense heat with their stomaches and can easily be burned by that.

2. Bearded dragons are one of the few reptiles that can see red lights and it will disrupt their sleep. If their viv gets below 65 at night, get a CHE.

3. Canned bugs I wouldn't recommended because they're typically larger and he can't have crickets bigger than the space between his eyes. Plus, canned bug have less nutritional value than live ones.

4. At first he might not poop much the first couple of weeks due to relocation stress. He should be pooping every day after he settles in and less often when he's older.

5. I wouldn't because you never know what that ant is carrying.

I hope you don't mind me asking questions in return:

1. How old is your dragon?

2. How long have you had your dragon?

3. How long is your dragon?

4. What is the sex of your dragon?

5. What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?

6. What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?

7. Do you use UVB lights?

8. If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?

9. What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?

10. How old is your UVB bulb?

11. How close can your dragon get to the UVB?

12. Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?

13. Did you have any type of night time heat source (ceramic heat emitter, colored bulb, etc)?

14. How long are lights on each day?

15. What are the basking temps?

16. What is the cool side temp?

17. What is the night time temp?

18. Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?

19. Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?

20. Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?

21. What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.

22.How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?

23. Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?

24. Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?

25. Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?

26. Do you bathe your dragon? How often?

27. Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?

28. Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

29. Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

Will answer the best I can.
This is the exact kit I got for him to live in.
http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=344&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=1

Not sure the exact age. I bought him at a pet store and of course the people do not know. He is roughly 4.5" to 5" according to my Father. He's a better judge of measurement than I
I have had him 2 days now.
We have a Zoo Med reptile carpet thing in the bottom.
His log in the cage is roughly 5.5" from the basking light.
Temps are taken with 2 thermometers. I believe they are the coil type from Petco.
Temp on cool side is 85F, the hot side is 95F
I will try to get you a pic of the setup as it is hard to describe how it is set up to me.
Not sure the night side temp. The room is my PC room and has a window unit set to 72F in it. But the setup has the red heat lamp for night time. Should not get cold in there. I'm in Florida
We feed him Meal worms, wax worms (occasional) and live pinhead crickets. Just tried the canned ones today. Read to feed him until he stops eating. Is that accurate?
He ate them but he seems to really jump on live stuff. He does eat from our hands too
We feed him in the morning and in the after noon.
We do feed the crickets and worms. We are learning what to feed them as the pet store said to feed the crickets potato, sweet potato, or carrots. The worms get oatmeal.
Got Zoo Med Juvenile food as well in his bowl throughout the day. (He has not touched it)
We have Zoo Med Calcium. Got to get some vitamins.
Have powered the crickets with calcium both days we have fed him.
We let him sit outside in a small, plastic carrier type cage today with water in it up to his knees. He pooped
No vet checks or anything yet. Just got him Saturday.
He is a lone Dragon...my first.
Hope I answered at least some what of what you were asking. Can you please post a link or something to a night time heater for him if the red light should not be used?
Thank you for such a quick response and your time.

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

Hopefully this works. This is Calcifer. I have added a nice little cave to the setup and a couple plastic plants. There is also a heating rock in it, BUT it is not plugged in.

http://s253.photobucket.com/user/granitegargoyle/library/Calcifer

 

[zandi202]

1. For that length I would guess him at 4 weeks old.

2. Are you referring to probes for taking the temps?

3. Cool side should be more 75-80 and at his age his basking spot should be closer to 110. 95-100 is more for older juries/adults.

4. As I said before ditch the red lamp.

5. Mealworms are bad, they can cause impaction and waxies should be a couple a week. Good live feeders are phoenix worms, crickets, baby hornworms, baby silkworms and once he's 16" super worms are great staples.

6. Typically the rule at his age is feed him 3x a day as many as he can eat in 15 minutes.

7. Be careful with hand feeding. It can cause them to relate hand = food and bite your hand thinking there is food.

8. I know some beardies that eat the pellets, neither of mine do.

9. I noticed you never mentioned anything about greens. Here's a great site to reference: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html At his age his diet should be 80% live feeders and 20% greens and then visa versa as he grows and becomes an adult.

10. Calcium should be 5x a week and vitamins 2x a week.

11. Glad he pooped in the bath for you.

Here's the heater I was referring to: http://www.petco.com/product/5003/Z...Infrared-Heat-Emitters.aspx?CoreCat=LookAhead

Hope this helps!

He's a little cutie!

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

We did get greens today. I believe the Mustard variety. Could not find Dandelion.
We got a bunch of meal worms because everyone here we talked to said to get them. We also have crickets and plan on buying a BUNCH more tomorrow. We may have to go to buying online with the worms and such as I have not seen any of the other worms you mentioned around here.
When we feed him the crickets, should we dust them with calcium all three times we feed during the day or just one of the meals?
We are not positive of the sex, but the person at the store thought it is male after checking. Though, so far, they have been pretty wrong after looking around here for a bit.
The temps are being taken with the coil type thermometers I do believe. Just plain ole round ones from Petco.
We will stop hand feeding, I want to be able to continue to hold him. He seems to like to have his chin rubbed
I truly appreciate your time and quickness to respond. This is very helpful to me as I believe I have gotten alot of bad info from the store. Even a breeder here uses calcium sand under his juveniles.

 

[zandi202]

1. The shell of a mealworm is too difficult for a bearded dragon to digest and can cause impaction which, if bad enough, could cost quite a bit in vet bills.

2. Yeah, horns, silks, and phoenix I have only ever bought online.

3. I would say only one meal should be dusted.

4. Right now they're too young too tell unless you take them to a vet and have them probed. The usual time to tell the gender is when they are about 9"-10".

5. Sand is a matter of preference but not recommended on this site at all. This thread scared the heck out of me when it comes to calci-sand: http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=194984

6. What UVB are you using?

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

Wife is returning the heat rock tomorrow and getting a CHE I love her.
We got mini meal worms. Are those ok or just be done with them altogether?
Uhh during dusting with calcium. Should the cricket looked like he is battered or just a very little bit. I do not want to over calcium if that is possible.
This is what came with the kit. Is this what you are talking about UVB wise?
http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=48&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=5&SearchContext=YTo1OntzOjg6IlNlYXJjaElEIjtzOjE6IjUiO3M6MTA6IkRhdGFiYXNlSUQiO3M6MToiMiI7czo4OiJLZXl3b3JkcyI7czo5OiJ0ZXJyYXJpdW0iO3M6ODoiU2VhcmNoX3giO3M6MToiMCI7czo4OiJTZWFyY2hfeSI7czoxOiIwIjt9

 

[zandi202]

I would stop mealworms all together. They make good leopard gecko food, they digest better than beardies do.

The UVB thry gave you is too weak. You'll want to get the Repti-Sun 10.0 UVB tube and not the coil. And it is best to mount it in the cage 6-8" away from where your beardie basks.

Hope this helps and sorry for the overload of info.

 

[zandi202]

Also the crickets usually look like ghosts after dusting.

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

Also the crickets usually look like ghosts after dusting.

LOL, ok the wife thought maybe I was using too much.
I am glad for the overload. I need to know how to care for Calcifer.
Moved the UVB closer to the center of the cage, more towards his basking area. Temp is now 105F there and the cool area is still 85F.
I will have to see about mounting the UVB as the setup only shows it sitting on top of the screen as with the basking lights also. I cannot leave the top open due to cats and a dog. Our dog loves chasing lizards in the back yard. Hate to see what would happen if he got loose. I am keeping Calcifer in my PC room and only take him out when the door is shut to prevent the other animals from causing issue. I think they are already getting use to him being here though. The dog likes watching him in his cage (prolly not a good thing) and the cats do not even come in here.

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

There are 2 CHE on that page you linked, 60W and 100W. I'm guessing I should get the 100W?

Oh and where can I get the worms you guys talk about? I would feel better getting them where you guys get them.

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

It appears he also likes to stand against the side of the enclosure, on his hind legs, to sleep. Second night in a row.

 

[zandi202]

And that's a baby thing. Zy used to sleep in weird spots when she was younger:

This was how she went to sleep:

Still there that morning:

Such odd little ones :lol:

 

[GraniteGargoyle]

LOL that's exactly how he is sleeping. My wife wanted to move him because she thought it might hurt him. I explained that I had looked it up and found it to be normal. She was ok after that :lol: