Hi there. Just got a beardie an hour ago and am not prepare

[amlee]

Hi Everyone,

First of all, let me say that this forum looks really really awesome.

I have wanted a bearded dragon for years and finally got one as I found a family that was selling a red beardie approximately a year old for $135 with a cage, lighting, and some supplies.

I have been doing research and I think that I do not have all of the proper materials. I have been looking online a lot, but there is just a slew of information and I was sincerely hoping that someone would be able to help me set my new beardie up.

Let me say the following: the beardie looks healthy and happy, but the materials I have are NOT adequate, I don't believe.

First of all, the beardie is not full grown (only a year old), is about 16" long, and the cage is a 20-gallon. It seems way too small. And these are the supplies that I have:

A heating lamp, a heating pad (for underneath and not inside the cage), a basking rock, and a water bowl. I have crickets and some mealworms. This does not seem like enough to me.

Could anyone please help me with some recommendations on WHAT to buy and WHERE to buy the stuff. I'm located in Southern California, but am happy to buy online.

The most important thing is that I want to get my beardie set up properly ASAP.

Thanks,
Andrew


p.s. As a sidenote, the previous owners told me that the beardie might be shedding soon and as a result has been eating less. Is this common? What should a 1-year old beardie be eating on a daily basis?

 

[amlee]

Also, I am really confused about the lighting setup.

What kind of lighting setup does a 1-year old beardie need? Would it be appropriate to take him outside and give him direct sunlight during the day? It's nice and sunny here in Santa Barbara....

 

[herpfreak]

Hi! Welcome to the forum!

Congrats on the beardie!! They are great pets, I'm sure you will have a blast.

A 40-gallon breeder tank (has more floorspace than a regular 40gal) is ideal for a juvenile beardie such as yours. These guys, especially the younger ones, are very hyper and love space to run around. You will find that your beardie will use every inch of a 40gal breeder tank. When your beardie is a year and a half old, he is considered an adult. Adult beardies should be kept in no smaller than a 4x2x2' enclosure. It would be cheaper to move him into a 4x2x2' now, if you have the resources, so you would not have to purchase a 40gal.

Heat pads are not recommended for beardies. Beardies sense temperatures on the tops of their heads and along their backs, not on their stomachs. Heat pads are known to be unstable and overheat easily. Therefore, your beardie could easily burn himself without knowing it.

In terms of lighting, beardies need UVA and UVB radiation. UVA is visible light, which is provided by UVB-emitting bulbs, house bulbs, and many heat bulbs. UVB radiation is what normally comes from the sun. However, unless your beardie gets 12 hours in the sun every day, trips outside are not sufficient, therefore, a UVB-emitting bulb is required. You have two options; a fluorescent strip bulb or a mercury vapor bulb (MVB), both of which emit both UVA and UVB. Fluorescent strip bulbs give off light and UVB radiation, but do not give off heat. An additional heat bulb must be used. MVBs give off heat as well as UVA/B, but can overheat and should only be used in 4x2x2' or larger enclosures.

Be careful while purchasing a UVB bulb. There are many that do more harm than good. Some brands of UVB bulbs can seriously damage a beardie's eyes and can even cause them to go blind.
As far as fluorescent bulbs go, the ReptiSun 10.0 is the best.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html
If you are interested in a MVB, the MegaRay is a great bulb.
http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-products.php

For heating, you can use a wide variety of bulbs. Halogen/basking bulbs work great.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-uva-uvb-bulbs/504675/zoo-med-repti-halogen-heat-lamp.html
Ceramic heat emitters (CHEs) are another option. CHEs give off heat, but no light, and are perfect to use if your house gets below 65* at night.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-incandescent-bulbs/105644/zoo-med-ceramic-infrared-heat-emitter.html
Stay away from colored bulbs such as red bulbs, blue bulbs, and purple bulbs.

Crickets are great to feed your beardie. Give him as many as he will eat in five minutes once a day. When he is an adult (1.5 years+), he should get three feedings per week.

Mealworms are high in chitin, the hard outer shell, and can cause impaction of the intestines. In younger beardies with delicate digestive systems, impaction can be fatal. In older beardies, it is easier to treat, but can still cause much damage. I say this from personal experience. I fed my beardie, Budo, a few too many mealworms one day and he became minorly impacted. It is a major headache, trust me, definitely something to avoid.

If you would like to use feeder worms in addition to crickets, phoenix worms, silk worms, horn worms, and butter worms are all high in calcium and low in chitin.

Your beardie should also be offered salads.
Here is a great food chart that lists good and bad veggies, greens, and fruits.
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Beardies shed as they grow; a beardie that doesn't eat much won't shed much. As I mentioned above, a juvenile beardie (6-18 months) should get as many crickets as he can eat once a day, plus a few worms (optional), and salads should always be available.

Taking your beardie outside is beneficial, but an artificial UVB light must also be provided (see above). My beardie loves running around in the grass on warm days.

Good luck with everything! If you have any questions, ask!


Also, we LOVE pictures. If you have any pics of your beardie, I'd love to see!

 

[amlee]

Thank you so much, Herpfreak. This really helps.

Like I said, the beardie is in a 20-gallon tank which is far too small for it and only an ExoTerra 120v light right now. The beardie looks healthy, but I suspect that he was not properly taken care of for the 6 months that the owners had them.

I need to do some research fast because I want to get this little guy as comfy as possible.

I see the Reptisun 10.0 is highly recommended, but what voltage should be used. It looks like there is 15, 18, 30, and 40.

So I am right to say that the beardie needs a large heating bulb, as well a strip-style bulb that provides no heat, but proper lighting?

Thank you again.

 

[herpfreak]

With the ReptiSun 10.0, you can go by length instead of wattage. It should be roughly 3/4 as long as the enclosure. For a 40-gallon breeder tank, I believe that would be a 24" (18w).

Yep. If you've got a UVB bulb and correct temps (100-105* basking spot, 80* cool side), you're set.