I want to get a Beardie, have I done enough research?

[PurpleDaPlumber]

Hello, guys! My name is Cody, I'm a freshman in high school, and I have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism. I want to get a Bearded Dragon. I've addressed the manner with my parents, and they're still considering. I've been doing extensive research since late June. Here are the enclosure requirements I have planned out:
-As a baby/juvenile, 20 or 25 gallon tank.
-As an adult, 55 gallon tank.
-UVB/Basking lighting (probably ReptiSun)
-No substrates, but I've considered ceramic tile so that it files their nails and feels kinda sandlike, but isn't sand, but my parents said no. So, I'm thinking Reptile Carpet?
-A basking spot and a hide (Most likely a log)
-A food dish for salad due to their omnivorous diet.
-I will not supply a water bowl for reasons that I'll get to...

Now, the diet:

Protein:
Silkworms and Superworms* *(When it's an adult and its jaw is fully developed)
As occassional treats:
Hornworms

My reason for avoiding crickets is because they have the potential to eat a Beardie.

Dusting:
I will dust ALL feeder insects in a cup with a Calcium D3 Nutrition Supplement. This way alongside the UVB, I can prevent my Beardie from getting MBD.

Vegetation:
Watercress, Butternut Squash, Mango, and Green Beans for salad.

Hydration:
I will clean out a spraybottle and fill it with water and spray the Bearded Dragon twice a day. I'm aware of their ability to get water through their skin and vegetation. I will also give it a bath on Saturdays. On Sundays, I will clean out its cage and see if my parents can watch after it whilst I clean.

Handling:
Maybe after 4 or 5 days in its enclosure, I will handle it by petting it. I know, don't have them out of their enclosure for more than an hour and 5 minutes. I have no intention of breeding.

Buying:
I want to buy a baby Beardie. I am well aware they're harder to watch after. This will be my first Beardie... I'm willing to pay more attention to it, and I wish to raise it myself.

What do you think? Have I done enough research?

 

[CooperDragon]

Hi Cody,
I'm glad to see you're doing your research so your new friend has a happy home. It sounds like you're on the right track but I can provide some information that may be helpful. I will try to follow the format of your list so don't forget anything.

I suggest getting a full sized tank for a baby. You can provide climbs and hides which will make him happy even in a larger space. It will save money to get only one tank and one set of lights. The lighting requirements are different for different sizes of enclosures. I suggest getting at least a 36x18x18'' tank. Exo-terra makes a nice front opening one that works well. If you can find the 36x18x24'' that's even better. These can get expensive though so if you are good at building, you can build your own 4x2x2' enclosure by following these instructions https://beardies.dreamwidth.org/2145.html

A basking light just needs to be a bright white light that produces sufficient temperatures in the enclosure, so nothing special. I don't suggest using neodymium coated bulbs because they filter yellow which may make things look strange to your dragon. The ZooMed Repti Basking spot lamps are OK and you can even use a PAR38 halogen flood light from the hardware store. You will want an adjustable lamp stand or a lamp dimmer so you can adjust the temperatures by changing the output or the height of the basking light. An accurate thermometer is a must as well. I suggest a digital thermometer with a probe or an IR temp gun like this one http://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK You want the basking area (at least the size of your dragon) to be between 100-110 with areas around it in the 90s and the cool side of the tank should be 75-80.

The UVB light is more critical. It's best to get a high output tube style light and the quality matters. I like the tube style lights because they provide a nice wide beam of UVB across the basking area and a good gradient (just like with temps) across the tank. Your dragon will sense UVB and heat and self regulate as needed. You want a UVB tube that runs about 1/2 the length of the enclosure (roughly). A T5 UVB tube with a reflector puts out optimal UVB levels at about 12-14'' above the basking site. I suggest these options as your best bet at the moment:
This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ
With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

Ceramic tile is a nice substrate because you can have it cut to size and it can be pulled out easily for cleaning and sanitizing. I use it and it works well. A good alternative is non-adhesive shelf liner. You can replace it and clean it easily. The carpet is OK but you should get several sheets of it because it needs to be cleaned quite often and will start to tatter. You want a substrate that wont' be ingested and is easy to either disinfect with F10SC disinfectant, steam clean, or bake in the oven.

A habba hut half log makes a nice basking spot/hide combo. You can also collect branches from outside. I like to use driftwood when I can find it because it's soft and provides a nice wide basking spot and a wide hide underneath. You just need to rinse it off well and bake it in the oven at ~250 for 30-45 minutes or so to sanitize it before it goes in the tank. Fleece hammocks are also popular. They are triangular and sit in the corner and attach to the sides using command hooks. There are plastic ones available at the store but I don't suggest those because i've heard of dragons getting their nails caught in the holes and hurting their hands. You can get creative with the furnishings though. There are a lot of good options and it's something that will probably evolve over time as you find what your dragon likes and doesn't. You mainly want places to climb, places to hide, places to bask, and some shady places.

Silkworms are a good option for a feeder, but you'll want to offer variety to provide the best overall diet. Phoenix Worms are also a good feeder worm. The hornworms are good too but they are very hydrating (mostly liquid) so they should be a treat. Crickets are OK as a staple bug for dragons. They can bite if they are left in the tank. I suggest feeding them in small batches of 5 or so at a time (so you can track them) for 10 minutes per feeding. Remove remaining crickets after each meal. Another good option is to start a dubia roach colony. If you do this a few months ahead of time, you'll have a really easy to care for staple bug to offer. They are much easier to care for than roaches and once a colony is established it will save money on buying bulk crickets. I used to order about 1,000 per month or so before switching to dubia roaches. They are illegal in Canada and Florida, but may be available where you live.

You want to dust bugs with calcium as you said, but if you get a high output T5 UVB or a Mercury Vapor bulb they produce enough UVB so your dragon can synthesize his own D3 so plain calcium is fine. Get a good multivitamin powder and use that instead of calcium once or twice per week. The Phoenix Worms contain enough calcium on their own that they don't need to be dusted. Other bugs should be dusted.

It's good to provide a fresh salad every day. Keep in mind that the young dragons usually prefer bugs to salad so they can get enough protein to support fast growth. Offer salads even if they're ignored. If they are familiar with it as a food option it makes it easier to transition them to a mostly vegetable diet at 12-18 months as their growth slows down. I like to offer a staple green of either collard green, turnip green, dandelion green, or mustard green along with some additional items like squash or green beans on a rotating basis. 2-3 items from this list rotating depending on what is available at the store. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

Instead of a spray bottle, I suggest using a plastic syringe or dropper to offer water by dropping on his nose and see if he wants to lick it off. This is just to supplement the water they get from their food, so it's important to offer fresh veges and water to the staple feeder bugs as well. A bath is a good idea. Some like it and some don't. When he's small you can give it a try but don't force it if it causes stress. The stress can be more harmful than the bath is helpful.

They are all a bit different so some of them will be OK with handling early and others take longer to adjust. That's something you'll need to find out after you bring him home. Try first just getting him used to your hands in the tank putting salads together and cleaning etc. If you pick him up, come slowly from the front and not from above. Be sure to support both hands and legs because they don't like feeling off balance. Once he's used to you, they often like to perch on your arm and fall asleep on your chest. Just keep a close eye on him because they jump often and can hurt themselves.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions and I'll do my best to answer them.