Im going to get a new baby beardie

[beardienewbie]

Hello every one my name is Amy and I am a new member of the bearded dragon world and life. I have gotten a book read the whole thing, researched, and asked questions about caring properly for bearded dragons.

Quiz me please!! I need to know if I have every thing right!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I will be getting my beardie in two or three weeks.

 

[beardienewbie]

 

[skymgirl]

I know you're excited, but give us a chance to respond before you get impatient! :wink: Here are some questions you can answer about the set-up you plan on using, it will help me and everyone else see if you're on the right track. Good for you for doing your research, and welcome to the board!

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

 

[beardienewbie]

sorry about that LOL!!

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
Well for now we have a 30 gallon tank but once the baby grows we will get a bigger one.
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Calcium sand
Do you use UVB lights? Yes we will be getting one I am kind of confused about the lighting though..Please help me with that...I need brand name...
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
florescent tube
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
zoo med reptisun 5.0 compact florescent UVB
How old is your UVB bulb?
it will be brand new...
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
not too close dont want him to get burned.
Do you use a separate basking bulb?
Yes I will.
What kind and what is the wattage?
I dont know please help me with that =]
What are the basking temps?
90 degrees
What is the cool side temp?
80 degrees
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Digital
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
???
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
no
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
live baby Crickets small meal worms and greens.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
I would feed him three times a day. Morning afternoon and evening.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
I am not quite sur ehow too yet...
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
I would use calcium. I dont know the brand...every other day.
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Dont know yet havent gotten him.
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
I would like once a week.
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
I would..and he will have a water dish availible always.
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
No just one tiny baby....
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Dont have him yet and probably wont take him to the vet due to money....
[/quote]

 

[skymgirl]

Ok, I'll offer some advice next to your answers, feel free to ask any questions!

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
Well for now we have a 30 gallon tank but once the baby grows we will get a bigger one. Sounds good, you'll want to keep the tank pretty simple so the beardie can catch crickets easily. Also, what are the dimensions of the tank?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Calcium sand Please don't use calcium sand, it's not good for beardies at all. While your dragon is a baby, you can use paper towels, non-adhesive shelf liner, or reptile carpet. When the beardie is older, if you would like to use sand, you can use washed, screened play sand.
Do you use UVB lights? Yes we will be getting one I am kind of confused about the lighting though..Please help me with that...I need brand name... Sure, the Repti-sun 10.0 tube is a great bulb, you can purchase it online.
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
florescent tube Good, stick away from coils at all costs.
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
zoo med reptisun 5.0 compact florescent UVB Go with the Repti-sun 10.0
How old is your UVB bulb?
it will be brand new... Good, you'll need to replace it every 5-6 months
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
not too close dont want him to get burned. Well, you'll want him to be able to get between 6-8" to the light, so he can get the UVB exposure he needs.
Do you use a separate basking bulb?
Yes I will. Good!
What kind and what is the wattage?
I dont know please help me with that =] You can use a regular household bulb as a basking bulb, try a 75 watt bulb and check the temps, if they're not high enough, try a 100 watt bulb.
What are the basking temps?
90 degrees Come up higher, closer to 105-110* for a baby.
What is the cool side temp?
80 degrees 85* is a good temp for the cooler side
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Digital Good
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
??? Take the temp on the actual basking spot where your beardie will be basking.
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
no Good!
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
live baby Crickets small meal worms and greens. Stick away from meal worms, go with phoenix worms instead. What types of greens will you offer?
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
I would feed him three times a day. Morning afternoon and evening. Great!
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
I am not quite sur ehow too yet... You can feed crickets the same greens you feed your beardie. Phoenix worms come with food in the cup.
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
I would use calcium. I dont know the brand...every other day. I recommend Rep-cal (in the pink tub). Dust 1 feeding per day, 5 days a week. The other two days, dust one feeding with a multivitamin. (Herbivite in a blue tub is a good one)
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Dont know yet havent gotten him. Makes sense! You might want to do some research so you'll know what to look for as far as symptoms of possible problems like constipation/impaction/parasites.
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
I would like once a week. 2-3x a week would be good, it will keep him hydrated.
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
I would..and he will have a water dish availible always. A water dish is your call ~ I don't use one because it can raise humidity and as long as you're misting and giving baths your beardie will be hydrated.
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
No just one tiny baby.... Good!
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Dont have him yet and probably wont take him to the vet due to money.... This is something important to consider when you're deciding if a beardie is a good pet for you. All animals are dependent on us for their care, and they deserve the very best care we can give them. If your beardie was to get sick and need medical attention, it's your obligation to take him to a vet. You can call exotic animal vets in your area to get prices of exams and a fecal check, that will help you figure out how much vet care would cost you. You really shouldn't get a pet unless you know you can provide for all it's needs. Hopefully you won't ever have an emergency that would require vet care, but should that situation arise, you'll need to be able to provide care.

[/quote]

I hope this helps you out ~ good luck and keep us posted!

 

[beardienewbie]

Okay!!

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
Well for now we have a 30 gallon tank but once the baby grows we will get a bigger one. Sounds good, you'll want to keep the tank pretty simple so the beardie can catch crickets easily. Also, what are the dimensions of the tank?Dimensions? What do you mean? The width is two feet and the height is one foot.
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Calcium sand Please don't use calcium sand, it's not good for beardies at all. While your dragon is a baby, you can use paper towels, non-adhesive shelf liner, or reptile carpet. When the beardie is older, if you would like to use sand, you can use washed, screened play sand. Yeah I read up on that last night! Its a good thing I did. I dont understand though, how the pet store keeps them in sand and a small acrylic box...=/ And they are feeding them meal worms....Do you use UVB lights? Yes we will be getting one I am kind of confused about the lighting though..Please help me with that...I need brand name... Sure, the Repti-sun 10.0 tube is a great bulb, you can purchase it online.ok!
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
florescent tube Good, stick away from coils at all costs.i will!
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
zoo med reptisun 5.0 compact florescent UVB Go with the Repti-sun 10.0 okay
How old is your UVB bulb?
it will be brand new... Good, you'll need to replace it every 5-6 monthsok
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
not too close dont want him to get burned. Well, you'll want him to be able to get between 6-8" to the light, so he can get the UVB exposure he needs. Okay I will have to figure out how to do that but I know I will
Do you use a separate basking bulb?
Yes I will. Good!
What kind and what is the wattage?
I dont know please help me with that =] You can use a regular household bulb as a basking bulb, try a 75 watt bulb and check the temps, if they're not high enough, try a 100 watt bulb. Okay
What are the basking temps?
90 degrees Come up higher, closer to 105-110* for a baby. wow thats pretty warm lol. But okay will do!!
What is the cool side temp?
80 degrees 85* is a good temp for the cooler side
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Digital Good
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
??? Take the temp on the actual basking spot where your beardie will be basking.Do I get two thermometers or just one?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
no Good!
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
live baby Crickets small meal worms and greens. Stick away from meal worms, go with phoenix worms instead. What types of greens will you offer?
Yes I read about those hard meal worms...Wont be feeding my Dragon those. And I would feed him collard greens, kale, and parsley...OH and fruits like apples and I am not sure what else. Oh and carrots but on occasion...
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
I would feed him three times a day. Morning afternoon and evening. Great!
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
I am not quite sur ehow too yet... You can feed crickets the same greens you feed your beardie. Phoenix worms come with food in the cup.
Yeah I found this weird cricket food at petco its by flukers I will probably use that and greens.
I dont know if petco sells phoenix worms. Where do you get them?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
I would use calcium. I dont know the brand...every other day. I recommend Rep-cal (in the pink tub). Dust 1 feeding per day, 5 days a week. The other two days, dust one feeding with a multivitamin. (Herbivite in a blue tub is a good one) Where do you get those vitamins and calcium?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Dont know yet havent gotten him. Makes sense! You might want to do some research so you'll know what to look for as far as symptoms of possible problems like constipation/impaction/parasites. Okay I will do that.
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
I would like once a week. 2-3x a week would be good, it will keep him hydrated. Okay
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
I would..and he will have a water dish availible always. A water dish is your call ~ I don't use one because it can raise humidity and as long as you're misting and giving baths your beardie will be hydrated. Okay
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
No just one tiny baby.... Good!
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Dont have him yet and probably wont take him to the vet due to money.... This is something important to consider when you're deciding if a beardie is a good pet for you. All animals are dependent on us for their care, and they deserve the very best care we can give them. If your beardie was to get sick and need medical attention, it's your obligation to take him to a vet. You can call exotic animal vets in your area to get prices of exams and a fecal check, that will help you figure out how much vet care would cost you. You really shouldn't get a pet unless you know you can provide for all it's needs. Hopefully you won't ever have an emergency that would require vet care, but should that situation arise, you'll need to be able to provide care. Oh I found a vet and we will go to him in case of emergency.

[/quote]

I hope this helps you out ~ good luck and keep us posted![/quote]

 

[beardienewbie]

Should I get the Zoo Med Repti Basking Spot Lamp 75 watt for the basking area?
What do I use for night time lighting and heating?
and
For the reptisun 10.0 bulb what do I use to plug it in?

 

[krichwitch]

How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
not too close dont want him to get burned. Well, you'll want him to be able to get between 6-8" to the light, so he can get the UVB exposure he needs. Okay I will have to figure out how to do that but I know I will You should get a log of rocks or someother type of platform for him to get close to the heat with.


You can get worms from a number of different places. I use mulberryfarms.com, there is also a link in one of these posts on what to feed and the nutritional contents of greens will try to find it.


Good luck!!

 

[beardienewbie]

Do you know of a really inexpensive grocery store that I can get the veggies for cheap but good quality?

I want greens and squash.
I also was straberries and apples.

What other fruits should I get?

 

[nikkicostello89]

hi,

It's brilliant that you're researching all of this before getting your new baby.

i can't help on the cheap grocery store, but remember that fruits should only be offered on occasion, as some can cause the runs!

Just wanted to say that it's good that you're researching first!

Nikki

 

[beardienewbie]

Thank you!!!
LOL
I would not put an animal in harms way so that is why I am researching because I would not want any thing to happen to a little beardie angel

 

[skymgirl]

Do you know of a really inexpensive grocery store that I can get the veggies for cheap but good quality?

I want greens and squash.
I also was straberries and apples.

What other fruits should I get?

I get my greens at the local grocery store (ShopRite) and can get collard and mustard greens for $0.99 a pound, which is pretty inexpensive. About 3 dollars makes a salad mix that lasts all week.

You can offer fruits occasionally to perk up their salads and keep them from getting bored ~ Sherbert likes raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. But keep the fruit to a mimium, since it has lots of sugar and could give them stomach trouble.

 

[beardienewbie]

Okay thanks for the fruit tip!