Insects for baby bearded dragon

[Boardi]

Is dubia roaches and crickets good to use as food for my baby bearded dragon? How many do i feed him and how often should i dust his food with supplements?

 

[KarrieRee]

Is dubia roaches and crickets good to use as food for my baby bearded dragon? How many do i feed him and how often should i dust his food with supplements?

Dubias are a great staple for babies - crickets have their drawbacks but are a staple as well - they should be eating the size of no bigger than the space between the eyes -- too big can cause impaction- babies need to be fed 2-3 times per day - along w/ salads offered in the mornings - they wont eat a lot of them but you want them started on those right away - you can get BSFL www.symtonbsf.com and use those to lure the baby to the salad bowl - use them as salad toppers - another great staple especially for babies - you will need a bowl similar to this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d it will keep them in the bowl along w/ small roaches -- drop the BSFL in to the salad bowl in front him maybe hand feed him a couple
as far as supplementing babies need Calcium D3 5 x per week dusted on the staple insect ONCE per feeding meaning if your feeding two times per day only once - lightly coated no powder sugar looking insects vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week lightly coated as well - ONCE per feeding -- in order for the dragon to absorb the calcium and utilize it he must have proper UVB this is a must -- NO coils - they are inadequate -- if you need help w/ what to get please ask I can post links - there are 3 that are recommended - another must surface basking temps - they should be take w/ a digital probe thermometer and are the most accurate -- 105-110 for a baby -- I would invest in 2 of them one for the basking side and one for your cool side - this is what starts digestion -- your salads please rinse before serving he will get most of his moisture from them - you will need to gut load the dubias before feeding - I feed my roaches at night so they are gut loaded for feedings the next day -- any more help please ask --

 

[tropicalsoul]

Jumping into this thread to ask for a bit of elaboration on vitamin and calcium dusting.

I buy crickets about once a week. They are fed a high calcium cricket food and I dust them with Herptivite with beta carotene when I get them home. Do I need to repeat the dusting during the week as well or does that first dusting stay on the crickets? I'm afraid to give my 4 month old too much vitamins. As for D3, I have read in multiple places that a good UBV light should be adequate and supplementation isn't needed. I have a Reptisun Desert T5 10.0 tube bulb and fixture that runs almost the length of the viv. The bulb will be rotated after three months and replaced after 6 months.

Dusty eats BSFL in the mornings and crickets once or twice during the day in addition to the escapees in his viv that he eats before the day is over; he's not the mighty hunter I thought he'd be and would rather his food come to him, LOL. I do my best to keep escapees to a minimum because I know they can bite him. He also gets salad every morning with appropriate greens and veggies, and once in a while he gets treats like blueberries and other goodies that are approved for dragons. He's very good about eating his salad (some days more than others). He's also very good at kicking it all over the viv (which the escaped crickets also love), but he eats a good amount of it, so I'm happy.

I've searched high and low for answers to this question regarding when and how often to dust crickets but I've not seen anything specific. I'm hoping you can help me.

TIA

 

[KarrieRee]

Jumping into this thread to ask for a bit of elaboration on vitamin and calcium dusting.

I buy crickets about once a week. They are fed a high calcium cricket food and I dust them with Herptivite with beta carotene when I get them home. Do I need to repeat the dusting during the week as well or does that first dusting stay on the crickets? I'm afraid to give my 4 month old too much vitamins. As for D3, I have read in multiple places that a good UBV light should be adequate and supplementation isn't needed. I have a Reptisun Desert T5 10.0 tube bulb and fixture that runs almost the length of the viv. The bulb will be rotated after three months and replaced after 6 months.

Dusty eats BSFL in the mornings and crickets once or twice during the day in addition to the escapees in his viv that he eats before the day is over; he's not the mighty hunter I thought he'd be and would rather his food come to him, LOL. I do my best to keep escapees to a minimum because I know they can bite him. He also gets salad every morning with appropriate greens and veggies, and once in a while he gets treats like blueberries and other goodies that are approved for dragons. He's very good about eating his salad (some days more than others). He's also very good at kicking it all over the viv (which the escaped crickets also love), but he eats a good amount of it, so I'm happy.

I've searched high and low for answers to this question regarding when and how often to dust crickets but I've not seen anything specific. I'm hoping you can help me.

TIA

The staple feeder should be dusted 5 x per week once per feeding w/ the calcium D3 -- vitamins 2 x per week once per feeding-- this will change when he turns around a year and since hes eating his salads like a good dragon you wont need to dust w/ the vitamins - maybe periodically-- the calcium D 3 will drop to like once a week w/ calcium w/ out the D3 no phosphorus give 2-3 times per week - the feeding of the insects will also go to 2-3 times per week as well --- the UVB should be inside the tank if the screen is fine mesh like a screen door 12-15 inches directly above his basking decor piece -- if its a wide hole screen it can sit on top w/ a distance of 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor piece -- please try and catch the crickets in the tank or feed them so you know how many are in the tank --- left loose in the tank can make for a dragon getting bit - it is rare or so I am told but it still can happen -

 

[tropicalsoul]

Thank you so much for your reply!!!

So, not to be a pain, but are you saying that I need calcium even though the BSFL are high in calcium and the crickets are gut loaded with calcium? Are you also saying he needs D3 even though he's getting excellent UVB lighting? And finally, should we not dust all the crickets with vitamins when we first get them and just dust them twice per week? I desperately want to make sure my sweet baby is getting everything he needs.

The UVB sits on a large hole screen (not mesh at all, but metal with large holes), 8" above his basking log/hammock (just behind his favorite two basking spots).

He almost always eats all the crickets before lights out. I also leave his salad bowl with what's left of his salad in his viv overnight if I see crickets that he hasn't eaten so they'll have something to chew on other than my dragon. Usually the last straggler(s) will drown themselves in his water bowl anyway.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you so much for your reply!!!

So, not to be a pain, but are you saying that I need calcium even though the BSFL are high in calcium and the crickets are gut loaded with calcium? Are you also saying he needs D3 even though he's getting excellent UVB lighting? And finally, should we not dust all the crickets with vitamins when we first get them and just dust them twice per week? I desperately want to make sure my sweet baby is getting everything he needs.

The UVB sits on a large hole screen (not mesh at all, but metal with large holes), 8" above his basking log/hammock (just behind his favorite two basking spots).

He almost always eats all the crickets before lights out. I also leave his salad bowl with what's left of his salad in his viv overnight if I see crickets that he hasn't eaten so they'll have something to chew on other than my dragon. Usually the last straggler(s) will drown themselves in his water bowl anyway.

Yes dust the crickets -- hes is growing and needs the calcium- the UVB will help him absorb and synthesize the calcium hes getting - distance is good for the screen -- I would dust the crickets as you feed them- whatever day it is - I dusted mine during the week w/ the calcium and weekends w/ the vitamins w/ beta carotene -- as I posted this will all change when he turns a yr old

 

[tropicalsoul]

Yes dust the crickets -- hes is growing and needs the calcium- the UVB will help him absorb and synthesize the calcium hes getting - distance is good for the screen -- I would dust the crickets as you feed them- whatever day it is - I dusted mine during the week w/ the calcium and weekends w/ the vitamins w/ beta carotene -- as I posted this will all change when he turns a yr old

Awesome, thank you!!! Much appreciated.