Just checking...new dragon

[JessW]

Hello,
My first experience with a beardies was heartbreaking. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do (advice from Internet and pet store employees--I know better now) in the last days of my first bearded dragon's life, I found this site. After mourning, and never-ending research, I decided to purchase a second beardy. I am hoping to run my setup and care by you all and ask for feedback or changes I should make. Thank you all in advance-I wish I had found this site earlier!

How old is your dragon?
The store says 6 months but based on size I would guess four months or possibly 3?
How long have you had your dragon?
2 weeks
How long is your dragon?
8.25 in (as of last Saturday)
What is the sex of your dragon?
Unknown
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
40 gal 36"x18"x18"
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Reptile carpet
Do you use UVB lights?
Yes reptisun 10 t5 whole length of tank on top of mesh-basking is about 8" away
How old is your UVB bulb?
2 weeks
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
~8"
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
White bulb 150 watt
What are the basking temps?
105f , warm side temp 92f
What is the cool side temp?
80-85f
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Temp gun
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
In various places over the rock it ranges from 95-110
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
Heat pad under tank
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
Phoenix worms, dubias, some crickets, occasional wax worm. He eats about 12-15 live insects a day
Dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, endive, carrots-he eats a significant amount of vegetables
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Live insects 2x a day morning and afternoon, vegetable bowl all the time, changed twice a day
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Yes
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)?
Herpvite with beta carotene & zoo med calcium with d3
How many days a week do you use each of them?
Calcium 7 days a week, vitamins 4 days a week
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Yes, but only every other day
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Yes, once or twice a week with reptile electrolytes in 85 degree water
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Yes I mist daily
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
No
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
No

Other: lights are on for 15 hours, 6 am-9pm; nighttime temps are 75f
All insects are smaller than the space between his eyes

Questions:
I ordered a sampler pack from rainbow mealworms specifically for baby bearded dragons. It came with very small superworms, are these good/safe to feed? The hornworms are way too big. Should I cut them or just not give them? He is 8.25" long and weighs 22g. The guy at the store said they were skinny when they came in. He gained 2g (10% body mass) the first week. I have not weighed him yet this week, but will tomorrow.

Any concerns/comments/suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Everything sounds very good. I think you will love the T5 bulb. Hopefully it performs well. They have had a few issues with them not being strong enough in a few batches recently.
You can get by with supplementing calcium 5 times weekly & vitamins 2 times. Are his urates soft or hard right now?
The hornworms are likely too large. Though they are soft bodied you wont want him to choke. Cutting them in half is an option I guess but messy.
Watch to be sure he doesn't get overheated during the day with the undertank heater & basking light on simultaneously. It can be used mostly at night or as needed.
I am sorry you lost your first one, it is devastating I know.
I hope your new one is doing well! It sounds like he is off to a great start & has a good appetite, too.
Feel free to post pictures of him & your setup, too.

Tracie

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hello,
My first experience with a beardies was heartbreaking. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do (advice from Internet and pet store employees--I know better now) in the last days of my first bearded dragon's life, I found this site. After mourning, and never-ending research, I decided to purchase a second beardy. I am hoping to run my setup and care by you all and ask for feedback or changes I should make. Thank you all in advance-I wish I had found this site earlier!

How old is your dragon?
The store says 6 months but based on size I would guess four months or possibly 3?
How long have you had your dragon?
2 weeks
How long is your dragon?
8.25 in (as of last Saturday)
What is the sex of your dragon?
Unknown
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
40 gal 36"x18"x18"
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Reptile carpet <<< carpet is a snagging hazard for his nails , best removed and replaced with sheets of kitchen grade absorbant paper toweling.
Do you use UVB lights?
Yes reptisun 10 t5 whole length of tank on top of mesh-basking is about 8" away <<< recommend you move the fitting UNDER the mesh as the mesh will block near 25% of the UVA and UVB.
How old is your UVB bulb?
2 weeks
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
~8"
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
White bulb 150 watt
What are the basking temps?
105f , warm side temp 92f
What is the cool side temp?
80-85f
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer,<<< the strip / dial type stickons are worthlessly inaccurate (best to ditch it) a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Temp gun
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
In various places over the rock it ranges from 95-110
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
Heat pad under tank
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
Phoenix worms << these are excellent ,
dubias, some crickets,<<< also very good
occasional wax worm <<< cut these out .
He eats about 12-15 live insects a day
Dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, endive, carrots-he eats a significant amount of vegetables
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Live insects 2x a day morning and afternoon, vegetable bowl all the time, changed twice a day <<< hold back on the salad until he's had his bug meals, else he will likely pig out on the greens and salad and have no room left for his bugs , he needs his live insect proteins VERY MUCH MORE than the greens and veg at his age to grow and develop properly.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Yes
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)?
Herpvite with beta carotene & zoo med calcium with d3
How many days a week do you use each of them?
Calcium 7 days a week, vitamins 4 days a week
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Yes, but only every other day
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Yes, once or twice a week with reptile electrolytes <<< they are not going to help as they will not be absorbed through the skin or bum in 85 degree water
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Yes I mist daily
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
No
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
No

Other: lights are on for 15 hours, 6 am-9pm; nighttime temps are 75f
All insects are smaller than the space between his eyes

Questions:
I ordered a sampler pack from rainbow mealworms specifically for baby bearded dragons.<<< not suitable even as treats - freeze them for use to feed other critters It came with very small superworms, are these good/safe to feed? <<<best not given to him , hard to digest exoskeletons are an issue The hornworms are way too big. Should I cut them or just not give them? <<< ask for silkworms about 1.5 inches long , he'll will demolish them and they are very nutritious
He is 8.25" long and weighs 22g. The guy at the store said they were skinny when they came in. He gained 2g (10% body mass) the first week. I have not weighed him yet this week, but will tomorrow.

Any concerns/comments/suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[JessW]

Hello,

Are his urates soft or hard right now?
The hornworms are likely too large. Though they are soft bodied you wont want him to choke. Cutting them in half is an option I guess but messy.
Watch to be sure he doesn't get overheated during the day with the undertank heater & basking light on simultaneously. It can be used mostly at night or as needed.
I hope your new one is doing well! It sounds like he is off to a great start & has a good appetite, too.
Feel free to post pictures of him & your setup, too.

Tracie

Thank you for your reply! So far, he seems to be doing well, thank you ? He did not gain any more weight but did grow .25" this week
His urates are hard right now; does that mean he's not getting enough water? If so, how can I get him more? I'll probably just feed the hornworms to the wild birds, they've been loving the rejected mealworms (came with a food sampler pack, but I didn't feed them!) already! The undertank heater is because our house is usually kept pretty cold, but if it gets too hot, I will only use it at night.

This is my baby, Charmander

 

[JessW]

kingofnobbys-
Thank you for your feedback! It is very much appreciated!
Couple questions/comments:
Instead of the carpet, what is a good long-term substrate?
Is the t5 bulb not strong enough to be effective through the mesh? I'm not excited about a hole in the lid, from the power cord if mounted under the screen. Is there another bulb that would work through the screen?
For temps, I use an IR gun, not the dial or strip thermometer
I'm curious about the wax worms- is it an issue of digestion like with mealworms, or is it because they're too fatty? The reason I ask is because I'm concerned that he is underweight (8.5" and 22g) and I thought some extra fat might be a good idea. Or is it that they are not nutritious enough?
Rainbow mealworms is the name of the place I got the food, but I didn't feed any mealworms-just the things I listed. They don't carry silkworms, though; where is a good place to get silkworms?
Thank you for your help!

 

[kingofnobbys]

kingofnobbys-
Thank you for your feedback! It is very much appreciated!
Couple questions/comments:
Instead of the carpet, what is a good long-term substrate? <<< loosely laid tiles, even better if they have a sandstone like texture.

Is the t5 bulb not strong enough to be effective through the mesh? <<< no , will have it's emissions blocked considerably by the mesh., and the mesh is likely too far away from the basking spot too.

I'm not excited about a hole in the lid, from the power cord if mounted under the screen. Is there another bulb that would work through the screen? <<<< better a little hole than a sick beardie. personally I'd never use a mesh top on a lizard tank , better off with a solid plywood top which has air vents in it if there are no air vents in the sides of the tank.
For temps, I use an IR gun, not the dial or strip thermometer
I'm curious about the wax worms- is it an issue of digestion like with mealworms, or is it because they're too fatty? <<< too fatty
The reason I ask is because I'm concerned that he is underweight (8.5" and 22g) and I thought some extra fat might be a good idea. Or is it that they are not nutritious enough? <<< silkworms (small = 1.5" or medium = 2") are much better, as a BSF maggots , and another option are blowfly maggots.

Rainbow mealworms is the name of the place I got the food, but I didn't feed any mealworms-just the things I listed. They don't carry silkworms, though; where is a good place to get silkworms?
Thank you for your help! <<< I'm in Australia and source mine from sellers on GumTree. I'd try google to find silkworms for sale in your area.

 

[JessW]

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Gormagon]

The 10.0 t5 ho is a strong uvb light that emitts at an effective range of 12" to 18" w/o the screen. You said the basking spot was at 8" from the screen. With it being on top of the screen this will effectively block some of the uvb and make it effective at 8” to 14". So you can leave it above the screen and still get good uvb. On a n 18" tall viv, the 10.0 t5 ho needs to be filtered some so they don't get to much uvb. If you put it under the screen, you would have to drop his basking spot 12" (minimum safe distance) below the uvb light to keep it at good levels.
Inside the viv, it would be hard for your dragon to escape the rays.

 

[Gormagon]

Hello,
My first experience with a beardies was heartbreaking. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do (advice from Internet and pet store employees--I know better now) in the last days of my first bearded dragon's life, I found this site. After mourning, and never-ending research, I decided to purchase a second beardy. I am hoping to run my setup and care by you all and ask for feedback or changes I should make. Thank you all in advance-I wish I had found this site earlier!

How old is your dragon?
The store says 6 months but based on size I would guess four months or possibly 3?
How long have you had your dragon?
2 weeks
How long is your dragon?
8.25 in (as of last Saturday)
What is the sex of your dragon?
Unknown
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
40 gal 36"x18"x18"
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Reptile carpet
Do you use UVB lights?
Yes reptisun 10 t5 whole length of tank on top of mesh-basking is about 8" away
How old is your UVB bulb?
2 weeks
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
~8"
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
White bulb 150 watt
What are the basking temps?
105f , warm side temp 92f
What is the cool side temp?
80-85f
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Temp gun
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
In various places over the rock it ranges from 95-110
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
Heat pad under tank
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
Phoenix worms, dubias, some crickets, occasional wax worm. He eats about 12-15 live insects a day
Dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, endive, carrots-he eats a significant amount of vegetables
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Live insects 2x a day morning and afternoon, vegetable bowl all the time, changed twice a day
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Yes
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)?
Herpvite with beta carotene & zoo med calcium with d3
How many days a week do you use each of them?
Calcium 7 days a week, vitamins 4 days a week
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Yes, but only every other day
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Yes, once or twice a week with reptile electrolytes in 85 degree water
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Yes I mist daily
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
No
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
No

Other: lights are on for 15 hours, 6 am-9pm; nighttime temps are 75f
All insects are smaller than the space between his eyes

Questions:
I ordered a sampler pack from rainbow mealworms specifically for baby bearded dragons. It came with very small superworms, are these good/safe to feed? The hornworms are way too big. Should I cut them or just not give them? He is 8.25" long and weighs 22g. The guy at the store said they were skinny when they came in. He gained 2g (10% body mass) the first week. I have not weighed him yet this week, but will tomorrow.

Any concerns/comments/suggestions/feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

This is exactly how I came to be here as well and, I am still doing my homework on these wonderful creatures.