Juvenile (I think) diet needs

TheHoggle

Member
I recently purchased a new bearded dragon which I am thinking is still rather young. It may be 6" without the tail. It seems to rather enjoy crickets of which I was told he should be eating 10 of them once a day while also having full access to a bowl with a "buffet blend" of food. I was told no greens or fruits for now which to me seems weird but I don't know for sure. I want to do right by it but there is WAY too much info on the internet which always seems to lead to the demise of the dragon no matter what decision is made.

Is someone able to please help me figure what sort of diet it should be getting daily to best optimize its growth and health.

Thanks.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
I recently purchased a new bearded dragon which I am thinking is still rather young. It may be 6" without the tail. It seems to rather enjoy crickets of which I was told he should be eating 10 of them once a day while also having full access to a bowl with a "buffet blend" of food. I was told no greens or fruits for now which to me seems weird but I don't know for sure. I want to do right by it but there is WAY too much info on the internet which always seems to lead to the demise of the dragon no matter what decision is made.

Is someone able to please help me figure what sort of diet it should be getting daily to best optimize its growth and health.

Thanks.
Fresh salads every day and he should be eating as many insects in a 10-15 minute time period
Nutrition Content
Ignore the kale info its outdated and a good staple feeder
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Whoever told you to avoid greens is 100% wrong. Fruits should be avoided due to high sugar content but greens like kale, collards, turnip, mustard dandelion, arugala, clover are all good. About 8-10 or so insects a day, if your dragon is 6" head to vent [ where the tail starts ] then he's about 12" long and can eat 3/4 inch crickets or dubias, maybe slightly smaller if he has to chew a lot to get them down.

Do you have a pic of your beardie and his set up ?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Oh, and avoid the buffet blends. It's all dried up stuff, nowhere near as good as real veggies + insects and possibly a choking hazard as well as possibility of causing impaction.
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
Whoever told you to avoid greens is 100% wrong. Fruits should be avoided due to high sugar content but greens like kale, collards, turnip, mustard dandelion, arugala, clover are all good. About 8-10 or so insects a day, if your dragon is 6" head to vent [ where the tail starts ] then he's about 12" long and can eat 3/4 inch crickets or dubias, maybe slightly smaller if he has to chew a lot to get them down.

Do you have a pic of your beardie and his set up ?

This is the current setup. I do have lots of plans for making it a more appropriate enclosure, however right now I am trying to prioritize his well being.

1734804294955.jpg
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
I see him near the wood, he looks very small like 7-8". He looks tired or dehydrated, so if those are pellets or dry food get rid of it and put a small bowl of cut up greens. Drip some water on his snout slowly to see if he'll drink because he may not use the bowl. What type of lighting do you have, is there a long tube UVB ?
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
I see him near the wood, he looks very small like 7-8". He looks tired or dehydrated, so if those are pellets or dry food get rid of it and put a small bowl of cut up greens. Drip some water on his snout slowly to see if he'll drink because he may not use the bowl. What type of lighting do you have, is there a long tube UVB ?
It is just the UVB in the dome fixture. I have a longer tubular lamp on order which should be here in a few days and then I will be using that in its place as that seems to be the standard for any tank.
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
O.K that's good, he needs the good uvb ASAP. What's his name BTW ?

Well it was a gift for my son and he hasn't decided yet as we don't know the sex. Apparently the random name given is dependent on the sex lol. So right now I'm just trying to ensure it lives long enough to name it.

I did put a bowl of greens in the tank now. Kale, small portion of Pineapple and some Romaine. I went with these because I have them here now and they are all high in water content. It also seemed to enjoy the water from a syringe.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
.O.K, name is yet to be determined, that's understandable . :)

The greens are good but take the pineapple out, and drain the juice. Citrus is no good for them.
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
.O.K, name is yet to be determined, that's understandable . :)

The greens are good but take the pineapple out, and drain the juice. Citrus is no good for them.
Oh really?? I was just going by the nutrition list you had mentioned earlier where Pineapple is apparently an occasion al thing. I was just thinking of whatever I had with a high water content.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Another person posted that list., it's a little outdated but if you want to leave it in that's O.K then but leave it out from now on. But still try to drip a little water on his snout. Has he eaten any crickets ?
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
Another person posted that list., it's a little outdated but if you want to leave it in that's O.K then but leave it out from now on. But still try to drip a little water on his snout. Has he eaten any crickets ?
Yea, I used a dropper and he seemed to enjoy the water, hand fed him some of the greens and he was good with that as well. Eats 10 crickets with ease every evening coated in calcium chases them all over and doesn't stop until they are gone.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Sounds good ! When you feed him crickets be sure it's early enough in the day, at least 3-4 hours before lights go off because they need the heat for total digestion.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
Please post when you get the uvb your screen will determine where it is placed and distance
 

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