Keeping Baby in 75 Gall Tank

[YurisMom]

Hi, all. I am new to the page but not new to owning a beardie. My 11 year old beardie, Yuri passed away a few months ago. I am heartbroken and have wrestled with getting another one and decided I would like to. Here's my problem. Yuri lived out his days in a luxurious 75 gallon tank- far too large for a baby beardie. Any tips for keeping a baby in a tank that large? ie: sectioning it off, etc?

Thank you all in advance,

~Yuri's Mom

 

[CooperDragon]

That may actually work out to be a good size for a baby. They don't all get stressed out by extra space. I would put some good climbs and hides in it and see what the baby does. If you see a stress/scared reaction, then you can section it off with some kind of divider. I'd do that as a reaction rather than proactively though. I'd focus more on ensuring your lighting and temperatures are set correctly for the 75g which should be much easier to manage than a small space.

 

[YurisMom]

That may actually work out to be a good size for a baby. They don't all get stressed out by extra space. I would put some good climbs and hides in it and see what the baby does. If you see a stress/scared reaction, then you can section it off with some kind of divider. I'd do that as a reaction rather than proactively though. I'd focus more on ensuring your lighting and temperatures are set correctly for the 75g which should be much easier to manage than a small space.

Do you think so? I figured it may be harder for him/her to catch prey in a space that large.

 

[CooperDragon]

The little guys are pretty quick. When I feed inside the tank though, I usually feed in small batches of 5 bugs or so at a time. A number that is easy for me to track so none go missing.

 

[Taterbug]

thats a good sized enclosure. Furnish it well with branches and hide always - to help the baby feel more comfortable. It's suggested that wild babies spend much of their time hidden in bushes and trees to stay safe from preditors.

Yeah, fewer insects at a time or use a pan or dish for them to keep them more contained.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....I think the best way to set it up is to have just one main area that has a few climbing logs, and the heat + UVB should be concentrated in that area. If there are too many hiding areas then a skittish baby may do just that....hide and not come out to eat. Not all babies are the same, though but keeping the tank sparsely decorated will allow you to monitor him more easily. It will also make it easier for him to find his food. It might work to have just one small perch on the opposite side of the main basking area, but it is probably best for the tank not to be cluttered or for there to be hiding areas, just basking areas. You may need to suspend the UVB light [ if it's a flourescent tube ] inside the tank so the UVB can reach the baby, unless you use a MVB [mercury vapor bulb] .

 

[YurisMom]

Hi there....I think the best way to set it up is to have just one main area that has a few climbing logs, and the heat + UVB should be concentrated in that area. If there are too many hiding areas then a skittish baby may do just that....hide and not come out to eat. Not all babies are the same, though but keeping the tank sparsely decorated will allow you to monitor him more easily. It will also make it easier for him to find his food. It might work to have just one small perch on the opposite side of the main basking area, but it is probably best for the tank not to be cluttered or for there to be hiding areas, just basking areas. You may need to suspend the UVB light [ if it's a flourescent tube ] inside the tank so the UVB can reach the baby, unless you use a MVB [mercury vapor bulb] .

Thank you- that is an excellent idea. I have so many nice platforms, hides and decor I kept for Yuri, but I think I will take your advice and remove most of that and opt for only basking decor until I am confident that the baby is comfortable enough not to hide constantly. Thank you for the advice, everyone. I'm finishing the cage set up tonight and then picking the babe up on Saturday so we shall see. Thanks!

 

[Taterbug]

ABHD, I'm curious do you see this frequently or that babies have a tendency to suffer some way in development? I ask because this is counter to most other reptile and lizard strategies as well as the wild behavior of baby lizards. Of course the wild doesn't always translate to captivity but it would seem that having safe retreats and adequate cover (even if it's not a full hide but feeling out of sight) will help the animals adjust better than always being on display and exposed.

 

[YurisMom]

When I did my pile of research initially before getting my first dragon, it was common advice to section off a large tank until the baby was acclimated and confident, because generally, they are adorable little dummies for a bit when they first get home. That's the reason for my initial question, although the last time I had to do research on baby beardies was 11 years ago. (lol) Obviously, I am out of the loop, so please correct me if you feel that something I am doing seems incorrect in some way. I can take it.

 

[AHBD]

Hi Tater...yes, I know it seems that it would be the case, [ to provide a hide ] but babies generally adjust pretty quickly to their surroundings whether they are " bare bones" or not. It may be a good thing for Yuri to check with the breeder to see how the babies are set up. I've raised many clutches over the past 20 years and never provide hides, just criss-crossed sticks about the diameter of my thumb and then larger sticks/logs as they grew. Babies usually love to climb, so sticks/logs are better than rocks or flat platforms. I also took the [ summer] hatchlings out in the sun daily after they were about a week old, which got them used to every day sights and kept them from being afraid of the outdoors, including overhead flying birds. The odd baby will at times be more fearful than others and very rarely would grow into adults that were also somewhat fearful of the outdoors. I know other breeders like Tamara from Rainbow b.d.'s also recommends not putting a hide in the tank. Sometimes it's good to block off 3 sides of the tank with cardboard so the baby isn't overwhelmed by all of the movement, especially if you have a " busy" house.