Looking to get A Beardie!

[admiralgoose]

Hello! My name is Goose! I am a very big reptile fanatic. I only have a Leopard Gecko named Cosmo but I love reptiles! I have not gotten a beardie yet but I am looking into it and am going to save up for however much and however long it takes me. I just need a little help on figuring out what I need for him.
So far I have on my list to get a 36”x18”x12” tank, a Reptisun 10.0 UVB light, a fluorescent fixture, a 60 watt ceramic heat emitter, repticarpet, a large log, and a water dish
Some of that might be the wrong information but I would really appreciate any helpful tips and anything I need.
I know my leo loves his undertank heater but I have read that that can burn a beardie, is this correct?
What watt should my basking bulb be?
Can a beardie survive off of a diet of mealworms? (my mother isnt too fond of crickets) If I need to include any fruits and veggies/greens, which ones would ya'll suggest and when I do feed him, how often? Also, would I need to mix the worms in with the fruits and veggies or would it need to be separate? (just anything on how I would feed haha)
Any other tips and helpful information on having a beardie and the basic setup of a beardie tank would be ever so helpful in my road to getting a beardie! Thank you soo much!

 

[Mediabandit]

Read through the articles on this page http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/ then you can have a better understanding and nobody will have to type put the same information over again.

 

[admiralgoose]

Okay thank you!

 

[Mediabandit]

Also, here is the link for the food chart. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

 

[admiralgoose]

What a great help! Thanks!

 

[Mediabandit]

You're welcome, once you have read all that information feel free to ask for clarification on anything you need.

 

[admiralgoose]

I do actually have a couple of questions,
with the greens, is alright to just feed Kale and crickets with calcium powder?
also, when I do feed, would I offer greens and crickets at the same time?

 

[Mediabandit]

Kale is not something you want to feed everyday, collard, mustard, dandelion greens are a better staple green for him, but you should always have a bowl of greens in his enclosure for him, you can mist them with water a little bit to help them stay fresh all day. The crickets you will want to feed him 3 times a day, let him eat as many as he wants for 10-15 minutes, make sure they are smaller then the space between his eyes and make sure to dust them iwith calcium 5 feedings per week and dust them with vitamin supplements 2 feeding per week. It is best to feed him in a seperate bin so that way you don't have leftover crickets hiding in his enclosure. They will bite your Beardie during the night when he is sleeping. if you would like to read my thread I do have information on feeding schedules in it as well.
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=161829

 

[admiralgoose]

That helps a lot! I will definitely take a look at your thread.

 

[admiralgoose]

What kind of container would you suggest I feed him the crickets in?

 

[Mediabandit]

I was using a 10 Gallon aquarium, then moved him to a 20 Gallon Long. He then stopped eating crickets so now I just feed him his worms in his own enclosure, making sure none hide.
You can also use the large clear rubbermaid bins, put a piece of repti-carpet on the bottom so he has traction, just make sure it is big enough for him to turn around in.

 

[admiralgoose]

I've got an extra 10 gal tank from when my leo was little. Would that work?

 

[Mediabandit]

Yes, that will work for a few months until he gets to big to fit in it.

 

[admiralgoose]

Okay thank you!