Meet T-Rex and Me!

[stormwolfe]

Hello,

My name is Stormwolfe and I was the recipient of a baby Bearded Dragon for Christmas. He is adorable, approximately 3 months old and 7 to 8 inches long. Right now, he is he by default due to the fact that he's not old enough to be sexed yet.

The gift giver included a 36 x 18 x 18 Exo-Terra habitat for him with all the lighting, basking decor, etc. For substrate, I am using natural colored imitation slate porcelain tiles. He's on a diet of crickets, wax worms, veggies, and pelleted Beardie food. I am concerned about his diet as his appetite seems very uneven. He seems to be pooping normally and regularly.

Right now, most of his time is spent reclining at the top of the branch that's directly under his basking spot.

He still dislikes being handled and I think my biggest fear is killing him with kindness. I fell in love with Beardies about fifteen years ago when a shop owner let me hold his. Now that I'm out of work, it seemed a great time to add the dragon to my household of feathers and fur.

I'm so glad I found this site. There's so much conflicting information on the internet and even in the care books.

Best Regards,

Stormwolfe
Owned by T-Rex.

 

[animalk]

hi! my beardie is living in the same exo terra terrarium as yours! (and is also on tile) i know what you mean about conflicting information.. but i think it really comes down to personal choices of your beardie's health over aesthetics. we got ours when she was 4 months old (about 3 months ago) and she ate mostly crickets and greens (with special treats thrown in here and there) she's grown from 9" to 16.25 inches in less than 3 months! it's awesome.

but back to the terrarium.. have you had any problems with yours? the doors on mine were sort of annoying at first (the way they pop out automatically).. and the plastic "support" going across the front (on top of the doors, supporting the lid) isn't very strong.. and doesn't hold the best shape. how do you like the set up so far?

 

[stormwolfe]

Hey, nice to meet ya, AnimalK!

If you'd asked me last week what I thought about the Exo-Terra I'd have screamed, jumped up and down and cursed them! Our issue though was bad information from the person who sold the gift giver the set up. She said to set the lights right on the top screen...which we did...it melted the plastic. So, many $$$$ later - had to replace the screen top - we're now set up pretty well.

Rexxie was having fits over his reflection. I tried the cling type scenic backgrounds...it wouldn't stay and just looked bad. So...as the lights had melted portions of the original background, I ordered a new one and cut the old one down and made side backgrounds for the tank. It now looks pretty good. The only thing left was to fix the tiles in place and for that I used sterilized sand just like you'd use to set pavers. The sand is a precaution against crickets disappearing between any gaps and to make sure Rex doesn't catch his tiny toes between the cracks where the tiles fit together. When he's bigger, I'll get rid of it.

So, I'm having no issues with the front doors. Mine only open if I tug on them after opening the lock. With the tile in place, I use a mini-whisk broom and dust pan and sweep the floor periodically and it all seems to work great so far.

I'm still concerned about my lighting. The ambient / visual light does not seem adequate. I have his basking spotlight, the blue/moonlight heat light for nights + another white light just for visual light. I am considering putting one of the small, compact canopies on one side of the Exo-Terra and leaving his double dome basking spot where it is. Once again, I'm terrified of killing him with kindness or ignorance. I can't seem to get just one really good answer regarding the BEST or most Optimum lighting for his age range. Sometimes there's just too much information. I suppose I should view as I am doing the best possible for him with the information I'm finding and hearing.

Anyway, I do really like the Exo-Terra for now. Concerned that it won't be large enough when he's grown, but Rexxie and I will cross that bridge when we come to it. I'll get some pics of his hab set-up and post them soon.

Best Regards,

SW & Rex

 

[animalk]

Hey, nice to meet ya, AnimalK!

If you'd asked me last week what I thought about the Exo-Terra I'd have screamed, jumped up and down and cursed them! Our issue though was bad information from the person who sold the gift giver the set up. She said to set the lights right on the top screen...which we did...it melted the plastic. So, many $$$$ later - had to replace the screen top - we're now set up pretty well. ...

Oh man! The top melting was definitely a fear of mine, but it has so far held up :/ what did you end up replacing the top with? I've been thinking of having my dad build one for me, and then possibly reinforcing the plastic supports that are attached to the glass around the rim.

...I'm still concerned about my lighting. The ambient / visual light does not seem adequate. I have his basking spotlight, the blue/moonlight heat light for nights + another white light just for visual light. I am considering putting one of the small, compact canopies on one side of the Exo-Terra and leaving his double dome basking spot where it is...

Is his basking light a UVB/heat mixture? I can't tell from what you wrote whether or not there is UVB/UVA lighting. On mine, we have a large dome with a ceramic heat emitter, plus a zilla canopy fixture for the UVB tube. There is a lot of advice regarding lighting on this website.. but I think that the most common recommendation is to use a ReptiSun 10.0 tube.

...Once again, I'm terrified of killing him with kindness or ignorance. I can't seem to get just one really good answer regarding the BEST or most Optimum lighting for his age range. Sometimes there's just too much information. I suppose I should view as I am doing the best possible for him with the information I'm finding and hearing.

I definitely know what you mean regarding all the information floating around.. it's difficult to know who to trust and what to decide when faced with what seems like "two evils." Don't be afraid of "killing him with kindness!" Although I don't know exactly what you mean when you say it, I do know that socializing and handling your beardie as much as possible will help him to trust you and will ensure the best bond between the two of you :] And yes, the fact that you're on this site posting and asking for information is the best step toward beardie care perfection that you could make!

I'm sorry I couldn't help more.. but I'm excited to hear and see more about your beardie!

animalk

 

[Dragon4Me]

Hi,
We don't have our first beardie yet but in a few weeks we will. He is staying with the breeder until he is 5 months. I had planned on buying the exact same enclosure that you have and I was hoping to get a better idea of what happened with the lights. I think you said you a dome lights and you just put them face down on the wire mesh and it melted plastic that is on the sides, was that it? So where did you place them now to avoid the same thing from happening? If you could send me a pic when you can, I'd appreciate it as I don't want the same thing to happen to me. I wonder if having a double dome basking light contributed to that...hmmm

Thanks Stormwolfe!

Jennifer

 

[animalk]

well, actually, i just checked... and the plastic under my dome is also melting. great!

to answer the question about how it melted... there are plastic beams that divide the center of the lid both horizontally and vertically. there is not enough space between them to set a dome or canopy that is not specifically designed for this exo terra product. this means that the dome and light can not be flat on the screen, but are raised in some places by the plastic. under the ceramic heat emitter, the plastic beam has been warped and i'm afraid it may eventually give way :|

what did you use for a new lid?

 

[stormwolfe]

AnimalK - I know I probably missed some of your questions. Please be patient. I'll come back and reread to catch up and post later. This time, strictly showing my Exo-Terra lighting set up.

Regarding what type of top I have on my Exo-Terra, I ordered a replacement top via Amazon.

This shows the top of my tank and current light arrangement. Left to right: Ott Lite (ambient / UVB), Single Dome (UVB), Double Dome (Night Light, Basking Spot). I pirated the Ott-Lite from my aviary for now. It wasn't being used.

Please note, I have now suspended the domes via inexpensive light stands that attach to the back of the tank. I have on order one of the compact dual canopy light strips which will replace the Ott-Lite and single dome. The stands allow you to raise and lower the lights without them resting on the plastic parts of the screen's support structure.

It's a pricey lesson to learn regarding dome lights and Exo-Terra terrarium screen tops!

This is just a view of the habitat with lighting on. Right now, the left and right sides seem lit very unequally. I'm hoping the new canopy strip that replaces the left side lighting will balance it out better.

Update: At the time of the melting, I did not have the double dome. I added it afterward in order to avoid having more than two of the light stands affixed to the back of the habitat.

Regards,

Stormwolfe

 

[daner923]

Because you've now posted it... You really need to rethink all of your lighting, sadly. The compact/coil UVBs are not good enough for bearded dragons, and can cause serious eye problems. You need to get a ReptiSUN 10.0 TUBE UVB, and mount it INSIDE the tank, as the screen filters about 50% of the UVB. It should be 6-8 inches from your dragon. Also, ditch the night light - colored lights prevent beardies from sleeping properly. They need total darkness. If it is over 65F in your tank, you don't need a heat source. If it is below 65F, you can get a ceramic heat emitter, which does not generate any light.

 

[stormwolfe]

Because you've now posted it... You really need to rethink all of your lighting, sadly. The compact/coil UVBs are not good enough for bearded dragons, and can cause serious eye problems. You need to get a ReptiSUN 10.0 TUBE UVB, and mount it INSIDE the tank, as the screen filters about 50% of the UVB. It should be 6-8 inches from your dragon.

Actually, I have new lighting on order that will arrive tomorrow. I thought I mentioned that somewhere above, my bad. The new fixture provides for two fluorescent strips + a halogen.

Also, ditch the night light - colored lights prevent beardies from sleeping properly. They need total darkness. If it is over 65F in your tank, you don't need a heat source. If it is below 65F, you can get a ceramic heat emitter, which does not generate any light.

We keep our house very cold, even during winter months. I will try him without the night light since we have an under the tank heating pad.

Thank you for the information. This is a good example, however, of what I said previously about so much conflicting information regarding Beardie care. Very, very hard to sort which is the most correct to follow.

~ SW

 

[daner923]

I actually suggest you turn off the heat pad, too, and just get a CHE. Heat pads have been known to cause severe burns as beardies don't feel heat from below too well. I agree that there is conflicting info. HOWEVER, if you spend a bit of time to regularly read the Health and ER sections of this forum, you will find that there is very much a consensus on the vast majority of things. These include UVB lights (Reptisun 10.0 tube or Arcadia 12% only), Temps (basking: 105-115 F for young dragons, around 100-105F for adults), night lights (no - use CHE if necessary), heat rocks and heat pads (no), feeding (no mealworms, dusting with calcium 5 days a week, vitamins two days, 2 feedings a day for young, no lettuce, use collard/dandelion/mustard greens, nothing bigger than space between eyes, no superworms until 16 inches), substrate (nothing loose whatsoever, but use tile, reptile carpet, paper towels, or non-adhesive shelf liner), and thermometers (dials/strips are bad, use a digital thermometer with probe or temp gun). I have been reading this site daily for four months now, and posting advice for over a month, and I am only comfortable giving advice because of the wealth of knowledge on this site, and general consensus on the most important aspects of beardie care found here.

 

[sweetpea1981]

I agree with everything Daner has said, he has given you some great advice that should be taken seriously for the health and well being of your beardie.

 

[stormwolfe]

I actually suggest you turn off the heat pad, too, and just get a CHE. Heat pads have been known to cause severe burns as beardies don't feel heat from below too well.

I shut the under tank heat pad off for now. I was checking the temperature of the tiles frequently and they were staying in the mid-to-upper 70* F range.

I agree that there is conflicting info. HOWEVER, if you spend a bit of time to regularly read the Health and ER sections of this forum, you will find that there is very much a consensus on the vast majority of things.

I am new to the forums as well as Beardie ownership and there's a massive number of posts. I am reading as much as I can, as fast as I can.

These include UVB lights (Reptisun 10.0 tube or Arcadia 12% only), Temps (basking: 105-115 F for young dragons, around 100-105F for adults), night lights (no - use CHE if necessary), heat rocks and heat pads (no)

He does have an UVB light, it's a compact fluorescent. More lighting is arriving tomorrow (2 fluorescent strips + a slot for a halogen). I removed his night light completely and will purchase a CHE if needed. With the completely new lighting set-up, he'll have his basking light, the compact UVB fluorescent + the 2 new fluorescent strips and the optional slot for a halogen.

Feeding (no mealworms, dusting with calcium 5 days a week, vitamins two days, 2 feedings a day for young, no lettuce, use collard/dandelion/mustard greens, nothing bigger than space between eyes, no superworms until 16 inches)

I do dust his food with the calcium 5/week and upped his vitamins recently to 2/week. I am feeding collard and turnip greens, a finely chopped grape (not every day on the grapes), finely chopped baby carrots, and a tiny bit of smashed papaya. No citrus, no lettuces. He is getting the occasional wax worm (tiny) and as many dusted crickets as he will eat (again, tiny). I spritz his greens with water as well (very lightly).

Substrate (nothing loose whatsoever, but use tile, reptile carpet, paper towels, or non-adhesive shelf liner), and thermometers (dials/strips are bad, use a digital thermometer with probe or temp gun).

His substrate consists of tile with very, very fine sand packed between the two tiles where they join. It's a tiny, tiny seam but his little toes are even tinier. I didn't want to risk him catching a toe in the seam and hurting himself. I have two digital thermometers (one is the Pro gun one I saw recommended) and I use the other one to verify its readings. I have a probe/digital type hygrometer and will be adding a plain old analog hygrometer tomorrow.

I have been reading this site daily for four months now, and posting advice for over a month, and I am only comfortable giving advice because of the wealth of knowledge on this site, and general consensus on the most important aspects of beardie care found here.

As stated, I'm very very new and reading / researching as fast as humanly possible. I appreciate all advice, however, and do sincerely thank you.

Best Regards,

Stormwolfe

 

[daner923]

Hey, you have to start somewhere! I hope you didn't think I was knocking you as an owner - I think you're doing a great job. When you get the new fluorescent fixture, ditch the compact UVB altogether. It just isn't worth the risk of eye injury. Put a Reptisun 10.0 tube into one of the fluorescent fixtures. The other you can just use for ambient light with a normal fluorescent tube if you would like! By the way, besides the UVB light, I think you're doing an EXCELLENT job, for what it's worth

 

[stormwolfe]

Hey, you have to start somewhere! I hope you didn't think I was knocking you as an owner - I think you're doing a great job. When you get the new fluorescent fixture, ditch the compact UVB altogether. It just isn't worth the risk of eye injury. Put a Reptisun 10.0 tube into one of the fluorescent fixtures. The other you can just use for ambient light with a normal fluorescent tube if you would like! By the way, besides the UVB light, I think you're doing an EXCELLENT job, for what it's worth

Awwwww, thank you! No, I wasn't upset. At this point, I confess to being so confused by all the contradictory information I was getting, I'm delighted someone jumped in. Things got done rather backwards. I decided I was going to get a Beardie and started the research. Low and behold, a Beardie appeared as a gift - along with the set-up. I've been playing catch-up ever since and getting more and more confused and frustrated with the information I've been finding.

So, let me be anal for a moment and make sure I'm getting all this right :?

My new setup =

2x Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 Fluorescent Lamp, 15-Watt/18-Inch that will be the equivalent of the 10.0

I don't have anything planned for the canopy's halogen slot at this time.

I'll keep his Sun-Glo basking light dome.

I MIGHT need to add a CHE if I find his temperature's dropping too much.

Currently, I have ditched the heating pad under the tank.

Does that sound about right?

SW

 

[daner923]

Almost - but those Reptiglo UVBs aren't good. Just get a single Reptisun 10.0 and put a normal, non UVB light in the other socket. The only two good UVB lights are the Reptisun 10.0 tube and the Arcadia 12%, as I mentioned.