Need advice

[Futurebeardiemummy]

Hey guys I hoped I have put this in the right place.
I am planning on getting a sub-adult beardie (that's what the breeder sells- does this mean juvenile or) and wanted to check that I'm on the right track

Lighting I am planing on getting the 10.1 reptisun and then for heat and some sort of basking bulb (what are some good ones) do these lightes need to be outside the tank or do I have to mount them inside the mesh lid?

Substrate I'm thinking paper towel or some tile (is any tile okay or are some harmful to the beardie?)

And then food I'm thinking salad at all times with as many dubi/crickets as he can eat in 5-10 min twice a day. Is this good? What vitamins/calcium powders do you reccomend and how often should I use??

Please let me know is this sounds good or if you have any other suggestions I would really appreciate the help this is my first beardie and I don't wanna mess it up

 

[CooperDragon]

Hi!
It's exciting that you're planning on getting a dragon. A sub adult is still growing so a couple of bug meals per day along with a salad is a good idea. It's helpful to get the hatch date from the breeder so you know their age for sure. When they hit 12-18 months their growth slows and you can slowly reduce the bugs and try to get them eating more salads. This is a good list to reference for some salad ideas http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Try to offer as much variety as you can. I like to offer 2-3 items from that list and just rotate depending on what looks fresh at the store. Dust the bugs at every meal using a calcium supplement. I like Repashy products but there are other good options available. You can substitute in a vitamin supplement once or twice per week (instead of the calcium) if you wish. There are also decent all in one options like Repashy Calcium Plus that work well if you just want one supplement to do the job.

What are the dimensions of the enclosure you're planning to use? I suggest buying or building the largest one you can get from the start (40g breeder at minimum). That will allow for plenty of space to create gradients with your lighting.

It's well worth investing in good lighting. A 22'' T5 fixture with a reflector is a great option http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ Set that about 12'' above the basking zone and it will serve you well. For basking, it's nice to have a dimmable halogen bulb so you can fine tune the output. You may still need to test some different wattages but I use a PAR38 halogen flood light and it works very well. Shoot for surface temps between about 100-110 in the basking zone with a gradient down to about 75-80 or so in the cool zones. Using an IR temp gun or a couple of digital thermometers w/probes is the recommended way to measure this. Even better if you can set up a dimming thermostat but I'd consider that a luxury item.

Paper towel is fine for substrate. Easy to replace. You can also go with non adhesive shelf liner which can be sanitized or replaced. Tile is nice too but it's hard so offering some relief by putting fleece down over part of it seems to help.

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

Thanks for that.
When he becomes a adult does the calcium 5 times a week and vitamins 2 times a week stay the same? Is this on all meals or just on one lot of buggies. Does crickets in the morning and dubi at night sounds like a good plan? For variety? Another bugs I can offer as treats?
When he becomes a adult how does the amount of insects change?

Ahhhhhh lighting is so confusing. What is a reflector? Does this mean that it can go out side of the cage??
Shouls I get a timer for the lights or aslong as I turn them on and off when I wake up/ go to bed it will be fine??
Do I need a cermaic heater or something at night or will it be fine?
The UVB needs to cover most of the tank doesn't it? And then the basking spot overlaps?
How do I know how far away the light needs to be from the base of the tank??

Oh yeah I forgot to say the tank is a 40gal breeder


Thankyou for the help!!!

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

The light u linked - so is that good for the UVB aspect? And it says it can be kept outside the mesh??

Sorry for all the questions I'm super worried about mucking it up!!!!


(Oh and what wattage is the basking bulb you use - of the one you attached a link to)

 

[CooperDragon]

You still want to dust the bugs at every meal, but an adult will only eat a bug meal once or twice per week. You don't need to supplement salads. The veges are nutritious on their own.

Morning and night meal sounds good. Just give an hour or so to wake up a bit in the AM and a couple of hours under lights to digest in the evening. As they stop growing (somewhere between 12-18 months usually) they start eating less. You can reduce to one bug meal per day then every other day, then every third day eventually. Just slowly try to get them eating more veges on a regular basis.

The reflector sits behind the bulb (shiny metal) and directs the light downward, essentially increasing the output of the bulb. The one I linked is what I use and it's excellent. It can sit on top of mesh but should be more like 10'' up instead of 12'' because the mesh will intercept some of the UVB. It doesn't need to cover the whole tank, just sit over the basking area so the strongest UVB combines with the heat and bright light from the basking light to imitate sunlight. 22'' is long enough to cast a beam that an adult can bask under evenly. You can use a larger one in a larger tank if you want but it's not really necessary and it's good to provide areas that have less UVB. They're very good at self regulating and will move around to get what they need if you give them options. A ceramic heater isn't needed unless the temps drop below about 65 overnight. I have one that I use seasonally because I let my house get cold in the winter. low 70s is a good temperature for them overnight.

I like using a timer. Just put them both on a timer so you can set it and forget it. A 14hr daylight schedule is usually pretty good. I set my lights to come on about an hour before I get up so my guy is ready for breakfast when I'm up.

I use a 90w PAR38 halogen flood light for basking. It's pretty strong but I keep it about 25'' up so it casts a nice wide beam. In closer quarters a lower wattage may be better but base this on the temps you read. It varies from setup to setup. I don't like basking lights to be closer than 12'' to prevent burns and to provide a nice wide beam.

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

Omg wow I didn't realise that about feeding I just thought adults were the same with the how much they can eat.
Can I feed them a small amount of insects daily to ensure I don't underfed and just feed less then I would if I feed them only a couple times? Does that make sense??

Could you link in the fixture you use for your basking light if possible?
Ah okay so you use a 90W, I'm going to have to order these online so I would rather have some idea of what I need obvi if it doesn't work I will replace it but ya know I would rather it work first time around haha
Do you like a 60ishW would be good and 15 or so inch around?

You said the lights had a dimmer how does that work???

Sorry for all the questions their is just so much conflicting infomation it gets confusing aha.
I really appreciate your help!!!


I saw the following light http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/100-watt-basking-sun-bulb/ and was wondering if this would work as a basking light?

 

[CooperDragon]

They eat like crazy when they are growing but when they're done growing they are more opportunistic and eat much less in general. If you can get them eating a nice varied salad then that will give them most of the nutrients they need. The bugs just add protein to round out the diet at that point. My adult eats his veges pretty well (he LOVES squash) and is nice and healthy. He still gets his rotation of bugs but they aren't the focal point of his diet. There's no single right answer to how much and when to feed but in my opinion shoot for more veges and occasional bugs and focus on variety as much as you can.

This is the light fixture I have for my basking lights https://www.theisens.com/products/brooder-lamp-18/2-sjeo-x-6/40820211/ I got it at my local farm supply store. You can find similar at a hardware store probably.

I also get my basking lights from either Amazon or a local farm store. Walmart has them too. This is the one I use https://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Energy-Efficient-Halogen-90-Watt-PAR38-Floodlight-2-Pack/21695128 but like I said, you might need a different wattage based on your setup. You should go by the surface temp readings you get and adjust as needed. Changing the height and wattage works best for large adjustments but then you can fine tune it with a lamp dimmer like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000BYEF6/ The one I use is programmable and automatically dims the light based on temperature reading. It's a Herpstat 2. They are more expensive but nice to have for automation's sake.

The basking light you linked to will probably work if it provides the correct heat gradient. I've found that the reptile specific bulbs don't tend to last as long and don't like being dimmed as much (mine made a humming sound).

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

Thankyou I like the look of the reptisun 10.1
The uvb doest emmit heat does it?

Sorry I know you have explained it multiple times I'm still just trying to wrap my head around it.
The wattage will determine the heat? Correct? So if the wattage is lower it will need to be closer to the basking point and if it's higher it will need to be further away?

So if I get a adjustable fixture for the basking lamp and get a 90W light (of any type or? Like how do I know what can be used) I can go off of that?

 

[CooperDragon]

You're thinking of two separate lights. The ReptiSun 10 is a good light, similar to the Arcadia I linked to. They don't get hot but produce UVB (and UVA). It's important to invest in a high quality light like one of those. They need a long fixture with a reflector to make the most out of the UVB from them and need to sit at a specific distance from the basking area to provide adequate UVB. The link I sent includes a fixture that works with the bulb so it's a kit. If you want a ReptiSun equivalent, you'll want to get this bulb https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ And this fixture https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26053-Reptisun-Terrarium/dp/B00AQU8F2O (the bulb that comes with it isn't strong enough so replace it with the 10.0 version I linked to at first).

The second component is the basking light which produces bright white light and heat (infrared). When combined the two of them do a decent job of imitating natural sunlight. The basking light is the 90w I was describing and generally speaking the higher the wattage, the more heat it produces and the further away it can be set. If you have your bulb on top of a 40g breeder for example, it's a bit closer so a 65-75w PAR38 halogen flood light might work better. It also depends on the ambient temps so it's really a guess at first and then do some trial and error to see what best fits your setup. PAR38 is the size of the reflector in the bulb and halogen is the type of bulb. The halogen bulbs tend to work for a long time and handle dimming. The PAR38 size provides a nice wide beam for dragons to bask under.

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

Thankyou sorry I'm being such a pain I looked at the one you linked for the UVB however I can't get it in Australia hence why I'm going with the reptisun

Thanks I am not able to get that 90W in AU no where seems to sell them which is why I'm trying to work out what I can supplement. I just don't wanna buy a light and find out it doesn't produce the right heat or light!! This is why I think my only option will be a reptile basking light but then that's a whole nother lurning curve aha

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

I have found a 70W globe however it's frosted???? Idk I'll attach the link and if you could have a look that would be amazing!!

I appreciate your help and patience so so so much!! (I know I must be getting annoying ?)

https://www.bunnings.com.au/brilliant-70w-b22-halogen-globe-6-pack_p4340333


I possibly sent this as a PM? I'm still getting used to the website ? Could you just let me know if it came through ah.... sorry again!!!!!

 

[CooperDragon]

Ah Bunnings. You are in Australia or New Zealand? I can dig up some more local links for you a bit later. Have to catch a flight now.

 

[Futurebeardiemummy]

Yep Australian!!
Have a safe flight you have been a huge help.
If you could find some good bulbs when you have a moment it would be greatly appreciated as I am way over my head and starting to freak out a little!!!!!!

 

[CooperDragon]

Maybe something like this would do https://www.bunnings.com.au/philips-75w-r80-clear-es-reflector-globe-2-pack_p7010016 This might do too but it is fairly high wattage. https://www.bunnings.com.au/philips-120w-es-clear-par38-globe_p4320139 Mitre 10 might have some stuff too. I'm not seeing much with some initial searches on their websites. Might be worth checking gumtree perhaps. Amazing Amazon near Melbourne carries a lot of reptile specific supplies but is fairly expensive. Kingofnobbys or one of the other Australian folks on here may be able to help you with more specifics than I can.

 

[label]

Greetings from Melbourne! For heat lamps I use different wattages of the Phillips R80s: https://www.bunnings.com.au/philips-60w-es-r80-clear-floodlight-reflector-globe_p4324296 as they're way cheaper then specialist "reptile" lights. I generally try to get the Reptisun 10.0 when I can. Once these are pulled from the market we may be stuck buying the specialist globes, though. Good luck with your new little one!