tisfortaya
New member
Hello!
I got a new (to me) bearded dragon on Saturday. The previous owner told me it is a 1 1/2 year old female, and she came "with everything". After getting her home set up and getting her settled in, I began to more closely look at how she was being cared for before, and I am hoping to get some advice and help on a few things.
I'm going to list as much info as I can, to start, followed with my questions... sorry in advance for the ridiculously long post!
INFO:
The tank is 48 in (4 ft) long, ~24 in (2 ft) tall, and probably ~20 in deep. The top has two screen panels, and the front has sliding glass doors with a small screen panel below them. The bottom of the tank has ~1 in thick stone-like tiles, and the decor inside consists of two large branches, a faux stone cave that is too small for her but she sits on top of, and a faux stone Buddha. I also picked up a straw mat-like hammock for the corner where her basking light is, a wooden house big enough for her to go inside of on the cool side of the tank, and faux stone food and water dishes (her previous owner provided food on a plastic dish lid and no water dish).
She came with a dome light fixture and a 100w repti basking spot lamp, a digital thermometer with a probe, and two dial thermometers attached to either side of the back walls of the tank. She was being fed spinach and superworms, although I was unable to determine how often or how much she was being fed, and it doesn't seem like she's been given any supplements. She was bathed for 15 minutes once a week, and misted two or three times a week. I picked up Rep-Cal calcium with D3, and will pick up Rep-Cal herptivite soon (need to go to a farther away pet store).
I keep our house between 68 and 72 F. I have the digital thermometer probe on her basking spot, and the temperature was not getting as high as 30 C (86 F) at any given time. I picked up an under tank heater (one sized for a 30 gallon tank) and put it beneath her basking spot, hoping to warm things up a bit. I also put the basking lamp inside the tank, hoping to get it closer to her. I haven't noticed much of an improvement. So far, she spends most of her time laying totally flat on the tile that is above the heating pad, occasionally going into her hammock that is above that tile and directly beneath the lamp. I do intend to pick up an infared temp gun.
QUESTIONS:
1. Should I buy a new basking spot lamp? It is a 100w, but I don't know how old it is - I initially thought it should be replaced once burnt out, but now I'm wondering if it doesn't produce as much heat because it might be older?
2. I know that UTH pads aren't ideal as they could potentially malfunction and cause burns, but it seems like it is her favourite spot to be, and she literally wiggles down to press herself flat to the tile. If I am checking it daily, can I leave it in for her?
3. I know I need to buy a UVB light for her, and I am wondering if there are pros and cons between getting a PowerSun bulb (UVA/UVB, heat & light all in one) or getting a ReptiSun 10.0 tube in conjunction with the repti basking spot lamp?
4. I have so far fed her 4-5 superworms a day, along with offering salads of mixed greens, bell peppers, cucumber, broccoli, banana (which she apparently absolutely hates - won't offer that again! haha), and apple. I am going to pick up more insects for her tonight, and am planning to try to get hornworms, silkworms, BSFL, and as a last resort, crickets. Does this sound okay?
5. I am thinking that I would like to pick up a dry food for her (I am thinking of the Fluker's buffet blend) to keep a little something extra available in her tank, should she want it. I'm misting her cage once a day, and making sure to mist her salad. Does anyone know any pros and cons of offering small amounts of dry food, and whether dampening the pellets would be good or bad?
6. She is currently in shed, mostly on her back, sides, and belly. I gave her warm baths Saturday and Sunday evenings, and very gently rubbed the shed where it was the most loose. I noticed on Sunday that she turned her beard black during her bath, and was constantly trying to get away from me while I dried her off, whereas on Saturday, she was happy to sit with me for a good hour or so. Is this likely because of the shedding and/or new home, or should I be concerned at all?
Thank you so, so much for reading my mini novel! And a million thank-yous in advance for any insight or help
I got a new (to me) bearded dragon on Saturday. The previous owner told me it is a 1 1/2 year old female, and she came "with everything". After getting her home set up and getting her settled in, I began to more closely look at how she was being cared for before, and I am hoping to get some advice and help on a few things.
I'm going to list as much info as I can, to start, followed with my questions... sorry in advance for the ridiculously long post!
INFO:
The tank is 48 in (4 ft) long, ~24 in (2 ft) tall, and probably ~20 in deep. The top has two screen panels, and the front has sliding glass doors with a small screen panel below them. The bottom of the tank has ~1 in thick stone-like tiles, and the decor inside consists of two large branches, a faux stone cave that is too small for her but she sits on top of, and a faux stone Buddha. I also picked up a straw mat-like hammock for the corner where her basking light is, a wooden house big enough for her to go inside of on the cool side of the tank, and faux stone food and water dishes (her previous owner provided food on a plastic dish lid and no water dish).
She came with a dome light fixture and a 100w repti basking spot lamp, a digital thermometer with a probe, and two dial thermometers attached to either side of the back walls of the tank. She was being fed spinach and superworms, although I was unable to determine how often or how much she was being fed, and it doesn't seem like she's been given any supplements. She was bathed for 15 minutes once a week, and misted two or three times a week. I picked up Rep-Cal calcium with D3, and will pick up Rep-Cal herptivite soon (need to go to a farther away pet store).
I keep our house between 68 and 72 F. I have the digital thermometer probe on her basking spot, and the temperature was not getting as high as 30 C (86 F) at any given time. I picked up an under tank heater (one sized for a 30 gallon tank) and put it beneath her basking spot, hoping to warm things up a bit. I also put the basking lamp inside the tank, hoping to get it closer to her. I haven't noticed much of an improvement. So far, she spends most of her time laying totally flat on the tile that is above the heating pad, occasionally going into her hammock that is above that tile and directly beneath the lamp. I do intend to pick up an infared temp gun.
QUESTIONS:
1. Should I buy a new basking spot lamp? It is a 100w, but I don't know how old it is - I initially thought it should be replaced once burnt out, but now I'm wondering if it doesn't produce as much heat because it might be older?
2. I know that UTH pads aren't ideal as they could potentially malfunction and cause burns, but it seems like it is her favourite spot to be, and she literally wiggles down to press herself flat to the tile. If I am checking it daily, can I leave it in for her?
3. I know I need to buy a UVB light for her, and I am wondering if there are pros and cons between getting a PowerSun bulb (UVA/UVB, heat & light all in one) or getting a ReptiSun 10.0 tube in conjunction with the repti basking spot lamp?
4. I have so far fed her 4-5 superworms a day, along with offering salads of mixed greens, bell peppers, cucumber, broccoli, banana (which she apparently absolutely hates - won't offer that again! haha), and apple. I am going to pick up more insects for her tonight, and am planning to try to get hornworms, silkworms, BSFL, and as a last resort, crickets. Does this sound okay?
5. I am thinking that I would like to pick up a dry food for her (I am thinking of the Fluker's buffet blend) to keep a little something extra available in her tank, should she want it. I'm misting her cage once a day, and making sure to mist her salad. Does anyone know any pros and cons of offering small amounts of dry food, and whether dampening the pellets would be good or bad?
6. She is currently in shed, mostly on her back, sides, and belly. I gave her warm baths Saturday and Sunday evenings, and very gently rubbed the shed where it was the most loose. I noticed on Sunday that she turned her beard black during her bath, and was constantly trying to get away from me while I dried her off, whereas on Saturday, she was happy to sit with me for a good hour or so. Is this likely because of the shedding and/or new home, or should I be concerned at all?
Thank you so, so much for reading my mini novel! And a million thank-yous in advance for any insight or help