New beardie owner!

[addy dunk]

I’m Addy! I just bought my first beardie from a local pet shop 3 days ago. He looks to be about 2-3 months old and has been doing pretty well. Any tips on helping them adjust, or about beardies in general? I want to make sure he has the best care and isn’t too stressed out by coming into a new home and environment.

 

[NickAVD]

Welcome to the forum! I am sure this is the best place you can get all the information about keeping beardies.
First of all, you need to tell us about your terrarium and the lamps you bought in the store. Usually the advice the store gives is not the best. There are real professionals on the forum and they will definitely check your installation and help eliminate any shortcomings if they are found. It would be great if you could share photos of your setup and your beardie.

 

[xp29]

I agree with NickAVD.
And welcome to the forum

 

[addy dunk]

Welcome to the forum! I am sure this is the best place you can get all the information about keeping beardies.
First of all, you need to tell us about your terrarium and the lamps you bought in the store. Usually the advice the store gives is not the best. There are real professionals on the forum and they will definitely check your installation and help eliminate any shortcomings if they are found. It would be great if you could share photos of your setup and your beardie.

Okay! I will just start off my describing my setup to you, right now I have a 10 gallon terrarium, I know that is quite small but he is a baby and I plan on upgrading his size to a 75 gallon as soon as possible! And then once he is fully grown I plan on having a 200 gallon enclosure for him! My lighting right now is not the greatest. I have a heat lamp with a reflective hood and the bulb is 75 watts, I didn’t wanna go for 100 watts and it be too strong since he is just a little fella! For my uvb I currently have a bulb that isn’t quite a coil but is compacted, I plan on ordering an arcadia t5 tube light today thought! For now I have just been trying to make sure the uvb is near wherever he is spending his time to make sure he is getting the rays. The bottom of my enclosure has reptile carpet but I put newspapers over the top of it so his claws don’t get stuck or anything. He has a basking spot on his hot side and a hide on his cool side along with some wood to climb in the middle. I have been spraying his cage on the glass near his rock so he can lick up the water and it hasn’t effected the humidity much, it stays around 35-40 when i spray! His basking spot stays around 95, i have read and heard lots of different things about basking temps for baby beardies, is 95 okay? He seems to be doing well he has been eating around 12-15 crickets when i feed him, but hasn’t been eating much of his salad which I have heard is to be expected from baby’s. Today he hasn’t eating much, only 2 crickets, but i notice some skin starting to shed from his face so i am guessing with the combination of moving to a new environment and getting ready to shed that could be why he isn’t eating a lot, but correct me if im wrong!

 

[KarrieRee]

Okay! I will just start off my describing my setup to you, right now I have a 10 gallon terrarium, I know that is quite small but he is a baby and I plan on upgrading his size to a 75 gallon as soon as possible! And then once he is fully grown I plan on having a 200 gallon enclosure for him! My lighting right now is not the greatest. I have a heat lamp with a reflective hood and the bulb is 75 watts, I didn’t wanna go for 100 watts and it be too strong since he is just a little fella! For my uvb I currently have a bulb that isn’t quite a coil but is compacted, I plan on ordering an arcadia t5 tube light today thought! For now I have just been trying to make sure the uvb is near wherever he is spending his time to make sure he is getting the rays. The bottom of my enclosure has reptile carpet but I put newspapers over the top of it so his claws don’t get stuck or anything. He has a basking spot on his hot side and a hide on his cool side along with some wood to climb in the middle. I have been spraying his cage on the glass near his rock so he can lick up the water and it hasn’t effected the humidity much, it stays around 35-40 when i spray! His basking spot stays around 95, i have read and heard lots of different things about basking temps for baby beardies, is 95 okay? He seems to be doing well he has been eating around 12-15 crickets when i feed him, but hasn’t been eating much of his salad which I have heard is to be expected from baby’s. Today he hasn’t eating much, only 2 crickets, but i notice some skin starting to shed from his face so i am guessing with the combination of moving to a new environment and getting ready to shed that could be why he isn’t eating a lot, but correct me if im wrong! View attachment 90802

Please get two digital probe thermometers - they will give accurate surface basking temps - 105-110-- take your Arcadia place on top no screen 12-15 inches directly over a piece of basking decor - I would have it running width wise so he can get out of the uvb rays- he will know what he needs for lighting- you need your 75 gallon as soon as possible

 

[xp29]

Okay! I will just start off my describing my setup to you, right now I have a 10 gallon terrarium, I know that is quite small but he is a baby and I plan on upgrading his size to a 75 gallon as soon as possible! And then once he is fully grown I plan on having a 200 gallon enclosure for him! My lighting right now is not the greatest. I have a heat lamp with a reflective hood and the bulb is 75 watts, I didn’t wanna go for 100 watts and it be too strong since he is just a little fella! For my uvb I currently have a bulb that isn’t quite a coil but is compacted, I plan on ordering an arcadia t5 tube light today thought! For now I have just been trying to make sure the uvb is near wherever he is spending his time to make sure he is getting the rays. The bottom of my enclosure has reptile carpet but I put newspapers over the top of it so his claws don’t get stuck or anything. He has a basking spot on his hot side and a hide on his cool side along with some wood to climb in the middle. I have been spraying his cage on the glass near his rock so he can lick up the water and it hasn’t effected the humidity much, it stays around 35-40 when i spray! His basking spot stays around 95, i have read and heard lots of different things about basking temps for baby beardies, is 95 okay? He seems to be doing well he has been eating around 12-15 crickets when i feed him, but hasn’t been eating much of his salad which I have heard is to be expected from baby’s. Today he hasn’t eating much, only 2 crickets, but i notice some skin starting to shed from his face so i am guessing with the combination of moving to a new environment and getting ready to shed that could be why he isn’t eating a lot, but correct me if im wrong! View attachment 90802

Work with @KarrieRee she can help you get you setup spot on.
Your baby looks to be a really pretty g stripe leatherback.

 

[NickAVD]

His basking spot stays around 95, i have read and heard lots of different things about basking temps for baby beardies, is 95 okay?

With temperature everything is simple. For baby bearded dragons it should be 105-110 degrees, and for adult dragons 95-100. Children eat very often and a lot, so they need extra warmth to support digestion. Your dragon may be eating less due to lack of warmth. You need to buy a temperature meter with a probe (this is a sensor on a wire) and set the desired temperature in the basking zone.