New beardie questions!!!

[ParkerandMe]

Hi all! I'm Claire, and I will be getting my first bearded dragon in August! I'm so excited!!! I've been researching these guys for going on 4 months, and as you all probably know, there are a load of contradicting opinions out there on everything that has to do with bd care. Since you guys have a lot of personal experience, I thought this would be a great place to go.
A Brief Intro
I have always loved animals and currently have a chocolate German Shorthaired Pointer. We moved recently and found an awesome all-reptile shop called Curious Creatures LLC (just letting you know, I had wanted a bearded dragon prior to this). I fell in love with a little 5-6 inch leatherback with orange-ish bars and put a deposit on him. From what I've seen from Curious Creatures, he is pretty active and likes to fall asleep in my hand which I find adorable.

As you all know, there are a crazy amount of contradicting opinions on BD care. I have about a billion questions . Thanks for your help!
1. What are your daytime temps for your cage. (Basking spot, hot side, cool side)
2. What thermometer/probe would you recommend to keep track of temps?
3. Would it be possible for me to put in a cardboard divider or something similar in the adult cage while Norbert is a baby?
4. For his adult cage I was thinking one of the large and low Exoterras with the front opening doors or one of the larger ones my pet store carries. What size do you use?
5. How long did your beardie take to adjust after you got them? (Mine will not be shipped, just a short car ride, so he might be a bit less stressed than if he was shipped)
6. On a lot of websites they say to feed some foods, like raspberries, occasionally. How often is occasionally?
7. How long should I wait to handle my beardie after I get him?
8. How do I put in images on the forum? I would like to attach a pic of Norbert and I don't know how! :lol:
Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it!

 

[CooperDragon]

1. What are your daytime temps for your cage. (Basking spot, hot side, cool side)
- 100-110 under the basking site, 75-85 on the cool side of the tank with a gradient in between. This allows for self regulation of temperature.

2. What thermometer/probe would you recommend to keep track of temps?
- I use a temp gun and love it. A digital thermometer with a probe will work well too but it is much slower to get an accurate reading (~30-45 min) while the temp gun is instant and versatile.

3. Would it be possible for me to put in a cardboard divider or something similar in the adult cage while Norbert is a baby?
- You can divide off a larger cage, but it may not be necessary. That's something I'd consider if he reacts overwhelmed. Otherwise having lots of room to run around/explore is a good thing.

4. For his adult cage I was thinking one of the large and low Exoterras with the front opening doors or one of the larger ones my pet store carries. What size do you use?
- I have the 36''x18''x18'' Exo Terra. It's probably the minimum size I'd recommend for an adult. I LOVE the front opening doors. It's also a pretty good height to put lighting on top (you'll have to measure temps and adjust accordingly) I recommend a high output T5 UVB if you place it on top. Otherwise I'd mount it inside or cut the screen out of the top so the UVB can get to the basking site at proper levels. Foil over the plastic cross section will prevent melting.

5. How long did your beardie take to adjust after you got them? (Mine will not be shipped, just a short car ride, so he might be a bit less stressed than if he was shipped)
- My baby adjusted almost immediately, but this could take up to a few weeks depending on the personality of each dragon.

6. On a lot of websites they say to feed some foods, like raspberries, occasionally. How often is occasionally?
- Maybe once a week in a salad on rotation. I make salads using the beautifuldragons.com nutrition chart. A daily salad includes one or two staple greens like Collards or Turnip Greens. Then a veggie like squash and a fruit every other day or so. Feeder bugs (crickets in my case) are offered every day twice a day for a baby and once a day for an adult. Dust with calcium powder one meal 5x a week and vitamin powder one meal 2x a week. I rotate different worms in as a supplement. PhoenixWorms are great for young dragons as well as the soft bodied worms like Butterworms and Silkworms. Superworms can be fed to older dragons over about 16'' long.

7. How long should I wait to handle my beardie after I get him?
- It depends on the dragon. If he looks stressed out, leave him be and let him get used to the new surroundings. If he seems OK with interaction you can hold him right away.

8. How do I put in images on the forum? I would like to attach a pic of Norbert and I don't know how! :lol:
- You can upload photos to an image host like tinypic or photobucket and then paste the url here with the img tag.

 

[ParkerandMe]

Thanks so much!!! That was really helpful. Yeah I use the beautiful dragons website too and they had said occasionally which led to my question. Thanks again!

 

[Taterbug]

2) I also love my temp gun. I have a ryobi from lowes. I also have a zoomed probe, and accurite weather stations - they all have different uses. If you only get one, get a gun.

3) I wouldn't block it off either, unless there is a problem. Make sure he has places to stay out of view, and plenty to climb on.

4) I have a 4'x2'x2' - personally I wouldn't go smaller than that, and it didn't need to decide it when we got Pepper. 36x18x18 is more readily available, but go as big as you can. Front opening doors are a must for me - I have one top open cage and I hate it.

5) It seems like petstore dragons (especially big retailers) tend to have more tendency to adjustment periods. Pepper never had relocation stress, he ate right away and acted like he owned the place. We got him from a breeder at a reptile show, so depending on how socialized your little one is it can vary.

6) Certain foods have negative aspects. For fruits and sweet stuff, usually it's the sugar that you want to limit. Many occasional foods are low in calcium, or otherwise not an ideal choice if it's the only thing you are feeding. If you feed a salad mostly of greens (and they get eaten) then you can safely mix in other veggies in smaller quantities. Occasionally doesn't make as much sense to me as "in moderation" for those foods. Of course an all raspberry buffet should be a rare thing, a berry or two every other day or so shouldn't be a problem.

We used to have a pointer - they are awesome dogs! Best wishes with your dragon!

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[ParkerandMe]

Thanks Taterbug! I get what your saying about the divider; I had just been told by many people that he might have trouble finding food or could feel overwhelmed. What does a salad usually contain for you? I was thinking my average feeding schedule might go something like this, of course with variation each day.
8:30 am- salad: Escarole, Collard Greens, Butternut Squash
11:00 am- put in dubia bowl
4:00 pm- feed crickets for 10-15 minutes
8:00 pm- mist, give a couple of dubia sometimes
Thanks again for your help! (and they are great dogs I love mine so much!!!)