new owner, quite worried, waning to do my best

[TaigaHunter]

hi, I am a new owner of a one year old bearded dragon, he came from a home that no longer wanted to care for him, as I am new to reptile care i have a few questions. i worry about him and i want him to have a better life than he previously has had, when we had him he was a little nervous especially when i attempted to pick him up, though he seems to be coming around to me now, letting me pick him up, stroke him and exploring. though he does seem to sit in the middle of the vivarium neither in the hot end or cold end nearly all day untill i have handled him is this normal?

i have fed him crickets 2/3 times this week that i have dusted with calcium supplement (is this the right thing to do?) i have been feeding him salad/ vegetables/ fruit every day but not so much on live food days (a mixture of rocket, small amount of watercress, butternut squash and green/yellow pepper, and every now and again apple and other fruit) i have read i should give him vitamins and minerals 2 times a week as well is this right? i mist him every day as well as having a water dish and a small bathing bowl in his enclosure. i am gong to try and bathe him tomorrow.

i have monitored his temperatures and set up thermometers in his vivarium so that it is 100/110 degrees on his basking log and in the cool end it is around 65 at very lowest to 75 degrees. i have set his uvA/B lighting to come on at 8 in the morning and switch off at 10 at night.



sorry but i just would love some reassurance and to know where i am going wrong/right. i just want what is best for my little Hunter

 

[AtlasStrike]

It's good that you are trying, and it sounds like you are on the right track. How long have you had him? What size is his enclosure? What kind of UVB are you using? How are you measuring the temperatures? It sounds like the cool side could be a bit warmer, but the warm side sounds good if you are using an accurate thermometer. If you are using a dial, he might be sitting in the middle of the viv because the temperatures are too high and he doesn't want to overheat.
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html is an excellent reference for what you should be feeding him.

Good luck, and welcome!!

 

[TaigaHunter]

Thankyou so much for your speedy reply, i really appreciate it! i have only had him 3 days and this is starting the 4th today. i have took the dimensions of his vivarium, which are: 122x46x41 (l x d x h) i have been told this is around a 50 gallons. i am going to change his uvb and heat lamp today as i do not trust the quality and will better in myself if i have personally picked the right equipment for him.

The temperatures as read this morning are: basking spot 103 degrees, middle of the vivarium is 83 degrees (though it is slightly closer to the cooler en) , and the cool end is at 81 degrees, i am using a movable dial that i can safety place on the decor in his vivarium as well as having 2 fixed ones on the walls.

Thank you so much for the link of what food to give him, it is a good extra reference to have. especially the reference on calcium and vitamins, that i was slightly worried/confused about, seeing that i never had any indication from the previous owners on what he must have, though they assured me they were giving it to him.

Thank you so much again for the help and the welcome

 

[Ezzor]

If possible, get a laser thermometer, or one with a wire probe. Usually a standard outdoor/indoor thermometer will work ok. put the probe end in the basking area and the other part on the cool side. The dial thermometers aren't very good, as they can be off by up to 20 degrees or so.

If you are picking up a UVB bulb, try to find a Reptisun 10.0. They are a bit more costly, but are the best on the market.

 

[TaigaHunter]

hi, thank you your words of advice Ezzor, i took your word and did buy the Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb and i brought him a new basking bulb and to be honest it has made quite a difference. already i'm seeing a much happier bearded dragon, so thank you very much.

Still on the lookout for a better set of thermometers as they didn't have them in stock today though i will be getting them ASAP! i will see if i can order them online