My 8y/o daughter received a bearded Dragon from Santa for Christmas (wink wink) and have a few questions about the care. He is a baby around 3 months old. We’ve had him for a little over a week. He doesn’t seem to be eating as much as I am reading about, especially his greens.. In short, here are a few questions in order of priority:
1-Where do I put the probe for the thermometer? I am getting crazy readings depending on where I put it? Maybe its just a cheap-o one? I use a temp gun and get consistent reading but the thermometer I have in there now, seems all messed up.. This is the one: https://zoomed.com/digital-thermometer/
2-For greens, do I need to chop pieces small and place in food dish?
3-We have live crickets and give him 4 or 5 at a time when I add more, he won’t touch them..
4-What are the correct humidity levels?
5-I have (2) 75Watt bulbs for basking and tank still only gets up to 100.. Is this ok?
Attached is a pic of my setup… Thanks for looking..
Hi Kevin welcome - the digital probe is what most use on here- place the probe on the place he sits to bask temps need to be 105-110-- VERY IMPORTANT-- Next get rid of the coil UVB in the dome- they are No good and inadequate-- you need a long tube fixture I recommend a 24" w/ reflector and a Reptisun 10.0 T 5- VERY IMPORTANT!! those two things are the most important things in that tank-- you can try your petstores but most end up ordering on line- you need to get this ASAP--please - it's good he's eating - you want him eating the coil UVB will cause all kinds of health issues- I would order some BSFL from here www.symtonbsf.com they make great salad toppers and you don't need to dust them--- great staple for babies-- the greens I would cut up a little - and if feeding squash cut that up-- I can post a website for nutrition here later today
Karrie
Hi Kevin the T 8 fixture has a reflector in it already but the T 5 bulb you bought will not work for the T 8 fixture so this is what you need to do --- take the T 5 bulb back or hang on to it incase you want to upgrade to a T 5 fixture later its up to you --- go to Pet Smart / Petco and get this bulb Reptisun 10.0 T 8 ---- this is a way better bulb than the one that comes w/ that fixture --- then it will need to go inside your tank if its a 40 gallon -- if its a 20 gallon you will need to take the screen off or have it half way off - let me know the size of the tank and I can help you get it placed along w/ distance
Karrie
You will haft to upgrade -- he wont be in that 20 gallon long --- so I would hang on to the T 5 bulb -- you will haft to get the Zoo Med HO fixture -- the T 8 for now needs to sit on top of the tank w/ NO obstruction -- NO clear plastic cover over the bulb either ---- you can place the fixture width wise on the tank at the very end of the tank take the screen butt it up against it and set the basking bulb next to it --- take a piece of decor set it directly under the UVB approx 6-8 inches under ---
Karrie
Ok yes, we plan on upgrading at some point.. As for the T5 bulb, I dont have one.. Sorry for the confusion. My plan was to replace the bulb in that Zilla fixture with the Reptisun T8 shown in the picture
So I do have a concern with his eating.. I offered him 5 crickets this morning (8am), he ate 2.. I removed the 2 he didn't eat after about 30min, then just offered another 3 crickets (1pm) and he wont eat them. I thought he would be attacking the crickets, the minute I put them in.. Any ideas?
Is all the lighting up to par now? At least he's eating - they do go thru relocation stress too so this might be part of it- keep offering food like you are- is he under the UVB
Karrie
Get some BSFL from here www.symtonbsf.com from here and add them to his salads hand feed him some -- then add the BSFL in front of him --- the crickets your feeding please post a pic of him and a cricket next to him --- I need to see the size your feeding please
Karrie