new owner

[bluejen1313]

Hi! We are getting our first bearded dragon tomorrow. We have 2 red footed tortoises, 1 red eared slider, a hamster, and 2 fish. I think I have everything set up for Scales' arrival, but I have a few questions. He's a few months old and I habave a 20 long tank with tile flooring, a screen top, and uvb bulb, night time bulb, and basking light. I have a water dish, 2 hides ( one on the warm side and one on the cool side), a feeding dish that's easy for him to access, a basking spot. I just have 3 questions... so far. One, do you leave the basking light and uvb light on during the day and then put the night time heat lamp only at night. Two, how much do they eat? I'm planning on feeing him crickets and veggies. How many times a day do I offer crickets, and should I feed him in a different container? Do I offer veggies once a day? Finally, is it ok to handle him a little when we first bring him home or would it cause him too much stress. I just want to start him off right. Thanks in advance!

 

[Goonie]

Congrats on your soon-to-be baby!

1. No need for a water dish, especially for babies. They're more than likely to sit in the dish and drown than to drink out of it.
2. 20 gal is plenty big for a itty bitty pooper, however, in about 6 months or so, you'll need to upgrade to a much bigger tank because he'll have a sudden growth spurt.
3. What type of UV do you have? MVB (mercury vapor bulb), Megaray, tube fluoroscent, compact, coil? And what wattage is it?
4. Depending on the ambient temperature of the room you'll be housing your beardie in, there may not be the need for a heat lamp at night. If anything, the light (even though low) will disturb his sleep. If the temps may fall below 67°F, you could use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE), which would give off only heat and no light; otherwise, you could give him a towel or t-shirt to crawl into.
5. What do you have to measure the viv temp with?
6. Crickets should be no bigger in length than the space between the beardie's eyes, and should be fed approx. 3 times a day, and depending on his appetite could offer 20-50 each feeding. (Pookie never ate more than 15 each feeding, even though I'd always given him more)
7. Depending on how much furniture will be in the viv, it'd be easier for you to feed in a different tank/container. This way, you won't have to go on the hunt for leftovers or have your beardie be stressed over loose crickets.
8. Though some poopers won't be interested in veggies, you should still offer it on a daily basis. Eventually, he'll try a bite and hopefully end up liking it :wink:. Check out http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html for a good starting point in deciding on what types of veggies to offer.
9. Though some are against handling on the first few days (for fear of overly stressing the beardie), I'm all for it. You'll have to see how the baby reacts to being handled.

 

[Dragoon]

:wave:

 

[bluejen1313]

Thanks for the advice. I have a digital thermometer to measure the temps and I have a coil bulb for the uvb rays. It looks like the ones that are environmentally friendly. I bought a bearded dragon set up that included the tank, substrate and lights. I ditched the substrate in favor of tile, and it sounds like I might not need the heat lamp. We're getting him this afternoon. I'll try to post pictures. Thanks again!

 

[cjhab24]

Hello and welcome!

Well the basking heat lamp you need, just not the night one. I've been told the coil UVB bulbs are harmful to beardies, and that a reptisun 10 tube bulb is the best one. Nice one on ditching the sand for the tile, that's a good thing.

Can't wait to see the pics!