New to Bearded dragons: SET Up** Pictures**

[Ratlovinkippy211]

Hello,
I am new to the bearded dragon world. I have worked at a petstore for about 6 years and I have a Crested Gecko, gargoyle gecko, 8 pet rats and 3 fish tanks. I have always liked the look of the bearded dragon and enjoy seeing them come to visit me as they got bigger. I have been thinking about getting a bearded dragon for some time ( on and off for the last few years) and finally decided to really start looking into it. I have been reading everything I can see or get my hands on ( 3 books so far and many many websites).
Let me know what you think of the set up.
I am going to start out with a 20 long and already have plans to get at min a 40 breeder Exo terra ( front open doors) but also been looking into 55 gallons or 75 gallons At about 6 months old depending on how fast he grows. I don't have one yet, I am being pretty picky about it and waiting for the right one to come along.

 

[Spikey07]

That set up looks very nice!

The temperature and UVB are really important. For a young dragon the basking temperature will need to be between 100 and 110 degrees. Also you will need a digital thermometer with a long wire and probe at the end or an infa red temperature gun to correctly measure the temperature. The stick on dial type ones can be up to 20 degrees out.

The UVB bulb will need to be mounted inside the tank, there should be no screen or plastic between the bulb and your beardie as this can dramatically reduce the amount of UVB they are exposed to. Your bearide will need to be able to get between 6" and 8" from the bulb at the closest point. Also keep in mind that coil UVB bulbs are no good for beardies and can be harmful , causing lethargy, eye issues and MBD. You will need a tube bulb that is either Repti-SUN 10.0 or Arcaida D3+ 12% UVB, other brands and strengths have been known to cause problems so make sure to get the correct bulb. You may need to order online.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ratlovinkippy211]

I have the digital thermometer just haven't put it up just yet. I was wondering about my basking light and if a 100W is too much for a 20 long tank. I am also going to be getting a a lamp holder for the basking lights because I am fearful of the light sitting close to the plants and in the basking lights case on the mesh top.
This is my list of things I am going to be Getting:
- Lamp holder
-water dish
-RepCalc Bearded dragon pellets
-Fresh veggies (kale)
............The Bearded dragon?>>> and I am missing anything else???

 

[Spikey07]

I am not sure on the wattage of bulb as I have a melamine tank not glass. And it also depends on the temps in your house.

For the basking bulb you can use a regular household spot bulb. You may have to buy a few different wattages and try them out. You will need to leave the bulb on for a couple of hours then test the temperature.

For feeding - Kale is ok to feed occasionally but not as a staple veg as it can bind with calcium and prevent your beardie absorbing it. Good staple veggies are, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Mustard Greens, Endive, grated Butternut Squash. Have a look at this site to see what is good and not good to feed to your beardie: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html.

You will need to dust 1 feeding of livefood a day with Calcium 5x a week and Vitamins 2x a week. You may already know this and have some, but I didn't see it on your shopping list! There are many different types, I use RepCal Calcium with D3 5x a week and RepCal Herptivite 2x a week. As your beardie gets older you can reduce this to Calcium 2-3x a week and Vitamins 1x a week.

I do not keep a water dish in any of my beardies vivariums, I bath them every other day and offer water from a dropper every other day. My beardies will not drink from standing water. It is up to you if you want to have a water bowl in there, but if you do make sure to keep an eye on the humidity level in the tank. It should ideally be 30%, if it gets above 40 I would remove the water bowl as this can increase the humidity. I see your tank has a screen top so it will be well ventilated and this will help keep humidity down.

Be sure to post pictures when you get your beardie! Have you picked one out yet?

 

[Ratlovinkippy211]

Right now with a 100W its reading around 116 so I am going to get a 75 and maybe save the 100W for later. My room stays kinda warm and I testing the temp with both lights off to see where the night temp is at.
I hope to get a beardie soon. I want to get an yellow/orange "fancy" looking dragon and willing to wait till I find one I like. A customer of mine has an awesome looking 6 month old dragon that i am in love with so I hope to find one like hers.
I don't really want to pay 200 or more for a dragon so I am looking to get a good deal on one from work or any other local stores. I will look at the habitat and other dragons and watch for any signs of problems too. I have done a lot of reading and also have my past experience to go off of too.
Its my first beardie and I want to do this right.

Don't worry I will for sure get calcium dust Kale is just something I give my foster rabbit but i will get different types of greens. The babies just seem to like it more at first. We mix kale in with the pellets at work.
Right now the 100W was close to 116 and so I will pick up a 75 W to see how that goes.

 

[Ratlovinkippy211]

http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=51&de=903685

what do you think?