Newbie seeking advice/approval

[Luci2015]

Hello to all!
My wife and I just got our baby beardie, Lucy (Ignore the type-o in the username) and she's about 7" long. So I thought I would post my set up and some questions to make sure that I'm on the right track of taking care of our new member of the family.

Set Up:
Terrarium: National Geo. 23 Gal. (23.6L x 17.7W x 12.6H)
Basking Light/Dome: National Geo. 50W Basking Bulb w/ 5.5" 50W ceramic dome
UVB Light: Zoo Med's Reptisun 18" T8 15W 10.0 Bulb
UBV Light Fixture: Zilla's Slimline Desert 18" T8 15W
Temp & Hygro. Gauge: National Geo. Temp/Hygro. Digital Gauge (non temp. probe)
24 Hrs Timer: Zoo Med's Repticare Terrarium Controller (8 plug version)
Flooring: Reptile Carpet
Small Water bowl and Food Dish
Basking Rock that's 7" tall that's hollow in the inside (kind of like a cave)

-Basking light is positioned on top of the screen in the back right corner of the terrarium
-The UVB light is positioned on top of the screen over the middle of the terrarium
-The Temp/Hugro is positioned 6" from the basking rock inside of the cage
-Basking rock is in the corner under the basking light
-Food and water are on the opposite side from the basking area

Food:
Dry Food: Zilla's Fortified Food for Bearded Dragon (X-tra Small red pellets)
Smallest live crickets
Multi-Vitamins: Rep-Cal's Herptivite w/Beta Carotene
Cal. Supplement: Rep - Cal's Phosphorus-free Calcium w/ Vit.D3
Veggies: Organic Collard and Summer Squash (for now)

What we have done in the 2 days of having her:
We got her at 8:30PM, so she was sleepy on the way home and when we put her in her new home.
We put dry food and water in her bowls, set up her lights and her terrarium, put her in and she stayed in the same spot all night long. Our Temp/Hygro reader said 75 Dregrees with 56% Humidity at 10 PM.

In the morning, lights came on at the set time on the Terrarium controller (8 AM), and she was already up and moving around. At 11 AM, I put a teaspoon of Multivitamin and a teaspoon of Calcium with the crickets (The labels on the containers said to mix them together) and attempted to feed 5 of them to her by placing the bowl with them in it near her. Since she got nervous when I walked into the living room, I just placed them in the cage to let her eat them in peace. Temp was 90 degrees with 35%

When I checked on her about an hour or so later (fell asleep), I took out the 3 crickets that were still alive in the cage. The wife came home about 4 hours after that, put some collard greens in the food bowl. The wife said that she thinks Lucy at some of her greens, but not sure. She slept inside her cave last night.

So, I ask of the fellow members on here, am I on the right track? I know the lights on the screen is a no-no, but we don't want to traumatize/stress her out anymore than she already is with the moving to a new home and all by trying to install the UVB light inside her home.

Questions:
- Does anyone have any input on Fluker's Freeze-Dried Crickets?
- My wife said she noticed that Lucy was scratching at the insides of her little cave. First with the left hand, then with the right hand. Should we be concerned?

Any comments or concerns are greatly appreciated. Oh, and sorry the overload on the input =)

-Keith

 

[AHBD]

Hi Keith.....it sounds like Lucy has a very conscientious owner. I'll comment on a few things but will probably miss a point or two I'm sure. The UVB on screen is fine since the tank is only 12.6" high, and if you have a basking platform that will lessen the distance even more. The scratching in the cave is normal behavior, she's unsure of her new circumstances so hiding is a natural response. Because she is a baby, if she spends too much time in the hide, take it out. Babies are better off with a longer stick type platforms. I've always gathered sticks from outside, popped them in a preheated oven at 225 or 250 for 45 minutes [ to kill any pests ] and babies love to have a long stick as a climbing apparatus.

When you buy crickets, make SURE they are smaller than the space between Lucy's eyes. If a store sells " small " crickets that are bigger than that, then they are not small enough so go to another store. You need only put a pinch of calcium powder on the crix....get a jar or can , put the crix in with powder and shake them until they are dizzy + slow moving. Drop a couple at a time right near her.....offer more as she eats them. It may take a while before her appetite kicks in. Once she's eating well you can order crix online in bulk to save $$. Skip the freeze dried crickets, they are much too difficult for a baby to digest and not as nutritious. As for the beardie pelllets, add water to soften them. For hydration get an eyedropper or small spray bottle to dribble water on her snout. Babies rarely drink from a bowl so the drip method [ do slowly until she drinks and sop up any excess water] is the way to hydrate them, it's the way I've personally raised many clutches and never had sick or dehydrated babies.

Please post pics of her [ close up , full body shot] as well as her tank. Is she lethargic most of the time or active ? Even a stressed baby should be active. Hopefully Lucy will be fine + perk up within a few days or so.

 

[Luci2015]

Hey AHBD,

Thank you so much for the reply and info.

She likes to hang out on the rock, and I've spotted her off of it only a couple of times, just checking things out. Whenever I walk into the room, she either sitting on the rock looking in my direction or scratching at the side of the cage like she wants to get away from me. After making this post, I put a couple of refrigerated crix (I made sure that they were small enough before leaving the store) in the center of the cage, and she flew off that rock to eat them while my hand was still in the cage =)

With her being so unsure about her new home, could we use would a damp paper towel or sponge work to hydrate her? That way she can lick it for hydration, or would that not work?

Thanks for the tips and suggestions, and I'll snag pictures soon.

 

[AHBD]

Well that's great that she ran for the crix, that's what you want to see ! But no, a paper towel/sponge will not work at all but will just raise humidity. You can put a very small shallow plastic container with lukewarm water in the tank + place her in it for 5-10 minutes to let her drink and then remove it and/or drip method that I mentioned.

 

[Luci2015]

Thanks for letting me know about the paper towel about the paper towel idea would increase the humidity.

In your first reply, you mentioned to just use a pinch of the calcium powder, but what about the multivitamin powder? Should they be used together, or should I use the calcium on one batch of crix and the multivitamin on another? Just wanted to make sure I got that info right. Thanks again

 

[AHBD]

Your'e welcome ! As for the vitamin powder, much less is required than calcium, just a tiny pinch once or twice a week. You definitely don't want to see the cricks coated white with the vit. powder, it can overload a beardie's system . Just like we ourselves can take a vit. pill once a day [ same for children ] but we wouldn't take 4,5,6. Baby bearies grow quickly so they need extra calcium to keep up with bone growth, and calcium is needed for pretty much every function of the body.

 

[Drache613]

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