Re: Dragon Concerns

[dukebauer]

Hello,

I was given 2 baby bearded dragons in Mid September of last year and have them housed in a 20 gallon tank with 1 lamp. I recently visited the pet store to purchase a load of crickets and meal worms (this is what I primarily feed them, provide calcium powder, gut feed crickets etc and the odd times feed them roman lettuce, no fruits) and came across a few beardies they had for sale. I asked the clerk how old the beardies were and I was quite surprised at her response. The growth of the beardie was inches (not inch) bigger than mine at basically the same age (5-6 months) I described to her the bulb I was using which we identified as being infra red. My understanding is that this bulb should be used during the night hours at low wattage (70-80F) and not during the day.

The temp of my current bulb reaches 90f. Based on my current research the following setup is ideal for maximum growth/health:

1) Desert type heat lamp (what is this even called) for during the day that reaches a temp of 100F
2) infra red for the night (temps between 75-85F)
3) Florescent, full spectrum light that essentially mimics the sun 's UV rays.

Can anyone confirm if these details are accurate? If not, please provide the ideal living conditions for my terrarium.

Furthermore, I read in a forum that if 2 bearded dragons are housed together, dominance issues may occur. Is this true? I believe both dragons are female (how do i even tell the genders apart) It appears as though 1 eats more than the other and it shows. Rex is more lanky, skinnier than Achilles. Rex tends to "hideout" more often than not in under the objects i have setup. I.e. Little tree, and cave/rock)

I will provide detailed photos of the beardies in the next few days, including the setup of my tank.

Any suggestions would be helpful. My concern is primarily with Rex. He appears to be not as active as Achilles and looks to be tired all the time.

Pete 8)

 

[Buggsy]

Rightyo, there are alot of things that need to be changed, first and foremost, beardies cannot be housed together. They are solitary animals and can get very aggressive or kill one another. Head bobbing and arm waving, although look cute, are signs of dominance, and if they are both stressed out at being together that may explain the stunted growth. i think this is what you are seeing with Rex, and when they are young and not sexually mature, its difficult to sex them.

Secondly, a 20gal tank is far too small for 1 beardie, let alone two. An adult should be in a 40gal breeder, remember floor space is more important than height. They are small now but they will get bigger, and in that cage they need to be able to turn around comfortably, without having to scrunch up.

What is the brand of UVB that you are using? it will be printed on the bulb. I ask because there are many sub optimal bulbs sold, the reptiGLO is one example and sadly this is what most pet shops recommend. If in the UK you want an Arcadia 12% UVB, if in the US a repiSUN 10. This is very important.

Meal worms are not good for beardies. They have a very hard shell which is difficult to digest and may impact your babies, they also have little nutritional value, again another reason they may be stunted. Good feeders include crix, locust, roaches and some worms like phoenix, silkies and butterworms.

What are you measuring the temps with? Is it a dial type thermometer, or a digital one with a long probe? The dial type one are very innacutrie and in such a small cage it will already be hard to get the right gradient. You want 110-105f basking spot, with 75-80f cool end.

i think when you separate them, get proper UVB and food he should start to perk up! Also it would be good if you start giving them baths as they may be dehydrated. Luke warm water, up to the armpits and let them soak for 20 min.

If i have missed anything just let me know.

Oh the red light should not be used, despite what shops say they can seen red and blue lights. You dont need anything at night if your house stays above 65f. If not a ceramic heat emitter should be used. Provides heat but no light.

 

[dukebauer]

Bugsy,

I appreciate your assistance and fast response. I am not sure what brand name the bulb is but I will definitely take a look tonight. Again, this bulb I am using appears red in color, so it may be INFRA RED? (I am based in Toronto, Canada) The thermometer I am using is circular in shape and contains a dial. I believe it has an accurate reading b/c at night it gets as low as 70 degrees (my room temp) But to be honest it may be off by 5 degrees. I have a spare thermometer I can used alternatively for a more accurate reading.

At some point this week, I will inquire on purchasing a new tank and separating the 2 beardies. Your explanation does make more sense to me know. I've seen my beardies on top of each other at times, whether it is the floor or on top of the tree there are no signs of aggression. (don't know about the hand waving, hehe, ive seen videos of this, still waiting for that to happen)

I will also purchase foods other than the usual meal worms.

What type of floor do your recommend? Currently, I am using a microfiber towels. Should I upgrade to sand or small pebbles?

I will follow up with a response as quickly as I can.

Regards,

Pete

 

[fez09]

No sand or pebbles, that can cause impaction. You can use tiles, paper towels or shelf liner. Also the dial thermometer meauser the air temp, you need a digital thermometer to lay on the basking spot to get an accurate reading.

 

[dukebauer]

How many heat lamps are ideal for a 25 to 30g tank? Should a UV florescent light be used along with a heat lamp that reaches 100F? Or will one HEAT lamp suffice?

Pete

 

[licketytongue]

for a 25 - 30 gallon tank you NEED a UVB light that is separate from the heat source so you will have a minimum of 2 lights. You need to have a long tube UVB florescent light, a ReptiSUN 10.0 in the US or an Arcadia 12.0 in the UK, as far as I have read (and I have read A LOT) these are the only 2 that are good and the only kind that is going to be appropriate for your size tank. You will also need a heat source as the florescent tube UVB lights do not produce much heat. It is VERY hard to say what wattage of bulb you need because the overall room conditions affect the tank temp so much. You really need to have a digital probe thermometer and place the tip on the basking site. You need whatever wattage of light gets the basking temp to approx 105f. You need to leave the tip in place for at least 45 minutes to ensure an accurate reading. I leave mine all the time. You want the heat light to be a BRIGHT WHITE light, not the red kind. The bright white helps protect your beardies eyes from damage from the UVB. Lighting is really hard to get right at first but it makes a HUGE difference in the health of your beardie. Lighting and substrate seem to be the 2 things that people have the most problems with and the 2 things that make the biggest impact on the beardies health. Good luck.

 

[dukebauer]

Great Feedback Jen. I will provide updates as soon as I can.

Pete