some general health questions (newbie)

[H3RB]

ok i bought a bearded dragon last night, its about 8inches long but im unsure of the age.
i have read several different care sheets etc and all of them say the same thing.
here is some info on my set up.
32x18x15 tank its an old fish tank that im going to use while its smaller then im buying a 48x24x24 viv
i have a reptisun 10 for the uv bulb (not covered by glass or plastic)
a basking rock
a climbing log
feeding dish
water bowl
75w heatbulb with ceramic fixture
the tank is at about 105°f
the bottom of the tank is layered with about 1inch of calci sand
now here are my questions.
firstly is that set up ok?
calci sand, some people say use it some people say dont? how come? sound i change it asap? im going to the pet store later today so i could get something else to line it.
food, i have fed it meal worms, since getting it last night it has had about 9. but now i have read that again some people say its ok to feed them meal worms and others say dont, im getting some small crickets today but just wanted to check.
bathing, i bathed him about 15mins ago but he hated it, the water was luke warm and just reached his stomach but he either wouldnt sit in it and kept jumping out or when he sat in it he would just stiffen up.
any help is great thanks in advance

 

[kinky]

Hey,

Your BD is probably around 3-5 months old i'd say. First of all, ditch the calci sand, it can cause impaction (blocked digestive system). the mealies can also cause impaction, stick to crickets until he's around 16 inches long but even then they're not too good. Basking temps seem ok, maybe 110 and he should have a cool end around 80-85 degrees. a water bowl isn't really needed if you bathe him every couple of days as it can raise the humidity. if his basking rock is a plug in heated one you should also ditch it, it can cause burns cos the little fella can't tell when his belly's getting too hot.

hope this helps.

 

[kinky]

oh, also, your dragon should be 6-8 inches from the reptisun when basking

 

[H3RB]

thanks for the reply, ill def get some crickets later today then, as for the sand im going to leave it in for a little until i can find something to replace it, my pet store barely sells anything for reptiles and they keep their lizards on sand :? i didnt bother with heat mats or heat rocks as i read this are dangerous so im just using a normal rock from the pet store

 

[kinky]

yeah, my pet shop keeps them on sand too. take my advice, take it out now. it could kill your dragon. paper towels or newspaper is a good temporary substrate. alternatively you could use tiles with paper towels underneath. if you're gonna use sand use washed and sifted play sand but make sure it's dry before you put it in or the humidity could cause some serious respitory problems.

 

[Lennifer]

I agree! Def get rid of the Calci Sand asap. If u wish to use sand...it is best to wait until they are a little older & sifted play sand is best recomended. I personally do not use sand as I would rather not take the possible chance of impaction, however many people will claim that as long as your husbandry & temps are correct...it shouldn't be an issue with passing any possibly digested sand. I would rather be safe then sorry. I currently use slate tiles & love them as it keeps my beardie's nails nice & trim & it's easy to clean :mrgreen:

U can keep the water dish in the enclosure if u wish. Most of the time dragons will not use it but I keep one in my beardie's enclosure just so he has it...incase he ever realizes what it is! lol! As long as it is not tiped over or spilled in tank...it will not create an issue with humidity. I have had a water bowl in Drago's enclosure his entire life & have never had a humidity issue. However, I have one of those heavier corner water bowls so there is no way for him to knock it over! lol! Having a water bowl in your enclosure is really a personal choice, as I said before...most dragons won't ever use it! lol

~Sandy