Greetings fellow Dragon lovers!
I recently purchased my first dragon back in april.
Using the flashlight method I believe it is a girl. I have given it a gender neutral name (Fluffy) until I am sure of its sex. it is 4 1/2 months old. It loves to run around and eat black soldier flies. It is on a diet of BSF larvae and a couple of crickets. She/It loves to climb her Eiffel tower and be Godzilla.
Anyone have any tips for the newbie? I would love to hear them!
Welcome to the forum! She looks nice and healthy based on that photo. If you'd like to provide details about her setup and lighting etc I'd be glad to review it to make sure everything is just right for her.
OK, I purchased a starter kit and fully regret it. the only thing I am using out of it is the 40 gallon tank and the twin dome.
Lighting: until recently I had a compact uvb light and a 100 watt Repti Basking Spot Lamp.
I recently purchased a Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun Terrarium Hood and I am using a Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22" due to the negative effects compact bulbs might effect the beardies eyes.
Temp: on hot side is roguhly around a 100 degrees F and the cool side is only 86 degrees F.
Substrate is repti carpet (12 gallon bag of sand came with kit but I know that that can hurt dragons so I will avoid using that.)
2 hides
1 Eiffel tower
1 hammock
1 log
6 rocks to absorb heat for digestion
1 food bowl
humidity is a little dry about 15% I have a dehumidifier since earlier this summer humidity was at 50% I turned it off but it is not rising.
Here is some pics.
I'm glad you have ditched most of the starter kit. That T5 is a huge upgrade and should serve you well for at least a year before needing bulb replacement. 100 is a good basking surface temp. 86 is a bit high for the cool end so I'd keep an eye on that. You don't want to decrease the basking surface temps but maybe increase shade on the cool side to try and get that down a few more degrees if you can.
Habba huts work well and aren't too expensive. You can also try to find some flat branches or pieces of driftwood outside. Rinse them off well and get rid of dirt, then bake then in the oven on low (about 250f or so) for about 30-45 minutes to sanitize them.