New Beardie Owner..Some Questions...some pics too!!

Hi i got a new beardie yesterday at petco. I have some questions that i wish some one will know. Thanx for your time.

* Is it normal if my beardie sometimes shuts one eye and the other is open?

*Should i mist my cage?

* What kind of greens should i feed it?

*My beardie is also shedding.....should i do anything?

* How long does it normaly take to when my beardie is adult?

Thank you

 

Well, welcome to reptilerooms! Did you do any research before buying the animal???? Check out the caresheets here on the forum.... http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index...es-secid-1.html

 

What's your set-up? Do you have a UV lamp? What kind of substrate do you have, and how big is your tank? How old is your beardie?

 

You might also want to read this thread, it may answer a lot of your questions as well.
http://www.reptilerooms.com/forumtopic-16297.html

 

Yes, it is okay for a beardie to open one eye while the other is shut.

 

ok good.....thanx

 

Definitely read the sheets that were posted... but some quick answers..

If you purchased your dragon from Petco, I'm guessing it's a hatchling at the most 6-7" long? If so, the majority of his diet should be tiny crickets. Make sure you feed crickets that are no bigger than the space between your dragon's eyes, otherwise you risk impaction which at this age could kill your little guy. 1/16" or 1/8" crickets should be safe unless he's tiny. You can purchase crickets in bulk online (I use superwormfarm.com, but there are lots). Feed your dragon as many crickets as he'll eat in 10-15 minutes and feed at least twice a day.

As for greens, be more concerned with feeding the crickets green than your dragon at his point. You want to 'gutload' the crickets... literally your dragon is what he eats a this point. We give our crickets potatoes, butternut squash, apples, collard greens, parsley, shredded carrots plus commercial cricket food (pellets). We also crush good kitten food and mix that in too.

We provide greens all day for dragons and sometimes the babies will eat a few bites, but the crickets are what they need for the rapid growth period they are in. You can offer collard and dandelion greens chopped into small pieces.

As for misting... do not mist the tank. Dragons do not live in humid climits. Mist your dragon itself a couples times a day and you can try giving him a bath to get used to water. We have 4 dragons, 1 loves to play in water, 2 prefer to sit on a rock or towel and the 4th thinks you're killing him, so start young with the water and they might eventually enjoy it! There is a page for bathtime, so check it out, you need to get the temps right and make sure it's not deep.

Welcome to the forum and post away any specific questions. There are some wonderful people here that can help you setup the perfect tank for your new buddy!

Jen

 

will beardies get streesed out when handling...because i know some lizards do. And I gave my beardie a crickit that might be bigger than the width of her eyes( by accident ) u think it should be alright right?

 

not to be rude, but it sounds like you did zero research before you bought your dragon. And you haven't answered any questions asked of you, and it's really hard to give advice when we don't know anything at all about your setup, what you feed it/how often, dust u use, if any, lighting, basking temps, etc.... thank you..

 

i acually was going to buy an anole. But when i got to petco i fell in love with the bearded dragon. So you are right i did no research. ( very bad thing ) But here is some info.

basking temp is around 98-100 degrees

normal temp it 80-82 degrees, night temp 70-75 degrees

eats 5-6 crickets 2 times a day ( with calcium formula powder) ( something like that )

i feed it greens once a morning starting today

i got my Beardie yesturday

i have a heat lamp and a uv ray floresent light

10 gallon acaurium

water bowl, fake branches to climb

THATS MY SET UP NOW COULD YOU ANSWER MORE?
THANX

 

all your temps are alright but he shoulds be eating more and you will definetly need a much larger aquairum to house him in.

 

yes you should be feeding him around 30-60 crickets a day in 2-3 feeds! l have noticed though there are a few impulse buyers out there and it can't be helped sometimes! My first beardie was an impulse buy but that was because l had always wanted one so my husband (as a surprise) bought me him for my birthday! So, no, l too knew nothing! Children are bought them by their parents, aunts, uncle for prezzies! But anyway, yes you could do with a larger viv and it is best to feed in a seperate place! l have found it alot harder to toilet train my dragons now they are older but finally have got there so would recommend that as it makes the viv easier to clean out therefore nicer for your beardie as his poop gets cleaned out quicker as they don't like it being in their housing area! (This is what l have heard anyway) There are plenty of people on here that are willing and able to help so ask away with anything you need and we will help where we can! Your basking temp should be 100-110oF but mine don't like it any higher than 100oF! Good luck!

 

First of all I would recommend getting a larger cage. For your information an adult beardie needs to be housed in a large enclosure with the minimum measurements being 4 feet long 2 feet wide and 2 feet high. Hatchlings should eat 30-100 or more crickets a day. What kind of calcium are you using (brand)? You also need a multivitamin. What is your substrate? You need to use paper towels or non-adhesive shelf liner, no sand. What brand of UV do you have? The heat lamp and UV should be on 12-14 hours a day.

You should not mist your cage. Mist your beardie 2-3 times a day outside of the cage. Give the beardie soaks in the bath or sink 1-2 times a week. The beardie should be fed mustard greens and collard greens, there are many acceptable others but these are the ones I prefer and so do my beardies. When your beardie is shedding do not pull the skin, instead make sure to keep him well hydrated by misting and soaks. Since you got your beardie from Petco it may take longer for your beardie to be fully grown (I dont want to go into petco).

Please read caresheets and answer my questions.

p.s. Please so not use caps, this indicates yelling (forum rules)

 

i feel terrable because the pet store lady said sand is good. ( it is easy to clean though ) But i been reading about sand and everyone says it gets in dragons food and if the eat to much sand they get infections. Thanx

 

Sand is a bad substrate, Please use non adhesive shelf liner, buy it at a wal mart shop, $5 apparently...

its a much safer option, esp for babies...

 

Brandon -

You can even use paper towels for now... especially in a ten gallon tank...

The tank will last your guy maybe a month or so. Ask around friends / family for a 30 gallon which will last him for a few more months. After that, he'll need a big butt home Depending on the way the tank / enclosure is made (how much floor space versus how high), you'll need something from 70 - 100 gallon.

Toss the sand out.... or make a cactus planter for your mom!

As for not doing your research... I'm guessing you're young... take it as a lesson learned. The good news and what should be the focus is that you're here asking questions and making things right! So good job on that part!

The dust you are using... check the label and post what brand. There is one brand to avoid at all costs. If you went to Petco chances are it's RepCal (which is good)... what color label?

Keeping posting questions!

Jen

 

Brandon,

Also, don't feel bad about trusting the pet store lady. It's perfectly normal to do that until you learn to do otherwise. Always double check whatever anyone from a pet store tells you in forums like this one. A lot of times the pet store people aren't very up to date with their information and you'll find that out here.

Like Jen said keep asking questions. I promise if you pay close attention to what most of us say your beardie will have the best home it can possibly ever have!!

 

One thing I am curious about. You say you have a UVB fluorescent, but you haven't told us the brand. I only ask because there are more bulbs out there that can do more harm to your dragon than good. It seems many of the manufactureres don't do proper testing on them before putting them on the market.

If your bulb isn't listed in this article, I woulnd't trust it. The only exception being the ReptiSun 10.0, a great bulb that was put on the market after that article was written.
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index...-14-page-1.html

And here is a little reading material for you to learn more about UVB, and the readings a lot of bulbs put out.
http://home.comcast.net/%7Eholachapulin/Researchmain.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

 

i honestly dont know? It is a long light that came with a long bulb.( thats the flouresent light) The pet store lady said it gives them calcium. I also have a basking or heat lamp. It has a 75 watt bulb. My dragon seem to always be under the heat lamp. Under the heat lamp is also a fake tree play thing. In my dragons home i also have a cooling spot were there is a log and palm plant ( to block the light )

I hope thats enough info?

 

Unfortunately, they all say that. :? If you look on the bulb, the brand should be printed there on the side.