~Pics of my Bearded dragon spike

RE: beardie

As for the CHE it's hard to tell ya, its all about trial and error. Under_Cuver I would appreciate it if such harsh intentions were not shown on this forum. Robert knows his stuff about BDs and wasn't attempting to be rude. I think you missed some of the meaning in a few of his comments like the water dish thing, he is correct it can harbor bacteria, that is a common understanding. As stated by others the best way to keep a BD hydrated is via baths or misting and fresh greens.

PitsNherps: your BD is a beauty, your doing great so far.

 

Hello

Hello,

That is a great looking dragon! Very fat & plump looking!!
Please do put a screen top on there. Cats are predators & there have been so many incidents between cats & dragons when you least expect it.
He doesn't like your cat though, look at his beard it is puffed out & getting dark!! That is how they react when something is upsetting them.
Make sure you put something on top of the screen top to weigh it down so the cat doesn't knock the screen top off.
The ceramic heat emitters put off heat, but no light. I wouldn't go with that for your basking heat because he needs bright white light just like a regular household bright white light for basking. Just get a lower wattage light & that will be sufficient.
How old is your dragon? Just remember to be careful on the amount of supers he is eating if he is under 1 year, so, he wont get too much fat. They are excellent staples, but they should also be limited on them too especially while they are still growing so they wont put on too much fat weight while growing. I wouldn't let him eat more than 10-12 per sitting & then make up the rest with crickets or silkies maybe.
One thing for a hide, if you want, you can build one out of bricks or stackable rocks, since he is such a big boy! I kind of doubt you would find a large enough hide or cave for him. Your set up is fine.


Tracie

 

RE: Hello

instead of a regular household bulb i would go with a halogen flood light it puts out more lumen per watt.

 

RE: beardie

I have removed some very rude posts. I have edited some others and I do not want to have to come back to this thread and do it again. People are welcome to express their opinions and offer suggestions for other members animals benefits,, but if I see more rude comments directed at other members, I will stop them and you will not like the way I do it.

PitsNherps, your beardie does look nice, but he is new to you, your home and his environment. And I do want to make some comments on his set up, which I also think has some problems

1. That cat needs to go....OUT of his enclosure, for starters, see that white flea collar around his neck> that is HIGHLY toxic to a bearded dragon and has been known to kills some reptiles when people just hung them in an enclosure near them. Cats carry bacteria and parasites that can act as host and not bother the cat, but can also be deadly to a reptile.. there is a big difference between gram negative and gram positive infections in a mammal like a cat or a cold blooded reptile. Please note, the cat 's butt sitting on the reptile's carpet .. think about it.. I guarantee you if you culture that area you would get e coli and other things from the cat. He may also be stressing the beardie and you would NOT see signs of that for weeks or months. We have taken in rescues and helped others with dragons with missing sides, displaced organs and spinal injuries from that cat that "never bothered it before" . SO, please get a screen lid on the tank and keep the cat away....... drinking the water the beard was bathing in is not healthy for the cat either, again the beardie has gram negative bacteria... that can be deadly to a mammal.

2. Water bowl.... that Is not a water bowl, that is a bathing tub and dragons can be bathed occasionally, they are not soakers like a water dragon or iguana, different climate and skin. You run the increased risk of fungal infections with a tub like that in a tank, it is not a good thing to do. You can soak him a few times a week in FRESH CLEAN water and that would be healthy, this arrangement is not and you can see how dirty the water is........ not good for him or the cat. Bearded dragons should never be allowed to drink water that hours before they soaked in and is soiled now, under the heats and with time, it becomes a bacteria haven and stagnant. Replace the water tub with a small water bowl if you want to provide him with fresh drinking water daily

3. Adult dragon's diets should be mainly greens and veggies to avoid fatty liver disease, which is a leading cause of death in adult dragons raised and feed on too many protein feeders with fat, that they can NOT break down. Daily rich greens and veggies are best, with insects 2-4 times a week and 25 supers if they are adult supers is way too much for them. I have raised some of the largest and longest lived dragons in the US and they get 5-7 supers every 3-4 days or 25-40 crickets the same and all the salads with pellets they want.

4. The bark on the log needs to come off.... if you look at his belly you will see it is affecting the scales there and damaging them,,,, you can soak it and take them off, then lightly sand it . you can also use river rocks and there are also commercial resin backing areas and caves that are reasonable priced.... like $6 online or in pet stores. The heat rock is okay..... if you cut off the cord, NOT reptile should be allowed on one that can be plugged in, even accidentally............. we have treated and seen too many that were accidental severely burned with someone plugged them in. Bearded dragons are not aboreal, they do not need a lot of sitcks and things, ther perfer a nice basking area and a place to retreat to for privacy and a place to cool off.

5. I agree, the red light needs to go, he can not rest well, and he needs white lights to stimulate his moods and hormone production.

He is a nice beardie, someone did a nice job raising him, his morph is a common, I would say a yellow common, but no way to know sure without knowing the parents genetics. Should you get a baby in the future or another one.... make sure separate tanks, no matter what age and that they have no contact at all for 90 days.... even from your hands.. One must be quarantined from the other. A baby dragon can never be in with him.... it would be food to him. And he can not reside ever with another male and rarely with a female... which is something you need to read a llot up on before even thinking about adding one.

Best to you and your new pet! Please read the care sheets on bearded dragons on this site

 

bearded dragon

Thanks for information.
I dont know why the water looks so dirty I change it everyday well I took the water tub out and the cat lol.
I also washed his reptile carpet tonite.My cat doesn't have a flea collar on its just blue with diamond.

As I previously stated the heat rock is turned off just for decoration.He gets 12 hours on 12 hours off.I find that the house bulbs do not give off heat what wattage should I get 60 doesn't give off any heat I find.

As for the bark on his log its not doing anything to his belly.He gets a warm bath 2 times aweek .Hes around 2 years old when I got him he was on sand and only about 10 crickets a week.He has really made a difference living with me.I think maybe I exagerated on how much he eats maybe 10 to 15 a day.He also gets dark leafy greens everyday.

Yes its hard finding a hide or peice of wood that he can fit on.
I appreciate all the information.

 

RE: bearded dragon

Heres what I use and will work for adult beardies. Corner Hide/ Basking Platform Another Great Basking platform

They both are easy to clean and are great for adults as well

As for the cat I hate to see it in there Heres a link on my issue -->> HERE

His diet should be 80% greens for a longer life. Its like us eating right and staying healthy we live longer.

 

dragon

Thanks.
What type of basking bulb do you use?

 

RE: dragon

I use the Phillips Natural Lights. Their full spectrum bulbs. I like the color better than white lights. But white lights work well.

 

bulb

What wattage is it?
Whats wrong with a ceramic heat emitter?

 

Re: bulb

They need it to be very bright, you can normally achieve the temps your beardie needs with regular household bulbs.
The only time I would use an CHE is if my night time temps went below the low 60's.

 

RE: Re: bulb

Sorry about the vague CHE comment I left in an earlier post. I use it because I live in a dorm and my heat is unreliable (Some days its nice and toasty, others lt's like 40 below.)