Im worried for my little guys!!!! PLS HELP

[pinkynbrain]

My baby bd's are doing pretty good at the moment but from what ive read in different posts we are doing the complete wrong thing, we have them set up in a 3 ft fish tank, fairly large in size for 2 babies. my boyfriend is a joiner (builds door frames, stairs etc) and he made the top screen for the tank with a wooden edge with very tough fly screen and it has 2 lift up doors. From what ive been reading the is a no no as you need air flow through the bottom... right? we also have gravel as the substrate which im also told is a no no, we are trying to get tiles for that as we speak. we have a bendy vine twisted over ornaments so the little guys can climb and fake leaf vine. We have one basking lamp and a long uv tube. We spray them with a water bottle (fine mist) every morning and afternoon for their water and they love it. They are both eating very well. i dont want them to start getting sick and not eating because their habitat is completly wrong and i especially dont want them dying! please give me some advice as to what i can do until we can afford a proper reptile tank with the vents etc.

 

[renich]

I know it can be overwhelming with these little guys. That's why we started our web site. Too much info out there and too much contradictory info too.

For starters, I would remove the gravel. Tile is a good option. Consider putting papertowels under the tiles. This will help with clean up.

I'm not sure which post you are referencing regarding the bottom needing to be breathable. I believe that standard reptile vivs are made out of glass and do not have breathing capabilities. You should be fine for them being babies.

Which UVB bulb are you using?
Can you post a pic of your setup?

The concern with screen tops is that heat can escape. But if you monitor the temps with a valid thermometer and keep them in range, there's no concerns.

Do you give them baths regularly? The spray bottle is good, but a good soak helps them hydrate and helps a lot when shedding, which babies do frequently.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Ill second removeing the gravel. I use non adheasive shelf liner for the bottom of my tanks. Its easy to keep clean, and its cheap.

 

[beardielover]

yeah, not adding anything new here. just agreeing with everyone. gravel is not a good substrate for bearded dragons.

 

[pinkynbrain]

Im worried for my little guys!!!! PLS HELP (pics of habitat)

The uvb light sits along the back and the basking lamp is inside the desk lamp. pls read my previous post as to what im concerned about
http://mybeardie.com/bearded-dragon-forum/index.php/topic,279.0.html

 

[renich]

Re: Im worried for my little guys!!!! PLS HELP (pics of habitat)

Couple of thoughts -

1. What is the temp of your basking area?

2. What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temp?

3. Did you ever find out which UVB bulb you are using?

4. How often do you bathe them?

 

[pinkynbrain]

Re: Im worried for my little guys!!!! PLS HELP (pics of habitat)

Couple of thoughts -

1. What is the temp of your basking area?... still yet to get a thermometer, thought we had one already but misplaced it, ill be getting one after work today

2. What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temp? what would be the best to get?

3. Did you ever find out which UVB bulb you are using? reptiglo 10.0 is that a good one?

4. How often do you bathe them? ive only done it a couple of times because i didnt know we had to bathe them

 

[renich]

1. What is the temp of your basking area?... still yet to get a thermometer, thought we had one already but misplaced it, ill be getting one after work today

2. What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temp? what would be the best to get? I would get a digital probe thermometer.

3. Did you ever find out which UVB bulb you are using? reptiglo 10.0 is that a good one? I'm partial to the Repti Sun 10.0. It is said to be the best on the market for distributing UVA/UVB.

4. How often do you bathe them? ive only done it a couple of times because i didnt know we had to bathe them Beardies under a year should bathe about 10 min. every day. Once they reach 1 year, then you can bathe them once a week.

 

[pinkynbrain]

3. Did you ever find out which UVB bulb you are using? reptiglo 10.0 is that a good one? I'm partial to the Repti Sun 10.0. It is said to be the best on the market for distributing UVA/UVB.

I cant seem to find a repti sun 10.0 anywhere, would u have a picture of this packaging so i know what im looking for, is the reptiglo 10.0 still a good one? because im in australia im thinking that i just wont be able to find the repti sun 10.0 maybe its an overseas thing

 

[renich]

Is the zoo med manufacturer available to you? I've heard that the repti glo has caused issues for bearded dragons.

Here's a link:
Repti Sun

 

[TheVirus]

I'm the one who said screen tops aren't a good choice. I said it because its true

Only truly hardy lizards can withstand them. Even then with some sort of interference. Theres alot of talk on forums about how to hydrate beardies. Constant bathing, misting, water down greens, juicy bugs etc... Theres no talk about how to allow your dragon to keep themselves hydrated.

Beardies (most reptiles) are masters at conserving energy and moisture. Its why they can go so long without food and water. In captivity they should get all the moisture they need through food. The problem is, they lose more moisture a day then they take in from the moisture filled crickets and greens. This is do to the bone dry (harsh) enclosures we provide, coupled with the poor air movements that open/screen tops allow.

We all hear stories of rescued dragons with stuck sheds on their feet and tails. This is from constantly being in a bone dry enclosure. The rescuer has to soak the dragon for multiple, long periods of time to get the stuck shed off. I very rarely soak my dragons, yet I don't experience stuck sheds or dehydration. I allow for decent air movement and areas of humidity where my dragons can retain moisture.

In the wild beardies spend a lot of time in burrows, cracks, crevices, tin sheets. These areas all have higher humidity than the air outside (ever see the burrows in meerkat manor . Beardie keepers frequently try and replicate the overall environment that beardies are trying to survive in, instead of the micro-environments they seek out. Remember....beardies brumate through the dry season.

Here is a couple quotes that Frank Retes wrote recently that I really like.

You should consider, in nature, they utilize the most harsh enviornments they can succeed in. As in, nature at times push them into the most marginal conditions. FR

In captivity, we do not have to include the harsh trying conditions. FR

In the past I have angered many folks by saying I keep all species alike, and I do. I do not allow any species to dehydrate, or underheat or overheat. FR

All you have to do to fix the screen top problem is to cover it up with aluminum foil, tape it down, and cut around the lights. Good luck!