Introducing Ted, setup ok? My first beardie

[JoeHerp]

Hey guys, I got my very first bearded dragon baby yesterday, his name is Ted. Apparently he is a "citrus" type dragon. I have a photo of his setup attached and described below:

50gal tank
1 13w UVB 10.0 Exo Terra UVB 150
1 50w halogen basking bulb
Zoo Med Eco carpet sand style substrate

Feeding him small calcium dusted crickets and superworms cut into halves.
Has a small food bowl that I fill with bits of kale and banana until he decides he wants to eat it. lol

Also misting him twice daily.
Keeping neutral temps between 80-85 degrees, basking 95-102 degrees. Night temps 70-75 degrees.
Humdity 35-50%.

Let me know if this all looks and sounds good for him, thanks guys!

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome to the forum and to beardies... If you take a look at the links below several of our comments you will find info that we have put together on care and pretty much anything you may need..
Thank you for the picture.. I would change the UVB to a strip tube style most commonly used is the Reptisun T5 HO 10.0 this will penetrate down to where your little one is and will provide better UVB than the Exo Terra as well as the coil bulbs are known for eye damage in the past and really don't provide the UVB that a growing dragon really needs. The basking bulb overlapping with the UVB is what allows nutrient absorption as well as synthesis of D3 and calcium that they need for strong bones. This really is the MOST important part of their environment. In the links you will find pictures of what I'm talking about.

In that link you will also find links for food lists on what are good items and how often they should be fed.. Even though most babies don't eat much greens/veggies they should be provided. Kale is an ok item as long as it's used along with another green like collards/mustard/turnip/dandelion greens..Banana's are ok just fruit in general is a item for once a week as they don't need the sugar..

Your temps are not bad the basking temp could go up a tad here's a range for babies:
Baby Dragons: Basking 100-107-115F being top top range warm 85-95F cool 70-75F
Juv Dragons: Basking anywhere from 95-107F Remember they need it to digest warm 85-95F cool 70F
Adults Basking 90-95F can also be low 100'sF warm 80-90F cool 70F
As long as the night time temps don't dip below 65F all is good if it does get a CHE to keep temps up.

No need to mist them especially in his tank as that will only raise your humidity and can cause respiratory issues.. You can mist while in another tub or give him a bath 1-2times a week.

Again take a few and look at the links below this line..

 

[PatsyB]

Welcome to the forum! I was going to say everything that Hdrydr31 just said. Only a few things to add. I'm not sure what you are measuring temps with, but a temp gun or a digital probe thermometer are the most accurate. Also, be careful with the mat. I have heard of bits and pieces breaking off over time and the the beardie swallowing them.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome to the forum! I was going to say everything that Hdrydr31 just said. Only a few things to add. I'm not sure what you are measuring temps with, but a temp gun or a digital probe thermometer are the most accurate. Also, be careful with the mat. I have heard of bits and pieces breaking off over time and the the beardie swallowing them.

I agree about the mat, looks like there is a probe on the hammock however having an IR type method is also really handy to have.

 

[Canicke]

Welcome to the adventure!

 

[JoeHerp]

Thanks a lot guys, I'm going to be upgrading lighting soon for him and going with a 75w basking bulb and a Reptisun 10.0 tube soon, I also switched the banana with bits of organic strawberry, but he hasn't had any of the fruit yet. Also will be adding more collard greens/mustard greens instead of just the kale.

Also: past couple days he hasn't been eating like I've read babies are supposed to be eating like. Since I got him he's averaging 5-15 crickets per day, and today he only had 1 before he totally stopped, tried again couple hours later after he pooped (which was a pretty big runny looking one), and still didn't go for any more crickets. Is this normal or abnormal for a baby? I wasn't concerned at first but getting more concerned his appetite isn't proper as of today...

Otherwise he's pretty active, healthy, and happy looking. Just seems like he has a low appetite for a baby and the big runny stool. His prior stools were more solid and smaller.

 

[MooshiChi]

I would use a probe rather than a temp gun, you want to measure air temp not surface temp. Basking temps don't change with dragon ages. You want to aim for 105f.

Bathing isn't needed unless of course your dragon has finger painted in his or her poop. Baths can force your dragon to poop before he has digested his food completely and if done too often can cause dehydration. The only exemption is if your dragon drinks in the bath.
Fruits is best limited to once a week.
I would avoid too many supers, these are 17% fat and if given too many can cause obesity.
And as the others have said, change your uvb to a reptisun or Arcadia strip light [emoji846]


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[MooshiChi]

Re the runny stool, he could be stressed from the change therefore it could have risen parasite numbers. I would suggest a faecal be done to rule out coccidiosis and pinworms if the runny stool continues

Kale binds calcium so too much can inhibit calcium absorption so as others have stated mix it up with other greens [emoji846]

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[JoeHerp]

He eventually did eat some more today, will monitor the stool. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[PatsyB]

With a temp gun you can measure both the ambient air and the temperature of a surface. Digital probes are good but you will need two, one for the cool side and one for the basking spot. Putting one in the basking spot is kind of a pain because you have to figure out how to keep it in one spot and you have the wire hanging in your tank.

Bearded dragons up to the age of about a year should have a higher basking temp 105-107 is what to aim for. As they get older they don't need it as hot and at 18 months you can do 98-100 degrees.

 

[Draeju's_world]

I use my IR gun to check my beardie's temperature as he basks around the enclosure in diff spots. You know exactly what temps youre dealing with and can track his thermo-regulation even.

 

[JoeHerp]

I feel like I messed up by giving him superworms cut into halves, he prefers them so much that he hasn't eaten more than a single cricket in two days.. Any advice? Or any other ideas why he's stopped having interest in crickets? : /

 

[Hdrydr31]

I feel like I messed up by giving him superworms cut into halves, he prefers them so much that he hasn't eaten more than a single cricket in two days.. Any advice? Or any other ideas why he's stopped having interest in crickets? : /

Don't worry we've all been there lol They just love them superworms lol What I would say is they will not let themselves starve so introduce some different feeder bugs and hold out on not giving the supers we call it some tough love time..when he's hungry enough he will eat what your giving him... There are alot of different feeders that you can offer... Dubia roaches are a big fav, silkworms, phoenix worms, crickets, hornworms
Keep offering nice bowl of greens and try some different feeders and I'm sure you will in no time see him decide that he's hungry enough to eat what your offering.

 

[Draeju's_world]

I often serve several types of feeders at once in the same dish. Sometimes beardies will pick out what they want but often will eagerly and indescriminately start eating everything moving in there when they are really hungry.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I often serve several types of feeders at once in the same dish. Sometimes beardies will pick out what they want but often will eagerly and indescriminately start eating everything moving in there when they are really hungry.

Yep that's what I do! I have all my feeders mainly dubia and supers with a bit of salad fixings, then they have their salad bowl.. after later in the day mid day ish I will offer them a treat bug that I have on hand right now I have some phoenix worms. I have pretty easy access to butter and waxworms.
I find that when hungry enough they will grab multiple bugs at once..