New with new Beardie

[Ozzie&Dino]

Hello! I am new to BD but not to reptiles. I have had my Veil Chameleon for 2yrs and a couple of days ago I amswered an ad on Craiglist and went and got an adult male Beardie. He has been in a 20 gallon tank his whole life ( He is 3 1/2 yrs old) He is very sweet and orange in color. I went out as soon as I got him home and settled and bought him a 40 gallon breeder tank with screen mesh top and a stand and he had no UVB or UVA bulbs at all so I bought him a light strip and bought a desert florescent bulb but I am going to order him some Arcadia bulbs and a new fixture soon. He has 150 watt basking light on one side and a red bulb that the original owners used as a night light. ( I am not sure if he needs that?)

He eats his veggies very well. I grind up Dandelion, kale, turnip greens. He also loves squash and Zucchini. Mango, . He will not eat carrots though. Is sweet potato ok? He loves his crickets and butterworms. I am glad to be here to learn more about these wonderful reptiles

 

[Germ]

He looks to be a very handsome Dragon. Good job on the larger enclosure & getting him some UVB coverage.

Please be sure that you are measuring your temps in the right places. Basking temps must be measure directly at the basking spot with a digital thermometer that has a sensor\probe that can be placed\attached on\to the basking spot itself.

The red night light is not needed or wanted unless you are sure that your ambient night room temps drop below the mid to low 60sF. Lights of any color will bother most BDs sleep & BDs should be allowed to cool at night, it slows their metabolism down for a good nights sleep. Should night heat be absolutely necessary, a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) with a thermostat or dimmer inline to control the heat just enough to take the edge off.

A few good links to help get you started ...

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

Is Bearded Dragon Co-habitation a good plan?

How To Sex A Bearded Dragon

 

[Jesse omg it's me]

welcome to BDF!!

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

Thanks for the links and advice and warm welcome. Is it ok if I use astroturf as a substrate? That calisand is very dusty and I am just not liking it. It turns my Dragons feet more orange and I am terrified of him ingesting too much of it. His first owners kept him on it his whole life, he is 3 1/2 yrs. old.

 

[Germ]

Calci-Sand is a dangerous substrate, because it will clump together when moistened as it would be in the digestion process, posing an extremely high impaction risk if ingested. Dyed\Colored substrates should never be used for the exact reason you just described, the dye transferring & staining the animals skin.

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

Would you recommend ceramic tile or astroturf or something else other than newspaper or paper towels? Thanks

 

[Germ]

Textured Ceramic Tile is always a good choice, providing it is installed correctly. Astroturf can be very difficult to clean & sanitize.

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

Thank you. Another breeder recommended bleached sand but I am not real sure where to find that at and not 100% sure it is safe.

 

[Noelerhard]

Sand is definently not a good idea. In my opinion, tile is the best choice.

 

[Germ]

Children's Washed Play Sand is a safe & acceptable substrate, providing that it has been strained to remove any larger pebbles prior to being introduced to the enclosure. I have been using it for all my BDs 10+" for over 11 years with no issues whatsoever. This is not to say that it is what has to used, but that is is a viable choice. There are also many other non-particle alternative substrates to choose from.

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

Sand is definently not a good idea. In my opinion, tile is the best choice.

Those round stick on thermometers are not accurate. The childs sand was recommended by a well known BD Breeder. What are your experiences with sand? Thanks

 

[Noelerhard]

The thermometer is stuck there, I don't use it at all. I have a probe thermometer. Depending on age sand can be bad for the digestive track. It can dye scales, and get caught in the eyes or scratch the eyes. I know some beardies who have been fine on sand, but I know other beardies who have had issues.

 

[Germ]

Dyed sand should never be used for the exact reason that you have mentioned. Agreed, depending on age, any BD under 10" in length, should not be on a particle substrate of ANY kind. The issues that you say that you have known with Sand, was it Strained Play Sand, and was it actually proven that the Play Sand was the culprit that caused the issue, or was it just a handy, easy scapegoat to hide poor husbandry behind? There are many things that we use in our enclosures that can cause eye issues, should it get into or be accidentally poked by them, it's all about acceptable risks & what is acceptable to the individual keeper. Some substrates are more dangerous than others, in my opinion Strained Washed Play Sand is the safest of all the particle substrates available & is the only one that I would ever recommend, if a particle substrate is to be the choice.

I may get hit by a car if I cross the street, but the risk is acceptable if I watch what I am doing ... We are always hearing about accidents like this happening, but we still cross the street with care.

Again, I will say that it is not necessary to use Play Sand as a substrate, there are many other non-particle alternatives, but ... Strained Washed Play Sand is also a very viable & acceptable option.

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

Thank you for the advice on sifting the play sand through a screen. It worked perfect and I collected a lot of large pebbles while sifting so now my sand is very finely sifted through. I am happy with my choice to use play sand and my boy will take a while to get the orange off his feet and under side. The natural play sand looks so much better...Thanks