Soon to be FIRST TIME beardie owner!

[Jaquienicole]

Hi everyone!

I’ve been doing extensive research on proper enclosures, diet and all things bearded dragon for the past week in preparation for bringing home our new family member. I will be a first time owner and want to give our beardie the best.

That being said there is SO MUCH conflicting info and I’m just looking for clarity here.

My husband has built an enclosure that will be vented on the sides but have a solid top (so we want to mount lighting on the inside.) The enclosure measures 4x2x20 and we will be purchasing a Reptisun T5 Ho 24 Inch along with an Exo Terra Sun-Glo Basking Infrared Spot Lamp 100 watt. Any advice on mounting, please advise.

As far as substrate vs tile, I know 100% no to the reptile carpet but I am struggling with deciding between the organic top soil/play sand mixture or tile. I know this seems to be controversial and so I’m coming for more advice here. Seems to be the consensus that if our beardie (which he/she will be) is not a baby beardie, in healthy condition and the enclosure, diet, etc is all correct loose substrate is good. So again, just looking for more direction.

As far as feeding goes, this is where my research hasn’t been as much. Can someone just advise me there? Calcium dusting, how often, greens to avoid, all of that please. Or link where I can find it?

And then of course if there’s anything I’m missing. Random things advice would be great. Anything really. We want our beardie to live the best life.

 

[Sadie]

Hi everyone!

I’ve been doing extensive research on proper enclosures, diet and all things bearded dragon for the past week in preparation for bringing home our new family member. I will be a first time owner and want to give our beardie the best.

That being said there is SO MUCH conflicting info and I’m just looking for clarity here.

My husband has built an enclosure that will be vented on the sides but have a solid top (so we want to mount lighting on the inside.) The enclosure measures 4x2x20 and we will be purchasing a Reptisun T5 Ho 24 Inch along with an Exo Terra Sun-Glo Basking Infrared Spot Lamp 100 watt. Any advice on mounting, please advise.

As far as substrate vs tile, I know 100% no to the reptile carpet but I am struggling with deciding between the organic top soil/play sand mixture or tile. I know this seems to be controversial and so I’m coming for more advice here. Seems to be the consensus that if our beardie (which he/she will be) is not a baby beardie, in healthy condition and the enclosure, diet, etc is all correct loose substrate is good. So again, just looking for more direction.

As far as feeding goes, this is where my research hasn’t been as much. Can someone just advise me there? Calcium dusting, how often, greens to avoid, all of that please. Or link where I can find it?

And then of course if there’s anything I’m missing. Random things advice would be great. Anything really. We want our beardie to live the best life.

Babies and sand do not go together- they are sloppy eaters and I recommend you go w/ a mat that fits a 4x2x2 tank - Zen habitats has them - for a baby I would cut that tank in half ---section it off till he is around 4 months old or so - hes going to be easier to work w/ and handle to get him hand tamed--- the most important thing in the tank is the surface basking temps taken w / a digital probe thermometer 2 of them and a good long tube fixture for a UVB your 24" Reptisun is good but make sure your using the 10.0 bulb not the 5.0 it comes w/ and it needs to be in the tank around 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor piece -- I recommend a regular basking bulb -surface basking temps 105-110 -- the Sun Glo is a MVB and good for heat but not so much UVB - your going to pay alot of money for that bulb -- Exo Terra Intense basking bulb Arcadia Halogen or Flukers basking bulbs are good -- you will need a digital probe hygrometer placed on the back center wall of the tank - 40-50% optimal humidity Exo Terra sells them --
your dragon will eat 20-25 appropriately sized crickets per feeding and babies should be fed 2-3 times per day --- insects should be dusted w/ calcium D3 ONCE per feeding 5 x per week lightly coated w/ the D3 and vitamins w/ beta carotene ONCE per feeding lightly coated on the insects-- w/ a fresh salad every morning http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info its outdated and is a good staple feeder - I recommend you get some BSFL do not dust these www.symtonbsf.com you will need a bowl like this to keep them in https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
use 20-25 on top of his salads first thing in the morning as salad lures - you can use them to hand feed him and get him hand tamed -- go w/ medium for now depending on how big he is - they are a small larvae -- small super worms can be used as salad toppers 1-3 every other day - we want him eating some salads - his appetite will be off till he has acclimated to his tank and surroundings - he needs to be eating something if he stops eating all together there is a issue -

 

[Jaquienicole]

Babies and sand do not go together- they are sloppy eaters and I recommend you go w/ a mat that fits a 4x2x2 tank - Zen habitats has them - for a baby I would cut that tank in half ---section it off till he is around 4 months old or so - hes going to be easier to work w/ and handle to get him hand tamed--- the most important thing in the tank is the surface basking temps taken w / a digital probe thermometer 2 of them and a good long tube fixture for a UVB your 24" Reptisun is good but make sure your using the 10.0 bulb not the 5.0 it comes w/ and it needs to be in the tank around 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor piece -- I recommend a regular basking bulb -surface basking temps 105-110 -- the Sun Glo is a MVB and good for heat but not so much UVB - your going to pay alot of money for that bulb -- Exo Terra Intense basking bulb Arcadia Halogen or Flukers basking bulbs are good -- you will need a digital probe hygrometer placed on the back center wall of the tank - 40-50% optimal humidity Exo Terra sells them --
your dragon will eat 20-25 appropriately sized crickets per feeding and babies should be fed 2-3 times per day --- insects should be dusted w/ calcium D3 ONCE per feeding 5 x per week lightly coated w/ the D3 and vitamins w/ beta carotene ONCE per feeding lightly coated on the insects-- w/ a fresh salad every morning http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info its outdated and is a good staple feeder - I recommend you get some BSFL do not dust these www.symtonbsf.com you will need a bowl like this to keep them in https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
use 20-25 on top of his salads first thing in the morning as salad lures - you can use them to hand feed him and get him hand tamed -- go w/ medium for now depending on how big he is - they are a small larvae -- small super worms can be used as salad toppers 1-3 every other day - we want him eating some salads - his appetite will be off till he has acclimated to his tank and surroundings - he needs to be eating something if he stops eating all together there is a issue -

Sorry if I confused you, but we will not be getting a baby. More than likely the beardie will be over 2 years old.

 

[Sadie]

Sorry if I confused you, but we will not be getting a baby. More than likely the beardie will be over 2 years old.

Ok - surface basking temps should be 95-100- you can use playsand mixed with some topsoil w/ no fertilizers etc -