What's up everyone?

[Kalypso]

Hey everyone, my name is Amber. I am from North Carolina, and am expecting my first dragon to arrive via fed ex Wednesday of next week (the day before my 30th bday!). I decided to go with a red, I absolutely love the color in the beardies. I ordered from lllreptile.com. I have actually been ordering from them for years. Like I said before, this is my first dragon, BUT I am not new to this hobby. I used to keep Panther Chameleons (Furcifer Pardalis) for several years, and was a small hobby breeder as well. Mostly I bred BB and RB Ambilobe, but also the occasional Nosy Be, and eventually Nosy Faly. Well, long story short, I got married, had kids, and simply did not have the time that Panther Chams require anymore. Anyone that has ever kept them knows how demanding, and touchy they can be. I have also kept Leopard Geckos, Crested Geckos, and Tokay Geckos.

I LOVE chameleons, but I decided to do something different this time. I don't think I will be breeding though. I just miss having a scaly friend around. I ended up getting out of the hobby completely, sold off all of my equipment, and my chams as well. Well... I was able to stay out for 3 years, but have decided to pick it back up.

I am very excited for my little buddy to arrive Wednesday. I was hoping to have him sooner, but that was the soonest they could get him here. It's gonna be a long wait! I am expecting a hatchling, and will have the enclosure set up by arrival. Luckily I happen to have a 75 gallon tank in storage.

I have picked up some mustard greens and squash at the store, and have 250 crix, fruitflies, silkworms, and waxworms on their way to me.

I'm pretty sure I have husbandry for bearded's down pretty well, but was wondering if there is anything special you guys would like to tell me about them, especially from people that have kept other species. What separates the dragons from the rest?

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Welcome to the BDF Community, Amber! Glad to have you aboard and look forward to updates and pics of your new dragon when he arrives!
We currently care for and have kept a wide assortment of reptiles and amphibians as well as other non-scaled critters in our home and as much as we enjoy each and every one of them for who they are (and that includeds even our Green Iggy who tries his best to maintain his sour attitude even though he knows we know it's all bluff..lol) but have to say that our current beardie Mungi is by far the most rewarding and pleasurable reptile we have had. They are extremely docilecreatures that for the most part never truly show aggression..They will "black-beard" but I have never even had one try and so much as nip at me and have had my finger literally between the teeth of ours. They are also extremely forgiving and hardy creatures that require only a short list of things to make them happy and thrive compared to many other species. That list as I said is short however their basics do have to be set-up and maintained diligently in order for them to do well.
I know that you said that you believe that you already know their requirements and the proper husbandry practice you will need to care for your new dragon but here are some excellent links that if you will follow the information contained in them then you can rest assured that you will be doing it right for him and giving him and you the best possible chance for a long and happy and healthy adventure together.
After you have read through the info if you have other questions do not be shy about posting them...the BDF is slam-packed with experience and enthusiastic folks that live and breathe this species and that are always eager to help!

Again Welcome and Enjoy your Evening
Mungi's Buddha

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

 

[Noella]

Welcome to BDF!

 

[Kalypso]

Thanks so much to both of you! It's great to be here!

I will be sure to post pics when he/she arrives for sure The name will be Calypso. That was also to be my user name, but I ended up with the alternate spelling because the site said the name Calypso had been associated with spamming LOL.

Of course I will read through the links provided, and I greatly appreciate you posting them for me. Even after raising and breeding many species, you can never stop learning! I also enjoy reading and learning anything new. There is no such thing as knowing everything!

A couple things I have noticed that will be different than keeping chams s of course the glass enclosure as opposed to screen, using the 10.0 reptisun as opposed to the 5.0, and of course temp and humidity differences.

I am greatly looking forward to learning from all of you, and of course from Calypso too.

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

When you buy your UV bulbs you can use both ReptiSun and ReptiGlo...both are good bulbs and both come in the 10% or 10.0 that you will need. The ReptiGlo bulbs are usually much cheaper. I would highly recommend you buying the tube-type as opposed to the coil-type bulbs. An 18" 10.0 is fine and you can purchase an inexpensive under-the-counter mount fixture from Walmart for under 10 bucks just remember when you buy it that you remove the clear plastic shield that covers the bulb before using it in your enclosure otherwise you will cut of the UV rays. Those fixtures are very lightweight and will allow you to be able to mount the UV light under the screen on the wall near the top of your tank.
Mounting it like that as opposed to on top of the screen will give your dragon the full unobstructed UV light. If you mount on top of the screen be aware that the screen will filter up to 50% of the UV emitted and also when placed on top of the screen you will have to replace the bulb every 6 months..When mounted under the screen only have to replace once per year.
That translates to a Win-Win..you save money and your dragon gets the most efficient full UV he needs.
Have a great Nite!

 

[Kalypso]

Absolutely agree, Reptiglo is a bit cheaper, I suppose I just prefer Reptisun. Call me a creature of habit. It would definitely be a tube bulb as opposed to a coil type, and it will get hot glued inside of the tank tomorrow. Was going to do that today, just didn't get around to it. It is definitely nice to not have to replace them twice a year.

I also dug out my old temp gun, and picked up a thermometer/humidity gauge (dual probe) earlier this evening as well! I'm just about set! I will set things up tomorrow, and make sure I have my temps/humidity down before Calypso's arrival.

 

[Kalypso]

Also, I meant to ask. I saw you recommend to pick up the probe thermo at petsmart in the fish section. Don't those only measure temps, and not humidity (no hygro setting)? If that is the case, how are you measuring the humidity in the enclosure? Also, I have not seen them, but my question was, do they not have an in/out setting or button?

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

If you are using a tank with a screen top then you infrared temp gun will not be accurate because you will have to move the screen and your lights to get a clear shot at the spot you want to check..moving those things will change the temps and you cant shoot it thru the glass or screen either and be accurate therefore not feasible to use it. The only way to do it is with using two(2) of the digital probe thermometers with one probe attached directly to your basking spot and the other attached to the coolest spot in the tank. These have to be attached directly to the spots or you will get inaccurate reads. BTW the humidity probe is not really necessary..main thing you don't want to do is add to the humidity inside the enclosure by for instance leaving a water dish or bowl in it...Bearded dragons in general don't recognize standing water as something they can drink so they wont use it. They will get their hydration from the vegetables and feeders you give them and from the soaks and misting you will provide them with. Interestingly they actually absorb moisture through their vents and while you are letting them soak in the bath they will draw in moisture that way...Their vents are truly a very remarkable multi-purpose part of their anatomy and interesting to read up on.
One other tip...if you go to Petsmart you can purchase the probe thermometers for about 9 bucks...Look in the Aquarium section...the same basic thermometer in the Reptile Section costs more..smh;-)

I prefer the ReptiSun as well but only if I can get them at a great deal..lol

Also when you are mounting the UV fixture you need to be aware that the majority of the UV emitted from the bulb will be from the center of the tube and actually very little is emitted from the ends so you will want to mount the UV light so that it's center is inline with the basking spot light and they are both shining on the basking spot. That will make them both most efficient because your dragon will spend most of his time on that spot.
Enjoy...time for me to catch some winks...hopefully..lol.Niters

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Not sure what the in/out setting you mentioned is...I know that the dual hum/temp and a lot of the single thermometers have a min/max alarm on them...I dont use them. Mungi's tank has a dual hum/temp but I dont use the humdity probe anymore because I know that it stays about the same all the time...I did use it initially just out of curiosity but that probe is coiled up outside his enclosure now. You will find that your tank humidity will tend to stay about what your home ambient humidity is or a little bit lower. Not a whole lot you can do about that unless you decide to run dehumidifiers..me personally I am not excessively worried about humidity and don't like the static shocks that dehumidifiers make.Your dragon will be fine unless the humidity is constantly extremely high in your home. The temps and gradient is the prime thing to concern yourself with so the probe thermometers I was talking about in the aquarium Section work just fine...in fact any digital thermometer with a remote probe will work
Talk to you later!

 

[Kalypso]

I agree, the temp gun will not work through screen, or glass. But if I were to use a screen top that has hinges in the middle so that each side opens individually, or have an enclosure that opens in the front, I can open the enclosure then point n' shoot That should make for a very accurate reading. The reason I use a humidity probe is because of my location. This time of year it wouldn't be much of a concern, but in the summer this state is HUMID, and the inside of your house can fluctuate in humidity greatly if the A/C is not currently running, or for other various reasons.

Now, I do have a question. I can deal with them not drinking from standing water, as chams don't either and must be misted OFTEN (also to keep humidity high in enclosure), but how often do you suggest beardies need to be misted? I know the humidity is a very touchy thing, and don't want it to be too high by too much misting.

Now, what I meant by an in/out setting was eliminating the need for 2 separate thermometers, so you have 2 different probes...obviously one for basking, and 1 for the cool side of the enclosure. If you are able to find a gauge with an in/out setting you would place the probe in the basking area, and the gauge itself inside the enclosure because it has a sensor inside of it to measure temp. All you would do is make sure the probe line is covered to prevent any kind of tangles. The display would show the temp of the probe at all times, but if you were to open the enclosure (once again if it opens in the front, or has the dual opening screen top like mentioned before) you would push the "in/out" button, and it would then display the temp read by the sensor in the gauge itself i.e. the "in". So, it acts like two thermometers. I hope that makes sense!

Hope you get some rest!

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

I'm quite familiar with the humidity in the South...actually I am from deep Southern Louisiana where we used chainsaws to cut holes in the thick humid air for relief...lol.
Again I would not be overly concerned with the humidity in your enclosure. As long as it is not excessively high for long periods of time and is well ventilated (ie. screen top,etc) then it will be fine. If you do find it staying extremely high a fan near the enclosure can be used to disperse some of the humidity and as mentioned earlier you want to make sure that you aren't contributing to raising the humidity more by using water dishes inside of the enclosure or misting inside the enclosure and such. Other than that if it is still excessive for long periods of time you can purchase a dehumidifier for your home or the room the enclosure is located if you wish. Dehumidifiers drying the air out as they do will increase the static electricity in the room so don't be surprised if you use one and start getting those nice "pops" when you touch things.
Most folks use the standard screen on top of their tank which makes the infrared thermometer unusable but if your enclosure's screen is hinged and doesn't require moving lights and such or has a front opening a front opening then they do work well.
I understand now what you meant by the in/out button on a thermometer. I have never used the function myself and rather prefer just using two with the probes routed inside the tank and positioned correctly and the readout mounted on the outside of the tank which to me works best. The most important factor either way you go is proper placement of your probes.

as far as frequency of misting you can overdo that if not careful...a good misting from snout tip to tail tip a couple of times a week is plenty and a 15-20 minute warm soak no more than once per week is more than plenty. Do not mist your dragon inside of his enclosure as that will raise the humidity as well and can encourage fungus, bacteria and mold growth in his house.
Enjoy your day

 

[Kalypso]

It is going to be a pretty crazy thing for me to NOT have to worry about humidity in my enclosure! I am so used to that being such a HUGE factor that it is almost a relief to not have to keep a constant eye on it. I definitely won't mist the inside of the enclosure, and will be sure to not overdo it.

Thanks for answering all my questions, and for all the help!

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Glad to help anytime Be sure to read through the info in those links I gave. The info in them will make things much smoother and easier for you getting everything right for your dragon and btw I think that it is a very smart thing that you are getting everything set up and "dailed in" before you bring your dragon home. That will make things MUCH better for him and his acclimation period easier on him.
Have a good one

 

[Kalypso]

Thanks so much man, much appreciated! I started reading/watching those links last night, and will finish up today. I'll keep you posted, and read other areas of the forum as well. You can never be too prepared! Have a great day!

 

[Kalypso]

Well everyone, it has been quite a few months cramming my head with bearded dragon husbandry facts, finding the right dragon for me, and of course the wait for the arrival, but it is now upon us! Kalypso is due to arrive tomorrow morning via fedex, and I can't frikkin wait!

I have been trying to get my temps right, working all the way down from 126 degrees! Haha! I saw that temp and about lost it!

BUT, after some tweaking I have everything where it needs to be, and I am ready to meet my scaly bibi! Looking forward to finding out if we have a boy or girl as well. When I bought her it wasn't specified.

When she arrives tomorrow I will be videoing the unboxing for everyone, and will take a few quick pics before I let her get settled in. I will keep this thread updated! Thanks for sharing in the journey guys!

 

[Augie]

Looking forward to it!!!

 

[Kalypso]

Woot woot! Me too!! Happy dance time! Well...almost haha!

 

[Chris Baez Jr.]

I can't wait myself. I'm looking forward to the unboxing vid.

 

[Kalypso]

Alright, the big day is here! My little one has arrived, and this beardie has already completely exceeded my expectations! I did an unboxing video this morning. Excuse my sleepiness in the beginning haha! I didn't get much sleep last night.

Anyhow, I couldn't be happier with her! She is GORGEOUS. You can't see her color very well on my crappy webcam, so I hope to get better pictures soon.

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Congratulations! And I agree...Very Beautiful and healthy looking dragon,INDEED! Makes today and AWESOME day for both you and your dragon and y'alls adventure together has just officially begun Thanks for sharing the un-boxing video and look forward to all the updates and pics to come!!
Enjoy!