Bearded dragon enclosure

[Aceboogs]

I just bought this little fella today at Petco. They told me the 20 gallon tank enclosure came with everything I needed. I swapped the default carpet with sand carpet. As well as buying a Mayan cave which the heat tank is under. Branches and a log hideout. They told me it was all ok. My lizard seems chill but it’s not eating. I tried meal worms, veggies and fruit. It ate some bit the spinach but didn’t fully eat it, I think it was just taking the water from it.... it’s also not drinking water. I just wanna make sure it will be ok

 

[Sadie]

I just bought this little fella today at Petco. They told me the 20 gallon tank enclosure came with everything I needed. I swapped the default carpet with sand carpet. As well as buying a Mayan cave which the heat tank is under. Branches and a log hideout. They told me it was all ok. My lizard seems chill but it’s not eating. I tried meal worms, veggies and fruit. It ate some bit the spinach but didn’t fully eat it, I think it was just taking the water from it.... it’s also not drinking water. I just wanna make sure it will be ok

Oh dear Petco is at it again ---- the sand mat is fine --- the UVB coil is NO good --- your gonna need to get a long tube fixture or your gonna have lots of health issues ---- the two MOST IMPORTANT things in that tank are the basking temps and UVB -- I CANNOT STRESS that enough --- so since he wont be in that tank long I would suggest you invest in a UVB that is going to go into the next tank like a 75-120 gallon for optimal tank size for a dragon--- I am going to post what you need for now that will work on that 20 gallon -- most of my go to places are out of stock I suggest you get on Amazon and start looking -- I have 2 people on this board right now that are in the process of ordering these UVB's

Amazon.com : Reptisun 26053 T5 HO Terrarium Hood, 24" + (1 Bulb Inside + 1 Extra) Lamp ReptiSun 5.0 & 10.0 UVB T5 HO, 24 Watts : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : Reptisun 26053 T5 HO Terrarium Hood, 24" + (1 Bulb Inside + 1 Extra) Lamp ReptiSun 5.0 & 10.0 UVB T5 HO, 24 Watts : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

The fixture comes w/ a 5.0 it will be perfect on the 20 gallon -- please get it ordered ASAP and when you get it please post back here and I will help you get it set up --- please get the digital probe thermometers $8 from Petco -- basking temps need to be 105-110 for a baby --- take the probe place it on the spot where he sits to bask wait 10 minutes or so get the temp -- Hes going to go thru relocation stress so his eating will be off but he should not quit eating all together if he does there is a issue --- NO mealworms he is too young --- here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html salads every morning please -- I would get some BSFL from here www.symtonbsf.com order mediums feed on top of the salads as many as you want they are a great staple feeder and a great lure to the salad bowl --- you will need a bowl like this to feed https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
Make sure your dusting the insects w/ calcium D3 5 x per week once per feeding and vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week once per feeding --- I would get some SMALL super worms feed on top of salads 1-3 if you have more questions please ask --

 

[HoomanSlave]

Unfortunately, it sounds like you were misinformed by the employee. Keep in mind that they are instructed to sell the customer as many items as possible, even if it's an unnecessary or dangerous product. Most Petcos and Petsmarts care more about making money than keeping animals healthy, and the "care guides" they have their employees read are filled with misinformation and straight-up lies.

There are a few things that will need to be changed:

Do not feed beardies spinach, it's not good for them. Calcium binds to spinach, which is not healthy.

First of all, you'll need to remove any colored lights or compact bulbs from the enclosure. These are bad for their eyes and do not provide adequate light or heat. A tube UVB bulb (Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12%) is what you need to be using for UVB.

Also remove the sand carpet and replace it with paper towels-there are lots of tiny, loose stones on the carpet that can be a choking hazard or get suck in their digestive tract.

Instead of mealworms, try offering dubia roaches (or crickets if you can't get any dubias). Mealworms have little nutritional value and can also get stuck in the digestive tract, especially when fed to babies.

You will also need to get two digital thermometers and a digital hydrometer-the analog ones can be off by 10 degrees or more.

If there is any kind of undertank heater (heating pad, tape, rock, etc.) it needs to be removed as soon as possible, especially if it isn't attached to a thermostat. They can cause fatal burns unless you have a way to control the temperature, and they aren't really recommended for beardies.

In the future, you will also need to upgrade the tank size to a 75 or 120 gallon enclosure. While your beardie is still small, the 20 gallon is okay.

Be sure to supplement feeder insects with calcium and multivitamins. I can send you links to products if necessary.

Beardies typically won't eat for the first ay or two after you bring them home-the transfer is very stressful for them.