Im a new fancy bearded dragon owner

[Charmander&Torkoal]

I need to know from more from experienced owners of this breed. I got a 12% t5 uvb bulb 22inches long on a 24in long reflective fixture. Will a basking ceramic bulb work for heat or is the light bulb one needed in basking area. Also I'll add pictures I got him or her from petsmart and it is small biggest one they had tho. I'd like to know about how old the dragon is. I plan to feed him live crickets and dryed dubi roaches and crickets aswell as a jelly like food I saw for their calcium intake. Will they soak themselves if given fresh water in a rock tub for them? Also any information for caring for them in general will be helpful homade enclosures would be cool to see, what live plants can I use and when can I use a substitute at what age. All I see him do is bask and hide to sleep

 

[Sadie]

I need to know from more from experienced owners of this breed. I got a 12% t5 uvb bulb 22inches long on a 24in long reflective fixture. Will a basking ceramic bulb work for heat or is the light bulb one needed in basking area. Also I'll add pictures I got him or her from petsmart and it is small biggest one they had tho. I'd like to know about how old the dragon is. I plan to feed him live crickets and dryed dubi roaches and crickets aswell as a jelly like food I saw for their calcium intake. Will they soak themselves if given fresh water in a rock tub for them? Also any information for caring for them in general will be helpful homade enclosures would be cool to see, what live plants can I use and when can I use a substitute at what age. All I see him do is bask and hide to sleep

Your baby is very young I am gonna say around 6 weeks - 8 weeks --- he needs surface basking temps of 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer I recommend 2 of them one for basking side one for cool side -- you dont need to leave the probe there you can stick it on the side of the tank -- but you want to check those temps every 2 weeks or so -- you want a solid clear bright white basking bulb - examples are Exo Terra Intense --- Arcadia Halogen--- or Flukers basking bulb - NO heat at night if your tank is 65-75- if you need it for winter time please get a CHE ceramic heat emitter - they produce heat and NO light - No colored bulbs or off white or yellowish or daytime bulbs --- the UVB is a good one and where it is placed and distanced will be determined by your screen on the tank --- once that is correctly placed your dragon should thrive w/ everything I have posted - he will go thru relocation stress but he should be eating something if he stops eating all together that is a issue-- please change the UVB out in approx 10-11 months from date of install ---- please feed live insects -- dried will make the dragon dehydrated --- please feed salads every day http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info it is outdated and a good staple feeder -- I would recommend getting a bowl like this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d and order some medium size BSFL www.symtonbsf.com and use those as a lure to the bowl - they are another staple feeder and great for babies -- feed as many as you want on top of his salads first thing in the morning- I would recommend switching to dubia roaches as well - they are a better staple feeder less hassle they are not escape artist and they dont stink ----- I would set up a 10 gallon aquarium and order like 200 of them -- order the roach no bigger than the space between his eyes - you dont want him to get impacted -- most dragons do not soak or drink for a bowl - please rinse the salads before serving- gut load the insects before feeding - I recommend feeding them at nite they will be ready for morning feedings- please dust your insects crickets/ roaches not the BSFL w/ calcium D3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated - this will go on till hes a year old -- at approx one year of age the calcium D3 will drop to once per week and calcium w/ out D3 will be added to two times per week - and depending on the salads hes eating the vitamins can be done every so often - but you want him started on salads now - his main diet is the protein tho -- w/ the BSFL if he goes crazy for them please feed like 20 at a time or so - sometimes the dragons eat them too fast and they come out undigested -you can also add some small for now superworms on his salads like 1-3 of them - as far as bioactive tanks I have no experience w/ them -- you can visit this website to help you w/ that www.biodude.com -- try his website and see what you can learn from him and how to set up a tank - there is a live plant section at the bottom of the nutrition site I posted that will give you info on plants for the tank -- if you have anymore questions please ask

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

Your baby is very young I am gonna say around 6 weeks - 8 weeks --- he needs surface basking temps of 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer I recommend 2 of them one for basking side one for cool side -- you dont need to leave the probe there you can stick it on the side of the tank -- but you want to check those temps every 2 weeks or so -- you want a solid clear bright white basking bulb - examples are Exo Terra Intense --- Arcadia Halogen--- or Flukers basking bulb - NO heat at night if your tank is 65-75- if you need it for winter time please get a CHE ceramic heat emitter - they produce heat and NO light - No colored bulbs or off white or yellowish or daytime bulbs --- the UVB is a good one and where it is placed and distanced will be determined by your screen on the tank --- once that is correctly placed your dragon should thrive w/ everything I have posted - he will go thru relocation stress but he should be eating something if he stops eating all together that is a issue-- please change the UVB out in approx 10-11 months from date of install ---- please feed live insects -- dried will make the dragon dehydrated --- please feed salads every day http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info it is outdated and a good staple feeder -- I would recommend getting a bowl like this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d and order some medium size BSFL www.symtonbsf.com and use those as a lure to the bowl - they are another staple feeder and great for babies -- feed as many as you want on top of his salads first thing in the morning- I would recommend switching to dubia roaches as well - they are a better staple feeder less hassle they are not escape artist and they dont stink ----- I would set up a 10 gallon aquarium and order like 200 of them -- order the roach no bigger than the space between his eyes - you dont want him to get impacted -- most dragons do not soak or drink for a bowl - please rinse the salads before serving- gut load the insects before feeding - I recommend feeding them at nite they will be ready for morning feedings- please dust your insects crickets/ roaches not the BSFL w/ calcium D3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated - this will go on till hes a year old -- at approx one year of age the calcium D3 will drop to once per week and calcium w/ out D3 will be added to two times per week - and depending on the salads hes eating the vitamins can be done every so often - but you want him started on salads now - his main diet is the protein tho -- w/ the BSFL if he goes crazy for them please feed like 20 at a time or so - sometimes the dragons eat them too fast and they come out undigested -you can also add some small for now superworms on his salads like 1-3 of them - as far as bioactive tanks I have no experience w/ them -- you can visit this website to help you w/ that www.biodude.com -- try his website and see what you can learn from him and how to set up a tank - there is a live plant section at the bottom of the nutrition site I posted that will give you info on plants for the tank -- if you have anymore questions please ask

Thank you so much

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

Your baby is very young I am gonna say around 6 weeks - 8 weeks --- he needs surface basking temps of 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer I recommend 2 of them one for basking side one for cool side -- you dont need to leave the probe there you can stick it on the side of the tank -- but you want to check those temps every 2 weeks or so -- you want a solid clear bright white basking bulb - examples are Exo Terra Intense --- Arcadia Halogen--- or Flukers basking bulb - NO heat at night if your tank is 65-75- if you need it for winter time please get a CHE ceramic heat emitter - they produce heat and NO light - No colored bulbs or off white or yellowish or daytime bulbs --- the UVB is a good one and where it is placed and distanced will be determined by your screen on the tank --- once that is correctly placed your dragon should thrive w/ everything I have posted - he will go thru relocation stress but he should be eating something if he stops eating all together that is a issue-- please change the UVB out in approx 10-11 months from date of install ---- please feed live insects -- dried will make the dragon dehydrated --- please feed salads every day http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ignore the kale info it is outdated and a good staple feeder -- I would recommend getting a bowl like this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d and order some medium size BSFL www.symtonbsf.com and use those as a lure to the bowl - they are another staple feeder and great for babies -- feed as many as you want on top of his salads first thing in the morning- I would recommend switching to dubia roaches as well - they are a better staple feeder less hassle they are not escape artist and they dont stink ----- I would set up a 10 gallon aquarium and order like 200 of them -- order the roach no bigger than the space between his eyes - you dont want him to get impacted -- most dragons do not soak or drink for a bowl - please rinse the salads before serving- gut load the insects before feeding - I recommend feeding them at nite they will be ready for morning feedings- please dust your insects crickets/ roaches not the BSFL w/ calcium D3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated - this will go on till hes a year old -- at approx one year of age the calcium D3 will drop to once per week and calcium w/ out D3 will be added to two times per week - and depending on the salads hes eating the vitamins can be done every so often - but you want him started on salads now - his main diet is the protein tho -- w/ the BSFL if he goes crazy for them please feed like 20 at a time or so - sometimes the dragons eat them too fast and they come out undigested -you can also add some small for now superworms on his salads like 1-3 of them - as far as bioactive tanks I have no experience w/ them -- you can visit this website to help you w/ that www.biodude.com -- try his website and see what you can learn from him and how to set up a tank - there is a live plant section at the bottom of the nutrition site I posted that will give you info on plants for the tank -- if you have anymore questions please ask

Is this poop normal looking ??

 

[Sadie]

Is this poop normal looking ??View attachment 34213

Yep looks good --- its moist formed and good urate- the more greens he eats the greener or darker it will get

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

Yep looks good --- its moist formed and good urate- the more greens he eats the greener or darker it will get

So the red is normal

 

[Sadie]

So the red is normal

Its pinkish --- if your feeding anything red like rasp straw or red peppers its going to give a pinkish tinge to it -- too many supplements can turn it orange looking

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

O

Its pinkish --- if your feeding anything red like rasp straw or red peppers its going to give a pinkish tinge to it -- too many supplements can turn it orange looking

Only fed crickets

 

[Sadie]

O

Only fed crickets

How big are the crickets and what are you feeding them? Please start feeding salads

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

How big are the crickets and what are you feeding them? Please start feeding salads

He is only 5 to 6 months old I dont got Amy live ones I got 2 boxes from petsmart of the small ones he ate the ones I'd kill then put on his basking rock. He ate like 5 or 6 the first day then 5 the second then he stopped but I got theses packets of crickets (in pictures), and cans of dubi roaches. Also got this jello food stuff. Any way i can keep him hydrating himself from a moving water source i got this fountain for him.

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

 

[Sadie]

View attachment 34219

Please return all this stuff you got --- this will dry your dragon out making him dehydrated --which will effect the pooping etc------------ please get fresh salad stuff from the list I posted --- he needs live insects like crickets or dubia roaches or BSFL ------- order on line --- set up a aquarium 10 gallon and order 200 roaches at a time and get some dubia food w/ some dubia dew / crystals for hydration feed them things like squash -- fruit -- raw shredded sweet potato- etc your dragon will eat this same stuff - he should be eating 20 25 crickets in ONE feeding dusted w/ calcium D3 --- or 10-15 roaches in ONE feeding --- please go here and order the roaches you need to feed the size NO bigger than the space between his eyes - go by their chart on the website www.dubiaroaches.com --- you can order BSFL a great staple feeder for babies and add them to the tops of the salads -- I posted all this above for you --- PLEASE NO water falls in the tank --- dragons are a desert animal and any high humidity in the tank they are prone to get RI's ---
here are some websites to get insects/ worms from -- you can get him some horn worms order small amounts they grow really fast and will out grow him -- super worms feed 1-3 on top of his salads like the BSFL --
www.dubiaroaches.com
www.symtonbsf.com
www.aafeeders.com
www.reptilianarts.com -- good silk worms and another good staple feeder
www.joshfrogs.com
As long as your UVB is a good one and properly placed and good surface basking temps taken w/ a digital probe thermometer your dragon will do good --- if any of this stuff is off he will stop eating - as a baby he should be a eating machine -- this is his growth period they will slow down on growing around 1 year old but will continue to grow till around 2 --- you want him as healthy as possible w/ the UVB temps and good diet --- all this dried stuff is not good --- any questions please ask -- please go shopping or your insects -- the dubia roaches are a better feeder and everything is cheaper to get on line and not at Pet Smart

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

How do I make sure he is drinking water.

 

[Sadie]

How do I make sure he is drinking water.

You will see him licking the water from the face if dropping or spraying his head --- also the salads if you rinse the greens before serving he will get moisture from them as well -- if he starts pooing out dry poop or urate that is chalky and dried out looking then hes dehydrated

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

You will see him licking the water from the face if dropping or spraying his head --- also the salads if you rinse the greens before serving he will get moisture from them as well -- if he starts pooing out dry poop or urate that is chalky and dried out looking then hes dehydrated

is this to big for a 5 or 6 month old bearded dragon?

 

[Sadie]

View attachment 34223is this to big for a 5 or 6 month old bearded dragon?

No but you must have a digital probe thermometer to get surface basking temps - you do not want to cook your dragon- you need to go by surface basking temps not how big the dragon is

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

I got one

 

[Sadie]

I got one

Ok you should have 2 of them one for the cool side of the tank --- place on the spot where he sits for basking 10 min or so get the temp- you can take the probe then and stick it on the side of the tank --- check temps every 2 weeks or so bulbs go get weak over time

 

[Charmander&Torkoal]

Ok you should have 2 of them one for the cool side of the tank --- place on the spot where he sits for basking 10 min or so get the temp- you can take the probe then and stick it on the side of the tank --- check temps every 2 weeks or so bulbs go get weak over time

I know you said no fountain but I got little 4inch exhaust fans to keep the air moving and dry for him. If it doesn't stay low humidity I'll remove it. But will he climb the cords and get out? I plan to seal the inside with flex seal liquid rubber next month I'm on a 20 on 10 off schedule for work

 

[Sadie]

View attachment 34227View attachment 34228View attachment 34229I know you said no fountain but I got little 4inch exhaust fans to keep the air moving and dry for him. If it doesn't stay low humidity I'll remove it. But will he climb the cords and get out? I plan to seal the inside with flex seal liquid rubber next month I'm on a 20 on 10 off schedule for work

The analog hygrometer is inaccurate--- please get a digital probe hygrometer place on the back center wall of the tank -- I see one light for the dragon and hes a baby hes growing and needs UVB -- what is that light? brand and wattage please -- your substrate is going to be hard to keep clean I recommend getting some textured NON adhesive shelf liner cut to the size of the tank --- unsanitary tanks can lead to yellow fungus and your fountain will cause a RI -- dragons are a desert reptile --- fountains are for your water or aquatic reptiles -- I see no temp gauges another MUST have in the tank -- he needs certain temps of 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer or he will not be able to digest his food -- if any of this is not on par your dragon will quit eating and the UVB is what prevents all kinds of illnesses along w/ a very bad one called MBD