new beardie mom wanting tips!! :)

[madelinew]

Hi everyone! I'm here because I would love for people to give me tips and pointers, as I am a new fancy bearded dragon owner! I once owned a bearded dragon around 6 years ago and finally got another little guy and I want to the best mother I can be. Right now he is in a 10 gallon tank (which is a bit small, I know, I'm upgrading to a 34 gallon front opening tank once I get the money and he's a bit more grown up.) Right now he's about 6 weeks which is super young so I'm trying to be extra careful with him, especially since he's from pet-smart so he might not be the healthiest. He has reptile carpet, a hide, a basking driftwoods, and some leaves. He likes to wave a lot, he's actually doing it right now!! hahah, so I'm planning on getting maybe some tan contact paper to put on three of the glass walls since he seems to be waving to his reflection! I have a 100w Zoo Med basking lightbulb in a Fluker's dimmable switch lamp, and a Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB 15w tube light with the corresponding light fixture. He's eaten crickets coated in Flucker's calcium supplement (I also have the Zoo Med ReptiCalcium with D3 for 2-3 times a week, which U haven't used yet.) from tweezers and off of the ground. I'm planning to feed him gut loaded dubia roaches soon but for now he get crickets since that's what they were fed at the store. He's pooped and had a couple bites of the salad I made him that includes collared greens, butternut squash, and apple but he wouldn't eat anymore and started getting jumpy and stressed so I'm letting him be for now. I do realize I didn't cut his salad small enough but I did make them smaller before feeding them to him.(as I was typing this he decided he wanted some of the pieces of fruit dropped on his hide, and ate some so hopefully that's a good sign.) When I first got him he was showing signs of stress, as he was moved into a new home, and I've only handled him to clean out his enclosure which I'm trying to keep handling to a minimum as I want him to settle in, but he does seem to be doing well within the two days I've had him he's tried bitting everything just trying to get familiar with his new home and I've seen a good amount of waving and running around. I actually saw him scratching his head on the driftwood a couple times which freaked me out but I'm hoping it's just a sign that he's going to shed soon. I just can't stop looking at his signs of stress and feel bad for him!!

***So sorry for the long post I'm just trying to get as much information out there to know what I'm doing right or wrong!!!*** Thank you all for taking your time to read about my baby / helping me out!


**UPDATE** I'm planning on getting him a bigger tank soon, I've taken off the screen from his tank so the UVB rays aren't getting blocked. I'm going to get him a 50w basking lightbulb asap but in the mean time I have the lamp dimmed and clamped onto the side of his tank. His tank is usually around 90-95 degrees and humidity is around 33. I would love tips for feeding, hydration since he doesn't want his salad and I don't want to bathe him this young, and how I can help keep his stress levels down and make him feel safe and at home!

 

[Tina W.]

Hi. I'm a new dragon mommy too but I've done tons of research and watched a million YouTube videos and feel I'm well equipped to talk with you.
For a baby dragon the basking temp needs to be around 105°F and 110°F and I would recommend getting a temp gun. Humidity is fine as is. Right now he is stressed to the max and needs lots of quiet time with minimal handling. I used an old medicine dropper to give mine a few drops of water. It sounds like you're doing fine. I was so freaked out when I got mine that I stressed more than she did! Its ok that he's not eating a whole lot right now, once he settles down he will eat a lot. Just watch that he doesn't start losing weight. You two will be fine and you can put him in a bath, just enough warm water to cover his elbows. Dragons can absorb water thru their vent. I would get rid of the carpet unless you have more to switch out when washing the used ones. Tile is good or paper towels. That carpet is hard to clean and will harbor bacteria from the poop possibly causing parasites. Enjoy him, love him and just do some research hon, you'll be a great dragon mommy!

 

[Sadie]

Hi everyone! I'm here because I would love for people to give me tips and pointers, as I am a new fancy bearded dragon owner! I once owned a bearded dragon around 6 years ago and finally got another little guy and I want to the best mother I can be. Right now he is in a 10 gallon tank (which is a bit small, I know, I'm upgrading to a 34 gallon front opening tank once I get the money and he's a bit more grown up.) Right now he's about 6 weeks which is super young so I'm trying to be extra careful with him, especially since he's from pet-smart so he might not be the healthiest. He has reptile carpet, a hide, a basking driftwoods, and some leaves. He likes to wave a lot, he's actually doing it right now!! hahah, so I'm planning on getting maybe some tan contact paper to put on three of the glass walls since he seems to be waving to his reflection! I have a 100w Zoo Med basking lightbulb in a Fluker's dimmable switch lamp, and a Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB 15w tube light with the corresponding light fixture. He's eaten crickets coated in Flucker's calcium supplement (I also have the Zoo Med ReptiCalcium with D3 for 2-3 times a week, which U haven't used yet.) from tweezers and off of the ground. I'm planning to feed him gut loaded dubia roaches soon but for now he get crickets since that's what they were fed at the store. He's pooped and had a couple bites of the salad I made him that includes collared greens, butternut squash, and apple but he wouldn't eat anymore and started getting jumpy and stressed so I'm letting him be for now. I do realize I didn't cut his salad small enough but I did make them smaller before feeding them to him.(as I was typing this he decided he wanted some of the pieces of fruit dropped on his hide, and ate some so hopefully that's a good sign.) When I first got him he was showing signs of stress, as he was moved into a new home, and I've only handled him to clean out his enclosure which I'm trying to keep handling to a minimum as I want him to settle in, but he does seem to be doing well within the two days I've had him he's tried bitting everything just trying to get familiar with his new home and I've seen a good amount of waving and running around. I actually saw him scratching his head on the driftwood a couple times which freaked me out but I'm hoping it's just a sign that he's going to shed soon. I just can't stop looking at his signs of stress and feel bad for him!!

***So sorry for the long post I'm just trying to get as much information out there to know what I'm doing right or wrong!!!*** Thank you all for taking your time to read about my baby / helping me out!


**UPDATE** I'm planning on getting him a bigger tank soon, I've taken off the screen from his tank so the UVB rays aren't getting blocked. I'm going to get him a 50w basking lightbulb asap but in the mean time I have the lamp dimmed and clamped onto the side of his tank. His tank is usually around 90-95 degrees and humidity is around 33. I would love tips for feeding, hydration since he doesn't want his salad and I don't want to bathe him this young, and how I can help keep his stress levels down and make him feel safe and at home!

Your T 8 needs to be directly over the basking area w/ NO screen 6-8 inches --- I think I replied on one of your other post -- how is he doing now? And have you upgraded the tank yet ?

 

[Mummabeardy]

Awww what a cute lil nugget! Just be careful with the food..those apples look really big for him. Mikey 's 10 mo old and I still cut his veggies super small cuz I get paranoid! When he was smaller..he choked on a blueberry and ever since then I get do nervous! Good rule of thumb is nothing bigger than distance between their eyes. Good luck..and what's your baby's name??

 

[madelinew]

Hi. I'm a new dragon mommy too but I've done tons of research and watched a million YouTube videos and feel I'm well equipped to talk with you.
For a baby dragon the basking temp needs to be around 105°F and 110°F and I would recommend getting a temp gun. Humidity is fine as is. Right now he is stressed to the max and needs lots of quiet time with minimal handling. I used an old medicine dropper to give mine a few drops of water. It sounds like you're doing fine. I was so freaked out when I got mine that I stressed more than she did! Its ok that he's not eating a whole lot right now, once he settles down he will eat a lot. Just watch that he doesn't start losing weight. You two will be fine and you can put him in a bath, just enough warm water to cover his elbows. Dragons can absorb water thru their vent. I would get rid of the carpet unless you have more to switch out when washing the used ones. Tile is good or paper towels. That carpet is hard to clean and will harbor bacteria from the poop possibly causing parasites. Enjoy him, love him and just do some research hon, you'll be a great dragon mommy!

Thank you so much. i'm trying to just let him be and read his body language. I keep the heat around 95-100 because I notice his mouth open every time it's above that. I also let him eat until I can tell he's done so he usually eats around 4 or 5 crickets every 3 meals. I'm going to upgrade the tank to a 40 gallon one and bought a rubber/silicone ? nonslip reptile liner off of etsy so we'll see how well that works for me. I'm doing as much research as possible and asking questions while reading his body language.

 

[madelinew]

Your T 8 needs to be directly over the basking area w/ NO screen 6-8 inches --- I think I replied on one of your other post -- how is he doing now? And have you upgraded the tank yet ?

Yes I took off the screen top and noticed he will crawl to the top of the leaves and just sit up there, not trying to get out though. I'm guessing it's because he doesn't have enough places to climb and be active because he was one of the most active bearded dragons there, so i'm going to get more enrichment for him when i get the 40 gallon tank, within the next few days. I can also tell its not a basking issue because he's always in the leaves. that are away from the basking lamp.

 

[madelinew]

Awww what a cute lil nugget! Just be careful with the food..those apples look really big for him. Mikey 's 10 mo old and I still cut his veggies super small cuz I get paranoid! When he was smaller..he choked on a blueberry and ever since then I get do nervous! Good rule of thumb is nothing bigger than distance between their eyes. Good luck..and what's your baby's name??

Oh no! He doesn't want to eat the salad but if he did I know to for sure make the veggies smaller. Thank you!!! I named him steven! Lol

 

[Sadie]

Yes I took off the screen top and noticed he will crawl to the top of the leaves and just sit up there, not trying to get out though. I'm guessing it's because he doesn't have enough places to climb and be active because he was one of the most active bearded dragons there, so i'm going to get more enrichment for him when i get the 40 gallon tank, within the next few days. I can also tell its not a basking issue because he's always in the leaves. that are away from the basking lamp.

Ok I would recommend going to a bigger tank if you can - you will need to upgrade the 40 to a 75-120 gallon tank eventually- then you would also need to upgrade the UVB fixture to a 24" --- T 8's are more for smaller tanks as they are less strong for UVB - the T 5's are more for 40+ gallon tanks -- if you need help there please ask --just make sure the T 8 is at the distance of 6-8 inches please

 

[madelinew]

Ok I would recommend going to a bigger tank if you can - you will need to upgrade the 40 to a 75-120 gallon tank eventually- then you would also need to upgrade the UVB fixture to a 24" --- T 8's are more for smaller tanks as they are less strong for UVB - the T 5's are more for 40+ gallon tanks -- if you need help there please ask --just make sure the T 8 is at the distance of 6-8 inches please

Yes I upgraded him to a 20 gallon tank for now, he seems much more relaxed. I am upgrading the UVB as soon as possible. I have coming in the mail a slate rock, a bamboo bridge, and a hammock. Right now he has a hand me down piece of driftwood but I will also be upgrading that soon. As of now he's doing great!! Relaxed, eating well, active.

 

[Tina W.]

Thank you so much. i'm trying to just let him be and read his body language. I keep the heat around 95-100 because I notice his mouth open every time it's above that. I also let him eat until I can tell he's done so he usually eats around 4 or 5 crickets every 3 meals. I'm going to upgrade the tank to a 40 gallon one and bought a rubber/silicone ? nonslip reptile liner off of etsy so we'll see how well that works for me. I'm doing as much research as possible and asking questions while reading his body language.

When his mouth is slightly open its called gaping. It's your dragon's way of releasing heat because beardies don't pant like dogs do. Its actually a good sign that your temps are correct in the enclosure. If he gets too hot, he will move away from the heat. New liner sounds awesome, let me know how you like it. Enjoy your baby darlin'.

 

[madelinew]

When his mouth is slightly open its called gaping. It's your dragon's way of releasing heat because beardies don't pant like dogs do. Its actually a good sign that your temps are correct in the enclosure. If he gets too hot, he will move away from the heat. New liner sounds awesome, let me know how you like it. Enjoy your baby darlin'.

Thank you!! He never usually tries to get away from the heat and the only times I've ever noticed that he looked uncomfortable was when the heat got above 98 ish so I try to keep it below that and he's happy. He loves to close his eyes while he basks and it's the cutest thing, I'm hoping it's a sign of relaxation in the bigger tank, he also has no other beardies in there staring at him now (meaning his reflection, he now has tan contact paper in his tank.) As of now I really like the liner it's a nice blue, easy to clean poop off of, and he doesn't slide around on it or get his nails nagged on it. I'm using it for easier cleaning since with the reptile carpet it is possible for bacteria and diseases to harbor and I wanna keep the little guy safe. I left him almost like an area rug around of the carpet so he can sleep on it at night if he pleases and he's been using it!

 

[madelinew]

Here's the little guys updated home. He seems to really like it!!

 

[Sadie]

View attachment 30229Here's the little guys updated home. He seems to really like it!!

Your UVB is unobstructed by the screen?

 

[madelinew]

Your UVB is unobstructed by the screen?

Yep! No screen on the tank, right now the fixture is small for the size of the tank but it will be upgraded soon.

 

[Sadie]

Yep! No screen on the tank, right now the fixture is small for the size of the tank but it will be upgraded soon.

Ok and your uvb is the 5.0 bulb did you get the distance 6-8 inches?

 

[Mummabeardy]

Oh no! He doesn't want to eat the salad but if he did I know to for sure make the veggies smaller. Thank you!!! I named him steven! Lol

Np! Omg Steven! Too freaking cute lol

 

[madelinew]

Ok and your uvb is the 5.0 bulb did you get the distance 6-8 inches?

The UVB is 10.0 and the distance is around 7-8 inches.

 

[Sadie]

The UVB is 10.0 and the distance is around 7-8 inches.

For a 10.0 bulb it needs to be 12-15 inches -- the 5.0 bulb would be for 6-8 inches -- is the bulb unobstructed I see it on top but is the screen not obstructing it? Screens will block 30% of the rays especially if the screen is a fine mesh like a screen door -- it MUST be wide hole type to sit on top

 

[madelinew]

For a 10.0 bulb it needs to be 12-15 inches -- the 5.0 bulb would be for 6-8 inches -- is the bulb unobstructed I see it on top but is the screen not obstructing it? Screens will block 30% of the rays especially if the screen is a fine mesh like a screen door -- it MUST be wide hole type to sit on top

Okay I will make sure theres 12-15 inches of space from the highest point he can get to. There is no screen on the top of my enclosure for now the UVB is sitting on the top corner of his tank.

 

[Sadie]

Okay I will make sure theres 12-15 inches of space from the highest point he can get to. There is no screen on the top of my enclosure for now the UVB is sitting on the top corner of his tank.

Ok