new beardie

[Repti82]

ok.....so i had a bearded dragon when i was younger and she had a health issue where she became paralized on 3/4 of her body. the vet couldnt explain it so i have no idea what happened but i want to get another and im afraid the same thing will happen....

so im here to ask for help. what is a good set up? What do i look for when buying? how much do i feed a young beardie? how much do i feed it when it is older? what are proper feeders? i breed chameleons but there tropical and very very wet. beardies are the total opposite. so i am taking as much advice as possible before i get one. i have been asking friends and someone suggested i look here so i am. but i planed on getting one next week cause i think i am ready for it!

but please give me advice thanks

 

[Germ]

I suggest getting your enclosure & setting it up properly, get the temps, etc right, before getting the BD. Minimum recommended starter enclosure size for a baby or very young juvenile, is a 20 Gal long. Minimum recommended enclosure for a growing juvenile to adult is a 40 Gal breeder tank, both with a coarse screen top, bigger is always better. Custom built are also available. It would be more cost effective to go with the larger enclosure right off the start, because you will have to upgrade in a few short months anyway. You'll want at least 4 square feet of floor space for an adult, no more than 18"-24" tall. Keep things simple for the first few months, paper towel, newspaper, non-adhesive shelf liner, repti-carpet, textured ceramic tile, textured lino, textured vinyl deck flooring, Slate tile, any number of non- particle substrates can be used to start with. Do not clutter the enclosure, use the K.I.S.S. system. Really all they need to start with is a raised basking spot, which could be a Branch, either real or artificial, a piece of driftwood, a smooth rock (Medium colored, not too dark or black), an accessible platform of some kind, etc & a Low sided food dish. Experience has shown that furnishing it too much in the beginning makes it hard for them to catch their feeders & gives the feeders too many places to hide.

You will need a white or clear bulb for heat, any white or clear incandescent type bulb of sufficient wattage to provide the proper temps at the distance of your setup to the Basking Spot will do the job. You do not have to use the over priced heat bulbs found in the Pet Stores. I use Halogen flood lights in all of my enclosures, much more heat per watt, so cheaper to run & they are available at most hardware stores for less than half the price of a Pet Store Bulb. Brighter, whiter light with superb heat penetration into the enclosure. You will need a dome type fixture with a porcelain or ceramic socket to house your heat bulb. You will also need a UVB bulb & fixture, the type of fixture will depend on the type of UVB bulb you use. UVB bulbs come in Compact & Tube type fluorescents. Personally, I recommend tube type. The UVB must be a 10.0 (10+%) or equivalent, for desert reptiles. If you choose Tube type, an 18"-24" is lots, again you do not have to use Pet Store bought fixtures, cheap Under the Cabinet fixtures work just as well, with the plastic cover removed & the bulb replaced with a UVB bulb. The old 'Bright Stick' type fixtures work really well for mounting inside the enclosure so the screen is not blocking any of the UVB. The UVB can be placed on top of the screen too, but your basking Spot will have to be much closer to it & you will have to replace the Bulb more often. The Basking Spot has to be within 8"-10" from the center of the UVB bulb. Then you have to use a heat bulb of sufficient wattage to provide a temp of 110F for Babies & Juveniles, 100-105F for adults directly at the Basking Spot & that will also provide a heat gradient to 80-85F at the coolest floor area in the enclosure, generally the furthest point from the heat bulb.

To measure you temperatures, you will need one or two digital thermometers with a sensor\probe that can be placed at the 2 specific areas where the temps have to be measured, which are the hottest accessible spot your BD has access to, which should be the Basking Spot & the coolest area of the enclosure.

Here are some links with the Basic info that you will need to know, some of the things that I have missed. The first one has a basic example enclosure picture that may help to give you an idea of what is needed & where. Read them all over a couple of times, you will have a much better understanding of your new companion afterwards & both you & your BD will be the better for it. There is much garbage info out there on the net, it can make things quite confusing for the new keeper. These links will provide you with good solid info, that you can trust, as will the members of this forum.

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

Housing Beardies Together aka Is Bearded Co-habitation a good plan?

Feel Free to come back with any questions, but I highly recommend checking out these links first, as they will answer the majority of your questions.

Good Luck & once again, Welcome to BDF

 

[Pat B]

Welcome to BDF. You couldn't find a better website for help in answering your questions or concerns. Very good moderators and a lot of other people that will help. Good luck and keep us all posted!!

 

[Aleena]

Welcome to BDF! I'm sorry to hear about your previous BD. I'm sure you will find all the information to help your BD thrive right here on this forum.