New owner

[CallmeCrow]

Hi I'm a new beardy owner and just got this little one yesterday. Would love any tips for care. I have a heating pad taped to the outside of the enclosure to give a gradient heat level and a 125 watt UV light.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[Sadie]

Hi I'm a new beardy owner and just got this little one yesterday. Would love any tips for care. I have a heating pad taped to the outside of the enclosure to give a gradient heat level and a 125 watt UV light.

The heating pad is not recommended -your UVB basking bulb is a all in one - a MVB? - you need a digital probe thermometer to get actual surface basking temps 105-110-- a good uvb- long tube fixture-- No coils please those go in a dome- I can post 3 good uvb's for you this is imperative to the health of your dragon - if those are wood chips your using please get rid of them if he ingest one it could really do some damage- also if your feeding meal worms I would not feed them as well -- those will cause impaction they are too harsh on babies stomachs because of the exoskeleton - please feed greens like collard turnip kale or mustard- he needs a staple insect I recommend dubias roaches- he's going to need around 10-15 dubias appropriately sized per feeding 2-3 times per day- do not feed a insect bigger than the space between the eyes- those need to be dusted w/ calcium D 3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated- vitamins w/ beta carotene ONCE per feeding 2 x per week -- I can help you get the tank set up so he's thriving - he will go through relocation stress- so his eating will be off if he stops eating all together there's a issue

 

[CallmeCrow]

The heating pad is not recommended -your UVB basking bulb is a all in one - a MVB? - you need a digital probe thermometer to get actual surface basking temps 105-110-- a good uvb- long tube fixture-- No coils please those go in a dome- I can post 3 good uvb's for you this is imperative to the health of your dragon - if those are wood chips your using please get rid of them if he ingest one it could really do some damage- also if your feeding meal worms I would not feed them as well -- those will cause impaction they are too harsh on babies stomachs because of the exoskeleton - please feed greens like collard turnip kale or mustard- he needs a staple insect I recommend dubias roaches- he's going to need around 10-15 dubias appropriately sized per feeding 2-3 times per day- do not feed a insect bigger than the space between the eyes- those need to be dusted w/ calcium D 3 5 x per week ONCE per feeding lightly coated- vitamins w/ beta carotene ONCE per feeding 2 x per week -- I can help you get the tank set up so he's thriving - he will go through relocation stress- so his eating will be off if he stops eating all together there's a issue

The light is in a dome. And I didn't know they could eat greens this early. Will be removing a lot of the food a little later today. And it's not wood chips, more of a soil mixture. Can get a carpet or something in there if that's better though

 

[Sadie]

The light is in a dome. And I didn't know they could eat greens this early. Will be removing a lot of the food a little later today. And it's not wood chips, more of a soil mixture. Can get a carpet or something in there if that's better though

Please tell me the brand name and wattage of the bulb your using-- you can get some textured NON adhesive shelf liner from your local home improvement store - cut it to the size of the tank insects cannot get underneath - clean w/ 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar -- wipe down w/a clean wet cloth - your going to want to get some F 10 for a disinfectant found on ebay-- its good for sanitizing the tank about once a month - it will kill parasites etc--- I can post links for UVB's and insects and worms etc -- these things are cheaper to get on line -- but we need to get those surface basking temps and UVB on par or he will stop eating ---

 

[CallmeCrow]

Please tell me the brand name and wattage of the bulb your using-- you can get some textured NON adhesive shelf liner from your local home improvement store - cut it to the size of the tank insects cannot get underneath - clean w/ 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar -- wipe down w/a clean wet cloth - your going to want to get some F 10 for a disinfectant found on ebay-- its good for sanitizing the tank about once a month - it will kill parasites etc--- I can post links for UVB's and insects and worms etc -- these things are cheaper to get on line -- but we need to get those surface basking temps and UVB on par or he will stop eating ---

This is the heating mat and the uv bulb I have

 

[Sadie]

This is the heating mat and the uv bulb I have

Ok hang onto the heat mat it can be used if the dragon gets sick for extra heat -- please get rid of the Exo Terra UVB -- they are no good ---- you want a good solid clear bright white basking bulb examples Exo Terra Intense they are spendy --- Flukers basking bulb -- or Arcadia Halogen --- you also want two digital probe thermometers one for the hot side of the tank and one for the cool side of the tank - you basically want 3 temps in the tank - surface basking 105-110 w/ ambient side around 100 -- cool side of the tank 80ish-- I am going to post 3 good UVB's find one that fits your budget
24" for a 40 + gallon tank
Zoo Med comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you will need the bulb I post as well
Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO High Output Terrarium Hood
22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO High Output Fluorescent Bulb
this one you can find at Pet Smart you want the 24 watt 12% bulb
Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit | reptile Light Fixtures | PetSmart
or this one you will need to change the bulb out to the one posted above and you want the 2 ft fixture or 24" https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster...mp.html?opts=eyJhdHRyaWJ1dGU5MDEiOiI2NjEwIn0=
Please post back on here when you get the fixture and I can help you get it placed for the tank - the screen will determine where it needs to go and distanced
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...mometer-14914.html?cgid=500113&fmethod=Browse
You must have the digital probe thermometers to determine the wattage of the basking bulb you need - you dont want to burn him up or not have the temps high enough to start digestion

 

[CallmeCrow]

Ok hang onto the heat mat it can be used if the dragon gets sick for extra heat -- please get rid of the Exo Terra UVB -- they are no good ---- you want a good solid clear bright white basking bulb examples Exo Terra Intense they are spendy --- Flukers basking bulb -- or Arcadia Halogen --- you also want two digital probe thermometers one for the hot side of the tank and one for the cool side of the tank - you basically want 3 temps in the tank - surface basking 105-110 w/ ambient side around 100 -- cool side of the tank 80ish-- I am going to post 3 good UVB's find one that fits your budget
24" for a 40 + gallon tank
Zoo Med comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you will need the bulb I post as well
Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO High Output Terrarium Hood
22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO High Output Fluorescent Bulb
this one you can find at Pet Smart you want the 24 watt 12% bulb
Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit | reptile Light Fixtures | PetSmart
or this one you will need to change the bulb out to the one posted above and you want the 2 ft fixture or 24" https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster...mp.html?opts=eyJhdHRyaWJ1dGU5MDEiOiI2NjEwIn0=
Please post back on here when you get the fixture and I can help you get it placed for the tank - the screen will determine where it needs to go and distanced
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...mometer-14914.html?cgid=500113&fmethod=Browse
You must have the digital probe thermometers to determine the wattage of the basking bulb you need - you dont want to burn him up or not have the temps high enough to start digestion

Gonna run to the store later today, thank you! Should I pick up a different flooring or substrate while I'm there as well?

 

[Sadie]

Gonna run to the store later today, thank you! Should I pick up a different flooring or substrate while I'm there as well?

Pet stores do not sell the shelf liner - carpet is a pain in the a** and hard to keep clean along w/ reptile mats I used those they are hard to clean as well - - measure your tank standard measurements for a 40 gallon tank are 48x18x18 - the easiest clean up is the shelf liner for now - check your stores for the UVB's he needs this and the thermometers and basking bulb before anything else - let me know what you find and time you are able to get this stuff -

 

[CallmeCrow]

Pet stores do not sell the shelf liner - carpet is a pain in the a** and hard to keep clean along w/ reptile mats I used those they are hard to clean as well - - measure your tank standard measurements for a 40 gallon tank are 48x18x18 - the easiest clean up is the shelf liner for now - check your stores for the UVB's he needs this and the thermometers and basking bulb before anything else - let me know what you find and time you are able to get this stuff -

This is what I was able to get. The tank is 16x8.5x10.5

 

[Sadie]

This is what I was able to get. The tank is 16x8.5x10.5

Please take the coil UVB back those are also one of the worst on the market - you want a long tube fixture please look at the websites I posted --- do you have a Pet Smart where you live? You need a basking bulb solid clear bright white bulb I posted examples for those as well---------- your tank is a 55 gallon ? is the tank 8.5 inches tall ?????????????? Post a pic of the tank please I am thinking its only a 5 gallon tank not 55

 

[Sadie]

your going to need a way bigger tank hes already too big for that tank now - minimum is 40 gallon

 

[CallmeCrow]

Please take the coil UVB back those are also one of the worst on the market - you want a long tube fixture please look at the websites I posted --- do you have a Pet Smart where you live? You need a basking bulb solid clear bright white bulb I posted examples for those as well---------- your tank is a 55 gallon ? is the tank 8.5 inches tall ??????????????

It's a small tank. Just a little beardy. The breeder I got it from said I just needed the UV light and the heating pad. And it's 16 inches x 8.5 inches with a height of 10.5 inches. The lights you wanted me to get were way too big for the tank. I'm very new to this and you're starting to sound very condescending towards me.

 

[Sadie]

It's a small tank. Just a little beardy. The breeder I got it from said I just needed the UV light and the heating pad. And it's 16 inches x 8.5 inches with a height of 10.5 inches. The lights you wanted me to get were way too big for the tank. I'm very new to this and you're starting to sound very condescending towards me.

Sorry I was confused on the tank size and I dont mean to be condescending -- your going to need to get a bigger tank - the tank is way too small and the breeder or person you got him from knows this - he should not be in a tank that is smaller than 20 gallons and then they are out of that tank size by 6 months old if not sooner --- tanks that are so small are hard to keep surface basking temps in correct and UVB's the T 8's and T 5's require certain distance - these are crucial to the overall health and survival of the dragon -- I cannot stress this enough --