New bearded dragon owner ((help))

[sm1thy]

hi there ,

right where to start i have just taken two bearded dragons of someone as they in my opinon dont look after them right they had dried food and on the odd week they fed them locus, there is a couple of rocks and 1 bowl in the viv with them,they are in a 4ft by 2ft wooden viv with nothing on the floor,there is 1 long strip light in there and 1 red light there is also a empty bulb holder is this for the basking light and would i get one of these from the pet shop there is no thermometer in the viv whats the best one to buy,

i have had both of the dragons out of the viv and both are tame and like to be held any advice is more than welcome thanks

[ozyshane]

unless you know the age of the uv tube, you should replace it as they loose their strength after a while. you should also have a white basking light at one end of the viv (a simple reflector spot from tesco etc will do) which needs to be connected to a dimming thermostat. also you will need two thermometers (preferably digital) and place one at the hot end and one at the cooler end. the basking temp. should be 110 to 115f and the cooler end should be around 85f. as for the substrate (flooring) i will leave you to make your own mind up as to what to use. i personally use lino,as the beardies cant eat it and its easy to keep clean. hope this helps.

[sm1thy]

thats a good helping start cheers mate

[kyledawelsh]

as above poster says a white light basking spot and as for substrate it's up do you

[lee young]

Hello mate, welcome to the forum, as said above really, replace the tube asap if you dont know how old it is, and go for an aradia 12% D3. Make sure the dragons can get within 6-8 inches of it so they can get enough UV. You need a white light for basking, some people use red ones for nighttime, but beardies can see red light, and really need complete darkness at night. If your house gets really cold at night (below 60F) then get a ceramic heater in a ceramic bulb holder with heat resistant cable. Heat mats are a bad idea, as are any loose substrates at that age. Use lino, tiles or newspaper until they're at least a year old. Good luck with your babies, and be warned, they are addictive!