chaz said:
Got 4 mth girl beardie on xmas eve. Viv already prepared - but pet shop said substrate (chippings) not good and so sold me calci-sand (said it wont impact). Said to feed her 4 crickets every other day, give her some greens or carrots too. Said give her a bowl of water. Said dust with Dragon Dust weekly. BUT I think she's now starving, has only poo'd once since 24th dec (on xmas day) and is not exactly rushing around with enthusiasm. and it seems the substrate is still wrong.SO... we want to be good owners and HAVE bought a book, but believed that we could trust the pet shop guy. Please forgive our ignorance.....please can you experienced folk guide me? Her names POLO (she's for my son really) thanx.
Hi there. The first thing I will say is not to trust petshops, on anything they say. They have no clue how to care for reptiles generally and it is very rare you find a shop who are interested in the welfare of their animals.
To keep him hydrated you will need to bath him at least 2 times a week. The water should be no higher than his shoulders, and 88-100F. Keep your hand in the water to make sure he does not feel like he has been abandoned and start paniccing. To give him security you can use a flannel or towel on the surface of the bath container so he can grip.
You should be feeding your BD in 2-3 sessions a day, 10-15 minutes in each. Give the dragon as many crickets as he can eat in this time limit. On one of these feedings, dust the crickets with a phosporus free calcium powder. Do not be worried if your dragon eats up to 200 crickets a day, this is normal for a juvenile and they cannot get fat on crickets. Dust one feeding a week with a multivitamin supplement.
Onto substrates.. substrates are a highly debated topic between BD owners. My opinion on this matter: tile or reptile carpet is more suitable than sand. Sand can cause impactions (especially calci-sand) and is a pure breeding ground for bacteria. Besides all this, it is very expensive compared to other options. Reptile carpet or ceramic tiles are easy to clean, cheaper than sand or bark, do not allow bacteria to thrive and have no risk at all of impactions.
Lighting and heat: The basking surface temp (this is only accurate when measured with a digital thermometer with a probe or temp.gun) should be 105-110* for a juvenile. The cool end should not be lower than 80 but lower than 85, and should not drop below 60 at night. Dragons need to thermoregulate as much as they need to bask. Your tank will need a UV bulb. The only reputable UVs are a repti-glo 8%, repti-sun 10%, or a mercury vapour bulb. If using the 8 or 10, ensure your dragon can get within 6-8 inches of the tube. If using a MVB, ensure your dragon will not get closer than 12 inches to the bulb.
For your concern on the greens he is eating, check this caresheet:
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
But do not be alarmed if your dragon does not like them. It is normal for juveniles to ignore them until around 12 months.
Hope this helped, and good luck with your new pet.
Anything else you need just PM me.