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.
NEW BEARDIE OWNER - FRAZZLED WITH ALL CONFLICTING INFO!!
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polo.lol
no substrate, use newspaper or kitchen roll until 6 - 8 months old then use play sand or bird sand.
food, as many crickets a day as she wants, veg, small bowl every day to every other day
feeding schedule reduces when adult
calcium dust every other day, multi vitamin dust weekly
voila
no substrate, use newspaper or kitchen roll until 6 - 8 months old then use play sand or bird sand.
food, as many crickets a day as she wants, veg, small bowl every day to every other day
feeding schedule reduces when adult
calcium dust every other day, multi vitamin dust weekly
voila
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.chaz said:
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.
I don't know where you got this info from. UVB bulbs do not work in 'power', as they are not designed to produce heat, they are merely used for the percentage of UVB and UVA rays they produce.Ceiron said:
They can survive without being bathed yes, but a hydrated dragon will have a larger appetite, be more alert, and be more lively than a dehydrated dragon. Juveniles do not eat many greens, and crickets alone do not give a great deal of hydration, even if gutloaded with moist greens.
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too true, and another thing to bear in mind is the reptisun 5 usually only lasts about 6 months before its output is too low for a bearded dragon, i would personally recomend the Arcadia D3 5.0 in flourecent tube form as it has slightly higher UVB output than the Reptisun 5.0 and usually lasts a full year before the levels of uvb drop too much. also the arcadia D3 is the cheapest of the lot! the only reason it isnt recomended more is that it is VERY hard to get hold of in the USA, over here in the UK it is more readily available, The reptisun 10 is still the best for a bearded dragon BUT is about twice the price of the arcadia D3.
Heres a link for ypu if you dont believe us....
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
Owen & Em
Heres a link for ypu if you dont believe us....
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
Owen & Em
As another person who has just been given a 4 month old dragon I thought I'd jump in on this one and ask a question. Can anyone think of a reason my BD seems to keep taking a wide stance with his tail curled over like a scorpion? He seems to just stare out of the tank like that for a while. Is there something wrong I am not aware of or does he think he's a bulldog :?:
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I wouldnt worry. a high lifted tail is a sign of a healthy alert beardieRevGav said:
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