Beardie Questions

[Arizona Leos]

Hello I dont know a whole lot about bearded dragons but i am thinking about getting one soon. I have a couple questions on which lighting the use and whats best for them to eat and how big the cage should be thx:main_laugh:

 

[bubblez825]

If you look up some care sheets, they can tell you everything you need to know, and also you can use the search function on here.

Lighting: They need a basking light(any household bulb, or you can get a reptile one from a petshop, but id rather pay a few dollars than 8-10+ ) with a basking spot temp of 100-110*F although I've heard some adults prefer it lower, around 95-100*F. They also need a UVB light(can be purchased online or from petsmart/petco, or local reptile shops) they come in 5.0 UVB and 10.0 UVB, and 13W or 26W bulbs. best one to get is a 26W 5.0 UVB bulb and keep it fairly close to the basking spot, like 6-8". it should be closer, height-wise from the basking spot, then the basking light is.

Diet: A baby's diet should consist of about 80% protein, and 20% greens. An adult's diet should consist of 80% greens, 20% protein.

-Protein: There is a controversial discussion on crickets vs mealworms. Mealworms contain high levels of chitin in their shells, which is hard for bearded dragons to digest, especially hatchlings, and can cause serious damage to the intestines and cause impaction, even possible death. They're not good for a staple at all. But crickets are high in calcium and are a really good staple, as well as dubia roaches I've heard something about phoenix worms, but i can't remember if that was for bearded dragons or not. Might be worth looking up, for more variety. Supers can be used occasionally too, I've heard they aren't the best STAPLE diet, but provide some more variety for your dragon

-Veggies: I'm going to give you a link to a list of greens, fruits, and veggies that is a pretty accurate list for a healthy dragon diet. once again, variety is key to a happy healthy dragon. Make sure to chop/shred/cut to appropriate size for your dragon. LINK

Tank sizes: A baby can be kept in a 20 gallon long, until it hits about 6 months of age(around 8-10" long) then it needs AT MINIMUM, a 40 to 55g breeder(more floor space; aka not an aquarium) tank. I have mine in a 40g tank, and she is about 15" long

Hope this helps

oh and, what part of arizona are you in? It's nice to see another fellow "arizonian" here :main_thumbsup: I'm here in Satan's-armpit-Glendale.

 

[Yamori]

Hate to throw links out there but check out http://www.australianbeardies.net/

Great info on husbandry, enclosures, lighting, substrate, breeding, illnesses etc.

 

[GeckoCrossing]

They also need a UVB light(can be purchased online or from petsmart/petco, or local reptile shops) they come in 5.0 UVB and 10.0 UVB, and 13W or 26W bulbs. best one to get is a 26W 5.0 UVB bulb

5.0 is not enough UVB for them. They need the 10.0. And I would go with the Reptisun 10.0. Or get a Mercury Vapor Bulb; it provides heat and plenty of UVB in one bulb. Just make sure to have it on for 24 hours before putting it on a beardie's tank.

And this is a link to my caresheet I made while keeping my bearded dragon: http://www.geckocrossing.com/Bearded_Dragon_Care.html

 

[bubblez825]

5.0 is not enough UVB for them. They need the 10.0. And I would go with the Reptisun 10.0. Or get a Mercury Vapor Bulb; it provides heat and plenty of UVB in one bulb. Just make sure to have it on for 24 hours before putting it on a beardie's tank.

And this is a link to my caresheet I made while keeping my bearded dragon: http://www.geckocrossing.com/Bearded_Dragon_Care.html

I heard that the 5.0 is better at a closer distance, instead of a 10.0 at a farther distance?? Can you explain the difference to me? :main_huh:

 

[GeckoCrossing]

5.0 simply doesn't put out enough UVB for a beardie. If you have to get it closer just to get it more UVB (that won't be enough anyway) you're also having to fiddle with wattage of the basking light to compensate for getting the beardie closer to the 5.0 UVB. And also the risk of the beardie climbing on the light and burning itself.
Either use a 10.0 or a Mercury Vapor Bulb. 6 inches away for the 10.0 tube and 12 inches for the Mercury Vapor Bulb, which is also a basking light. And MVBs only need replaced once per year, rather than 6 months for tube style lights.

 

[lecko167]

I have an 18" reptisun 10.0 mounted inside my tank with industrial velcro for my Beardie. It's mounted about 6" away from him by his basking spot.

 

[bubblez825]

What about the UVB bulbs in the clamp domes? Is there any difference between those and a tube?

 

[GeckoCrossing]

What about the UVB bulbs in the clamp domes? Is there any difference between those and a tube?

Independent tests on the coil UVB bulbs showed they had less UVB output initially and also that their UVB output decreased faster than the tube style bulbs. Some also caused damage to the lizard's eyesight. This was about 3 years ago that I read about it though. They may have fixed the problems. But if a company claims it to be safe, always do your research first... just look at how 'safe' calci-sand is. :main_thumbsdown: