New to Beardies

[Blakskall]

I going to be purchasing a bearded dragon soon, I just want to make sure i have the right information since ive seen theres debate on somethings, ill list what i think is a correct setup and then if anyone could correct me that would be a big help

Cage:
-20 gallon, 44 gallon breeder when it matures
-Screen Top

Substrate:
-Brown butcher paper

Lighting:
- Exo Terra Sunglow 150 watt basking bulb
- Exo Terra Repti Glo 10.0 Desert UVB bulb

Decor:
-Driftwood
-Rocks
-Food and water dish
Thermometer:
-Infared digital thermometer

Food/Vitamins:
-Gut loaded crickets
-Mealworms
-Fresh greens
-Rep-calcium without d3
-Liquid vitamin spray

 

[RyuuKirin]

The only thing that stands out to me is the Repti Glo bulb- everything I've read says they can cause problems and aren't good to use. I use a ReptiSun 10.0 florescent bulb that's mounted inside Ryuu's tank...

I found this one another beardie forum I am part of- I'm not sure if it's ok to post their link? anyway... this is what was said...

"Mostly, it's not a great bulb. It's ok, but it just doesn't let your dragon live to his fullest. Dragons moved out of it and under a reptisun nearly universally show improvements to appetite, activity, and temperament. Mine were without UVB at all, so I don't know if it's a common reaction, but mine's colors are AMAZING now. I always thought Gibby was a normal with some pretty color on his head, turns out that color is really bright and his entire body is orange! There is a study floating around here somewhere, if you use that little search bar to the right up there and type in "reptiglo", you'll probably find a link to it provided by someone. talking about the forum I copied this off of."

 

[Blakskall]

so maybe ill get a zoo med 150 watt basking bulb, is it really true bearded dragons eat like dozens of crickets at a time? i was thinking about ordering crickets online like maybe 500 at a time

 

[RyuuKirin]

you'll need a basking bulb and a uva/uvb bulb. I use a zoo med 150 for her basking spot and a reptisun 10.0 florescent tube mounted on the side of the tank... she lives in a 75 gallon aquarium and the cool side can get cold, so I also have a ceramic bulb in there to keep her a bit warmer.

 

[Blakskall]

i see, i think im going to go with the coil uvb bulb and put it next to the basking light

 

[GeckoCrossing]

Coil UVB bulbs are not good. Studies of their UVB output show they are inferior to all tube style lights, and also that they can cause damage to beardies eyes.
Also mealworms shouldn't be fed. They're chitinous bodies can be hard for beardies to digest and they're not nearly as nutritious as crickets or roaches.
And yes, they can eat dozens at a time, especially babies. Babies should be fed 2 or 3 times a day as much as they will eat within 15 minutes.

 

[Blakskall]

Coil UVB bulbs are not good. Studies of their UVB output show they are inferior to all tube style lights, and also that they can cause damage to beardies eyes.
Also mealworms shouldn't be fed. They're chitinous bodies can be hard for beardies to digest and they're not nearly as nutritious as crickets or roaches.
And yes, they can eat dozens at a time, especially babies. Babies should be fed 2 or 3 times a day as much as they will eat within 15 minutes.

ok so maybe ill get this one
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577443

will this fit in a standard 8.5 inch lamp? or will i have to suspend it/buy a deep dome?

 

[RyuuKirin]

In my opinion, the coil bulbs aren't near as good for your beardie as the tubes, like this one.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752589&keepsr=0&clickid=prod_cs

I use an under the counter florescent fixture that I got at Walmart for like $8 and mounted it inside the tank with 3M velcro tabs... spending the extra $12 to know my girl is getting the best was well worth it for me.

 

[GeckoCrossing]

In my opinion, the coil bulbs aren't near as good for your beardie as the tubes, like this one.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752589&keepsr=0&clickid=prod_cs

I use an under the counter florescent fixture that I got at Walmart for like $8 and mounted it inside the tank with 3M velcro tabs... spending the extra $12 to know my girl is getting the best was well worth it for me.

Agreed. I had my girl in a 40G Breeder with a tube fixture mounted on to the screen lid with a strip of aluminium. I cut away some of the track with a dremel, cut a small hole in the back track for the cord to go through. Here's some photos of it.

Wasn't exactly perfect, first time trying it. But it turned out well enough

 

[katie_]

Without D3?
Ive always given my beardies D3.

 

[lecko167]

When you have a proper UVB light D3 does not need to be supplemented. Bearded Dragons should acquire all of their d3 from their UVB light. D3 in the synthetic form is not nearly as beneficial for the animal as natural d3 from the uvb light. So basically, regular calcium is fine. Without a uvb light your Beardie can't process calcium or d3 and will end up with Metabolic Bone Disease due to the deficiency.

I have a full gown Beardie. He's in a 55 gallon tank with a screen lid, reptisun 10.0 18" mounted inside the tank in an under the cabinet fixture, rough ceramic tile as substrate, a large bowl of fresh water, a dome light with a 150 watt basking light that keeps his basking spot at 95, a digital probe always monitoring his basking spot, a piece of drift wood that he's too big for, and a large plate of shredded mustard greens that he barely touches.

I order crickets by the 250 and keep them in a 10 gallon tank with cricket water cubes and calcium food. He gets them dusted with a multivitamin a few times a week and calcium every time. He gets a few baths a week. Superworms for treats. Baby food for when he's stubborn and won't eat his veggies.

They aren't too hard to take care of but they are definitely an animal that needs everyday care. The setup is very expensive. There are some ways to save money safely. You can buy a halogen bulb instead of a "basking light", you can buy a reflector dome at home depot for half of what petsmart charges, you can buy crickets in bulk ( I use carolina crickets), you can use a cheap under the cabinet fixture for $10 instead of the reptile fixtures that are close to $40.

In all, they're great pets when you KNOW what you're getting into.