Beardie set up question - newbie *sigh*

[melodybrooke]

Hi all,
a few weeks ago I bought a little beardie from a reptile shop. The owner of the shop had set up the enclosure for me - 80cm x 45cm x 50cm. It has a mesh top. The original substrate was bark chips but I chucked that because it started to smell and was impossible to clean easily. Plus the crickets would hide in it. I have paper towel down for now.
I have cardboard on top of the mesh above the heat lamp but I think the whole cage is just not set up right for heat gradient. I thought she would know what she was doing being the owner of the store and all - specialising in reptiles!
It has a 60watt purple spot globe for heat and a 26w compact max 10. for UV.
As far as I can tell with the crappy thermometer she sold me, the tank is the same temp. from one end to the other. Hovering between 25 and 30. The only time the temp. rose above that was when we had a stinking hot day here - Oh I'm in Victor Harbor if that's any help.
I feel like an idiot because I didn't do any research before buying this set up and I have the feeling I'm going to have to do some major rearranging.
Looocie (yeah three o's lol) spends most of her time in the plastic greenery and doesn't eat any vegies. I've been putting thawed, frozen mixed veg and dark leafed lettuce down for her. I dust her crickets with calcium/d3 powder but she doesn't seem to eat many of them either. I'm thinking it's cause the temp is too low in the enclosure.
I've been spraying her with water and also dripping water onto her mouthal region lol.
I'm going to buy more crickets today and try breeding them myself too. I'm pretty sure that most of the last lot of crickets I bought from the shop were too big for her even though I asked about that.
Thanks in advance for any help - sorry I blathered on for so long *sigh*
Mel. xx (feeling like a very bad beardie mum at the moment)

[jake61]

melodybrooke. try a 75 watt heat globe WITH a thermostat. this will control heat to a desired level. if switching on off freqquently change back to 60 watt. the enclosure looks dark. i would sit the uv light on mesh in centre of mesh to spread light throughout enclosure beardies come from central aust [brite lite]. prey items should be no longer than space betwwen eyes. The Bearded Dragon Manual by advanced vivarium systems will help you and is possibly the best husbandry book i have ever seen on any animal.

[lynfrog]

i would add that often people find baby dragons are reluctant to eat thier vegies and take time to get onto them. i wouldnt do frozen veg, just a little chopped fresh whatever you have.
how often are you feeding it? probably better to just put a couple of crix in at a time and make sure they are being eaten. the uv up the top will help stimulate appetite as well, should be bright for it. and i agree a hotter spot, perhaps even more up one end than it is if possible. ideal hot spot the books say should be about 32or even 35.

[Pierced Soul]

you may need a higher wattage globe. the temp shouldnt be the same all the way across the tank.

i thinkt he basking spot needs to be at least in the mids 30's, one way to do this with the globe you have is raise the basking area so it's closer to the light. I agree with jake the enclosure looks pretty dark (not sure if the purple light is on). i'd actually get rid of the purple light and use a normal globe (though they may blow quicker than the purple one) . also having the uv light on the other end of the tank (to me at least) would suggest that you're gonna heat both ends of the tank, i'd move it closer to either the middle or have it on the same end as the basking light

if they're too cold they wont eat, and they may not eat veges yet so dont put too much of that out. When i got my beardies which were 9months old they took abotu a week before they started eating properly and didnt take any greens for a few months

[melodybrooke]

thank you so much guys!! I hadn't thought to put the uv light at the other end with the heat and yes I'm going to get rid of the purple light (which was on in the pic) the whole set up is way too dingy!
I'm going to try feeding Looocie her crix one at a time and wait til she catches them. If they're straight out of the fridge then she shouldn't have any trouble with them being too fast for her. She's pretty hungry right now poor bugger.
I'll post a pick once I've moved the lighting around.
Can anyone recommend a reliable thermometer for the enclosure?
Thanks again so much
Mel xx

[Ema86]

hey,
i Have the same thermometer in some of my tanks and it's pretty reliable, but I have put at on the back wall of the tank at about min range, I got some sucktion cap things and glued them on so you can change the position of the thermometer easily and they stay stuck.
If your after a thermostat, try ebay, I got a good one on there for a cheap price.
good luck with her.

[CodeRed]

ditch the purple globe and get a white spot light. 60 W will be enough for a tank that size as the heat source will be quite close to the beardies.
Then put the spot light and UV compact fluro at the SAME end of the enclosure.
Also get rid of the cardboard on the top. The cardboard will decrease your gradient and may be a fire risk.

[melodybrooke]

I read somewhere that the compact fluro's need to be changed every month is this right???

mel xx

[falconboy]

Originally Posted by melodybrooke

I read somewhere that the compact fluro's need to be changed every month is this right???

mel xx

Not every month, I'd say 6mths (although mine is close to 12mths). Its more important when they at hatchies and growing and getting their bones strong, so I would do 6mths, then 6mths, then you can be a bit slacker if you wish - as long as it gets a good diet, calcium etc.

The globe you want to use instead of the purple is a Philips 'reflector' spot globe. IN that size, I would say a 40w would do, but a 60w will be fine. Yes, you should put it on a thermostat, with the hot spot being I'd say just under 40deg for a young one.

[jake61]

i think micro climate ministat 100 or 300 thermostats are reliable and very acurate i got my ministat 300 for $95.00 at Petstock. herp shop also stock micro climate and habistat. i use a non contact thermometer [point and shoot for reading surface, air or body temp and find my dragons will sit in a 40 degree hotspot then move to the cool end at 27 degrees then back again keeping body temp around 32 degrees.

[jake61]

p.s.
also phillips reflector globes are available at bunnings 4 abot $5.00 for 2 {red box]. i have mine on timer as i do not need night heating in my area. if it stays above 15 degrees in your house at night just switch off.

[melodybrooke]

righty oh. I have my reflector globes. 40w. I have a hot end and a cool end to the tank now which I didn't have before. Looocie had a gutful of crickets around 11am and as this is the first real good feed she's had for a while I'll feed her again tomorrow. Bought some buk choy and some mint for her to try too. I've noticed that she prefers undusted crickets but maybe that's because they're easier to see on the white paper towel that I have as substrate. Anyway she has a couple of each still running around in there with her. I think I'll tub feed her tomorrow though and see if she has a better feed.
Looks like the hot spot is around 45. I have the light as close to the top as it will go. Perhaps I'll find a lower basking rock for her so she's not so close to it. I guess I could move the branch/bark thingy round the other way so the low end is under the light - duh lol.

[Pierced Soul]

also take out any uneaten crickets. apaprently they can bother the sleeping lizards

[waxdodo]

I live in the same area as you and have been a customer of the shop you mention for almost 2 years. In that time I've bought a baby beardy and 3 tawny dragons from them (2 female and 1 male) and had nothing but what I have thought is good advice.

In fact when I set up my first tank, for my starting lizards, a pair of tawny's the owner actually came around to help me set it up free of charge, as at that time, like you, I had no idea what I was doing and was having a similar problem establishing a heat gradient. (A thermostat and a change of bulb solved the problem).

I'm pretty sure if you'd taken your questions back to the shop you would have gotten all sorts of help and suggestions about ways to set up your tank. I also know the owner is pretty fussy about cricket sizes with baby lizards . .. . I got the lecture of my life the first time I tried to buy mediums by mistake for my baby beardy.

Good news is you got advice here I guess so you got answers to your questions somewhere, which is the main thing.

I use that same brand of thermometer in my beardy tank, and I've never had a problem with it.
I ended up going with a ceramic heat globe and a thermostat but they do cost a bit more money and not everyone likes to spend for more than the basics when starting out, though mine are in their second year and still going strong so I do recommend them.

Anyway good luck with your little baby. Watch out lizards are addictive.

Oh PS Do you chop up the defrosted frozen veg before you feed them to the lizard? Just wondering because I know some come pre chopped, but I don't think they'd be small enough for the little guy. Also just a suggestion but maybe if you added some other sticks and things to the tank as well the little guy would have more places to go than just the greenery.

[melodybrooke]

Ah well maybe I caught her on a bad day. I have the heat gradient sorted out now thanks to you guys.
I've also taken that hoooge piece of bark stuff out and put in an overturned water tray as a basking spot. It's not too close to the heat source (40w phillips spotone) and hovers around 40c. Now I want to get a hide for her and put some bamboo blind stuff on three sides of the enclosure like I've seen in pics on here. She spends a lot of time looking at her reflection although I do think she was having a perv at jessica alba on the dark angel cover yesterday lmao. Anyway I'd hate her to end up looking like a pug from smooshing her face up against the glass in a frenzy lol. Covering the three sides might make her feel a little more secure too and encourage her to get out of the greenery more.
Definitely want to get at least one stick/small branch to go in there especially since I've taken that monster piece of bark out.

Anyway thanks again for your answers everyone. I'll post a couple of pics when I've finished faffing around with Looocie's enclosure.