Your personal Opinion on Bearded Dragon Care.

[camcamcam]

Hey all, I know I could have just called/seen a vet, google'd it.
But Im looking for what Real people, that own Bearded Dragons thinks best.


Currently Im feeding my 2 little fellas Crickets in the morning, Green leafed veges, bit of carrot, in there aswell around the arvo, with a few more crickets and occasionally some mealies - All dusted with calcium powder, new water, spot cleaning daily, I made a little thing for them to go outside in (when Im with them) it cost me like 20 dollars, and it's a large tray with elevated river rocks on one end (no water) and on the lower side some water, I hold them daily, my bigger fella likes to chase my cursor when he's watching my laptop .

I have my hot side of the tank with the two basking spots, reaching around 35+ degrees, with the other end a few degrees colder, the UVB light I have is a 5.0. Heat light is on from 7am - 11pm (roughly), UVB light is on from about 7am until it's dark.

If there is anything I forgot I will ask but for now, am I doing everything well?

Is there anything I could improve on feeding?
Should I go to a 10.0 UVB, or is 5.0 enough?
Difference from UVB to UVA, I have (as stated) a UVB, is UVA needed? Or isn't there much difference; people have told me you need both.
Is the timing of my heat light, and UVB light good?

I love these little fellas and will do anything for them Cheers all

 

[kr0nick]

Hey mate you will first want to cut the light hours back to around 5am to 7pm thanks what I keep my blue tongue and beardie on. Also I use no UV lighting what so ever, I just move their terrainium outside every weekend, And as long as you feed until he can't eat anymore then I think that will be fine. this is how I keep my beardie and he is kicking atm.

 

[Bel03]

I was just informed that my heating times were a bit much, & i was heating for 10hrs a day, now only for 6hrs, with basking temps at 40-45 degrees. So you will definately want to look at changing yours. As for the uv, 10 hrs a day is good, but some outside time a couple of times a week is also important, about 30mins each time is good, just make sure they also have shade if they need to move out of the sun, & keep in mind that they can not get the uv through glass, a mesh lid or something is great. It is uvb that beardies need, & 10.0 is a minium. My day basking lamp is also a uva bulb but that isnt as important, so i have been told. As for feeding, you only need to dust live food with the calcium 3-4 times a week, & vitamins no more then twice weekly, too much calcium can cause as many problems as lack of calcium. My beardie loves things such as bok choy, snow pea sprouts, alfalfa, flowers (hibiscus, dandeline sp?, roses), clover, rocket leaves etc, & occasionally carrot, corn, strawberry.......just to name a few. As for live food, he loves woodies, so maybe also give them a go.

 

[Chris1]

how old are they?
things like calcium supps/protien are dependant on age. (eg. calcium 4 youngens 4 times a week, adults once every week or 2, protien fro babies should be 90% of their diet, as adults 0nly 10%, the rest greens/veg))

UVA comes from all lights, so the UVB is the one that you need to get right.

I raised my first dragons on a 5% UVB tube, no probs, but always made sure they got outside time.

Nowdays, i only use indoor UVB (10%) for the first 6 months, and after that get them outside for a few hours a week, seems to be plenty.


i heat fro an average of 10-12 hours (depending on what time i get up/finish work etc,...sometimes theyre on from 6am-10pm, othertimes tehyre on from like 9 till 2, then sit on windowsills for the afternoon)

ideal basking temps are low 40s,....

pics are always welcome,..!

 

[hugsta]

In terms of how long your heating is on for, it is more relevant to your enclosures placement and conditions. If you live in a really cold place and have them in a glass tank, then you may need to supply heating all year round, however if you are in a warm area and they are in a timber enclosure, then you may need to just heat them following the natural daylight hours. UVA is also important as it enhances their behavior, they have better appetites, more enclined to bask and more susceptable to breeding. So, UVA is just as important as UVB as the light is a stimulant which is also used by their pineal gland to help them cycle through the seasons.

 

[graffix]

Shouldn't we know if they are eastern. central or pygmy beardies ? I have found a difference in "ideal" temperatures for all 3.

I didn't see any mention of a thermostat. Manual switching of heat is a risky method.

 

[hugsta]

Shouldn't we know if they are eastern. central or pygmy beardies ? I have found a difference in "ideal" temperatures for all 3.

I didn't see any mention of a thermostat. Manual switching of heat is a risky method.

Vitticeps and Henrylawsonii can be kept pretty much the same and a little cooler for the Barbata. Somehow, I would say they are centrals. But could be wrong.

The necessity of a thermostat would be determined by the type of enclosure the animals are kept in. So there maybe some slight need for one, but I wouldn't think so. These guys are far more tolerant of heat than snakes are. But good points to bring up.

 

[JAS101]

have u got a copy of "the bearded dragon manual" , its a great book and have a heap of great info in it

 

[camcamcam]

@Chris, they're just under a year. But I did get them from a vet and they have MBD, and I wasn't giving them enough calcium at one stage and one became hypcalcemic, so very low in calcium, I took him to the Vet and got a calcium dilute mix to give to him orally, So i'm not sure if I should still be giving them alot of calcium or not.

@graffix Yeah, they are centrals, I do have a thermostat, it's not in use at the moment, what's risky about Manual switching?

@Hugsta Should i look into getting a seperate UVA globe? So there is a UVA & UVB globe in the tank?

EDIT: No I don't, Jas101, do you know where I can get a copy?

 

[Chris1]

if theyre recovering from MDB, keep up the calcium, the liquid stuff im assuming the vet gave u is Vit D3 free, its not the actual calcium that is bad in large quantities, its the added D3. (the Vit D3 helps the beardy convert the calcium to a useable form,...when it comes from the sun its fine, when its artificial and ingested, to much has the same effect as none)

if you have a white light for heat (brightly lit enclosure, doesnt have to be a reptile bulb, i use refector globes from bunnings) you already have UVA.
if youre using a CHE or red light, change it to a white light.

 

[graffix]

@graffix Yeah, they are centrals, I do have a thermostat, it's not in use at the moment, what's risky about Manual switching?

Thermostats are like a seat belt in a car (stay with me here people), you hope you never need it, but are bloody thankful if you do.

Heat lamps and heat mats/cords increase ambient temperatures. On cool days they will take longer to reach your set temperature, on hot days they will send the ambient temperature soaring in a very short time. A thermostat is designed to cut the heat source off at your set maximum temperature. This is just added security should you have a hot day when you are out and cannot turn the heat off.

The easiest way to set up an enclosure for any reptile that requires additional heat indoors is to use a heat lamp/mat/cord on a thermostat and a UV light on a timer. This way it is all controlled automatically, you cannot forget and the animals are protected.

A thermometer is always wise to help monitor he heat.

I might as well add that you should place the thermostat probe and thermometer at the hottest point the animals can get at. There is little point checking the temp half way up a glass wall.

 

[camcamcam]

Nah, no red heatlight, I have the white one 'Daylight Lamp'. So that is providing the UVA and the heat? and my UVB is ofcourse doing it's job, haha.

Thanks for that graffix, I have actually just set it up, I have it set to the max, 40 on the thermostat. the thermometer is haning down just above the pinewood I have in there.

 

[Chris1]

Nah, no red heatlight, I have the white one 'Daylight Lamp'. So that is providing the UVA and the heat? .

yep!

 

[camcamcam]

Sweet! Thanks

 

[hugsta]

@graffix Yeah, they are centrals, I do have a thermostat, it's not in use at the moment, what's risky about Manual switching?

Thermostats are like a seat belt in a car (stay with me here people), you hope you never need it, but are bloody thankful if you do.

Heat lamps and heat mats/cords increase ambient temperatures. On cool days they will take longer to reach your set temperature, on hot days they will send the ambient temperature soaring in a very short time. A thermostat is designed to cut the heat source off at your set maximum temperature. This is just added security should you have a hot day when you are out and cannot turn the heat off.

The easiest way to set up an enclosure for any reptile that requires additional heat indoors is to use a heat lamp/mat/cord on a thermostat and a UV light on a timer. This way it is all controlled automatically, you cannot forget and the animals are protected.

A thermometer is always wise to help monitor he heat.

I might as well add that you should place the thermostat probe and thermometer at the hottest point the animals can get at. There is little point checking the temp half way up a glass wall.

I am an avid supporter of using a thermostat and have plenty of them in all configurations, however, for the 7 or 8 years I kept dragons I never used one for them. My setup didn't need it and they were 4x2x2 melamine enclosures with a 75 watt daybasking bulb and uvb 10.0 baton or compact style fluoro. Inland dragons are far more tolerant of heat than snakes are and will cope with 40 plus degrees days, however, a snake in those temps will either die or will suffer heat stress and eventually die, so a thermostat is far more necessary for a snake than a dragon or monitor. You also need to move the probe towards the middle or away from the basking spot if you are going to use one as most only go to around 40 deg C max so you have no room for variation if you need it hotter.