A Bit of Advice For a Newbie Please

[Reptar859]

Ok guys im a newbie but have been doing alot of research before i actually aquired my dragons. I bought 2 3week old Black soil dragons on Saturday. They are feeding well but i have noticed a few things that may be of a concerne but maybe not. Here we go one of the babies is a real pig eats twice as many crickets as the other but seems to get a bit bound up. My heat source is about 30cm from the highest point they can reach, is this too far away for good digestion. My enclosure is running from 29deg and 32deg but in the heat of the day atm the uv light keeps it at around 30deg most of the time and the basking light is off more than on. One thing i have noticed today that makes me ask these questions is that the one who gets a bit bound up tends to open its mouth like its trying to get more heat when the basking light is on. Also I am yet to see either of them take a drink. Am I worrying too much or could i be doing something better to keep their health. any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Chris1]

How are you offering water?
Dragons will rarely drink from a dish, you need to mist them. twice a day for youngens, once every day or 2 for older dragons,..

i find it easier to offer very diluted juice (like 10 parts water to 1 part juice) thru a syringe which they love. (mine are centrals, but same basic idea)\

the fluids will help with the binding,..

basking temps should be around 40C, 32 isnt warm enough for good digestion.

what substrate are you using?
if its a loose substrate and one is injesting it, that will cause probs in such small lizards,...loose substrates are fine fro adults, but definately not 3 week olds,...

 

[Shotta]

How are you offering water?
Dragons will rarely drink from a dish, you need to mist them. twice a day for youngens, once every day or 2 for older dragons,..

i find it easier to offer very diluted juice (like 10 parts water to 1 part juice) thru a syringe which they love. (mine are centrals, but same basic idea)\

the fluids will help with the binding,..

basking temps should be around 40C, 32 isnt warm enough for good digestion.

what substrate are you using?
if its a loose substrate and one is injesting it, that will cause probs in such small lizards,...loose substrates are fine fro adults, but definately not 3 week olds,...

so is it not a good idea for a waterbowl?
im curious is a black soil dragon the same as a bearded dragon?

 

[Reptar859]

Thanks Chris two problems solved im using odour eating vavarium sand and its quite coarse. And you are right the pig eats a bit when he misses his/her target and more than likely a bit when it does grab a cricket.The other one tends to grab its crickets when they are out of the sand either on the side of the tank or on their branch i have in there for them. Temp wise I only have my probe at the cool end of the tank and will have to move this to see what it is at the basking end.

Sanosuke a black soil is commomly known as a pygmy bearded dragon

 

[sezzle1]

I have kept my beardie on digestible calcium sand from 3 weeks of age, but I always remove him from his enclosure and put him in a plastic tub with no substrate to feed him crickets or woodies, then return him to his enclosure when he's done. Lots of benefits: easier for him to catch his food, insects do not get missed and start living in enclosure and chewing on things they're not supposed to and finally, reduces the chance of ingestion of sand and resulting gut impaction. When feeding greens, I always gave a big plate compared to amount of food so unlikely to spill over the edges and get sand stuck to it before ingestion. If it did happen, calcium sand less of a risk than other substrates. Hope this helps

 

[RustyViper]

Will b fine, need to feed seperatly u have a domn

 

[melissagalea2]

mine quite frequintly drink. i have a waterfall in there enclosure and hav seen them all drink at some point, plus they love to lay in the water too quitw a bit.
dragons often hav there mouth open as a way of regulating there body temperature, if they r warm they will open there mouths. your temp does need to b quite a bit higher. mine are set at 42 degrees in the hotend. they absolutely love it. very rarily are they in the cool end. but with this heat lately the thermostat turns the heat off quite abit. . i dont like sand, its just my personal preferance. i buy lino tiles from bunnings and put them at the bottom of the enclosure then u can feed inside, make sure u offer veges everyday as well as crickets and mealworms on occassion. and dust with calcium a few times a week, i also sprinkle calcium powder on there veges.
they love climbing so make sure they hav lots of branches and vines to keep them busy. they are great pets.

 

[Reptar859]

Thanks guys taking it all on board have raised the temp and plenty of craps in the tank when i got home from work today. They ate like crazy when i fed them this arvo and i have been giving them a couple of mist sprays of water so all is good just have to get a tub to feed them in as sugested by sezzle and all should be good. Loving the little buggers and by the end of my chrissy hols i think i will have a few more.
Cheers for the help