Bearded Dragon Info Needed

[AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall]

HI! I love animals and am slowly acquiring more pets. Owning a Bearded dragon has been a dream of mine for several years now and it's finally starting to look like I might be able to get one in the somewhat near future! The main problem is that I don't have a lot of knowledge about Beardies. So I'm here just looking for general info on them. I'm not looking to have a super fancy or expensive set up, so affordable options would be great! Here are my main questions:
*What size tank is needed? how many gallons and also what measurements (length,width,height)?
*heating and lighting info overall would be great! how warm does it need to be, what's the lowest temp it could comfortably live at, what kind of lights would I need to purchase (again, affordable options would be fabulous) I Know heated rocks are an absolute no-no, but what about heating pads?
*food! how many insects, what kind of insects? could I use a powdered mix (such as a pangea bearded dragon diet or insect powder)? what kind of fruit and veggies, how often to feed?
*tank setup: what kind of decor, how much? rocks? plants? how big should rocks be? how often should I clean the tank? is gecko carpet a good option for bedding? sand? bare bottom?
*resources: I'll take any recommendations to blog sites, youtube videos, etc. to gain more info about these guys. I just want to make sure my information is reliable.
*hydration/humidity: do they need water sprayed in the tank? do they need a water dish 24/7?
*handling: how often can I/ should I handle my lizard? I don't want to overwhelm it and I also don't want to neglect it. do they need brain stimulation like learning toys? what stresses them out? I do have a cat but she's pretty skittish of other animals so I doubt she'd be a threat but would her presence intimidate the lizard?
*can they be trained? I've seen some that respond to different word cues or food. how far can this training go? could it be house trained (unlikely, I know, but I'm just curious!)
*health: what are some common health issues/diseases these guys are susceptible to? how can I avoid them? how can I spot this diseases in a bearded dragon?
*where is a good place to buy a dragon from? I know some pet stores are a bit sketchy. are there any specifically that I should for sure avoid? would buying from a breeder be a better choice? are there any specific breeders I should avoid?
*any other tips, info, thoughts or advice anyone has! I'll take it all! thank you!

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

HI! I love animals and am slowly acquiring more pets. Owning a Bearded dragon has been a dream of mine for several years now and it's finally starting to look like I might be able to get one in the somewhat near future! The main problem is that I don't have a lot of knowledge about Beardies. So I'm here just looking for general info on them. I'm not looking to have a super fancy or expensive set up, so affordable options would be great! Here are my main questions:
*What size tank is needed? how many gallons and also what measurements (length,width,height)?
*heating and lighting info overall would be great! how warm does it need to be, what's the lowest temp it could comfortably live at, what kind of lights would I need to purchase (again, affordable options would be fabulous) I Know heated rocks are an absolute no-no, but what about heating pads?
*food! how many insects, what kind of insects? could I use a powdered mix (such as a pangea bearded dragon diet or insect powder)? what kind of fruit and veggies, how often to feed?
*tank setup: what kind of decor, how much? rocks? plants? how big should rocks be? how often should I clean the tank? is gecko carpet a good option for bedding? sand? bare bottom?
*resources: I'll take any recommendations to blog sites, youtube videos, etc. to gain more info about these guys. I just want to make sure my information is reliable.
*hydration/humidity: do they need water sprayed in the tank? do they need a water dish 24/7?
*handling: how often can I/ should I handle my lizard? I don't want to overwhelm it and I also don't want to neglect it. do they need brain stimulation like learning toys? what stresses them out? I do have a cat but she's pretty skittish of other animals so I doubt she'd be a threat but would her presence intimidate the lizard?
*can they be trained? I've seen some that respond to different word cues or food. how far can this training go? could it be house trained (unlikely, I know, but I'm just curious!)
*health: what are some common health issues/diseases these guys are susceptible to? how can I avoid them? how can I spot this diseases in a bearded dragon?
*where is a good place to buy a dragon from? I know some pet stores are a bit sketchy. are there any specifically that I should for sure avoid? would buying from a breeder be a better choice? are there any specific breeders I should avoid?
*any other tips, info, thoughts or advice anyone has! I'll take it all! thank you!

Hi, it’s great you researching before buying, that’s a excellent pet owner!! I’m new too, had my little guy a week and thanks to all the amazing ppl on here, I got set up, learned lots and have a happy beardie so you have come to the right place!! I could answer some of your questions but I think it would be better if someone with experience answers you. So I will sit back and watch this space and wait to see your set up and beardie.
Good luck

 

[Sadie]

HI! I love animals and am slowly acquiring more pets. Owning a Bearded dragon has been a dream of mine for several years now and it's finally starting to look like I might be able to get one in the somewhat near future! The main problem is that I don't have a lot of knowledge about Beardies. So I'm here just looking for general info on them. I'm not looking to have a super fancy or expensive set up, so affordable options would be great! Here are my main questions:
*What size tank is needed? how many gallons and also what measurements (length,width,height)?
*heating and lighting info overall would be great! how warm does it need to be, what's the lowest temp it could comfortably live at, what kind of lights would I need to purchase (again, affordable options would be fabulous) I Know heated rocks are an absolute no-no, but what about heating pads?
*food! how many insects, what kind of insects? could I use a powdered mix (such as a pangea bearded dragon diet or insect powder)? what kind of fruit and veggies, how often to feed?
*tank setup: what kind of decor, how much? rocks? plants? how big should rocks be? how often should I clean the tank? is gecko carpet a good option for bedding? sand? bare bottom?
*resources: I'll take any recommendations to blog sites, youtube videos, etc. to gain more info about these guys. I just want to make sure my information is reliable.
*hydration/humidity: do they need water sprayed in the tank? do they need a water dish 24/7?
*handling: how often can I/ should I handle my lizard? I don't want to overwhelm it and I also don't want to neglect it. do they need brain stimulation like learning toys? what stresses them out? I do have a cat but she's pretty skittish of other animals so I doubt she'd be a threat but would her presence intimidate the lizard?
*can they be trained? I've seen some that respond to different word cues or food. how far can this training go? could it be house trained (unlikely, I know, but I'm just curious!)
*health: what are some common health issues/diseases these guys are susceptible to? how can I avoid them? how can I spot this diseases in a bearded dragon?
*where is a good place to buy a dragon from? I know some pet stores are a bit sketchy. are there any specifically that I should for sure avoid? would buying from a breeder be a better choice? are there any specific breeders I should avoid?
*any other tips, info, thoughts or advice anyone has! I'll take it all! thank you!

Ok so before all these questions are answered I am going to post a website that will answer most of what you asked ---- the CFL mentioned in the list of what NOT to buy is considered a Coil UVB --

Did you buy a petstore enclosure "kit"? - Read Me! | Enclosures

It looks like a good deal. It seems super convenient. But then you learn more and you realize that many items in these kits aren't suitable for your new scaly friend. Unfortunately this is what we see on almost a daily basis here. Someone new to the hobby excitedly buys their kit, only to come...

www.beardeddragon.org

After reading this please repost back on here w/ questions you have and we can answer you as best as we can

 

[Skybug]

Welcome to the forum! , thats alot of questions basically the whole husbandry lol, i understand you wanting accurate information, and this is a good place to find it, usually though you need to do some research yourself, bearded dragons can make great pets , they can be held quite often once they’ve acclimated to you (please no shoulder riding) for your lighting you want a long tubular uvb 50-70% the length of the enclosure (you want places for them to escape the light if they so choose) DO NOT get a “coil” “compact” uvb bulb these cause problems) you want low humidity 30-60% is okay (i live in FL and let me tell you about humidity Lol). if you’re new to lizard keeping, put a water dish (otherwise spray its lips till it laps up water) (most dont drink standing water so keep that into account ,they get most of their liquids from bugs and veg) you want to be giving almost every insect crickets, locust, supers (at 5mo) mealworms at 5mo /beetle form of both aswell) hornworms are great, roaches are probably best for “overallness” , BSFL is another good choice of feeders (put these into the salad) please look up what fruits and veggies NOT TO GIVE this is important (i know a couple are avocado, rhubarb) , then look up what you can give them, from my understanding they’re like cats, if they want to be trained its on their terms, morph market is a place to look for beardy breeders (try to get recent pictures of it) a YouTuber I watch is “Animal1guy” he takes in alot of rescue reptiles (he has several videos about a number of his bearded dragons) it’s important to know worst case scenarios incase you get put into it(I highly recommend watching him)

 

[AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall]

Holy cow! Thank you guys so much! This is so much information! I appreciate it a lot and I will continue doing research before I get a dragon. Thank you thank you!