Class Pet

[Lauren Szabo]

Hello!

So I received a grant to keep a bearded dragon in my classroom. With my grant I received a Bearded Dragon starter terrarium and accessories.

I’m concerned about the thermometer and light. It is a zoo med dessert uvb heat and light kit. (Sits above the screen) The thermometer is just a sticker that sticks to the terrarium.

I’m worried it’s not getting warm enough because the bearded dragon has not pooped yet. I got him about 48 hours ago. He’s only about 4 inches long. I am using a reptile carpet. So any other suggestions for that other than change in the light?

The whole purpose of the grant was for me to not have to pay out of my pocket. If this light/ thermometer are not good, then could you please list affordable options that are good? (As specific as possible because I am new to this!)

Thank you so much!

 

[Rbange1]

Hi! There really are no "affordable" options when it comes to lighting for these guys. You will definitely need a better thermometer which will then help you adjust the heating levels. I will link a few links in a minute. As for the lights, you absolutely need a UVB strip light and it has to be replaced every six months. A white heat lamp is also necessary for obvious reasons.

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[Rbange1]

Here's a link for a UVB light. https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-reptisun-100-uvb-fluorescent/dp/126592

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[Rbange1]

Here's a link for a thermometer https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-reptitemp-digital-infrared/dp/154862

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[M.Cox]

Hi! I got a class-pet grant for our bearded dragon, too. We've had him just over a month now. At first I was concerned about the temperature in his vivarium, because we have the Zoo Med kit (probably the same as yours). One issue with the kit is that it doesn't contain a basking rock, so I cleaned and added a rock under the heat lamp. That has helped, because the rock retains more heat and makes a warm place for him to hang out. I also positioned his climbing branch so he can climb closer to the heat lamp if he's cold. He does hang out on that branch on a lot now. So far, that seems to have resolved my concerns. He seems to be happy, eating and pooping regularly, and he's already grown several inches! I put a different thermometer (not the little sticker one) directly under the light, and it was much warmer than the ambient temperature that the sticker thermometer was reading.

You said your beardie hasn't pooped yet- How long have you had him? It could be a dietary issue, or if he's brand new, he could just be stressed by the change in environment.

 

[JasperMoon]

You can use the stick-on dial thermometers but only to give you an approximate air temperature in the tank. I have one on the cool side and one on the warm sides of our dragon tanks and I keep the cool side at 80 and the warm side 85-90. I use a laser digital thermometer to check the basking site temperature since that needs to be 95-110. So you can use the stick-on dial thermometers but you can't use them to check the basking site temperature, that is the problem. The only way I know of to check the basking site temperature is with a laser thermometer. I think sometimes people confuse the air temp in the tank with the temp that the basking site is supposed to be, I know I did. When people aren't very clear you tend to get the idea that the entire warm side of the tank has to be 95+ which just isn't true. When the temp on my stick-on dial thermometer reads over 90 my dragon starts gaping, when he's not on the basking site...