Day 6 as a Beardie Owner

[Abby Cuccia]

Hi Everybody! I'm Abby and my boyfriend and I have recently joined the world of bearded dragon owners. We got Devlin, a 10 week old citrus, less than a week ago after doing some extensive researching and making sure we were well prepared to introduce her to our lives. I decided to join an online community - this is my first time joining a forum of any kind - and am anxious to share and discuss our adventures and have a giant wealth of information at my fingertips!

 

[Germ]

Abby

A few good links to help get you started ...

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

Is Bearded Dragon Co-habitation a good plan?

How to sex a Bearded Dragon
How To Sex A Bearded Dragon

 

[Germ]

Is that Sand I see your little one on in the avatar, more specifically, Calci-sand?

 

[Abby Cuccia]

Nope no sand in the habitat at all. Just paper towels right now. I've read and heard about all of the dangers of impaction. Good looking out though!

 

[Abby Cuccia]

Here are some questions regarding appetite: Devlin has a very healthy appetite for pinhead crickets. I tried to introduce wax worms a couple days ago: put 3 in a small shallow bowl and brought her over to it. She picked one up in her mouth, seemed to taste it, and put it back down and had no further interest. I also offer fruits and vegetables daily and she doesn't seem to have any interest. I have offered romaine, kale, strawberries, melon, and green pepper. She has licked a few of the options when I present them, but doesn't go beyond that. Should I be concerned? Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Germ]

Pics, Pics, Pics --- We love Pics

 

[Abby Cuccia]

We have actually ordered quite a few supplies and they should arrive today, hence some of the makeshift structures. Devlin's in a 20 gallon aquarium with a basking and UV light on 13 hrs/day and nothing at night. Temp in house doesn't drop below 74 and neither does habitat at night. We've been told that with a baby you don't want to overwhelm it with space. Planning to upgrade to exo terra 36x18x18 in a few months.

 

[Germ]

Please check out the Nutrition list provided earlier, try to feed as much as you can in the way of greens that is available in your area from the list that is hi-lited in Green, these are the beter choices for your youngster for nutrition & Calcium content. What you listed are not the best of choices. Fruits are basically a treat & not a staple food, not many fruit trees in the desert/scrublands that these beautiful creatures are originally native to. In over a decade, I have never fed mine fruit.

It is not uncommon for a young BD not to take to their greens for a while, some won't touch them for many months & this is okay, no cause for concern. But a small amount of greens should always be made available to it, whether it eats them or not, to be sure that the choice is there when they do take the notion to test them out & they will, on their own, when they are ready to. A young BD needs the protein from the live prey to grow. Just be sure to provide hydration through regular misting & warm soaks. A new BD will often go through an acclimation period that can last a week to 10+ days, during this time, handling should be kept to a minimum, kept to feeding & maintenance, to allow for as stress free a transition to it's new home, as possible. This may be the cause of some of the issues that you are experiencing.

Worms are also mostly a treat food. The majority of worms are quite fatty, making them not such a good staple food. BDs are also prone to become easily 'Worm Spoiled', as they are much like Candy is to a child, to a BD. This will often cause them to refuse the more nutritious feeders like well hydrated & gutloaded crickets, roaches &/or locusts. Worms have proven to be a very tough habit to break, so better not to go there in the first place, other than for the occasional treat.

Please check out the links provided, go over them 2-3 times, you & your BD will be glad you did. There is a wealth of good solid info there, that you can trust, unlike much out there on the net & in many books.

Good luck & once again, Welcome to BDF.

 

[Germ]

We have actually ordered quite a few supplies and they should arrive today, hence some of the makeshift structures. Devlin's in a 20 gallon aquarium with a basking and UV light on 13 hrs/day and nothing at night. Temp in house doesn't drop below 74 and neither does habitat at night. We've been told that with a baby you don't want to overwhelm it with space. Planning to upgrade to exo terra 36x18x18 in a few months.

Thanks for the Pics, could you post one of the full enclosure, showing your Lighting orientation in relation to the rest of the setup, along with info on the type, wattage & brand of UVB bulb that you are using, temps, both basking spot & cool side.

How long are the crickets that you are calling 'Pinheads' (Pinheads are newborn crix, barely visible to the eye, actually the size of or smaller than a pin head, thus the name. So I doubt that is the size you are feeding) & what is the average amount that it eats daily?

Most of us have found that a 12on/12off Day/Night schedule seems to work the best for them. Their Day/Night schedule should be consistent, on/off at the same time of the day, everyday. An electronic timer is an invaluable tool for this, to control the lighting, when we can not be there, are forgetful or sleep in.

In the years that I have been in the hobby, I have yet to see any BD be 'Overwhelmed' by too much space, bigger is always better in this instance. What generally is the issue, is that keepers clutter the enclosures with unnecessary accessories that provide too many hiding spots for the feeders, making the hunt difficult & frustrating the BD, causing stress, which in turn leads to countless other issues. My 3 hatchlings have been brought up from 1 month old, in larger uncluttered enclosures with 6+ square feet of floor area, with absolutely no issues, they will be a year old this week. BDs need very little in the way of furnishings to be comfy, happy & healthy, a food dish, a basking spot &/or a natural rock to act as an emery board as they climb on it to help keep their claws in check. Anything else is just 'fluff' for our benefit & eye candy, not theirs. The K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) method is always the best for any age BD.

Your enclosure appears to have an overabundance of many unnecessary holes & hiding spots for the feeders, that the BD can't easily get at, if at all. Most feeders are nocturnal, so will generally head straight for a dark spot in the enclosure to get out of the light, these spots should be kept minimal so they can't hide from your BD. They also make it a pain to find any left over crickets to remove them before lights out. Hiding, left over crix, will come out at night in the dark & bother your BD's sleep, can & will nibble on the dragon while it sleeps. In worse case scenarios, cause lesions/sores. So they must be removed prior to lights out.

It may just be the angles that the shots are taken from, but I fail to see any thermometers to check the temps with , unless that is one on the glass in the last pic, if so, it is no where near where the temps need to be measured from. Your BD will never be half way up the back wall of the enclosure, so why measure the temps there. Glass mounted thermometers will also give you more the temp of the glass, which is affected as much by the outside ambient room temps as the enclosure environment, giving inaccurate readings. Digital thermometers with sensors/probes that can be placed/attached directly on/to the basking spot, are what is needed. One is also needed to measure the Cool side at the coolest point in the enclosure, generally the floor area furthest from the heat bulb, to be sure you are providing the heat gradient required, 110F at the basking spot (Which should be the hottest area accessible to the BD.) with a heat gradient down to 80-85F on the cool side. Correct heat, provided & measured at the right spots, is imperative, as it is required for them to digest & process their food properly.

Good Looking Dragon , Good Luck

 

[Abby Cuccia]

Hi Germ, wow - you are informative. Makes me glad I joined! Thank you for all of the valuable info. I am working on making sure I fall within all of your guidelines. We do have the lights on a timer. I understand the importance of consistency. The UVB bulb we are using is a 75 watt Exo Terra brand Intense Basking Spot. I have also altered the vegetable diet to consist of mostly the "every day" items from the nutrition list: today on the menu is fresh collard greens. We looked, we licked, we don't care. But we'll keep trying! With such a large quantity of literature available, it is helpful to have some pieces recommended. I did read all of the information that you provided.

The temperature in the tank varies from 80-85 in the "cool zone" to 95-105 in the "hot zone" and as I noted previously, when the lights go out it is 74. As I mentioned, we were improving our beardie's habitat and now have multiple altitude options for it. I am noticing it chooses somewhere in the middle and kind of shifts using subtle movements as it sees fit. I realize that all of the information that I have read and heard is not correct so-to-speak, but "I read that" your bearded dragon will choose a basking spot that best fits it and will make small adjustments throughout the day to increase and decrease its internal temperature as needed. This could be as small as a head turn or a foot shift. To me this makes sense: offer it many options and it will choose what is most optimal.

Would you say if it is defecating regularly that it obtaining the correct levels of heat for digestive purposes? I have taken it to a vet that specializes in exotics and the fecal screen has not come back, but we are checking for parasites as "I've heard" it is something that should be done every 6-12 months and definitely as soon as the animal is obtained.

The crickets I have been feeding are called pin heads at the store, so I figured they were called pin heads - not a reptile expert over here! What term would you use to describle them? They are the smallest anyone seems to sell and using the nothing larger than the space between the eyes method they seem to be exactly the correct size.

Again - thanks for the info. You certainly seem to know how to keep a new owner on her toes. I'm here for the constructive criticism, but also for the encouragement. Congratulations on your hatchlings - I am sure you are a proud papa!

 

[Germ]

Hi Germ, wow - you are informative. Makes me glad I joined! Thank you for all of the valuable info. Thanks, we try for the good of our precious Pets ... I am working on making sure I fall within all of your guidelines. We do have the lights on a timer. I understand the importance of consistency. The UVB bulb we are using is a 75 watt Exo Terra brand Intense Basking Spot. I have also altered the vegetable diet to consist of mostly the "every day" items from the nutrition list: today on the menu is fresh collard greens. We looked, we licked, we don't care. But we'll keep trying! With such a large quantity of literature available, it is helpful to have some pieces recommended. I did read all of the information that you provided. Apparently you may have read, but may have not understood ... An Exo Terra brand Intense 75W Basking Spot is just that, a heat bulb, does not provide any UVB!!!! A separate specialty bulb is needed to provide UVB. The most common used are the Repti-Sun or Repti-Glo 10.0 (10%) Linear Tube type UVB bulb. If that is the only bulb provided, your BD is not receiving any of the imperative UVB that it needs ....

The temperature in the tank varies from 80-85 in the "cool zone" to 95-105 in the "hot zone" Basking temp is what is needed to be measured, not the Hot Zone or Hot Side - Again, the Basking Spot temp needs to be really close to the vicinity of 110F on the average, measured DIRECTLY at the Basking Spot, not 6-8" away, off to the side & above, giving an inaccurate temp. and as I noted previously, when the lights go out it is 74. As I mentioned, we were improving our beardie's habitat and now have multiple altitude options for it. The Basking spot should be the hottest place in the enclosure (110F), hotter areas can & will cause problems. I am noticing it chooses somewhere in the middle and kind of shifts using subtle movements as it sees fit. I realize that all of the information that I have read and heard is not correct so-to-speak, but "I read that" your bearded dragon will choose a basking spot that best fits it and will make small adjustments throughout the day to increase and decrease its internal temperature as needed. This could be as small as a head turn or a foot shift. To me this makes sense: offer it many options and it will choose what is most optimal. This is mostly correct, BDs will generally do their best to make the the better choices of the options given, but not given the right ones, they will make the best of what they have . Most times, they know better than we do, what they need. But given a whole lot of 'Wrong' choices, in captivity, will not provide them with what they need. What they need is, 110F directly at the Basking Spot a heat gradient to 80-85F at the cool side.

Would you say if it is defecating regularly that it obtaining the correct levels of heat for digestive purposes? I have taken it to a vet that specializes in exotics and the fecal screen has not come back, but we are checking for parasites as "I've heard" it is something that should be done every 6-12 months and definitely as soon as the animal is obtained. Only a proper, accurate Thermometer measuring in the right area, will determine the best heat & enable a keeper to keep optimum temps for their pets.

The crickets I have been feeding are called pin heads at the store, so I figured they were called pin heads - not a reptile expert over here! What term would you use to describle them? They are the smallest anyone seems to sell and using the nothing larger than the space between the eyes method they seem to be exactly the correct size. 2-3 week old or 1/2" to 5/8" should do the trick, but you have the right rule of thumb to be safe, you are there, we are not.

Again - thanks for the info. You certainly seem to know how to keep a new owner on her toes. I'm here for the constructive criticism, but also for the encouragement. Congratulations on your hatchlings - I am sure you are a proud papa! This is all constructive criticism & encouragement, to help you get to the point where compliments are warranted. At this point & time, for the health & wellbeing of your BD, adjustment in husbandry & care should be made.

If I sound Harsh, that is because I am speaking as kind of your BD's advocate, sharing my knowledge & experience with you, for the sake of your BD. If I make friends, that's bonus, not a priority, mine is to the critter's health & wellbeing, but if even parts of the advice offered is heeded, over the years, there are a lot of healthier BDs out there because of my obstinance about their proper care. Good, solid advice has been offered, what you do with it, is your choice, but what I must say & emphasize is that you really need to get some proper UVB coverage for your BD.

Yes, I was & am a very Proud Papa, if you are interested, here is their story ...
Sandy Laid Again - Pic Heavy

Sandy's Eggs Hatching​

The Guys ~ Hoodwink - Falkor - Vasuki

Vasuki

Good Luck & Always Wishing you & yours the best ...

 

[Abby Cuccia]

Whoooooops! I gave you the wrong light info. Sorry to worry - 13W Reptile UVB 150 (Exo Terra Brand) Additionally, we use a laser thermometer that allows us to check any spot in the tank. Will make the adjustments to get the temp up to 110.

 

[Josh]

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Pat B]

Welcome to BDF. Your little beardie is beautiful. There is a lot of information on this forum and lots of members to answer all your questions and concerns. Enjoy and come back often!

 

[Bushmaster11B]

Abby,
Germ maybe blunt but he is VERY precise as well as passionate when it comes to BD's, and that my friend, will only benefit you by many healthy happy years with your BD friend. I change enclosure designs because my prior idea was unsafe, and Germ was the one who was patient enough to help me along with many others in this forum. I envy you for having your BD before me.... LOL. However, this reply is not a stab in any such way. I just wanted you to know that EVERYONE here is happy to help and more than willing to steer you in the right direction. Welcome to bearded dragons forum and please keep reading and asking questions throughout the forum threads.

Very nice BD, where did you get her? I have a 100% Super Citrus coming in mid July.

 

[Abby Cuccia]

Hi Bush,
Devlin came from a local breeder. I'm very happy to be a member of the forum. Here is a pic of our most recent tank set up and also one of Dev sleeping from last night.

Here is a cosmetic question: how do I get my pics to post right side up? On my computer they look fine but when I upload them they turn sideways....

 

[Bushmaster11B]

I would edit the size then save then upload them again.....

 

[Germ]

Temp Guns are great to use in certain enclosures, yours, with a full screen top, is not one of them. Please check out the following thread, Digital with a Sensor/Probe is what is needed in this application ...
Infrared Thermometers - Temp Guns

Your PC &/or Cam likely have an orientation function, where the forum doesn't. Try taking the pics with the camera oriented in the "Landscape" position, rather than "Portrait", see if that helps.

Mounted above the screen, the 26W UVB bulb is what is required, the 13W is a weaker bulb that may not be strong enough to provide enough useable, effective UVB coverage, because the screen can & will Block/Reflect/Filter out as much as 50% of the UVB from ever entering the enclosure.