Getting my beardie soon!

[Meerna]

Hi! I always love to join a forum for my new pets, and I've just purchased a beautiful beardie boy from a breeder. He's scheduled to arrive this upcoming Tuesday and I'm so excited! I've wanted a bearded dragon off and on for years, but never fully decided to get one until the past month or so. As per my usual I've done hours of research cross-referencing care guides and watching how-to videos, and I finally decided it was time. I'm setting up his enclosure tomorrow (it's quite late right now) and I'm going to do a bioactive setup. I'll go plant shopping tomorrow and get everything ready. I haven't thought of a name for him yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something fitting. Pic from the breeder of my beautiful new boy!

 

[Sadie]

Hi! I always love to join a forum for my new pets, and I've just purchased a beautiful beardie boy from a breeder. He's scheduled to arrive this upcoming Tuesday and I'm so excited! I've wanted a bearded dragon off and on for years, but never fully decided to get one until the past month or so. As per my usual I've done hours of research cross-referencing care guides and watching how-to videos, and I finally decided it was time. I'm setting up his enclosure tomorrow (it's quite late right now) and I'm going to do a bioactive setup. I'll go plant shopping tomorrow and get everything ready. I haven't thought of a name for him yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something fitting. Pic from the breeder of my beautiful new boy!

Welcome to beardie world --

Lighting in the tank is the most important thing in the tank - please get a solid bright white basking bulb - you dont want daytime bulbs or colored or off white or yellowish bulbs - and you dont want any coils for UVB a long tube fixture like a Arcadia Pro T5 or Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T 5 --- what size is the tank ?

 

[Meerna]

Right now it's an old 20 gallon I'm reusing, I have a white 25w mini bulb and a uvb bulb combo dome, and another uvb bulb in a clip dome. In a month or two I'm going to get a much larger front opening terrarium with a uvb strip like you suggested.

 

[Sadie]

Right now it's an old 20 gallon I'm reusing, I have a white 25w mini bulb and a uvb bulb combo dome, and another uvb bulb in a clip dome. In a month or two I'm going to get a much larger front opening terrarium with a uvb strip like you suggested.

Ok those coil uvb's are no good - they cause all kinds of health issues- I recommend getting the zoo med as soon as you can - get the 24" comes w/ the 5.0 bulb I will help you get it set up for the 20 gallon then when you upgrade the tank you will need to get the stronger bulb it will fit the fixture next you need a digital probe thermometer- now a 25 watt is not going to keep or get basking temps that the dragon needs- 105-110 for a baby--- these things I am posting are a must for your dragon

 

[Meerna]

Okay, good to know. I'll see what I can buy and fix things before he comes in. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Sadie]

Okay, good to know. I'll see what I can buy and fix things before he comes in. Thanks for the advice!

Let me know when you get the things I posted I will help you get the uvb set up and your basking temps good this is a must for your dragon you will need a 75 watt solid bright white basking bulb like a exo Terra intense bulb - no colored off white daytime or yellowish bulb

 

[Meerna]

Is the zoo med 75 watt bulb okay? I can get a 2-pack and save a little money, plus I'll have a backup bulb

 

[Sadie]

Is the zoo med 75 watt bulb okay? I can get a 2-pack and save a little money, plus I'll have a backup bulb

Yes that is good

 

[Meerna]

Okay, I ordered exactly what you suggested. They'll be delivered April 1st, but I guess he should be okay with what I have for a few days, right?

 

[Sadie]

Okay, I ordered exactly what you suggested. They'll be delivered April 1st, but I guess he should be okay with what I have for a few days, right?

Yes - w/ this correct lighting and basking temps it's going to help him adjust and acclimate to his surroundings better-- when you get him he will go thru relocation stress and it will effect his eating it will be off/ slow but he should eat something if he stops eating all together that's not good- I can post websites for insects / worms and a website for nutrition- when are you getting the dragon? How old is he?

 

[Meerna]

He's almost exactly 6 months old, he's set to arrive Tuesday. I already have a small dubia colony and I've ordered more, knowing that young dragons can go through a lot. I also bought a good gutload diet for the feeders, and I have isopods and superworms as well. I didn't get my plants today but I plan to get a few herbs and put them in the tank, along with my hides and wood. I used some sisal rope I had around and wove a little hammock for him too. I have a list of fruits/veggies/greens to buy for his salads too. Of course I also have calcium powder with d3 and I ordered a multivitamin powder as well, to dust his bugs.

 

[Sadie]

He's almost exactly 6 months old, he's set to arrive Tuesday. I already have a small dubia colony and I've ordered more, knowing that young dragons can go through a lot. I also bought a good gutload diet for the feeders, and I have isopods and superworms as well. I didn't get my plants today but I plan to get a few herbs and put them in the tank, along with my hides and wood. I used some sisal rope I had around and wove a little hammock for him too. I have a list of fruits/veggies/greens to buy for his salads too. Of course I also have calcium powder with d3 and I ordered a multivitamin powder as well, to dust his bugs.

Ok that 20 gallon tank is going to be too small for a 6 month old dragon-- he's going to need a 40 but I wouldn't even waste the money on that I would go for a 75 or 120 your going to be needing to upgrade in another 6 months a full size dragon needs 75- 120 - let me know what you decide your uvb bulb will need to go to the T 5 as mentioned above the T 8 will not be strong enough for a tank over 20 gallon

 

[Meerna]

Okay, I'll get a bigger tank as soon as I can.

 

[Sadie]

Okay, I'll get a bigger tank as soon as I can.

Let me know I will help you get your tank set up for your uvb's - these bulbs have certain distance and placement

 

[Mummabeardy]

Handsome bugga!!!

 

[Meerna]

I got a 75 gallon with a stand from a guy in town, One problem I'm already seeing though is finding a lid for it. My tank is 48 x 16, but the screen lids for this size are only 48 x 13. What should I do about the gap? I measured inside the lip, not across.

 

[Sadie]

I got a 75 gallon with a stand from a guy in town, One problem I'm already seeing though is finding a lid for it. My tank is 48 x 16, but the screen lids for this size are only 48 x 13. What should I do about the gap? I measured inside the lip, not across.

Measure across the top you want it to sit over the top so it hangs over- can you make a screen using chicken wire or something similar? If you do that your uvb would be able to sit on top of the screen-- assuming your using a long tube fixture

 

[Meerna]

It came with a top made of window screen with a little door, but I'm worried my cat will collapse the screen if he gets on top. I also like the screens that open with a hinge in the middle longways, so I don't have to move the lights every time I feed him.

 

[Sadie]

It came with a top made of window screen with a little door, but I'm worried my cat will collapse the screen if he gets on top. I also like the screens that open with a hinge in the middle longways, so I don't have to move the lights every time I feed him.

So the tank has doors on it? Please post a pic of the tank

 

[Meerna]

Here's his new setup in the 75 gallon. Still waiting on my 2ft uvb light fixture, I couldn't find one in a physical store anywhere.