Hello All

[DawnM]

We just got our first Bearded Dragon this weekend for my 5 year olds first pet. We researched a lot. As kids we always had pet rats. A combination of my development of allergies to anything with fur except dogs and the dogs desire to kill rodents made that impossible. A co worker adopted a friends Bearded Dragon and what she was describing just clicked.

We adopted Rosie from a local, independent pet store. They had 3 juvenile Beardies but they felt bad for 1 of them. She was a sweet, gentle thing that had been at the store for a while. My 5 year old said if its a girl her name is Rosie. If its a boy his name is Robbie.

She is a sweet thing but a little pampered. The first time my son fed her she looked at the food across her terrarium, looked at us, then opened her mouth. Apparently walking a foot to get food is too much work and she'd rather be hand fed from her basking spot.

So far we're doing alright. I just wanted to introduce myself and be involved before I had issues. I'll probably have some since I'm new to Beardies. I've had Ball Pythons before but it's really not the same.

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[PatsyB]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you started your son with a juvenile dragon. Babies are very demanding and need constant feeding and care. My nephew is allergic to cats, I wish I was into reptiles when he was young so we could have started him early. Instead I got him hooked at the ripe age of 30!

I don't see a separate UVB bulb in your tank, are you using an MVB?

 

[DawnM]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you started your son with a juvenile dragon. Babies are very demanding and need constant feeding and care. My nephew is allergic to cats, I wish I was into reptiles when he was young so we could have started him early. Instead I got him hooked at the ripe age of 30!

I don't see a separate UVB bulb in your tank, are you using an MVB?

I got this kit from Petsmart. It comes with a double hood. I heard the light that came with it runs out of UVB light before the bulb actually stops giving off light. I'm already looking to switch that out. It's a ReptiSun 10.0 Compact UVB Fluorescent Bulb, and Repti Basking Spot Lamp. If you have suggestions or advice I'll gladly take it.

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[PatsyB]

Yeah that light doesn’t give off enough UVB. It’s okay in temporary situations but you dragon needs to get like 4 inches from the light to get the most out of it. You’ll want to get a tube style UVB that covers 2/3’s of your tank. A T8 bulb and fixture is cheaper but needs to be mounted inside the tank because the mesh filters out 30% of the UVB. A T5 bulb and fixture is a better option. With a T8 you need to change the bulb every 4-6 months, with the T5 it lasts for a year and can be placed on top of the mesh of your tank. Reptisun 10.0 bulbs are real good, the best one is Arcadia 12%.

Your dragon is going to grow fast and in a few months is going to need a bigger tank. So start looking for sales on a tank that is 36x18x18, that’s the minimum dimension for an adult.

Oh and don’t use the colored lights that came with the kit. Colored lights disrupt sleep because even with their eyes closed they can see shadows with their 3rd eye on top of their head and it makes them feel hunted. If your tank drops below 65 degrees, use a ceramic heat emitter to warm it, but not too warm. They need coolness at night to rest their brain and further synthesize calcium.

 

[DawnM]

Yeah that light doesn’t give off enough UVB. It’s okay in temporary situations but you dragon needs to get like 4 inches from the light to get the most out of it. You’ll want to get a tube style UVB that covers 2/3’s of your tank. A T8 bulb and fixture is cheaper but needs to be mounted inside the tank because the mesh filters out 30% of the UVB. A T5 bulb and fixture is a better option. With a T8 you need to change the bulb every 4-6 months, with the T5 it lasts for a year and can be placed on top of the mesh of your tank. Reptisun 10.0 bulbs are real good, the best one is Arcadia 12%.

Your dragon is going to grow fast and in a few months is going to need a bigger tank. So start looking for sales on a tank that is 36x18x18, that’s the minimum dimension for an adult.

Oh and don’t use the colored lights that came with the kit. Colored lights disrupt sleep because even with their eyes closed they can see shadows with their 3rd eye on top of their head and it makes them feel hunted. If your tank drops below 65 degrees, use a ceramic heat emitter to warm it, but not too warm. They need coolness at night to rest their brain and further synthesize calcium.

I ordered the T5 hood and bulb. It'll be here Wednesday. I had to wait until payday because getting a new pet isn't cheap and the dragon and equipment didn't leave a lot in the bank account.

The tank is 36x18. I have kept fish for 25 years and believe in buying the biggest tank you can afford, especially for beginners.

I turn all the lights off at night. The coldest it gets is 68°. She's so much like me because she's so annoyed as being woken up in the morning. Shed rather I didn't turn the lights on. The kit did not come with colored lights.

I've been feeding canned mealworms, live crickets, kale, store bought bearded dragon food (the add water type), and a lot of Miners Lettuce because it grows wild in our yard and we let it because the chickens love it. Its not a true lettuce.

I'll be getting her a vet check in the near future just to ease my mind. I dont think anything is wrong but my son is already so attached.

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[PatsyB]

I've never heard of miner's lettuce, that's interesting. Kale is good if fed in conjunction with other greens. On it's own it binds to calcium and don't allow the body to absorb it. Try to feed live bugs as much as possible. Fresh food is better plus it keeps their brain healthy hunting for their food.

They really do velcro themselves to our hearts real fast

 

[DawnM]

I've never heard of miner's lettuce, that's interesting. Kale is good if fed in conjunction with other greens. On it's own it binds to calcium and don't allow the body to absorb it. Try to feed live bugs as much as possible. Fresh food is better plus it keeps their brain healthy hunting for their food.

They really do velcro themselves to our hearts real fast

We're lucky here to have Miners Lettuce. Salads grow in the yard. It kept the California Gold Rush miners alive in tough times. I just think of it as free food. I'm a forager and it's easy in Western Washington.

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