Hello I'm new :)

[Tonja]

Hello,
I'm new here and to bearded dragons, I just purchased one from petsmart a little over a week. I'm guessing 2 or 3 months old, he/she is about 5 to 6 inches long. Haven't came up with a name yet, Here to learn as much as I can about them. here's a couple pics.

 

[CrazyLeopardGeckoLady]

Such a cutie! Welcome to the forum!

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome to the forum and to the Beardie world!! Your little one is adorable!! Love when they are babies
As you are new to Beardies it will be helpful for us to help in any way if you could tell us about your little ones enclosure such as size, lighting, basking, and UVB lighting and the temps that you have going, substrate, what all you are feeding him. Pictures are great too that way if we see or read something that we can help you improve/tweak we can better help give suggestions.

 

[Tonja]

Hi, Thanks for the welcome. I have her/him in a 20 gal, with the Reptisun 10.0 uvb on the inside, no screen in the way. I have a 75w Basking lamp by Zoo med, basking area runs about 98 to 113 give or take, cool side runs around 75 to 80. I use newspaper or paper towels for the substrate, I'm wanting to get tile when I move him to a bigger enclosure. I'm feeding him greens and about 30 or so crickets a day (3 feedings a day). I have dubia roaches, but he hasn't ate those yet. See pic below of the setup.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Glad to hear that you will be getting him/her a bigger enclosure (40gal being the smallest) they need the length more than height. I would suggest putting a hide on the cool side as they sleep on the cool side. Dubia's are a fantastic staple my Izzy loves her's just give it time as they are easier to keep and gut load..Here are some good links for foods as I think we all use these here for the most part:
http://greathousefarm.com/Greathouse-Reptile-Nutrition-List.pdf
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

 

[Tonja]

Planning on getting a 67 gal, the dimensions are(36 in L x 18 in W x 24 in H) or having my husband build one, not sure which yet. Will do on the hide for the cool side. Thanks for the links, will go and check them out. Hoping that she/he will end up liking the Dubia's because of them being easier to keep. Thanks for your help.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Planning on getting a 67 gal, the dimensions are(36 in L x 18 in W x 24 in H) or having my husband build one, not sure which yet. Will do on the hide for the cool side. Thanks for the links, will go and check them out. Hoping that she/he will end up liking the Dubia's because of them being easier to keep. Thanks for your help.

Wow that will be a great new enclosure for the little one!! I raised crickets for almost 5 years and I'm soo glad I was able to make the switch and now my roach colony is self sustaining and soo easy to care for and they are soo much more nutritious than crickets..

 

[Tonja]

Thanks, can't wait to get it for him/her.
Sounds like you have an awesome set up for food supply, I haven't thought about raising roaches, but sounds like an idea, I might check into. if s/he decides to like them.
How many beardies do you own? Your guy/girl is beautiful in the pic.

 

[Tonja]

Such a cutie! Welcome to the forum!

Thank you for the welcome.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Thanks, can't wait to get it for him/her.
Sounds like you have an awesome set up for food supply, I haven't thought about raising roaches, but sounds like an idea, I might check into. if s/he decides to like them.
How many beardies do you own? Your guy/girl is beautiful in the pic.

It took awhile to get my colony producing but it is soo easy now that it's going. I only have the 1 she is 8-9 months old Izzy love her to pieces!!

 

[PatsyB]

Welcome to the forum, you got a cute one there! The only suggestion I have would be to mount the UVB light overhead instead of on the side. Reason being is that they have ridges over their eyes that help protect them from the sunlight. With the light shinning at them from the side, there's no protection and the light is going right in the eyes.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome to the forum, you got a cute one there! The only suggestion I have would be to mount the UVB light overhead instead of on the side. Reason being is that they have ridges over their eyes that help protect them from the sunlight. With the light shinning at them from the side, there's no protection and the light is going right in the eyes.

Good catch PatsyB I had "tired eyes/brain" I missed that one I see it clearly now lol

 

[Tonja]

Welcome to the forum, you got a cute one there! The only suggestion I have would be to mount the UVB light overhead instead of on the side. Reason being is that they have ridges over their eyes that help protect them from the sunlight. With the light shinning at them from the side, there's no protection and the light is going right in the eyes.

HI PatsyB
Thanks for the info. I'll see what I can do, someone told me to put it on the side, because I had it on top at one point, on top of the lid. They said he wouldn't get much of the uvb going thru the screen, I can't have it on top, on the inside, unless it's on top of the lid, or I won't be able to open it up. I will be getting him a new cage in a couple of months, or sooner, and can have all the lights at top, as the doors will open from the front. Do you think it would be better back on top of the lid for now? or be ok, until I can get the new cage?

 

[Hdrydr31]

Yes it will be better off on top for now so you don't hurt his eyes. the zoo med T5HO will easily go thru the wire mesh that's why I switched to it as all of my lights are on the top.

 

[PatsyB]

If you have a new bulb for a few months it's not going to hurt to have it sitting on top of the screen. I had a ReptiSun 10.0HO T8 bulb on top of my mesh screen for years before I switched to the T5 bulbs that are stronger, my beardies have turned out just fine.

 

[Tonja]

Thank you Hdrydr31, and PatsyB, I took the light out and put it on top, and thank you so much PatsyB for letting me know, I don't want to do anything that would hurt him, I'd feel so horrible.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Thank you Hdrydr31, and PatsyB, I took the light out and put it on top, and thank you so much PatsyB for letting me know, I don't want to do anything that would hurt him, I'd feel so horrible.

your welcome! I had a not great tube hood set up for a good part of Izzy's growing up phase and she is doing just fine so your all good Then PatsyB gave us a heads up on a hood/tube deal so I got it! As all my lights are on top of wire mesh so I needed the penetration of a better bulb.

 

[Tonja]

your welcome! I had a not great tube hood set up for a good part of Izzy's growing up phase and she is doing just fine so your all good Then PatsyB gave us a heads up on a hood/tube deal so I got it! As all my lights are on top of wire mesh so I needed the penetration of a better bulb.

Hope you don't mind me asking what deal on hood/tube? or is the deal over? When I get the new enclosure, I will be switching to the t5 bulb.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Hope you don't mind me asking what deal on hood/tube? or is the deal over? When I get the new enclosure, I will be switching to the t5 bulb.

old deal sorry it came from pet mountain

 

[PatsyB]

Pet Mountain and Dr. Foster and Smith tend to have periodic sales on hoods and lights, just keep checking them out. I know Dr. Foster and Smith is having a clearance sale going on right now but not sure what things are on sale.