Help with possible setup and feeding

[zack2quick]

Hello all,

I have just got my son and I a bearded dragon we call Drogon. We are first time owners of a bearded dragon and we are doing are best in trying to provide a healthy living environment.

Setup
40 gal. tank
100 watt inferred bulb in dome shade for basking on the left hand side
150 watt UVB Bulb in little smaller dome shade placed in middle.
have a hammock placed under the basking light located on the left corner which extends upwards towards the light.( he really enjoys sitting here. I almost want to think he does not move from this spot unless time to eat.)
U shaped log for hiding spot is placed in the middle close enough for him to climb on to hammock.
Have a corner water bowl located in the front corner right side.
using a small round bowl for feeding about 2-3 in. across and about 1/2 -1 in. deep


My temps under basking light around 7-8 in from light are around 100F. and it shows around 80F the rest of the tank.
Humidity is around 45% right now just got a dehumidifier for the room to help lower(it seems to be working) as it can get around 50-60.

I feed him around 4:30pm everyday and he has been getting crickets and mealworms. I have been placing mustard greens and chopped sweet potato for his vegetables. I am really unable to get him to eat his vegetables. I have been trying to leave them in all day in hopes he would eat them but it seems as if he does not eat them. I have tried placing the crickets and worms in it and he does get a few little pieces every so often. Is there any other way to really get him to eat his vegetables.

I would like to thank anyone in advance for any advice that can help my son and I.

 

[Emmamali]

I would recommend getting a different UVB bulb. Instead get a long one instead that is T8 or T10. I cant remember which I use. Have a ceramic heat fixture instead to be able to heat a side with no extra light. I am not sure what wattage I have but I decided based off of how hot it got the enclosure. I also have a flood bulb to get extra heat during the day and it turns off with UVB at night. Also, I would stop feeding meal worms at this age. They can be difficult for a baby beardie to eat. I use dubia roaches but crickets are also good. They must be smaller than the width of his head to make sure he does not choke. I would also get a climbing stick so he can adventure and would move size of enclosure up when he is older. I use a 4 foot by 18 inches enclosure for mine. Good job with the mustard greens. I also do collard greens. I have heard of using some baby food to get beardies to eat their greens at first. I used to just mix in romaine or butter lettuce in my beardie's salad so that he would eat some of it and then got rid of it when he started to eat it regularly. Don't forget to dust feeders in calcium. I am so glad you have decided to get a beardie. They are awesome! I hope Drogon is happy in his new home!

 

[Crabs Mcjones]

Also to add to the said above, ditch the infrared light. It messes with your beardies eyes and can lead to sight problems or even blindness long term.
Utilize a t5 uvb bulb that is about 2/3 the length of the enclosure to ensure your beardie is getting the proper exposure he needs to process calcium. The Reptisun 10.0 is arguably the best on the market and one I've utilized for years.

 

[zack2quick]

I would recommend getting a different UVB bulb. Instead get a long one instead that is T8 or T10. I cant remember which I use. Have a ceramic heat fixture instead to be able to heat a side with no extra light. I am not sure what wattage I have but I decided based off of how hot it got the enclosure. I also have a flood bulb to get extra heat during the day and it turns off with UVB at night. Also, I would stop feeding meal worms at this age. They can be difficult for a baby beardie to eat. I use dubia roaches but crickets are also good. They must be smaller than the width of his head to make sure he does not choke. I would also get a climbing stick so he can adventure and would move size of enclosure up when he is older. I use a 4 foot by 18 inches enclosure for mine. Good job with the mustard greens. I also do collard greens. I have heard of using some baby food to get beardies to eat their greens at first. I used to just mix in romaine or butter lettuce in my beardie's salad so that he would eat some of it and then got rid of it when he started to eat it regularly. Don't forget to dust feeders in calcium. I am so glad you have decided to get a beardie. They are awesome! I hope Drogon is happy in his new home!

Thank you for the advice. Do you know of a good online store where i could find a climbing stick I can't seem to find a good one around my area in a store.

 

[zack2quick]

Also to add to the said above, ditch the infrared light. It messes with your beardies eyes and can lead to sight problems or even blindness long term.
Utilize a t5 uvb bulb that is about 2/3 the length of the enclosure to ensure your beardie is getting the proper exposure he needs to process calcium. The Reptisun 10.0 is arguably the best on the market and one I've utilized for years.

Thank you also for your advice. We have changed his bulb to a Zoo Med Powersun UV blub now. I started to notice that the other one was getting a little too hot for him.

 

[N W]

Thank you for the advice. Do you know of a good online store where i could find a climbing stick I can't seem to find a good one around my area in a store.

Just chiming in - we couldn't find a good climbing stick either, so we scoured the beaches and did find one!