Hi all, new here. Had a few questions

[bennylava]

Hi all. I just got my first bearded dragon yesterday, at Petsmart. I have a few questions, and also I'd like you to critique my setup, and tell me if anything is missing or if I should do anything differently. So here are my questions:


1. Do bearded dragons absorb water through their skin? I saw a youtube vid about misting them, and soaking them. Some people don't even like to keep a water dish in their dragon's pen. Does this mean that you can just squirt them to hydrate them?

2. Do they ever change colors permanently? For example, if they are one color when they're born, is it possible they will become another color when they're adults? Just something I was curious about.

3. Can someone recommend a good, inexpensive UVA and UVB meter for me? I'm not entirely sure on the numbers and measuring system. I was told you want the UV to be around "20", but 20 what? And is that for UVa, or UVb, or both? Perhaps someone can fill me in on this one.

4. What all fruits and veggies can bearded dragons eat? What types of fruits and veggies should be avoided?

5. If I catch a bug in my house, such as a moth or a roach, or a grasshopper from outside, can I feed it to my bearded dragon?


Here is the pic of my setup. Is anything wrong? Or anything I should be doing differently? I have a thermometer on the outside, that little white thing is the sensor.

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, welcome to the forums. Cage looks great for the little guy. Only thing i dont see is a digital thermometer measuring temps.

Ill try to help with a few answers.

1. Yes but it is extremely minimal. They could not survive on this.
2. They change color variation through out most of there first 1-5 years.
3. Cheaper in this situation is only about 30-40 bucks. Solar meter is the way to go. This measure UVB wavelengths. Heres a good site to read and get a better understanding. http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
4. Here is a good site for a list of food items. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
5. As long as your for certain that these bugs have not come in contact with pesticides. Everything will be ok.

 

[TheGuvnor]

As above really. But a couple of additions.

1. No they don't get water through the skin at all.
They take water through the vent when you bath them etc. Which you only need to do a couple times a month at best. Unless it's crazy hot (not so much here in uk).
They take water through the vent as in the wild it's safer for them to do so. As much of their water source is stagnant streams and puddles. The bad bacteria won't travel all the way through their system going in this way. Thus safer for them.
They well still drink via the mouth tho.
Also don't mist your Dragon. Can cause respiratory problems. And it serves absolutely no purpose.

5. No I would never feed anything caught in the garden etc. For the reason gilliesexotics stated. And also far greater parasite risks involved. It's really just not worth risking the health/life of your Dragon.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

 

[bennylava]

Thanks for the helpful replies! But now of course, more questions.

1. What exactly are the "vents"? Some kind of holes on their bodies? Where are they located?

2. And how can I be sure that my dragon is drinking? I have never seen him drink. His water is usually gone in a couple days, but I think that may be from evaporation. Due to the higher temperatures in the tank. Maybe he gets water from his crickets?

3. Also, do baby beardies sleep a lot? More than adults, I mean. Mine usually won't stay up for a whole day. He only makes it about 3/4 of the way through the day before he goes under his rock and goes to sleep.

4. How hot should his sun area be? I got an infared temp gun and it says that its about 90 degrees when both heat lamps are on. The other side of the tank is about 80 degrees F. I just have the ZooMed day/night heat lamp.

5. Which UV meters do you guys own?

 

[gunkle]

second list
1. the vent (if i have my anatomy correct) is under the tail.
2. there is no need to have a water bowl in your cage as they typically wont drink from it. It also causes too high of humidity level which can cause problems for their health. remember they are desert animals used to very low humidity. Yes they absorb moisture from there food. Mist there greens slightly before putting in the cage. as a baby/ Juvenile I bath mine for 10 to 15 minutes every day or two since they are growing crazy fast and almost constantly shedding.
3. Mine crawls under the paper towels I use as a substrate about 15 min before the timer shuts its lights out. Make sure you use a timer to control your lights and that they have a routine day/night cycle.
4. for baby/juvie you want a basking spot of about 105 to 110 and the rest of the cage at no less than 80 - 85. plus make sure your UVB bulb is with in 6-8 inches of where the basking spot is or they will not get the proper uvb (acadia bulbs are different distances) also screens block about 50% of the rays so it is recommended to put suspend the bulb inside the tank.
5. Dont have one yet. cant help

 

[bennylava]

Ok thanks again. Now more questions!

1. I have an 18" florescent bulb that I need to replace. Can I just use any reptile bulb that I can get, off ebay or something? I can see that they will fit, but what about the UV output? I found some that simply say "50" for the output.

2. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there. "Don't use calcium sand". "Its ok to use calcium sand because it digests". "Feed them vitamins!" "There is no need to feed them vitamins, because the only way they make use of D3 is in the skin via UVb". Its a little hard to sift through all the information, and misinformation. Anyone else run into this?

3. People say he should eat like 3 times a day. He'll only eat once. I can only assume that he's full and simply doesn't want any more. He is probably about 6 inches long. Due to his size, I think its safe to assume he's 5 or 6 weeks old. How many crickets should he eat each day?

4. I got him squash and tomatoes. Are those okay for him to eat? He doesn't seem to want them though. He seems only interested in crickets.

5. My neighbor (who also has 2 adult bearded dragons) gave me an ExoTerra Solar Glo 160 watt UV bulb that is also a heat bulb. Anyone know if this is a good bulb that puts out the right amount of UVb?

 

[gilliesexotics]

As above really. But a couple of additions.
They take water through the vent as in the wild it's safer for them to do so. As much of their water source is stagnant streams and puddles. The bad bacteria won't travel all the way through their system going in this way. Thus safer for them.
They well still drink via the mouth tho.
Also don't mist your Dragon. Can cause respiratory problems. And it serves absolutely no purpose.

Hi, we have many new members reading post's. Many dont know what to decipher is good info or hear say. Please post the links/documents that support your claim or please refrain from posting what is considered hear say with out any evidence. Last thing we need is people thinking all they need to do is soak there animals vent for them to drink.

A wild caught or even a captive dragon is not going to have the intellectual ability to determine whether a pool of water is stagnant/contaminated or not and if they should drink from the mouth or vent. They will drink when it is available and it is needed stagnant or not.

 

[TheGuvnor]

It's not about intellect, it's DNA survival. They know to drink dew from reeds, grass and leaves. And to take water through the vent in puddles and when bathing.
Water is very unnatural to them. In fact, they can't take mouth fills of water as they don't have the muscles to close off their windpipe, so would be a bad idea.

So, it's genetics. Just like how even a beardie a few hours old can arm wave at another. They just know.

I'm trying to explain, but if you would rather not listen, then don't. It's not my issue at all. I don't need to research the theory.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

 

[gilliesexotics]

It's not about intellect, it's DNA survival. They know to drink dew from reeds, grass and leaves. And to take water through the vent in puddles and when bathing.
Water is very unnatural to them. In fact, they can't take mouth fills of water as they don't have the muscles to close off their windpipe, so would be a bad idea.

So, it's genetics. Just like how even a beardie a few hours old can arm wave at another. They just know.

I'm trying to explain, but if you would rather not listen, then don't. It's not my issue at all. I don't need to research the theory.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

Hi, the glottis opening does close for drinking. Many points you have stated are not correct but we will leave it at this.

This is not to argue about. This is a time for you to prove your theory through researched studies or documented evidence (provide some links). If you are not able to provide this. I am asking you to please refrain from stating what is considered hear say.

 

[bennylava]

Bump for my last set of questions. And these new ones.

I have only had him about a week. I gave him 4 days to adjust to his new habitat, and then I began handling him. I have handled him the last 4 days, for about 10 minutes each day. But every day, he tries to escape out of my hands and run away. Today he opened his mouth at me and hissed. He seems like he's still wild, and only tolerates handling because he gets too tired from running away. Shouldn't he be more tame by now? Or does this take time? He's captive bred, I bought him at petsmart.

 

[gilliesexotics]

Ok thanks again. Now more questions!

1. I have an 18" florescent bulb that I need to replace. Can I just use any reptile bulb that I can get, off ebay or something? I can see that they will fit, but what about the UV output? I found some that simply say "50" for the output.

Zilla desert series, Arcadia 12%, Reptisun 10.0, Reptiglo 10.0 are the bulbs you would be interested in.

2. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there. "Don't use calcium sand". "Its ok to use calcium sand because it digests". "Feed them vitamins!" "There is no need to feed them vitamins, because the only way they make use of D3 is in the skin via UVb". Its a little hard to sift through all the information, and misinformation. Anyone else run into this?

Unfortunately, anyone with a computer and the internet can type what ever they wish. Best thing is to always question what you read. Research and pay attention to the source of the information.

3. People say he should eat like 3 times a day. He'll only eat once. I can only assume that he's full and simply doesn't want any more. He is probably about 6 inches long. Due to his size, I think its safe to assume he's 5 or 6 weeks old. How many crickets should he eat each day?

Most at that size will eat multiple times a day. Try feeding in the morning and then late afternoon. With that said, some dragons appetite will only support one feeding. Just have to know your dragon

4. I got him squash and tomatoes. Are those okay for him to eat? He doesn't seem to want them though. He seems only interested in crickets.

I would skip the tomatoes. Squash is a good choice. This is a good source for food items. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

5. My neighbor (who also has 2 adult bearded dragons) gave me an ExoTerra Solar Glo 160 watt UV bulb that is also a heat bulb. Anyone know if this is a good bulb that puts out the right amount of UVb?

I would never trust a used bulb unless you have a uvb meter. They are great bulbs though if your enclosure will support it. They get very hot.

Hi, hope this helps. Click on the "Click to expand" on the quote. ^

Your dragon is young and new to you. He doesnt understand that you are safe. It is best for the first couple weeks to not handle your new dragon. Let him get use to his surroundings and you before you start handling.

 

[Bushmaster11B]

Bump for my last set of questions. And these new ones.

I have only had him about a week. I gave him 4 days to adjust to his new habitat, and then I began handling him. I have handled him the last 4 days, for about 10 minutes each day. But every day, he tries to escape out of my hands and run away. Today he opened his mouth at me and hissed. He seems like he's still wild, and only tolerates handling because he gets too tired from running away. Shouldn't he be more tame by now? Or does this take time? He's captive bred, I bought him at petsmart.

They need about 10-14 days to acclimated. Reduce handling to maintenance only (feeding and cleaning). When you approach your BD with your hand position it fingers together, palm up and lower/ low as you can get than the BD. BD's have a 3rd eye on their head which they use to detect predators from above. He may be distinguishing your hand for a predator. Check you temps again also, remember 100-110 on the basking side. Over Heat can cause agitation as well. I hope this help. Remember not to rush handling with your BD....

Update: I would also tape up whit print paper on all sides of your enclosure so He can't see out. Then and only then, remove 1 sheet per 5-7 days. This will also help him adjust. I did it and it works.

 

[prymal reptiles]

I know this post is a few months old, but I wanted to add something about feeding wild insects, I don't know where you live, but if you have fire flies (lightning bugs) in your area, never feed those, they are extremely deadly to bearded dragons.