Howdy! New to the forums and have a few questions

[Jerniganc]

I am currently looking into purchasing a bearded dragon and upon doing some research I have a few questions.

1. I have read that they need 12 hours of light daily and that you generally want to to do the first feeding 1 hour after the light first comes on. My question is can I have he light come on at 05:00 so I can feed him at 06:00 while I am getting ready for work? Also since the light coming on at 05:00 would put it going off at 17:00 it would still be day light outside. Would this mess the dragons schedule up?

2. I was looking at some of the kits in my local Petsmart and this is the one I was suggested http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4070846. I was told this would suffice for 6 - 8 months then I would need to move into a bigger tank. From reading the reviews it looks like I would need to change out the bulbs so the dragon would get the proper lighting. Is something like this good for starter or am I better off buying the items seperate?

 

[Josh]

Welcome to the forums!
With the lighting - having the lights go off while it's still light out is ok. You're just trying to mimic mother nature, in the summer we easily get 13+ hours of daylight so it's ok if you have them on from 05:00 to 18:00 or even 19:00...
That kit is a little small. If you can afford it now, you can purchase one setup instead of buying a small one and upgrading later... I'd buy everything separate. There's some quality vendors that would have EVERYTHING you need - like LLLReptile.com or CarolinaPetSupply.com

 

[Jp]

I would definitely buy what you will need separately, you may spend a little more cash but totally worth it compared to replacing the entire setup after your dragon grows.

Dragons require sufficient lighting for their health & a 12 on, 12 off schedule is recommended to ensure they get what is needed for digestion & calcium dispersal. The enclosure can be covered after "lights out" until the sun goes down so the sleep schedule isn't affected.

Welcome to the forum & if you have any questions just ask.

 

[Josh]

I defer to Jeff in this instance with regards to the lighting... He's a breeder and more of an expert than I!

 

[Jerniganc]

I would definitely buy what you will need separately, you may spend a little more cash but totally worth it compared to replacing the entire setup after your dragon grows.

Dragons require sufficient lighting for their health & a 12 on, 12 off schedule is recommended to ensure they get what is needed for digestion & calcium dispersal. The enclosure can be covered after "lights out" until the sun goes down so the sleep schedule isn't affected.

Welcome to the forum & if you have any questions just ask.

What would you suggest I purchase for starter so I wont have to upgrade and some other things I can pickup over time? I want to make sure I get the little (and quickly growing) guy everything he needs?

 

[jessica domke]

if i were u jerniganc, i wud either purchase a 20g tank or go straight 2 a 40g tank & just section it off. dragon's grow very fast & i also agree 2 purchase everything separately. u can spend a lot less money if u purchase a flood light/halogen light from somewhere like lowe's or home depot. that is wut i use & haven't had ne problems. u can start out w/repti-carpet or newspaper as the substrate & don't 4get 2 buy rep-cal calcium powder & rep-cal multi-vitamins powder as well. u will need a basking post, a hide, food dish & water dish as well. just the basics, nothing over the top.

 

[Germ]

The kit in the link is a 10 gal tank & is not suitable for a BD at all, let alone for 6-8 months. It is virtually impossible to achieve the heat gradient required in a tank that small. Pet Stores s are Notorious for giving misinformation & very few are species specific knowledgeable, more times than not, are one of the worst places for info on exotics.

As has been mentioned, going to a 40+ gal, right off the start is the cost effective route to go. Fixtures & heat bulbs (I also use Halogen Floods) from your local big Box hardware store work very well. Under the cabinet fluorescent fixtures for UVB & normal screw in dome or cone fixtures with porcelain or at least ceramic sockets do the job for heat. Going to a larger enclosure, you could do as mentioned & partition it off & expand it as your BD grows, but in my opinion, providing you do not clutter it up with Junk, keep it simple, to the basic necessities, not giving the feeders many hiding spots, partitioning should not be necessary. IMHO there is no such thing as too big of an enclosure, clutter is generally the problem.

As far as lighting schedule goes, 12 -14 hours of daylight is the general recommendation, personal experience has shown me that 12\12 seems to work the best for me & mine. I couldn't disagree more on attempting to mimic mother nature as far as lighting schedule in captivity. In captivity, a consistent Day\Night lighting & heating schedule is best. Once they are adults, varying light & heat schedules is one of the surest ways of triggering Brumation. An electronic timer is invaluable for this purpose, is highly recommended, to keep On\Off schedules consistently at the same time of the day, everyday, year round.

Seeing as you are an early riser, your BD does not have to be also. You could leave well misted Greens in the morning quietly, without disturbing it t0o much, have the timer set to turn the lights on at a later time. This will also help in getting your BD to take to it's greens sooner. I have found 9:00-21:00 works well, allowing time for a couple of Prey feedings after you get back home and allowing you some quality time to enjoy your Dragon in your off hours. Be sure that the last feeding is no less than 2 hrs prior to lights out to allow it to Bask long enough for the digestion process to start.

Good Luck

 

[Josh]

I should clarify I wasn't advocating mimicking the seasons (with short and long days) but rather matching what the sun gives us naturally - about 12 hours light and 12 hours dark.

 

[Germ]

Thanks for clarifying that Josh, I read it as written or at least as how I interpreted it.

Here is a couple of links that you may find helpful ...
Basic BD Care Guide
Beautiful Dragons Nutrition List

 

[Mayoko]

if i were u jerniganc, i wud either purchase a 20g tank or go straight 2 a 40g tank & just section it off. dragon's grow very fast & i also agree 2 purchase everything separately. u can spend a lot less money if u purchase a flood light/halogen light from somewhere like lowe's or home depot. that is wut i use & haven't had ne problems. u can start out w/repti-carpet or newspaper as the substrate & don't 4get 2 buy rep-cal calcium powder & rep-cal multi-vitamins powder as well. u will need a basking post, a hide, food dish & water dish as well. just the basics, nothing over the top.

First of all, I agree. I use a 20 gallon for my beardie, but she's growing out of it fast!
Second of all, What is jerniganc, Jessica?

 

[Jp]

I defer to Jeff in this instance with regards to the lighting... He's a breeder and more of an expert than I!

It's all good Josh, an hour or so isn't really much to be concerned with. They will retreat to the cool side or a hide to get away from the light when they've had enough.

 

[Aleena]

Welcome to the BDF! Hope you take to heart the advice you have heard today. A 20 gal long is a minimum enclosure for a baby BD. You can't get the proper heat gradient without it!

 

[jessica domke]

First of all, I agree. I use a 20 gallon for my beardie, but she's growing out of it fast!
Second of all, What is jerniganc, Jessica?

that is the screen name of a member lol

 

[ThDude]

As said, the most cost effective way is to but a 40 gallon right off the bat, saves time and money.

I had a ten gallon and then a 20 gallon and then a 40 gallon and I spent as much money on getting the 10 and 20 as it would have cost me for the 40 gallon.

You can go sale hunting too, waiting for the bigger tanks to go on sale. Heck I found a turtle take that was the same thing as this other 40 gallon in every way but it was 20 bucks cheaper.

Also if u want you could buy a beardie dragon from a breeder online and get yourself a very nice colored one.