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Hi there. Brand new member here and thought I’d make sure my husbandry is correct.
Spike is approx 6 mos old and I believe he is a he...visible femoral pores, fat tail base and shining a light through him, he seems to have male anatomy. Please don’t judge, but I got him from a big box pet store. Although an impulse buy, I was planning and preparing to get a beardie. I just moved him to his big boy tank...a 55 gal aquarium. Paper towel for substrate. He’s got a 24” T5 ho with a 10% uvb bulb. Incandescent 100w basking bulb. Lights are on 12 hours daily. I’m a bit freaked out about how close I need to put his basking spot to the bulb to give him 100+*...afraid he’ll get burnt. He does have several hammocks at varying levels below his basking spot so he can pretty much chose how warm he wants to be. Humidity is around 40% or less. I feed him a variety of crickets, bsfl, discoid roaches, silkworms and occasionally a few waxworms. I dust all with calcium without D3 alternating with Repashy calcium plus. He gets about 15-20 crickets or equivalent of other feeders in the morning, salad of mixed organic spring greens and a couple of organic berries and a little later in the day about half of the amount of morning feeders. I’m conflicted on hydration...I put in a water bowl even though I don’t think it’s needed. I was giving him some water spray daily, but never saw him drink. His Urates are white and he does a massive poo daily. Although his poo & Urates is formed, there’s usually a good amount of clear fluid that seems to be expelled too. He has been tested for parasites and had a health check up and both were good. I do handle him daily but aren’t able to let him roam around as I have cats and a dog that will want to ‘play’ with him plus too many places he can get into that I won’t be able to get him out of. Every now and then I take him and we sit outside in the sun and fresh air. We’ve done a few baths to help shedding, but he really isn’t fond of them.
I do have some questions. Am I feeding him enough? He seems to never have his appetite sated. Are they opportunistic eaters that will just eat every chance they get?
What should I be doing for hydration? Does he get enough moisture from his food and needs no additional water?
At least daily he is glass surfing. When he’s at one end, I think he’s trying to get my attention (and it works) but there’s nothing at the other end. Any ideas why they do this?
I’d like to find a tank with front opening doors like an Exo Terra, but the only ones big enough I can find are way way out of my price range. What does everyone use for tanks? Can beardie live in screen enclosures?
Many thanks in advance for reading and any input offered.
Spike is approx 6 mos old and I believe he is a he...visible femoral pores, fat tail base and shining a light through him, he seems to have male anatomy. Please don’t judge, but I got him from a big box pet store. Although an impulse buy, I was planning and preparing to get a beardie. I just moved him to his big boy tank...a 55 gal aquarium. Paper towel for substrate. He’s got a 24” T5 ho with a 10% uvb bulb. Incandescent 100w basking bulb. Lights are on 12 hours daily. I’m a bit freaked out about how close I need to put his basking spot to the bulb to give him 100+*...afraid he’ll get burnt. He does have several hammocks at varying levels below his basking spot so he can pretty much chose how warm he wants to be. Humidity is around 40% or less. I feed him a variety of crickets, bsfl, discoid roaches, silkworms and occasionally a few waxworms. I dust all with calcium without D3 alternating with Repashy calcium plus. He gets about 15-20 crickets or equivalent of other feeders in the morning, salad of mixed organic spring greens and a couple of organic berries and a little later in the day about half of the amount of morning feeders. I’m conflicted on hydration...I put in a water bowl even though I don’t think it’s needed. I was giving him some water spray daily, but never saw him drink. His Urates are white and he does a massive poo daily. Although his poo & Urates is formed, there’s usually a good amount of clear fluid that seems to be expelled too. He has been tested for parasites and had a health check up and both were good. I do handle him daily but aren’t able to let him roam around as I have cats and a dog that will want to ‘play’ with him plus too many places he can get into that I won’t be able to get him out of. Every now and then I take him and we sit outside in the sun and fresh air. We’ve done a few baths to help shedding, but he really isn’t fond of them.
I do have some questions. Am I feeding him enough? He seems to never have his appetite sated. Are they opportunistic eaters that will just eat every chance they get?
What should I be doing for hydration? Does he get enough moisture from his food and needs no additional water?
At least daily he is glass surfing. When he’s at one end, I think he’s trying to get my attention (and it works) but there’s nothing at the other end. Any ideas why they do this?
I’d like to find a tank with front opening doors like an Exo Terra, but the only ones big enough I can find are way way out of my price range. What does everyone use for tanks? Can beardie live in screen enclosures?
Many thanks in advance for reading and any input offered.
