Information Overload :/

[BDNewbie]

Got our 1st BD 3 days ago. Seems to be about 2 months old. I had been doing a ton of research beforehand. Thought I was on the right track and prepared. I've finally realized NOT to trust young associates at the pet store. Have spent money on items not needed or insufficient and given wrong advice. I have an accu temp thermometer on it's way. (originally bought the velcro thermometers, grrr) have had to buy increased bulb wattage and even bought the red light for night per the pet store associate. Now realizing not good for them. I come across so much differing advice/suggestions that now I am getting super anxious about doing something wrong. We want to be the best BD parents we can be. Here are some of our stats and issues so far:

- BD 2 months old > About 5-7 inches long

- Super Alert / Has waved at us each day / have yet to take it out and really hold because wanting it to feel secure but allows us to pet it and does not run when we approach it.

- Temporarily in 20 gallon glass tank (per the advice of pet store/online, OK while little) We have an 65 gallon stored in garage to transfer it to. Will be working on that set-up this weekend.

- Temps - Basking 97-101 degrees, Cool side 84, Night 70 degrees

- Has ate crickets each day / Also have the red lil pellets in tank (Never seen him eat any though)

- Has pooped 1x each day/ solid - Is that good? Bad?

- Have given it bell pepper, grapes, apple to try - (Cut very small) Has not taken a bite of any. Well, he/she did try a bite of bell pepper and quickly spit it out and shook it's head LOL - Was it too spicy for it? Read about not feeding it 1 day and trying a salad the next? but feel bad for lil guy. Getting some kale today. Also read to try worms on top of salad to entice them. What kind would you recommend to start with? Again read so much advice?

- I finally realized yesterday that it should NOT have the red night light and we turned it's light off for the night - It went and fell asleep in its shallow water dish with it's head rested up against the glass!!! At first we thought oh how cute. Of course I looked up if OK and came across differing thoughts. Some saying OH NO - It will get too cold, to some saying leave it alone. and then started seeing threads how people do not suggest even leaving water in the tank :0 - So I went to move the lil guy and he was SOOO COLD. I was so scared so I turned on the red night light (CHE heat also on it's way) and put him under it to warm up and removed the water dish. He/She is a water lover and does drink from the water. I told myself, I would rather it have a restless sleep (from red light) than be too cold. Our house is in the high 60's at night but after being in the water asleep he/she was so cold I felt horrible.

We plan on starting to take he/she out tonight to start bonding and handling it, and give it a warm bath.

I am so open to any suggestions or advice and maybe even could use some assuring words that everything will be ok and work out. I realize getting everything perfect will be a work in progress.

Thanks so much for listening/reading.

 

[Ron G]

I give mine a warn bath in the bathroom sink. He almost always poops when I do this which keeps the cage clean. I will leave him in the sink for a long as it takes him to go to the bathroom. If it hits a half hour I stop and take him out. He really likes the warm water.


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[Zaiden07]

Welcome to the clan! And congratulations on your new addition! It is great that he is active and eating. Especially at such a young age. I just have a few comments id like to add in any case it helps
20 gallon tank - being such a small lizard right now, youre gonna want to leave him in that tank until hes atleast the size of your hand. Being in a tank too big can cause a lot of stress and make them go into shock.
Temps- it looks like all of your temps are at the right place. Typically if your house is warm enough you can leave the night light off. Also, its not your fault he fell asleep in the water bowl! Things happen! Which brings me to the water bowl. Bearded dragons cannot see still water, so having a water bowl in the tank is more useful as a toilet (because thats where theyll usually go). I take my beardies out once a week and let them soak in the tub for 20 minutes, while kicking the water so they know its there to drink. Being so small though, youre gonna want to give him baths more frequently.
How solid is his poop? If it is rock solid that is a problem, if it is runny that can also be a problem, youre gonna want a good middle ground. Also, its gonna stink when he gets bigger
Veggies- as long as you dont include the seeds from bell peppers, it shouldn't be spicy, he might not have enjoyed the taste or texture of it. Collard greens is gonna be at the top of your list as what is best to give him, kale is good too but be careful about giving too much, it can cause a vitamin a resistance.
The red night light is fine, its just really bright! I tend to go for thr purple bulbs or ceramic bulbs, which emit no light.
Crickets are definitely good, its good that hes eating and pooping. There are also other types of bugs you can add to his diet (it'll keep him from being picky, plus there are better, healthier bugs for him)
Do you have a UVB bulb for him?

It really sounds like he is happy and comfortable and that you are doing a great job! Welcome!

-Amanda

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[BDNewbie]

Welcome to the clan! And congratulations on your new addition! It is great that he is active and eating. Especially at such a young age. I just have a few comments id like to add in any case it helps
20 gallon tank - being such a small lizard right now, youre gonna want to leave him in that tank until hes atleast the size of your hand. Being in a tank too big can cause a lot of stress and make them go into shock.
Temps- it looks like all of your temps are at the right place. Typically if your house is warm enough you can leave the night light off. Also, its not your fault he fell asleep in the water bowl! Things happen! Which brings me to the water bowl. Bearded dragons cannot see still water, so having a water bowl in the tank is more useful as a toilet (because thats where theyll usually go). I take my beardies out once a week and let them soak in the tub for 20 minutes, while kicking the water so they know its there to drink. Being so small though, youre gonna want to give him baths more frequently.
How solid is his poop? If it is rock solid that is a problem, if it is runny that can also be a problem, youre gonna want a good middle ground. Also, its gonna stink when he gets bigger
Veggies- as long as you dont include the seeds from bell peppers, it shouldn't be spicy, he might not have enjoyed the taste or texture of it. Collard greens is gonna be at the top of your list as what is best to give him, kale is good too but be careful about giving too much, it can cause a vitamin a resistance.
The red night light is fine, its just really bright! I tend to go for thr purple bulbs or ceramic bulbs, which emit no light.
Crickets are definitely good, its good that hes eating and pooping. There are also other types of bugs you can add to his diet (it'll keep him from being picky, plus there are better, healthier bugs for him)
Do you have a UVB bulb for him?

It really sounds like he is happy and comfortable and that you are doing a great job! Welcome!

-Amanda

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Thanks Amanda! Great information and made me feel better.

Yes I have a 13 watt Reptisun UVB. I believe. Was trying to get as basic as I needed re: lighting with the small tank because will use UVB tubes in the bigger tank. And yes, his I would say the poops are in the middle. He/She has pooped in the water every day! Should I just put the water bowl in for a few hours a day and then remove before bed to be sure it doesn't fall asleep in it? I will grab collard greens instead of Kale. You are right, I have read that a lot.

 

[Zaiden07]

I would remove the water bowl completely and just give him baths in your sink 3 - 5 times per week. Being desert creatures they can be pretty hardy about their water needs. Plus he cant see the water in the bowl. Its a lot easier than cleaning out that bowl of poop every night

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[Canicke]

Welcome. There is quite a bit of information to digest. Fortunately for us, these little guys are pretty resilient. I am going to agree and disagree with some of the comments above from our compadres. Poop should be firm but not hard and not runny (like goldilocks - just right) If it's hard, you may want to consider hydrating him - with a syringe to drop water on his nose for him to lick it off. they generally do not drink water from a bowl - they don't recognize it for what it is. moving, yes. motionless, no. I would recommend removing the water dish - it will increase the humidity in the viv and beardies don't do well with higher humidity. I'd like to see your basking temp popped up a bit - by about 10 degrees. Unless your night temps fall below 65 deg F you do not need heat at night. AND - if you do decide to heat at night get a CHE bulb - NO LIGHT. any colour light will disrupt their sleep. He's a bit young to be eating veggies. for another few months, he will primarily focus on protein for growth. and - he will grow. amazingly fast. I would offer greens to him every day - ya never know, he may just take a liking to 'em. He will eventually eat them, but don't worry about them for a bit. Fruit should be offered only occasionally.. Following my signature are some links to info that a couple of folks here put together - really awesome stuff !! Absolutely take him out and hold him!!! You got him to love him! Remember - they are surprisingly FAST little guys - I would think about trying this in an enclosed area first. If he jumps out of your hand and goes to run, he may get into a very small area and you may have a hard time finding him. You might want to think about starting to hold him as he is drifting off to sleep. (as opposed to first thing in the morning when he is full of energy) This is a journey - enjoy the ride! Check out the links - and, if you have questions. don't hesitate to ask

 

[BDNewbie]

Welcome. There is quite a bit of information to digest. Fortunately for us, these little guys are pretty resilient. I am going to agree and disagree with some of the comments above from our compadres. Poop should be firm but not hard and not runny (like goldilocks - just right) If it's hard, you may want to consider hydrating him - with a syringe to drop water on his nose for him to lick it off. they generally do not drink water from a bowl - they don't recognize it for what it is. moving, yes. motionless, no. I would recommend removing the water dish - it will increase the humidity in the viv and beardies don't do well with higher humidity. I'd like to see your basking temp popped up a bit - by about 10 degrees. Unless your night temps fall below 65 deg F you do not need heat at night. AND - if you do decide to heat at night get a CHE bulb - NO LIGHT. any colour light will disrupt their sleep. He's a bit young to be eating veggies. for another few months, he will primarily focus on protein for growth. and - he will grow. amazingly fast. I would offer greens to him every day - ya never know, he may just take a liking to 'em. He will eventually eat them, but don't worry about them for a bit. Fruit should be offered only occasionally.. Following my signature are some links to info that a couple of folks here put together - really awesome stuff !! Absolutely take him out and hold him!!! You got him to love him! Remember - they are surprisingly FAST little guys - I would think about trying this in an enclosed area first. If he jumps out of your hand and goes to run, he may get into a very small area and you may have a hard time finding him. You might want to think about starting to hold him as he is drifting off to sleep. (as opposed to first thing in the morning when he is full of energy) This is a journey - enjoy the ride! Check out the links - and, if you have questions. don't hesitate to ask

Thanks!

Re: raising the basking temp. I started with a 50 watt that only got me to 90 degrees. Then went and bought a 75 watt (My gut said to go for 100 but again, associate said that would be too hot), So the 75 watt only got me up about 10 degrees. I thought I was ok because I was at least at the 100 degree point. But sounds like I should get a 100 watt. I have a CHE on it's way for night. (Will use If I need it)

I am reading through the links now.

 

[BDNewbie]

I would remove the water bowl completely and just give him baths in your sink 3 - 5 times per week. Being desert creatures they can be pretty hardy about their water needs. Plus he cant see the water in the bowl. Its a lot easier than cleaning out that bowl of poop every night

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Will do. Thanks!

 

[Zaiden07]

Youre welcome! Dont hesitate to reach out on here! Everyone is super friendly and knowledgeable

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[Canicke]

ps - as you have already found out - big box pet store employees know poop about beardie care !!!

 

[Eavlynn]

Welcome to the family! And congratulations on your new baby. You've gotten a ton of good info, so I'm going to expand on the food aspect of things, since pretty much everything else has been covered.

What are some good staple insects? Crickets are alright, and easy to find. Dubia roaches are superb sources of protein (or discoid roaches if you live in FL). Silkworms and BSFL: black soldier fly larvae are great as well. The more variety you can offer, the better!

What about good staple veggies? Collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, and prickly pear are all great staples. And there are a plethora of veggies and fruits that are fine in moderation.

Pellets are pretty useless. I don't touch them with a 10 foot pole. Just highly processed junk filled with dyes and fillers.

I also follow Canicke's school of thought for night lights. My beardies don't sleep unless they are in complete darkness. Even the slightest amount of light will keep them up.

You're doing good! Researching and reaching out for information is fantastic. You'll have beardie parenting down to a science in no time

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[Zaiden07]

ps - as you have already found out - big box pet store employees know poop about beardie care !!!

Not all of them ;-)

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[Canicke]

sorry, Zaiden - you are correct. I over generalized.

BDNewbie - take advice (from anyone) with a grain of salt and check on here and other sources.

 

[Zaiden07]

sorry, Zaiden - you are correct. I over generalized.

BDNewbie - take advice (from anyone) with a grain of salt and check on here and other sources.

Just because you had some bad experiences with pet store employees does not mean all of them are stupid. They don't deserve that. As someone who used to be a pet store employee, i took a lot of pride in helping customers take home a new beardies and setting them up with everything they needed. Now, you are completely entitled to your opinion but please dont slander mine just because you dont agree.

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[BDNewbie]

Thank you EVERYONE!!! My day ended up feeling much more reassured than it started. Got another basking bulb on the way home and we are at 114 Basking, 90 warm area and 77 in the cool side. No more water in tank, no more red light at night and she/he ate 17 small crickets in a 10 minute feeding time. Will grab some collard greens over the weekend but will try not to stress over it eating them. Will be patient. Going to give it first bath tomorrow.

5 Minutes after eating got this pic. Makes my heart melt. Someone seems content.

 

[Zaiden07]

Aww! He/She looks so happy! Do he/she have a name?

 

[BDNewbie]

Just because you had some bad experiences with pet store employees does not mean all of them are stupid. They don't deserve that. As someone who used to be a pet store employee, i took a lot of pride in helping customers take home a new beardies and setting them up with everything they needed. Now, you are completely entitled to your opinion but please dont slander mine just because you dont agree.

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You are right. Sorry that I generalized too

 

[BDNewbie]

Aww! He/She looks so happy! Do he/she have a name?

No name just yet.

 

[Zaiden07]

You are right. Sorry that I generalized too

Oh geez, no worries. im sorry if i got worked up. I worked at Petsmart for 3 years and i really did want the best for my customers. My boss joked that I was the bearded dragon expert in the store lol! I definitely cant speak for every pet store employee, there are a lot who dont care as much as I did.

 

[Ron G]

I agree about labeling everybody but I have heard some really bad advice while at pet stores looking around. Some girl actually told a customer that Bearded Dragons live in a tropical environment and need humidity. I stepped in and told her she was wrong and she preceded to argue with me about it. I told the manager they shouldn't have have people giving advice when they have no clue. I only wonder how many other people she told that to. Another pet store employee told me Bearded Dragons live in the dessert and needed to be in sand. I think the forum is the best place for accurate information. To be fair many pet store employees I have talked to were very knowledgeable.


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