Just acquired a Juvenile Beardy - his setup

[beardedALAN]

I was wondering if anyone had any input on this 55 gallon setup i have for him.

 

[blackclaw83]

I dont think the bush's and the vines are need as of yet due to the fact he is still young. Keep it simple that way as to not stress him out. Just woundering what temp are you keeping the basking area at? for a little one you want it at 110. What kinda UVB bulbs are you using? Congrats on your new baby by the way.

 

[beardedALAN]

I got a 10.0 reptisun bulb brand new i believe is what it is. It's about 105~ at the hot point and around 80 at the cold end. YOu sure i should take the leaves out he seems to enjoy them alot.

 

[blackclaw83]

With the vines I can just see him getting to close to the lamps and getting burnt, plus its to cluttered for a baby. Im worried about little guys safety. Your bulb is good. LOL i messed up getting my first one. i got a 5.0. For the basking area for the babies and juveniles the temp should be around 110 but no hotter then 115. That helps with the digestion of food. The only hides for the crix i can see are the hide logs . I know cause Spazz played hide and seek with the crix all the time. That is one of the reasons people say less is more for the little ones. It is easier for the hunt.

 

[Germ]

I agree on the vinery, as it will provide many places for the feeders to hide. So will the hide be a haven retreat for the crix. Knowing the which lights are what, brand & strength would also be helpful. The heat bulb looks to a red one, white is a better choice, although it does seem to have lots of white light with the fluorescents. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but as Blackclaw83 mentioned, a much simpler setup to start out with would be easier & less stressful on the BD to start out. Gradually dressing it up over a few months. The K.I.S.S. system is generally the best to start with.

Good Luck.

 

[beardedALAN]

K.i.s.s ? I just checked it is reptisun 10.0 and its an infrared basking spot 100w by exo terra. I don't feed him in the 55 gallon if that changes any thing.

 

[blackclaw83]

K.I.S.S.= Keep It Simple Stupid......No he isnt calling you stupid....you cant spell kiss with only one s and eats easy to remember...we used it in the army.

 

[beardedALAN]

Nice now i If you notice in the pictures the hot spot located on the smaller piece of drift wood that branches off from the larger one. and the closest point to the uvb is at the top end of the larger one. Does he know to go where he needs to be, if that makes sense?

 

[Germ]

Keep It Simple Stupid . Not calling anyone stupid, but that is the K.I.S.S. system.

Which one is the UVB, the long fluorescent tube or is that a compact UVB in the smaller rectangular fixture. BDs thrive on Bright White Light. Infrared heat is not necessary, the majority of us just use white or clear bulb types bought at the regular hardware store, that do the job as well or better. As I mentioned previously, you do seem to have an abundance of white light, so if that bulb is providing you with the proper temps mentioned by BC83 it should be fine. At replacement time, I would go with a white or clear bulb. Personally I use Halogen Flood Bulbs, brighter, whiter light, more heat per watt, so cheaper to run.

If you are not feeding in the enclosure & the vinery is not blocking the UVB & heat from basking spot you should be ok that way. I just don't really recommend feeding a new BD in a separate enclosure to most because it can add to the stress factor & increase the acclimation time. But if you are one of the luckier ones & the BD doesn't freak out when you pick it up & tolerates handling well, you may be ok with that too. Every BD is different, but the Basic Husbandry needs are the same .

Good luck

 

[beardedALAN]

I took out the vines and stuff. The uvb is the rectangular fixture on the rightside of the 55gallon. I usually feed him meal worms which i place in a dish in. I feed him crickets every other feeding . and veggies/fruit every three feedings.

 

[blackclaw83]

Okie dokie. The Germ has spoken...........the only thing i got worried about with the vines was being by the lamps...

 

[beardedALAN]

I think I'm just going to hold off on the vinery a couple more months to be safe i wouldn't want anything to happen to him even though i always caught him lounging in it i was afraid of him falling out or something idk.

 

[blackclaw83]

He is a cutie bud. great pic. Me and my girl had a scare with our first one. He got out of the bowl we were using for his bath {BIG bowl} ran across the table. Then did a swan dive off the table onto the carpet.....Gave me a heart attack......

 

[Germ]

Nice now i If you notice in the pictures the hot spot located on the smaller piece of drift wood that branches off from the larger one. and the closest point to the uvb is at the top end of the larger one. Does he know to go where he needs to be, if that makes sense?

He will find the heat that he needs, as long as the proper temps are provided in the first place so he can find it. I'm going to go out on a limb here & guess that the socket part of the UVB fixture is on the right with the UVB Bulb pointing to the left. If this is the case, it appears that when at the hot spot he will be close enough to the UVB for it to be effective

. It looks like you should be good to go.

Glad to hear that you have removed the vines for the time being.

Good Luck

 

[beardedALAN]

Cool Thanks for all of the insight and advice it is much appreciated. I want nothing but the best for my little buddy.

 

[beardedALAN]

As far as full grown size goes. What size enclosure should i provide him/her with (p.s when is s/he old enough to be sexed) I plan to build him a custom enclosure once he out grows this 55 gallon.

 

[blackclaw83]

55 gal is the right size for an adult...i do believe...

 

[Germ]

A 55 gal provides the minimum required floor space for an adult BD. Bigger is always better. There is no set time\age to increase enclosure size. Once again, providing that it is not overly cluttered, to much floor space is not an issue at any age.

It is better and more accurate to sex a BD when they 10"-12" or better. Sometimes you can tell younger, generally the more experienced eye can, but it is better to wait a while to be reasonably sure. There are some BDs that it is really hard to tell checking visually even as adults. I had a 6 year old Male that to this day, checking visually, I would swear that he would be Female, had I not actually seen his equipment in action.

How to Sex a BD ...​

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[beardedALAN]

thanks germ

 

[beardedALAN]

I'm th inking of making him a 4'(h)x2'(w)x4'(l) some day haha. I always obsess over making my buddies awesome homes.