new and just got my first bd:)

[I.heart.my.bd]

Hell from Southern Florida
I am obviously new to the forum and this is my first time ever with a bd...I havent much info on my bd as the guy at the pet store wasn't too helpful with him. I must say I love my beardie already though. I must ask, since getting him three days ago, he has eaten soooo much..is this normal eating for them? What is considered normal I guess as far as how many crickets/day they eat?? Also, the pet store guy suggested sand to us but i read this isn't good for them? Is this so? Sorry I am asking so many questions, just something new

I hope to interact with y'all and get to know more about my bd

 

[ThDude]

Well first welcome to the forum, glad your interested in dragons.

My first thing would be he needs at least a 20 gallon long tank for him thought a 30 is a better idea or even a 40 as they grow fast and grow to be over a foot long.

Second get a good digital thermomitor for the tank, one with the probe that you can put on his basking spot, the temp on the basking spot should be between 100-110F during the day.

Sand is a no no, a baby dragon can eat it and get inpactation which in some cases can lead to death.

Yes bearded dragon babies can eat from15-30 or even more crickets in a day, the general idea for feeding them is: feed them however much they will eat within 10-15 minutes for 2-3 times a day.

Be sure to have greens in the tank such as collard greens, dandy lion greens, many more options and there are links to what is good for them however I can't find it. I'm sure germ or another member could post it.

You need the UVB bulb as well which most pet stores have too

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

how do you know how old your bd is? lol

 

[Josh]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

pictures of my beardie

 

[Germ]

A guess can be made according to size when they are young, but because there is much variation from BD to BD, in how quickly they grow & when they have their growth spurts, it is only accurate give or take a few months. Generally the young ones sold in Pet stores are in the 4-7 week stage. At a guess from the pics I would say 6-8 weeks. Pretty young'un .

Here is the link to the mentioned Nutrition list & a decent Basic Care Guide to help get you started.
Nutrition List
Basic Care Guide

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

A guess can be made according to size when they are young, but because there is much variation from BD to BD, in how quickly they grow & when they have their growth spurts, it is only accurate give or take a few months. Generally the young ones sold in Pet stores are in the 4-7 week stage. At a guess from the pics I would say 6-8 weeks. Pretty young'un .

Here is the link to the mentioned Nutrition list & a decent Basic Care Guide to help get you started.
Nutrition List
Basic Care Guide

Thank you for the helpful links and guess at my bd's age

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

my bd freaked when trying to bathe her she even got mad and under her mouth turned kinda greyish:/ so I took her out and she basked in her spot...

 

[Aleena]

my bd freaked when trying to bathe her she even got mad and under her mouth turned kinda greyish:/ so I took her out and she basked in her spot...

Welcome welcome I just came back to UT from spending a couple years in Central FL.
They don't usually like baths at first but most learn to like them given correct temperatures and time. I didn't think mine would ever enjoy them until I started warming the water up more, didn't realize I was making the water too cool until I read some of the posts on this forum. Their beards can get to where they're pitch black if they get mad enough. Germ always says to make the bath water about equivalent in temp to the basking spot. And Germ's awesome, you'll notice he has a fan club and many of us look to him for advice. (kidding... we might give him a big head.)

 

[ThDude]

Even if he doesn't like a bath it's part of a healthy bearded dragons life to get them. Once a week at least I think.

He may flail around a bit and get mad, but let him. Dragons are very good swimmers and are fine in water. Just be sure it's the correct temp for him.

 

[Jp]

Wecome 2 the BD Forum.

 

[Aleena]

View attachment 1438View attachment 1439 View attachment 1437

pictures of my beardie

How did I miss these adorable pictures? Must be going blind. Such a cute baby!

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

Even if he doesn't like a bath it's part of a healthy bearded dragons life to get them. Once a week at least I think.

He may flail around a bit and get mad, but let him. Dragons are very good swimmers and are fine in water. Just be sure it's the correct temp for him.

well I took her out once her bearded area turned dark...was i not supposed to?

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

I have a question: is there like a blog spot I dont see on this forum where I can write all about my baby Izzy updates and what she did and didnt do so i dont have to keep going back to this intro post? I also want to look back and see how far she has come months or years later down the line...

 

[Aleena]

well I took her out once her bearded area turned dark...was i not supposed to?

She'll get mad about baths lol. Let her , she might be mad but it's a necessary evil. You have to be the mom who tells her she's gonna get what she needs even if she doesn't want it. It is very important for their overall health. Hydration, shedding... it's not like they drink a bunch of water on their own.

 

[Aleena]

I have a question: is there like a blog spot I dont see on this forum where I can write all about my baby Izzy updates and what she did and didnt do so i dont have to keep going back to this intro post? I also want to look back and see how far she has come months or years later down the line...

Not that I know of. You have to put things in their appropriate heading for them to be answered in a timely fashion.

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

She'll get mad about baths lol. Let her , she might be mad but it's a necessary evil. You have to be the mom who tells her she's gonna get what she needs even if she doesn't want it. It is very important for their overall health. Hydration, shedding... it's not like they drink a bunch of water on their own.

okay thank you for that I woke up this morning and she has some shedding going on on her tail now so I will see how she does tonight with a bath

 

[Aleena]

okay thank you for that I woke up this morning and she has some shedding going on on her tail now so I will see how she does tonight with a bath

You can also mist her when she's in shed to loosen it up some more, just make sure you don't help her with the shed by trying to peel it off of them. You can hurt them.

 

[I.heart.my.bd]

I FINALLY got my basking spot to be at least 100 degress F and the rest of the tank around 85 and my humidity in the right spot too!!!

 

[Germ]

By the looks of the thermometer picture & your avatar, your basking temp is not 100F, the glass is. Those analog thermometers are notoriously inaccurate & when stuck to the glass, give more the temp of the glass which is affected by the ambient room temp, as much as the enclosure environment. It is difficult to measure your temps in the right places with them also. Basking temp should be taken directly at the basking spot, it is a heck of a lot hotter directly below the heat bulb than it is 3"- 4" off to the side. Recommended thermometers are digital with a sensor that can be place anywhere in the enclosure or an infrared thermometer (Temp Gun). Both types can generally be acquired & are relatively inexpensive at most larger hardware stores. Digital Indoor/Outdoor thermometers also work very well, giving both temps at a glance when the sensor is fastened to the basking spot & the main unit on the cool side.

Good Luck