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Hello, today is the day I got my first beardie. Im really excited, its very sweet and fun to watch. I just want to make sure im off to a good start. I got it home around 3 this afternoon and got its tank all ready...its a 40 gal with screen cover. I put green repti carpet down (would have prefered brown but they didnt have any), place a half log in the tank in one corner, a corner feed dish in the other corner with meal worms, placed a large branch/climbing thing in the middle. On the other side (the hot side) I placed a tub with shallow water (the kind with a ramp) and a basking stone (arches into the water, he sits on the stone most of all.). Right now the temp in the cage is at 80 degrees and 40 himidity (im worried humidity is too low, where should temps and humidity be? also the humidity is slightly higher near the tub). I also have a climbling mesh ladder suctioned cupped to the side for it to climb. In the morning he will have a 75 watt basking light and a 10.0 UVB light. At night I turn both of those off and leave the 60 watt heat emitter on. Does everything sound okay?
-As far as the dragon goes... its about 2-3 inches long from nose to tip of tail...(he was the largest dragon in the tank at the petstore, the small was maybe an inch and a half) how old would this little guy be approximately? he fits nicely in my hand but sure is wiggly! He didnt eat much tonight, I gave him about 5 small crickets, he only ate 2 of them, is this okay? How many crickets should I be feeding him at each feeding? How often should I feed? Is it okay to feed both crickets and meal worms like I did today (it appears he didnt eat the meal worms though). When can I start him on veggies and which veggies do they usually start with? How should I incorperate them into his diet (at the same time as crickets? all day availability? once a day?).
Behavior- Very active! is it normal for them to try and find a way out of the tank on the first day? he kept jumping up the wall and pacing like he wants out...is this fairly normal on the first day? I just went up to check on him the lights are all off with just a heat emiter on and it appears hes sleeping in the cooler side under the half log on the repticarpet with his legs beside his body (is this how they usually sleep at night or is something wrong? is he too hot?)
-handling-taming... today I held him a few times, he was wiggly some times and did jump out of my hand a couple of times and quickly ran away...is this normal for newbies in a new place that arent used to being handled? (I pick him up inside the tank so he doesnt jump out of my hands and run away on me)...is this the best way to start handling him? will he get more relaxed and calm about handling the more I do it? any advice on how to get him used to being handled and tamed?
Well thats all for now...hope I didnt ask too much of you, but definitely apprecuate all of your help, tips and advice! Thank you!
-As far as the dragon goes... its about 2-3 inches long from nose to tip of tail...(he was the largest dragon in the tank at the petstore, the small was maybe an inch and a half) how old would this little guy be approximately? he fits nicely in my hand but sure is wiggly! He didnt eat much tonight, I gave him about 5 small crickets, he only ate 2 of them, is this okay? How many crickets should I be feeding him at each feeding? How often should I feed? Is it okay to feed both crickets and meal worms like I did today (it appears he didnt eat the meal worms though). When can I start him on veggies and which veggies do they usually start with? How should I incorperate them into his diet (at the same time as crickets? all day availability? once a day?).
Behavior- Very active! is it normal for them to try and find a way out of the tank on the first day? he kept jumping up the wall and pacing like he wants out...is this fairly normal on the first day? I just went up to check on him the lights are all off with just a heat emiter on and it appears hes sleeping in the cooler side under the half log on the repticarpet with his legs beside his body (is this how they usually sleep at night or is something wrong? is he too hot?)
-handling-taming... today I held him a few times, he was wiggly some times and did jump out of my hand a couple of times and quickly ran away...is this normal for newbies in a new place that arent used to being handled? (I pick him up inside the tank so he doesnt jump out of my hands and run away on me)...is this the best way to start handling him? will he get more relaxed and calm about handling the more I do it? any advice on how to get him used to being handled and tamed?
Well thats all for now...hope I didnt ask too much of you, but definitely apprecuate all of your help, tips and advice! Thank you!
