Too much conflicting info out there!

[bennylava]

Man there is a lot of conflicting information out there. About proper bearded dragon husbandry. I can't quite filter out the all the real data from the falsehoods and opinions. For example, what is the REAL, best mercury vapor bulb? Are they actually superior to the long, florescent types? Here is the bulb that I bought:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Exo-Terra-S...048?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f250b4080

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, each situation will best suit a bulb. So truly there is no true definite answer. Each has a pro and con. With that said though, MVB bulbs produce the most amount of UVB rays and provide heat all in one. They are the best performing bulb in a large enclosure. Just be sure you are monitoring temps with this bulb as they get extremely hot.

 

[bennylava]

Do you really have to keep Merc Vapor bulbs at least 18" away from the basking spot? Or does it matter, as long as the basking spot doesn't get hotter than it should?

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi. No, set the basking temp with the bulb. As long as temps are within range and the animal can not get to the bulb itself. Everything will fine

 

[bennylava]

Thanks for the reply. My beardie seems to be very defensive, its a good thing he's a mere 5 inches long. Will he grow out of this behavior, if handled enough? He hisses and bites, and tries to escape from my hands the whole time I'm holding him.

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, yes he will grow out of it. I have had some nasty young dragons and every single one of there attitudes changed as they became an adult.

 

[bennylava]

Man that's great to hear. I didn't want him to be that mean when he was grown cause then he could cause some real damage.

Can they be fed dead crickets? When I was down to my last 10 crickets, I noticed that some of them had died. Don't know why, I kept some fresh cut baby tomatoes in there with them, and many could be seen eating the tomatoes. So I flicked a couple dead crickets in there with him, and he gobbled them up just like he did with the live ones. Is there any harm in him eating a few dead, dried out crickets?

 

[Bushmaster11B]

I wouldn't feed any dead crickets. You never know what they may have died from. Tomatoes are VERY acidic and should "rarely" be fed to your BD or your feeders as it will gut load your crickets with the same acidic levels. Check out this chart: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

It's like the nutrients Bible, the best one I have seen that is accurate. Remember, whatever your feeders eat is what will be digested by your BD. I hope this helps.

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, i would personally not feed day or two old dead crickets. There bodies start to break down making foul smell thats enough for me to steer clear.. The canned dried crickets are not the best option but can be used in a pinch.

Gut loading is a great practice. I would highly recommend searching various premade gut loads as well as ingredients to make your own.
Things to be ware of when gut loading. You will want to limit the use of:
1. Vit D (Really any preformed vitamins)
2. High Oxalates
3. Phos/Calcium ratio

 

[bennylava]

Will crickets eat Collard greens or mustard greens? That's what I've been giving the beardie for veggie diet, although he doesn't seem very interested in eating any of it.

 

[Bushmaster11B]

You know what I used for cricket gut load that both my BD and crickets seem to love? Nature Zone Total Bites for Insects. They have a sweet melon scent to it that even helps with the smell of crix in a bin. Plus that particular gut-load has the much needed vitamins your BD needs rather than what veggies lack in vitamins per gut load. You can find this product at Petco and PetSmart. Or Amazon.com

Hope this helps.

Did you check out http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html ? Don't go by anything else but this chart, it is very accurate. However, you do need to gutload and dust your live insects as described above.

 

[bennylava]

Ok thanks I'll give that stuff a try. However, it seems like everyone thinks that just cause the cricket ate it, the bearded dragon will get the benefits. That would only be if the cricket had JUST ate the gut load, because if a little time goes by, the cricket is going to digest the food and it will be in various stages of being broken down. It would really depend on how much digestion the cricket has had time to do .

 

[Bushmaster11B]

No problem. With this gut load, they poop green when eaten. I was just stating facts on what has worked and what was healthy for the BD. Do you want pet crickets or a pet BD? I always gut load my feeders. It doesn't matter if I have 1,000 of them. Why risk the health of your feeders?

 

[bennylava]

Thanks again! How many times a day should my 5 week old beardie be fed? I put him inside the cricket container, and he seemed to eat his fill. He wouldn't eat any more at that time. Well, about 30 minutes later, he was scratching at the glass trying to get the crickets again, cause he could see them. Should I let him eat again? I worry about overfeeding him. Thus far I have been feeding him once a day, while leaving some mustard greens finely sliced up in a small bowl for him.

 

[Bushmaster11B]

2-3 times a day, 15 min feedings. I wouldn't feed in the cricket container. It can get pretty dirty. My BD was eating about 20-50 crix a day Bud. Leave the greens in there all day.

 

[bennylava]

Is it ok if the greens get dried out? Or should I replace them as soon as they dry up?

And three 15 minute feedings a day? Does that change as they get older? I honestly don't think I can squeeze that into my schedule. It just wouldn't be possible for me to do all the time. Some people seem to just leave a food dish in there with them, with some greens and a few pellets.

 

[blazedragon]

we feed CJ 2x per day as much as he can eat.. have your last feeding finish ~2 hours before lights out...

 

[bennylava]

Ok I will do that. Is it bad for him to run around the cage in a panic every time I get him out? There doesn't seem to be a way for me to catch him without him jumping off his perch and running for it. Once he's on the run, it can be very difficult to catch him. Then of course, he hisses and bites. This type of handling does not seem like it would lend itself to taming.

 

[blazedragon]

sounds like your beardie is still in his/her acclimation period.

 

[Bushmaster11B]

Bump