Unanswered questions.

[Dragongirl98]

There are a few things that I have no clue about still. 1. I am using a zilla light bulb & don't know if it is good enough. 2. What is the deal with calcium dust? Do I do it right before each feed? Or what... 3. Shedding... She shed shortly after getting her & I only saw pieces from her tail & it still looks like the begining of her tail is about to. 4. How do I get her to eat her veggies? I got her kale & she has only eaten it once when I had her laying with me but, every time I try to she won't eat. 5. What is a good size to upgrade her house? She is 6" as of now.

 

[Germ]

1: Depending on which Zilla bulb you are using. If Zilla is the choice (Wouldn't be mine ), the Desert 50 is what is needed, & if mounted above the screen, your BD's basking spot will need to be within 6-8" from the center portion of the bulb in order for your BD to receive any useable\effective amounts of UVB. Very little UVB is emitted off the ends of a UVB Tube. Also if you are using the Zilla Smiline fixture, be very sure to remove the Acrylic cover over the bulb, as it blocks at least 10% of the UVB from ever getting into the enclosure. There should never be anything solid, glass or plastic between the BD & the UVB Bulb itself, UVB can not pass through solid filters such as Glass or Plastic.

2: The majority of the live feeders that we commonly feed have very poor Calcium to Phosphorus ratios along with many of the greens fed, so we have to supplement Calcium to prevent diseases like MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) & other diseases that stem from a Calcium deficiency. Therefore ALL live feeders should be dusted with Phosphorus Free Calcium prior to feeding. Here is a decent Feeding & supplementation schedule that you could go by ...

Feeding/Supplements: Bearded dragons are omnivorous and must be fed a diet consisting of both vegetation and live prey. Vegetables and greens should be offered daily and a wide variety of acceptable veg/greens is the best approach. There are several websites available that provide very helpful suggestions and information on preferred veg/greens based on their acceptability and nutritional content. An excellent and non biased place to start for this information is Veronica Reilly’s "Nutrition Content” page Here.

Staple prey items generally consist of crickets & roaches. Silkworms & Phoenix worms are a good frequent feeder, while insects such as waxworms, butterworms, mealworms, and superworms are considered "occasional" feeders. “Dusting” with appropriate calcium and vitamin supplements is a necessity to maintain good health. Dusting is a process that refers to lightly coating greens or live prey with supplements to ensure all of the additional requirements for proper growth and development are met. It is simplest to sprinkle the supplements into a plastic freezer bag that contains the prey and gently shaking until coated. Only dust live prey or greens, depending on the age of the dragon, but it is not necessary to dust both. Live prey should be “gut loaded” prior to feeding, this means your feeders are fed properly to ensure they have an acceptable nutritional value for your dragon. Live prey should be offered in a size that is relative to your dragon. A common suggestion is that prey should be no bigger than the space between your dragon’s eyes.

General feeding/supplementation schedule:
For hatchlings and young juveniles (up to 2 months): Fresh greens/veg. 1-2 times daily - Live prey 2-3 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – one day per week calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For juveniles and sub-adults (2 months to sexual maturity): Fresh greens/veg 1-2 times daily - Live prey 1-2 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – One day per week with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For adults (generally 1+ year): Fresh greens/veg 1- 2 times daily - Live prey every 2-3 days.
Dusted: Live Prey every other feeding with phosphorus free calcium - Twice per month with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

As there are different circumstances that may arise, this schedule is recommended only as a general guide and may be altered to accommodate individual situations. Using a tracking method of when you dust prevents unnecessary use of product and more importantly, potential harm to your dragon! With proper and effective UVB lighting, supplementation with vitamin D3 is not imperative but should be provided in small amounts. Excessive levels of oral vitamin D3 can potentially lead to the excessive absorption and utilization of calcium and/or toxicity as can the excessive use of supplements containing high levels of vitamin A. Over use of any supplement can have the potential to cause serious health problems, stick to an appropriate supplementation schedule.

Amendment to Supplementation: Here is an article providing a good explanation to give an understanding on the Calcium to Phosphorous & Fat to Protien ratio ...

The main points to look out for are the fat content and the Ca: P ratio.​

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Ca: P Ratio and Reptiles​

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Many have heard about the Ca/P ratio but not many understand what it means to your reptiles. The Ca: P ratio is simply the ratio of Calcium compared to Phosphorus and so a Ca: P ratio of 1 (one or 1:1) would mean that Calcium & Phosphorus are found in equal quantities, a Ca: P ratio of 0.5 (half or 0.5:1) means that there is half the amount of Calcium than there is Phosphorus. An ideal Ca: P ratio would be around 2 (two or 2:1) as this will allow calcium to be easily absorbed.​

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So why is this important? It has to do with the way Calcium is absorbed by your reptile's intestine. For any calcium to be absorbed, there needs to be at least equal quantities of Calcium and Phosphorus in their food. If the Phosphorus is much higher, then not only will it prevent calcium being absorbed, but may even leach calcium that is already present in your reptile's body. This can lead to serious problems such as MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). When Calcium and Phosphorus are dissolved in equal quantities, it forms an insoluble salt (Calcium Phosphate) which is very difficult to absorb by your reptile's intestine. If there is a large amount of phosphorus compared to the calcium, then all the calcium will be bound by the phosphorus and none will be available for your reptile. If there is a large excess of calcium, then no phosphorus can be absorbed, which is also a vital mineral but not needed in as large a quantity as calcium. Ideally the Ca/P ratio for most vertebrates is around 2 (also written as 2:1).​

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Fat vs Protein​

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Another thing to look out for is the amount of fat compared to protein. Fat contains twice as many calories as protein, but doesn't provide any of the nutritional benefits that are gained from proteins from their amino acids which are essential for the health of any living creature. The calories from fat are often called "empty calories" in dietary terminology. Most insectivorous reptiles will receive greater benefit from a high protein/low fat diet.​

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Source - http://www.leedspetshops.co.uk​

3: BDs often have patchy sheds in sections, this is generally not a concern, it will shed when it's ready & on it's own time. Regular Misting & Warm soaks will help hydrate your BD & be a great help to the shedding process.

4: It is not uncommon for young BDs to not take to their greens at the start, some will take months & this is ok. But you should always have a small supply of fresh greens available to it, whether it eats them or not, so they are there when it does choose to check them out. Many will try different methods to try to trick them into eating their greens, I don't bother ... they will start on their greens when they are ready on their own, without outside help from us. Please see the Nutrition list below, try to choose some of the greens hi-lited in Green.

5: IMHO - A young\baby BD can be housed in an adult sized enclosure with no issues, providing it is not cluttered with unnecessary junk, giving the feeders many places to hide. If the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) method is used, you will have no issues in a larger enclosure.

A few good links to help get you started that will answer the majority of your Questions if you read through them a few times. Doing so will give you a much better understanding of your pet & it's proper care. Much of the quotes above stem from these links.

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

Is Bearded Dragon Co-habitation a good plan?

How To Sex A Bearded Dragon

Good Luck

 

[Dragongirl98]

I'm not sure on the type of bulb but, she is about 6" under. Thank you soooooooooo much with everything else. How big do you think she will have to be before I have to move her out of her current home?

 

[Germ]

You should really find out, like yesterday, this is an important\necessary part of BD husbandry & you must be sure that you have an adequate strength UVB bulb. This is NOT an option.

How big do you think she will have to be before I have to move her out of her current home?

5: IMHO - A young\baby BD can be housed in an adult sized enclosure with no issues, providing it is not cluttered with unnecessary junk, giving the feeders many places to hide. If the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) method is used, you will have no issues in a larger enclosure.

What size enclosure is her current home???

 

[Dragongirl98]

10g & the lighting says UVA full spectrum?

 

[Germ]

How big do you think she will have to be before I have to move her out of her current home?

Answer: YESTERDAY!

A 10 gal enclosure is too small for any sized\aged BD, I'm guessing that you got this 'Kit' ...

That has been directly responsible for the illness & deaths of several BDs on this forum alone & untold numbers overall. It is virtually impossible to provide the proper heat gradient of 110F basking temp to 80-85F cool side temp in a 10 Gal tank. It is not physically possible to achieve a 25-30F degree difference in less than a foot's distance, in such close quarters. A night light is not required & bothers most BD's sleep. You NEED to get a specialty UVB bulb, at this time you are not providing any & as mentioned earlier, this is not an option, it is a necessary part of BD husbandry for their continued health & well being. UVA is basically nothing more than 'White' Light ... I recommend a Repti-Sun 10.0 or a Repti-Glo 10.0 UVB Tubes & fixtures. Compacts will work also, providing they are the 25+W Bulbs. The provided thermometer\humidity gauge is garbage & is not suited for this application, digital thermometers with sensors\probes are what are needed, one for the cool side & one for directly at the basking spot. Similar to this ...

Please get it into a minimum 20+ gal enclosure asap, like yesterday ... Being housed in that 'Kit' is detrimental & hazardous to your BD's health & wellbeing. Zilla\Pet Store Propaganda that leads newbies to believe that they have a proper enclosure & has been the cause of the painful demise of many Young BDs.

I got one after researching bearded dragons for months then finally I got one for ,y birthday.

I find it difficult to believe that you say you have done months of research & ended up housing it in a 10 Gal enclosure & without proper lighting ... Hopefully you will find much Better sources of info for your BD's care, such as this forum. Pet Stores are one of the poorest sources of info that there is, very few of their so called 'Reptile Specialists' are species specific knowledgeable in their care.

For your BD's sake, please heed this caution & take care of this immediately. Please read & look over the links previously provided ... A few times over.

Example of a Basic Setup: Showing the recommended Basic requirements, proper Temperatures & the points at which they should be measured from, in Red & the optional choices that are actually used in this particular example enclosure, in Black.

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Good Luck.

 

[Dragongirl98]

I will get a bigger one ASAP. Thanks sooooo much. I feel dumb.

 

[Pat B]

I will get a bigger one ASAP. Thanks sooooo much. I feel dumb.

N
No No No....never feel 'dumb' on this forum. You didn't know, you asked your question and now you know. That is what this forum is all about. Ask your questions and you will get a good answer. If you don't ask then shame on you! Sooooo....ask away with any question no matter what it is!!

 

[Dragongirl98]

Thanks. what do youthinkthat icouod house her in temporarily until I get my summer job?. I have seen reptiles be kept in storage containers & ididntreally understand that?.

 

[Pat B]

I have a 20 gal tank you can have!! I live in Columbia SC if you want to come and pick it up. I would get your little beardie out of the 10 gal tank ASAP as Germ stated in an earlier post. You could harm your beardie without proper lighting. A 'summer' job is like 5 months away....not a good idea to wait. Also, as Germ stated, petstores are notorious for telling you 'crap', stuff you don't need, wrong information etc etc etc. I know....as I have been burned as many other people have on this forum. If you have questions or concerns please come here. You won't go wrong with the information you receive. The moderators are top notch and know their stuff and people like me who just want to help.... Good luck and come back often!!

 

[Dragongirl98]

I would LOVEtp pick it up but, I am in Texas. & I understand what you mean. I also have fish & I hated pet stores telling people wrong info. I guess I just didn't apply that same theory to reptiles.
I am planning on Saturday to go get a new bulb

 

[Pat B]

I am not so sure about a storage container. I think lighting might be an issue unless you can rig something that will be safe for your beardie and he will get the proper lighting he needs to grow and stay healthy. Setting up a beardie home is not cheap but it is only a one time buy. Check out Craigslist....maybe something there will work for you. Good luck!!

 

[Dragongirl98]

I'll go look. Thanks.