My sonr brought home a bearded dragon tonight from a friends house, My son is 7. He brought him home in a 10 gallon tank %26 I know he needs a bigger one, he also brought home a purple light which is on right now for heat. I am wondering how much I am actually going to spend on setting up the right tank for him..
How many rocks do I need to have in the tank %26 how many trees do I need to have in there, I have seen a couple of pictures witha little reptile hammock %26 I would love to get one from somewhere but have no clue where to go.. How much is the calcium dusting %26 all the stuff I will need I am in Missouri
Answers:
I answered your other question about bearded dragons you asked recently. I wrote all the correct information about general husbandry. The purple light is probably not a good idea. Dragons like it bright..and I don't think the black light would even get the right temps. I would get a 75 watt bulb household bulb to put in there until you find out what wattage you need and if the temperatures are right. I'm guessing a 75 watt with a 10 gallon should be alright. You need a digital thermometer with probe to check temps.
He needs a UVB light. UVB is for calcium absorption. I explained it in my other answer. The light needs to be atleast an 8.0 or 8% of UVB. There should be no covering over the bulb and it should be placed on top of the screen of the cage. For hammocks, look for one at your local pet store. Petco or Petsmart should carry them also. If I were you.I would go ahead and buy a 40 gallon breeder tank. It can last him his whole life. I bought one for $80 at a mom and pop store, but I think they run about $100 at Petco and Petsmart. Trees, plants, vines, etc are just for decorations. You really need something for him to bask on. If you have any ponds, rives, etc with some nice rocks..I would get one of those and use. I've even used some of the ones that are usually in ditches driveways, etc. They all look the same. But whatever rock you choose, srub it in bleach and soap, rise, then put it in the oven at 200F for 30 minutes. It's a great way to save on money. If you choose to buy them, I would just get one or two big enough to last him his life, and maybe a log too. One of my dragons will choose her log anyday over a rock. For calcium dusting, it needs to be done atleast 3 or 4 times a week and multivitamins 2-3 times. You put the crickets in a zip lock bag, sprinkle some calcium in the bag, close it up, and shake. I call it "shake and bake" lol. Then you open it up, and let the crickets crawl out inside the tank if you don't wanna touch them or get calcium all over your hands.
Babies and juveniles need to be fed as many crickets as they'll eat in 10 minutes atleast 2-3 times a day. Make sure the crickets are no larger than the space between the dragons eyes. I order my crickets online. There are lots of places to buy from. You usually can get 1,000 for $16-$20, depending on where you buy. If you have a local mom and pop store around, ask them if they can order a box for you when they order theirs and how much it'll cost.
For greens, check beautifulragons.com and click on the Nutrition Content for a color-coded food chart. I usually get collard greens, mustard greens or turnip greens, and yellow squash or butternut squash. For treats, I usually get an apple, plum, peach or some type of berries. Do not feed mealworms. They have a hard exo-skeleton and high chitin in their shells making it hard for dragons to digest. Crickets, silkworms, and lobster roaches can be used as staples. Super worms, wax worms, pheonix worms and butter worms can be used as treats.
Please do not use any type of loose substrate. It can cause impaction.no matter what store employees and bags tell you. Impaction can cause $1,000's of dollars to take care of, and in my opinion isn't worth it in the end all because of a $10 bag of shell, sand, or bark. Loose substrates also harbor bacteria.
Check Lowes or Home Depot's ceramic tiles out. They have some nice designs. I think it takes about 6 pieces to cover a 40 gallon breeder tank, and they can cut the tile for you to make it fit in the tank. Don't use vinyl flooring. It has some kind of chemical that when heated up gives off toxic fumes can hurt the beardie. Repti carpet is another good one, but in my opinion it's a hastle to try and get poo off it. I would just use paper towels for your 10 gallon until you get everything set with the next one you buy.
So.
UVB light- $20
UVB light fixture (you can get at lowes or wal-mart, i use black light fixtures)-$10
Calcium (with D3-no phosphorus)-$4-$5
Multivtiamins- $5
40 Gallon breeder tank-$80-$100
Ceramic tiles-$1-$3
Digital thermometer w/ probe-$8
Pack of household bulbs-$1-$2
Rocks-free
Branches-$8-15 depending on where you buy from.
Greens-$2-$3
Crickets in bulk-$16-$20, might be more with shipping.
Hope this helps!!
EDIT: Don't use hot rocks or heat pads either. Beardies can easily be burned by them, causing thermal burns and blisters. Heat sources above (heat light) are 100% safe and are more natural to the beardie. A 40 gallon breeder tank is fine for an adult dragon. It'll last him his life.
Well, I'm no expert, but my ex girlfriend's son has one and they live in Missouri. I think his bearded dragon is about five years old and in great health in spite of sometimes not having the best of care or an owner who had a lot of money to spend on him. He kept him in a 10 gallon tank with a piece of driftwood and a rock he found near the river (be sure to hose them off good and let them dry well before putting them in his cage). I don't recall him ever using calcium dust on him, I'm not sure what exacly that would be used for, but don't think it's an absolute necessity. It's great he has a heat lamp, those things are expensive. He only kept his on like 50% of the time, and like I said, his bearded was very healthy. As far as food, they like collard greens. You can buy them in the produce section of the grocery store. Just wash them off good, tear into pieces, and mist them down. Mist your bearded fairly often too, once or twice a day. They also like raisins, moths, crickets, and should be fed mice (make sure you get size appropriate ones or they get regurgitated) probably once a week. Just put some old newspaper in the bottom of his cage and change it as needed. They're pretty clean animals and actually make great pets. Hopefully it's been handled and is already pretty tame. If you or your son is scared of handling him, just put on a pair of winter gloves. Hope that helps. I loved his bearded and tried to talk him out of it on occasion.
Alrighty. First, you will need to buy a UVB reptile bulb. You can get long lasting ones online, or buy them from your pet store. You will need a ballast for it, as they are longer florescent style tubes (I think there are now newer regular-type bulbs, but I could be wrong.
Calcium powder is needed for dusting crickets, mealworms and/or king worms. Do not feed (pinky) mice unless you are breeding a healthy adult female.
Baby beardies can only eat live food that is the size as the space between it's eyes. Any larger and it can impact and/or choke on it. Your live food will need to be gutloaded with healthy food and vitamins - this ensures that what your pet is eating is healthy for it.
You will need to regulate the heat, with a warm side and a cool side, as reptiles can not regulate their body temperature like humans can. Do NOT use a heat rock, as they are dangerous and can burn the delicate skin of reptiles (remember, their nervous system is different than humans, and an overheating rock may not be noticed right away by the animal). I recommend a heat bulb that is not in any way in direct contact with the pet (keep the top of the lid of the cage away from the pet, or burns will result).
Be sure to clean any deposits yuor pet makes daily, to prevent illness and pests. Have a large enough dish that he can soak in once he gets bigger. For now, keep his water dish very low and not too full - if he's still small he may drown.
Beardies are also big vegetarians when they get older. Most adults become primarily veggetarian, although they do enjoy live food.
With the temperatures, be sure to use a reliable thermometer - preferably an electronic one that has a probe.
Below are some links to sites with lots of information. Beardies are great pets, and one of my favorite lizards. They can be a challenge to keep, but are very rewarding and personable pets!
Beardies are great, for the right person however. Here are some links with great info below.
TDK
Source(s):
http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html.
http://www.kingsnake.com/gladescs/bearde.
http://www.morion.com/teo/english/rockwa. (a great enclosure idea)
http://www.capitaldragons.com/
http://www.iculizard.com/
http://www.dragonsdenherp.com/
Best of luck!
TDK
i got a hammock for my baby iguana petsmart the calcium is about 6 to 10 dollars he will need more heat and lighting i dont recommend getting a heat rock because hell burn himself beardies dont get big i know what big is (iguanas grow up to six feet) a ten gallon is the best type maybe a 50 to 70 gallons for alot of space and for the cage you could go to www.customcages.com they make a lot of differnt types of caging the youll also need to buy crickets which would be like 5 dollars to 15 for a big pack i dont recommend getting sand because they might injest it even if it says it nontoxic youll need a food bowl a water bowl a couple of rocks oh and tanks get pricey they need a basking area and a hide place so a when he wants to hide hope both of you have fun you should also get him flourescent light and no they do not give uv (ultra violet) which they need good luck and if you need more help post the same question have fun
he need calcuim or he wil get mbd metabolic bone disease
Answers are almost right on the money but a 10 gallon tank is too small for a beardie when they grow up. they dont get too big the biggest i've seen was about 2 feet long so I would say about a 75 gallon would house it comfortably allowing it too turn around also a heat pad under the tank is a good candidate for a warm spot foe them. My lizards love them and they dont get too hot and you can insulate the bottem of the cage with sand if you think it is too warm. Also a 75 gallon would be better if you want to introduce another if you ever want to breed them.