Bearded Dragon info?

Question

After years and years of wanting a reptile, I finally convinced my mom to let me get something with scales (besides a boring old fish lol) I really wanted to get a snake but thats out because my mom is afraid, but a bearded dragon is just as good :) Before I get it I want to know every little detail possible about how to care for them, like:

What temperature is good for their terrarium,

what lighting they need,

what I can feed them, besides crickets and mealworms,

how much living space they need,

etc.

I have a 50 gallon tank and some flat rocks for my future pet dragon to bask on, so I hope its big enough for an adult bearded dragon(apparently they can grow up to 24 inches?)

Answer 1

Here is my mini care sheet.  See the links below for complete care info.

Beardies should have at least a 40 gallon breeder tank.  Breeder tanks are wider rather than being tall.  This allows for more floor space.  The larger the tank, the better for your beardie.  Mine is in a 75 gallon.  

Do not use sand or other loose substrate on the bottom of the tank.  The risk of intestinal impaction is very real and very common.  Also, loose substrate allows for the quick growth of bacteria and harbors parasites.  It is difficult to clean well and usually smells before long.  Good choices for substrate are non-adhesive shelf liner, which is rubbery, cheap, easy to clean, and looks great.  This is what I use in my lizard tanks.  Other choices include reptile carpet and ceramic tile cut-to-fit.  Sand is NOT natural!  In the wild beardies are not forced to live, eat, and p**p all in a confined small space.  

You must have a heat lamp and a way to regulate temperatures.  The easiest way to provide this is to use a reflector dome with a regular household light bulb.  You can change the wattage to increase or decrease heat as needed.  Plug the heat lamp into a thermostat (they sell these for reptile lamps) or a dimmer switch.  This way the temp can be carefully regulated.  Baby beardies need 105F and adults 100F.  Use a digital probe thermometer to measure the basking temp.  These are sold as indoor/outdoor thermometers in most garden departments.  Set it to “outdoor” and place the probe on the basking platform. You cannot use stick on or dial thermometers, as these only measure air temps and not basking temps.  They can be off by more than 20F!  If the temps are too cold or too hot, you’ll end up with a sick and stressed dragon.  Place the heat bulb over one end of the tank so the other end can be the cool end.  The beardie can self-regulate his temperature this way by moving from one end to the other.  Most beardies spend a good part of their days basking.  A basking platform can either be anything the beardie can climb onto to bask.  I prefer the artificial logs or bridges, as they are easy to clean.  

Beardies must have a UVB bulb!  These look like fluorescent bulbs that fit into fixtures made for them.  The larger the better.  These bulbs must be within 12 inches of the basking spot to be effective.  Both heat and UVB bulbs should be on for 12 hours a day.  It is best to use timers to accomplish this as they allow for the creation of a natural day/night cycle.  Good UVB bulbs are Repti-sun 10.0 or Repti-glo 8.0.  These bulbs should be changed every 6 months as they lose potency long before the light gives out.  

Feeding a variety of insects is always best.  In the wild they will eat up to 50 different types of insects.  Good choices include crickets, superworms, phoenix worms, silkworms, hornworms and occasionally wax worms (high in fat).  Avoid mealworms as they are too high in chitin (outer shell) and can cause impactions.  All insects must be properly “gutloaded” before being used as food.  This means providing correct food and water or moisture for them.  All insects fed must be no larger than the space between the beardies eyes.  If the prey is too large, this can lead to impaction and possible paralysis!

Salads must also be provided.  Several greens and vegies should be in each salad.  For a complete list of safe recommended vegies, see the Beautiful Dragons website below under the “Nutrition” link.

Provide your beardie with a small bowl of water.  Do not use a large bowl as this will raise the humidity too high in the tank, which can lead to upper respiratory problems.  

Beardies benefit from bathing and soaking.  This not only helps with shedding, it is a good way to keep him hydrated.  Simply use a large Rubbermaid container.  Fill it to beardie shoulder height with warm water and place the beardie in it.  Some beardies love water and others never learn to enjoy a bath.  Let him soak for 10-15 minutes.  Baby beardies can be soaked 3 times a week (they dehydrate much more quickly) and adults every 1-2 weeks.  Daily misting with a squirt bottle is also beneficial.  

Beardies should have a stool sample checked by an experienced reptile vet twice a year.  They can carry a lot of parasites which can cause loss of appetite, diarrhea, and illness.  Some of these parasites, such as coccidia, can never be totally eliminated.  Under stress their numbers can rise and cause problems.  Your vet can advise you when treatment is needed.

For more info on care, health and feeding, please check out my favorite sites:

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co...

http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BD...

http://www.beardeddragon.org/

http://www.bearded-dragons.com/tips/

Answer 2

the 50g. is great, my beardie is about 12 inches i have had him for 2 years and i have him in a 30g.

Feeding wise, a mix of greens and meat.  I used to feed him live crickets, but i ended up killing them all the time and with my schedule i needed an alternative, so i feed him flukers gut loaded crickets that are freeze dried.  But either one will work fine, you can also do meal works like you asked, but dont forget to add a little bit of greens, darker ones, collard greens or Romanian lettuce, mustard greens, turnip greens, you can find them at any fresh market.  

Heating wise a beardie needs UVB (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...

They also need heat, make sure to have a thermomator in your cage, the right temp. is needed for beardies.

the top of the basking area by the light should be at 100-105 degrees, and the nightime temp can drop to as low at 60.

Hope this helps!  Any more questions you can email me! Bearded Dragons are great pets, im gald you choose to get one.