Caring For Your Dragon
Getting a baby bearded dragon can be really exciting but properly caring for them is very, very important!
Carefully read on to learn how to ensure the health of your bearded dragon.
Basic Set Up
BREEDER TANK OR TERRARIUM
A baby bearded dragon can be housed in a 20 gallon to 40 gallon breeder tank.
Starting with a 20 gallon tank may be best to allow you and your bearded dragon to get to know one another. You want your baby dragon to feel safe and be able to get to their food easily. Sometimes, starting with a 40 gallon tank can be very overwhelming and cause the baby bearded dragon to go into hiding and/or not eat. Transitioning to a 40 gallon breeder tank/terrarium after about 6 months is enough time to help your baby dragon transition.
FLOORING
For flooring inside of your tank you can simply use a paper towel, newspaper, or smooth kitchen liner from your local department store; you can also purchase reptile carpet. I wouldn’t recommend any sand substrate for the first year.
BASKING
Bearded Dragons cold-blooded and rely on external heat sources to raise their body temperature. They do not have the ability to regulate their own body temperature, they depend on a basking area on one end and a cool side on the other end to self-regulate their body temperature as needed. For your baby bearded dragon you will need a rock or log for your basking spot these items can be purchased at any reptile store. You will also need a basking dome and light. For a 20 gallon tank, you’ll need a 75 watt bulb and a 100 watt bulb for a 40 gallon. Temperature inside the tank should reach between 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit on basking side. The cool side should be between 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. A heat temperature gun can be purchased from Amazon, this will help with temperature accuracy.
UVB LIGHTING
There are different opinions about which UVB bulb is best to use. A T5 or a T8? The difference between the two is the circumference of the tube. However, T5’s offer a brighter, flicker free, more quality light. And, also importantly, flicker free. In my experience, one T8 is good for a 20 gallon tank while two T8s are good for a 40 gallon tank. One T5 is good for either a 20 gallon or 40 gallon tank. Lights should stay on for at least 12-14 hours per day, you can set a timer to be sure this time is achieved. Bearded dragons require a dry cage but also need a 35%-55% range in humidity. Keeping dragons below this range can cause problems. Bowel movements must be removed daily if keeping more than one dragon in enclosure
DECORATIONS
You can buy decor for your bearded dragon. Decor like a hide for cooling down purposes and a food bowl.
WHERE TO PURCHASE
Arcadia is great place to start. You can also check out Kuhl Dragons they carry all of Arcadia lights plus food supplement. Reptisun is also cool but you will need a fixture from Kuhl Dragons so its best to just buy from them.
Feeding
How often?
Baby bearded dragons should be fed 2-3 times a day for optimal growth. At least two hours after lights comes on, waiting a couple hours allows the dragon time to warm up. The last feed should be a couple hours before lights turn off which give it time to digest.
What to feed them?
Your baby dragon can be fed a variety of insects such as crickets, Dubia Roaches, black solder larva, and wax worms. Also your dragon will need greens every day. Leafy greens like kale, collard greens, turnip greens, and curly kale also other vegetables like carrots, yellow squash, zucchini are good. Fruits like berries can be given once a week as a treat. As a rule, baby dragons, 1 year old and younger, will require 80% Protein 20% Greens, while a mature dragons, over a year old, will require 80% Greens and only 20% Protein.
Should I supplement?
Supplementation, if you choose to, should consist of dusting crickets every third to fourth feeding with a phosphorous free calcium powder with D3. A good vitamin supplement such as Herptivite should be used once a week.
What is Gut Loading?
Gut loading simply means feeding the crickets nutritious foods so that the nutrition is passed on to your pet. Please be sure to gut load all insects before giving to dragon this helps your dragon get the right nutrition.
A note of caution:
Failure to follow this diet and regimen could lead to major problems.
Taking your new baby dragon home
It is not uncommon for your new dragon to not eat immediately after arriving to their new home. The stress from transporting and inspecting its new environment may put eating on the ‘back burner’ for a day or so.
After 3-4 hours of allowing your dragon to adjust to its new home, offer it a few crickets and some chopped greens in a shallow bowl or lid. Avoid trying to hand feed until the dragon is eating well for a few weeks and has adjusted to its new environment.
If your dragon does not eat the few crickets by the end of the first day, remove the crickets and offer them some water. Try covering the sides of the dragon’s enclosure partially with paper to eliminate environmental stress.
The next day, wait until mid-day to offer it crickets again. Hopefully, by not seeing any food items for a 1/2 day and becoming more comfortable in their new home, this will stimulate their appetite.
If your dragon does not eat by the end of the second day, offer it water again and please give us a call, we are happy to help.
Dangers to avoid
The following could hurt or possibly kill your Dragon –
*Lightening Bugs – There have been many reports of Bearded Dragons dying after being fed lightening bugs. These should be avoided.
*Pebbles – If using sand, you MUST sift it through a screen to remove any of the larger pebbles.
*Too large of a prey item – Appropriate sized meal worms and crickets are a must for hatchlings. Crickets should be NO LONGER than the width of their mouth. And if feeding worms – mini or small should be used. Approx. 1/4 inch long.
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